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Sisson,
Sullivan,
Malawy & Skelcher
Represent 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A "Player of the
Year" honors in 2023
Mt. Carmel named "Team of the Year" |
02/09/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - It was the Covid19 2021 spring.
The Illinois
High School Association allowed member schools to compete in
six spring football games, which was a blessing in and of itself.
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Byron
too much for Aces
Tigers
roll to 69-7 title game win; Mt. Carmel finishes 12-2 |
11/24/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL - On Friday in the state championship game
was essentially a disaster for Mt. Carmel.
Nothing
went right for the Aces and everything went as planned for Byron.
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Rochester
rocks Red Devils
Rockets
roar into state title game with 42-14 win over Murphysboro |
11/18/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
MURPHYSBORO - It wasn't the result that the Murphysboro Red Devils
were hoping for on Saturday.
However
for Rochester it was just another road trip south that produced
a lopsided playoff victory.
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Athens
scores late to advance
Warriors edge Nashville, 28-27; Hornets' season ends at 8-4 |
11/11/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
NASHVILLE - Saturday's
2A quarterfinal game produced a down-to-the-wire finish in a back-and-forth
contest between host Nashville and visiting Athens.
The
game wasn't decided until the final play and it was reminiscence
of a playoff semifinal game played on the same field in 2021.
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Red
Devils reach quarterfinals
Sesser-Valier/Waltonville
rolls past Salt Fork; improves to 11-0 |
11/04/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
SESSER - The unknown heroes for the Sesser-Valier/Waltonville
Red Devils stepped up once again the team's second round 1A
playoff game at home on Saturday.
While
the skill position players garner all of the headlines and individual
records, the guys in the trenches are a major part of why this
squad sits at 11-0.
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Du
Quoin stays unbeaten
Indians advance to second round, 28-21 over Monticello |
10/28/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
DU QUOIN - In a contest that featured a bunch of big offensive
plays from both combatants, it was the Du Quoin Indians' defense
that made sure that the Tribe would advance to the second round
of the IHSA 3A Playoffs. The
game was played in a steady rain for most of Saturday afternoon
and Coach Logan Spain and his club battled the elements and
a pesky/talented Monticello ....
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Red
Bud scores late to advance
Musketeers
outlast Chester (and Mother Nature) 7-0 Friday night |
10/27/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
RED BUD - In a battle of Randolph County rivals on a rainy, then
cold, Friday night, it took nearly the entire 48 minutes to decide
the outcome of a contest where neither team could contend with
the elements. Red
Bud, however, took advantage of the fifth Chester turnover to
set up the short game winning drive.
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Red
Hill qualifies for playoffs
Second
half rally eliminates Carlyle, Salukis play @ Camp Point Central next
Saturday |
10/21/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
BRIDGEPORT - According to Red Hill head coach Billy Gray, he
seldom ever gets loud when addressing his team during halftime's
of games in his many years as a head coach.
On Saturday
afternoon he made an exception.
After
playing a pretty good opening quarter and a 'no-so-good' second,
Coach Collins ....
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A-J
picks up league road win
Wildcats'
triumph 34-22, improve to 3-5 overall, 2-3 in SIRR Mississippi |
10/14/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
WEST FRANKFORT - The Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats showed on Saturday
night how much better a team they are when they have Payton Denny
under center. The
6-5, 220 senior signal caller missed some games with a high
ankle sprain and the Wildcats suffered without him.
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Red
Devils' rally stuns JC
Sesser-Valier/Waltonville
wins in OT, 30-28; stays unbeaten at 8-0 |
10/13/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
JOHNSTON CITY - There were multiple times during Friday night's
game at Johnston City where the Sesser-Valier/Waltonville Red
Devils could have 'thrown in the towel'. The
host Indians offense had the ball for most of the first two
quarters and scored on a pair of long touchdown drives that
ate up most of the first half clock.
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Teams
via for playoff spots
Key contests have conference/postseason
ramifications |
10/13/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - On Friday, October the 13th there are some key
games in the ASV area that have major playoff and conference
championship ramifications.
Here
is a quick look at a few of the contests will have a lot to
do with how the playoffs will look in two weeks.
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| Pirates
roll to league road win
Cumberland
wins 55-12 at Tri-County; improves to 5-2 |
10/07/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
OAKLAND - When your football team plays in a “closed conference”
you have to make sure you take care of business in each game played
each week, no matter who the opponent is, if you're planning on
making the IHSA playoffs. The
Cumberland Pirates did that on Saturday afternoon on the road
by avoiding any sort of upset or let down.
