618 Talk Week 2

[Formicidae13]

Week 1 produced several interesting storylines in Southern Illinois to review and week 2 has several intriguing games to preview. As always, I appreciate input on teams as I'm not an expert on everyone and it's nice to hear what others think.

Southwestern Conference
East St. Louis: Their week 1 36-33 loss to Mt. Carmel has already(understandably) been discussed at length on here and I'm not sure what there is left that has been unsaid. Obviously, penalties and extra points cost the Flyers in this one, but they had plenty go right to stand toe-to-toe with a fellow heavyweight. Next up for the Flyers(0-1) is a home game against St. Frances(0-2) out of Baltimore, who bested East Side 20-13 when they met in Canton, OH week 1 last year. This year's matchup is probably about as good of a football game as you'll be able to see between two currently winless programs. I'd keep my eye on the matchup between St. Frances's offense(averaging just 7 PPG) and the Flyer defense(surrendered 36 points) as both units are still looking to prove themselves. My read is this should be a good one, but nothing would surprise me too much here. Whoever loses will be unfamiliar territory however as East St. Louis has not started 0-2 since 2014 and 2015 was the last season St. Frances lost more than two games, which predates their transparently recruiting players from throughout the nation and being forced out of Maryland's playoffs.
Edwardsville: Kelsey Pickering was one of several rookie head coaches in the area to pick up a win last week, snagging a 30-21 verdict over Jackson(MO). Their win in Edwardsville comes a year after handing the Indians their first home loss in year's at their notoriously challenging playing site. This year's meeting came down to the wire, with Jake Curry tossing a game-winning touchdown to Joey DeMare with just over 30 seconds left to break a 21-21 deadlock(Jackson gave up a safety on the ensuing drive). Curry finished this game with 4 touchdowns and apparently the Tigers did not have star Iose Epenesa for most of this one. The Tigers(1-0) should figure as big favorites next week as the face a solid, but much smaller Cahokia squad.
Belleville East: The Lancers had a wild week leading up to their bout with Collinsville as the heat wave caused them to move to Friday night to 10 am Saturday before lighting strikes moved this back to an afternoon start. Belleville East employed their homefield advantage to the tune of a 10-0 halftime lead, but the Kahoks led 21-10 headed to the fourth. Even after pulling within 21-17, things looked grim for the Lancers late game as the Kahoks had marched down to their 19 yard line with just two minutes remaining. East regained possession inside their own redzone, setting up quarterback a game-winning drive where Armon Vinson found Justin Spears at the goal line for the game-winner in the final minute. The Lancers(1-0) make the lengthy trip to Pekin(1-0) next week in a bid to knock off a Dragon squad that has bested them the last two falls.
Belleville West: The weight of an 18 game losing streak was lifted of the shoulders of the Maroons last week, taking down Mascoutah in a 33-28 tiff. This battle of St. Clair County also marked the debut of head coach Ken Turner with the Maroons after snagging multiple state championships in Missouri. Mascoutah's only lead of the game lasted for a few minutes in the second quarter after taking control 14-13, but this was still a close one throughout. Next week, the Maroons will cross the mighty Mississippi River to face Fort Zumwalt West. This would be another upset if West pulls it off, but a path to playoffs would become viable with it.
Other Scores: O'Fallon(1-0) 54-9 Granite City, Next at Buchanan(MO) | Alton(0-1) 12-22 Cahokia, Next vs Quincy.

I'll update later to include the South 7, Mississippi Valley and other schools

 

[Formicidae13]

