10/12/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CASEY - Saturday night's home game for Casey-Westfield didn't have a great start to it.

Coach Jeff Fritchnitch looked on as the Warriors allowed the Mt. Carmel opening kickoff bounce towards the sidelines where one of the Golden Aces fell on the ball at the C-W 30-yard line.

10/11/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
HILLSBORO - One might believe that the Vandalia Vandals would be setup for a bit of a let down after an emotional 35-34 overtime win the previous week against rival and previously unbeaten Greenville.

Heading into their contest on Friday night at winless Hillsboro, the Vandals could have taken the game lightly.

10/05/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
FAIRFIELD - Saturday afternoon the Fairfield Mules celebrated their homecoming with a commanding 20-6 victory over Flora to even their mark at 3-3.

More importantly Coach Justin Townsend's club took a step towards securing its 11th consecutive IHSA playoff berth.

10/04/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
HARRISBURG - When the season began Carterville head coach Brett Diel probably couldn't have imagined a worse start.

The Lions got ran off of the field in a 41-0 shellacking delivered at home by Benton. Another loss on the road at St. Joseph-Ogden left Carterville at 2-2 after four games.

09/28/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELDORADO - Saturday afternoon's contest between Hamilton County and Eldorado appeared to be headed to overtime with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

An opening quarter touchdown by the host Eagles and an early third quarter .....

09/24/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
BRIDGEPORT - The Bridgeport Red Hill school board voted Monday night to accept the invitation to join the Black Diamond Conference in football only beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

With the loss of Vienna/Goreville from varsity football, having not fielded a team in three of the last four seasons, the Black Diamond Conference needed a tenth team to keep their closed conference schedule complete.

Red Hill will replace V/G in the already completed schedule starting next fall.

The Salukis are currently members of both the Midland Trail Conference and Little Okaw Valley Conference in all other sports and have been an independent in football since leaving the Little Illini Conference after the 2020-21 school year.

Red Hill is currently 3-1 on the season for head coach Billy Gray, and posted a win over current Black Diamond Conference team Christopher/Zeigler-Royalton last Saturday.

CZR picked up the game to replace what would have been a varsity game in Week 4 against Vienna/Goreville.

None of the other BDC teams found a game this year to replace the void and will receive forfeited wins from Vienna/Goreville.

If and when V/G begins varsity football again, they would play as an independent.

“We are excited about this new partnership with the BDC. This conference gives us a chance to be competitive while providing some stability that we didn’t have as an independent,” said Red Hill Athletic Director Greg McKinney. “The MTC will still be our main conference and we will participate in every sport but football. We look forward to hosting the Hamilton County Foxes on Week 1 next year. A huge thank you to the BDC for extending us this offer.”

One of the drawbacks with the change is that they will lose a annual rivalry game against Lawrence County rival Lawrenceville, who the Salukis have played each season in the Oil Field Trophy game.

This is similar to when Eldorado joined the Black Diamond in 2003-04, and stopped its rivalry game against Harrisburg.

“But this (move to the BDC) checks so many other boxes for us,” said Coach McKinney.

09/21/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
MARSHALL - On an overcast day on the road at Marshall Saturday afternoon the Olney Richland County Tigers continued to shine.

Having gone the entire 2023-24 football season without a victory, Coach Luke Carmody's crew have turned things around in a big way in 2024-25.

09/14/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
ROBINSON - Beginning the season 0-2 is something that doesn't happen too often for programs like Mt. Carmel.

The last time MC started a season with two-consecutive was back in 2005.

The Golden Aces are a perennial playoff program and ......

09/13/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
SESSER - The Sesser-Valier/Waltonville Red Devils stayed unbeaten on the season with an 8-6 victory over Fairfield on Friday night at Carroll Kelly Field.

The hosts scored their lone touchdown in the first quarter, gave up a second quarter score to the Mules and then ......

09/07/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
BRIDGEPORT - Saturday's battle of Lawrence County was tied at 7-7 at halftime in a defensive struggle.

But Red Hill came up with the formula for success in the second half to take a 23-7 victory over Lawrenceville on the strength of a couple of big plays from their offense.

09/06/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHESTER - It took just a few minutes for the Chester Yellow Jackets to take command of their home contest against Pinckneyville on Friday night at home.

The hosts never let up until the final horn.

08/30/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - For Red Hill the path to the playoffs a year ago was thorny for an independent team with a wild, mostly Saturday afternoon, schedule of contests.

Coach Billy Gray got his club playoff eligible late in the season, winning their final three regular season contests to get into the 1A tournament.

08/30/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - Last season four of the eight Little Illini Conference teams made it to the IHSA football postseason and two of the teams (Mt. Carmel, Casey-Westfield) each advanced past the first round.

Paris and Lawrenceville each lost their playoff openers.

08/29/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - It was a memorable season for a couple of Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division squads.

Roxana won the championship with Breese Central finishing second.

8/23/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - Relatively speaking the Black Diamond Conference football race (in most campaigns) comes down to one pivotal game, usually a contest between unbeaten teams.

The 2023 season produced that game in Week 8.