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Mt.
Carmel avoids upset
Aces
rally past Casey-Westfield 23-20 on a last second field goal |
10/06/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
MOUNT CARMEL – There is a classic line in the movie “Rudy”
where Notre Dame head coach Dan Devine says to his team “no
one comes into our house and pushes us around.”
On Friday
night at the Snake Pit in Mt. Carmel, Casey-Westfield came into
town and pushed the Aces around in a big way.
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 10/04/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - Here is a quick look at the key matchups for this
weekend.
Breese Central (5-1) @ Roxana (6-0)
The Shells are ranked #5 in the most recent AP Poll in 3A. The
Cougars are honorable mention in 4A and have won five-consecutive
after an opening week loss to Highland. Central won the matchup
last year at home 20-13 in Week #7. The winner should end up Cahokia
Conference Mississippi Division champs.
Casey-Westfield (6-0) @ Mt. Carmel (5-1)
The Warriors are unbeaten so far as they have outscored the opposition
239-6. C-W received votes in the most recent AP 1A Poll. The Aces
have just a season opening 21-14 loss to Fort Branch (IN.) Gibson
Southern and have yet to lose an LIC contest (21-consecutive wins)
since joining the conference in 2020-21. MC won last year's matchup
48-6 @ Casey-Westfield.
Breese Mater Dei (5-1) @ Belleville Althoff
(5-1)
The Knights have just a loss on the road at rival Breese Central
in Week #2 while the Crusaders' defeat came against unbeaten O'Fallon
(MO.) St. Dominic. Althoff is ranked #6 in 1A while the recent
2A poll has BMD also receiving votes. Belleville Althoff won on
the road last year in this matchup, 13-7, in Week #2.
Murphysboro (6-0) @ Harrisburg (5-1)
This is a key matchup in the SIRR Ohio Division as the Red Devils
and Bulldogs hook up. Harrisburg edged previously undefeated Carterville
on the road last week while Murphysboro hasn't had a close game
yet. The winner will likely end up with the division championship.
The Red Devils defeated HB last fall, 32-21.
Greenville (6-0) @ Carlinville (4-2)
The Comets picked up a huge win last week on the road at Pana
and are playoff eligible after missing the dance last fall. They're
ranked #9 in 3A in the most recent state-wide poll. Carlinville
has a pair of defeats (Pana, Vandalia) but they have three-consecutive
wins and are needing to win two games to guarantee its 16th-straight
playoff berth. The Cavaliers shutout Greenville last season, 33-0,
in Week #8.
Benton (3-3) @ West Frankfort (2-4)
These two Franklin County rivals hook up on Friday night, both
in desperate need of a victory. The Rangers would need to win
out to claim an automatic spot in the playoffs while the Redbirds
would need to also run the table and hope for a 5-4 bid. Benton
beat WF last fall, 45-20 in Week #3. |
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Herrin
romps to easy road win
Tigers' trounce Massac County, 48-0; improve to 2-4 overall |
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09/30/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
METROPOLIS - When you have two 1-4 teams squaring off in a high
school football game, one would normally expect a tough battle.
That
scenario didn't transpire in the SIRR Ohio Division on Saturday
afternoon in Metropolis.
The
Herrin Tigers rolled into Massac County and proceeded to roll
past the host Patriots.
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Warriors'
shutout Lawrenceville
Defensive
effort keeps Casey-Westfield undefeated with 14-0 win |
09/23/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
LAWRENCEVILLE - It was a beautiful afternoon in Lawrence County
on Saturday.
However the football
game played between Casey-Westfield and Lawrenceville was anything
but.
Despite all of the mistakes
on the field by both teams, the Warriors had two things .....
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Roxana
romps with big second half
Shells
break away for 57-27 win; stay unbeaten at 5-0 |
09/22/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
SALEM - For the first time this season the Roxana Shells faced
a stiff challenge. A
trip to Salem on Friday night produced a severe test at the
hands of the 3-1 Wildcats.
The hosts
held their own with Coach Wade DeVries' team as Salem took a
20-16 halftime lead over the undefeated Shells.
