When it comes to senior leadership, Crete-Monee’s Terrance Sandidge aces the test.

It helps that Sandidge plays both offense and defense for the Warriors. It means he could offer up his varsity wisdom on both sides of the ball heading into the postseason.

“There’s a level of experience that you try to impart to young guys,” Crete-Monee coach John Konecki said. “He really does a nice job of being that mentor to the younger guys.

“He shows them how you go about your work and how you have to get things done.”

The 6-foot, 190-pound running back/linebacker showed how to get things done Saturday afternoon, scoring four touchdowns and coming up with two sacks to lead the host Warriors to a 47-13 victory over Champaign Centennial in a Class 6A first-round game.

Sandidge ran for 209 yards on 19 carries as the Warriors (7-3) advanced to next weekend’s second round against Washington (9-1). Derrin Couch ran for 64 yards and three TDs.

Couch, a sophomore quarterback, also threw for 97 yards for Crete-Monee, which piled up 525 yards and eliminated Champaign Centennial (6-4) for the second year in a row.

It was a different vibe this time for the Warriors, who beat the Chargers 53-13 in the first round last season but lost 42-0 to Kankakee on Oct. 20 to close out the regular season.

“We came through with a ‘be great’ mentality,” Sandidge said of Saturday’s effort. “Everybody to the ball. Play as a team. Ready up. Boom. You just forget last game.”

Defensively, the Warriors had a strange statistical game. They gave up 279 yards, but 278 came on eight big plays. The Warriors held Champaign Centennial to one yard on the other 38 plays, including 11 plays for loss.

“It’s weird,” Sandidge said. “We gave up stuff — it’s going to happen. But you have to come back even harder every play. You have to put those plays in the back of your head and you have to come back stronger.”

Sandidge, who’s also a sprinter in track for Crete-Monee, showed breakaway speed on TD runs of 40 and 47 yards. He showcased his strength on TD runs of 2 and 5 yards.

Afterward, he credited his offensive line of Vincent Vargas, Giovanni Arroyo, Johnathan Jones, Xavier Lloyd and Jeremiah Hill for the big game.

And then there’s the “steamroller” formation used by the Warriors, where they bring in more beef for a scrum-like running play.

“They are a real load back there,” Sandidge said of his O-line. “If I follow behind them, everything will come.”

Crete-Monee, however, still trailed 13-12 at halftime. Champaign Centennial was looking to tack on more points in the third quarter after reaching the Warriors’ 9.

But Anson LaBranche, a freshman making his first start on the varsity, picked off a pass with 7:49 left in the third to spark the Warriors, who outscored the Chargers 35-0 the rest of the way.

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“I got to my drop and I saw the ball,” LaBranche said. “I don’t know how (the quarterback) didn’t see me. I’m a big dude. How did he not see me?

“I got the ball and was like, ‘Is this really happening?’”

The 5-11, 235-pound LaBranche also forced a fumble to make a difference.

For Sandidge, it’s the opposite end of the equation. He’s in his final year with Crete-Monee, getting interest from NCAA Division III and NAIA schools but hoping to play a few more games with the Warriors.

His favorite part of football is bonding with his teammates.

“I love being with my brothers, man,” he said. “It’s a big family. It’s a brotherhood.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.