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Unbeaten
teams ready to battle
Area squads with playoff hopes set to
prove their worth this weekend |
09/21/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - The
Week #5 schedule of games in southern Illinois features some
marquee-type match ups as four key games have seven clubs at
4-0 and another sitting at 3-1.
Each
of the programs appear to have what it takes to get to the playoffs
as they head towards the second half of the season.
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Foxes'
defense ruled the day
Hamilton County blanks Edwards County, 10-0; Foxes
improve to 2-2 |
09/16/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
ALBION – Hamilton County's offense struggled in its road
game at Edwards County on Saturday afternoon.
But its
defense didn't.
The defense
and special teams stepped forward, which is how.....
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| Carterville
leaves little doubt
Lions hammer Herrin 49-0; improve to 4-0 on the season |
| 09/15/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARTERVILLE - Quarterback Brandon Skelcher had one of those
moments in time Friday night.
After
being a backup last season, the 6-1 senior took over controls
of the Lions this fall.
His
Friday night game game against rival Herrin was a stellar performance.
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Marquette
ends long losing skid
Explorers dominate EAWR 49-21; 22-game streak ends
with win |
09/09/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
ALTON - Losing streaks are difficult to stop.
Alton
Marquette headed into its Saturday afternoon contest against
East Alton-Wood River with no player on their current roster
having ever won a varsity football game.
The
losing streak, which had reached 22-games after two straight
losses .....
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Bulldogs
best Hillsboro
Staunton
powers past Hiltoppers, 35-21; Both teams now 1-2 on the season |
09/08/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
STAUNTON - After a 0-2 start to the season where they were outscored
61-7 combined, the Staunton Bulldogs were in search of a much
needed victory on Friday night when they hosted South Central
Conference rival Hillsboro.
The Bulldogs
found the right formula to pick up a key league win.
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Breese
Central rallies for big win
Cougars
get late field goal in 17-14 triumph; Mater Dei winning streak over
rival ends at five |
09/01/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
BREESE – Teams and players don't always get second chances,
be it in sports or life. Friday
night in the 39th Milk Bowl contest, Breese Central sophomore
placekicker Bryce Wieter made the most of his second opportunity.
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Carterville
joins Ohio Division
Benton, West Frankfort head to Mississippi in realignment |
08/28/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - The
Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference will have a different
look to it this season as some schools have changed divisions.
Benton
and West Frankfort have moved from the Ohio Division to the
Mississippi Division and Carterville went from the Mississippi
to the Ohio.
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Pana
is still the one to catch
Despite graduation loses,
the Panthers look to repeat; Hillsboro could be the sleeper team
North Mac, Southwestern
also in the hunt; Staunton looks improved
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08/26/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - The season that Max Lynch and his Pana Panthers
put together last season was special as the club reached the
2A quarterfinals, which included a 10-game winning streak during
the season.
The 39-12
loss to the Bulldogs, who were the eventual champs, didn't dampen
the career of Lynch and his teammates who made went a combined
21-3 in two seasons.
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Aces
look for continued LIC success
C-W, Paris, Robinson, RC, L'Ville, Marshall
still looking up at the Golden ones |
08/26/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - Back
in the late 1960's and most of the 1970's, football in the Big
Ten Conference was known as the Big Two and the Little Eight.
Michigan
and Ohio State dominated gridiron games during this more than
a decade run.
Since
joining the Little Illini Conference 2021 the Mt. Carmel Golden
Aces have .....
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Shells
look to build on last fall's 7-4 finish
Breese Central, Columbia, will be tough to beat again
EA-WR suffered graduation losses Salem looks to get better |
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Red
Bud, Chester, Dupo look to battle for playoff spots again
Veteran Wesclin looks to join the race; Sparta won't
have a varsity team |
08/24/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - The Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division football
division appears to be ripe for a new team to assume command.
While
being a very competitive division in most of the league contests
in the two seasons since the conference expanded in 2021-22,
the Breese Central Cougars have reigned supreme in both of the
Mississippi races.
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| JC
looks to defend title
Fairfield,
CWC, SV/W are the main threats; Flora, Eldorado look solid
Rebuilding continues at C/ZR,
Hamilton County, Edwards County
Vienna/Goreville will play only JV contests in 2023 |
08/26/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CARBONDALE - Historically speaking the Black Diamond Conference
hasn't been one of the top football leagues in the state when
it comes to playoff success.
Despite
the majority of the schools being below .500, the quality of
play has improved overall recently.
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