Mississippi Valley Conference
Highland: Even with the departure of nearly their entire starting lineup from last season, the Bulldogs still have plenty of bite and showed it with a 35-14 victory over Breese Central. The visiting Cougars may have been from a smaller weight class, but have won 18 games over the last two years so I'd still mark this down as a quality win. New starting quarterback Blake Gelly stands out on the statsheet, tossing for 180 yards on 9/13 plus 102 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Their week two game is much more interesting however, which has them making the long haul to Mahomet-Seymour. Mahomet has been a threat in the 5A South bracket for the last couple years, but did stumble out of the gate week 1 with a 20-14 defeat to Morton. Still, this battle of Bulldogs could add another solid piece to Highland's resume.
Waterloo: Their week 55-41 loss to Mt. Vernon is the most eye opening result I've seen from week 1. I fully expected Mt. Vernon to win, but who would've predicted 96 total points from two teams that live on the ground and pound style. The difference in this one wasn't the offenses however, it's the two pick sixes and kickoff return Mt. Vernon. On offense, Mt. Vernon's touchdowns came from an astounding 45 yards out on average. Looking at Waterloo, they've transitioned Koby Osterhage to quarterback after starting a running back last year. His rushing stats, 134 yards on 2 TDS on 30 carries, impressed but a 6/17 day passing with 3 interceptions leaves some room for growth. All in all, I would count this as a strong week one for both sides. Next up, Waterloo(0-1) hosts a Columbia(0-1) squad fresh off a 22-14 loss to Mater Dei. Waterloo is the better team in my mind, but the Route 3 Rivalry can be an unpredictable one. The Bulldogs had a far better resume last fall than the Eagles, but still fell in a 9-0 final under rivalry conditions. Keep an eye on this one.
Triad: Calvin Potthast picked up his first win as head coach, crushing Mattoon 56-20. The offense certainly has changed with the new coach, as the Knights neared 200 yards in the air to six different pass catchers. A tougher Apollo Conference foe awaits next week however, as they head to Central Illinois to take on Mt. Zion. The Braves are currently a ranked team in Class 4A and should serve as a good watermark for Triad.
Other Scores: Mascoutah(0-1) 28-33 Belleville West, Next vs Riverview Gardens(MO) | Civic Memorial(1-0) 42-16 Marquette Catholic, Next at East Alton-Wood River | Jersey(0-1) 0-27 Roxana, Next at Freeburg

South Seven
Marion: Jason Dunning is one of several new head coaches in the area that filled some big shoes by starting 1-0 last week. After starting down 6-0 to Herrin after one quarter, the Wildcats clawed back to lead 8-6 at half before pulling away with 18 in the fourth to win 26-6. Their comeback win featured two touchdowns, a two-point conversion and 81 yards on just 14 rushes for running back Jordyn Beverly. Sophomore quarterback Calahan Roper had an effective days as well, finishing 12/15 for 135 yards. Marion(1-0) should fare well again next week in a home affair with Granite City(0-1).
Mt. Vernon: See the Waterloo section for more on the Rams week 1 victory. The Rams proved themselves to be legit contenders once again and it was all about the big plays. Mt. Vernon(1-0) heads to Carbondale(0-1) next week, where the scoreboard operator should expect to be busy in a contest the Rams enter as a strong favorite.
Other Scores: Centralia(0-1) 28-34 Salem, Next vs Collinsville | Cahokia(1-0) 22-12 Alton, Next vs Edwardsville | Carbondale(0-1) 7-49 Murphysboro, Next vs Mt. Vernon

Other Notables:
Althoff: The Crusaders jumped out to a 1-0 start last week in a commanding 49-13 shellacking of John Burroughs. Much of the offensive fireworks came from the upperclassmen running back duo of Dierre Hill and Antwan Strong, who both scored three TDS. Althoff(1-0) plays their home opener next against St. Teresa(0-1) in what seems to be one of their biggest tests on the schedule. With a win here, Althoff's playoff hopes become much more realistic and the chase for a higher seed will be on.
Other Scores: Collinsville(0-1) 21-24 Belleville East(1-0), Next at Centralia | Carterville(1-0) 27-12 Benton(0-1), Next vs Nashville

 

[dcaudle68]

Thank you very much! Look forward to your posts every week!!!

 

[crusader_of_90]

@Formicidae13 - are you a journalist? Or is this a hobby?

Either way, great job, as always.

 

[Formicidae13]

Pick 'Ems of the Week:
St. Frances(0-2) @ East St. Louis(0-1): National games are always a challenge to predict, but there's one factor that stands out here: this game will be played at East Side. Most of the Flyers' national games have been road games or at best neutral sites, but avoiding hours of travel seems like a big enough leg up to take East St. Louis. St. Frances has also looked beatable so far this fall.
St. Teresa(0-1) @ Althoff(1-0): This game figures as one of Althoff's toughest and for good reason. St. Teresa has made a habit of making notable postseason runs in recent years and I see no reason for that to stop. The Bulldogs just seem to have a sizeable advantage here being established, but a Crusader upset could upgrade their profile a few notches.
Triad(1-0) @ Mt. Zion(1-0): Both of these teams won in blowouts last week with impressive point totals(Triad scored 56 & Mt. Zion 42). Against tougher defenses, those figures are likely to drop but a shootout is well within the realm of possibility here. The Knights get my pick here mainly on the basis of playing a better week one opponent.
Mater Dei(1-0) @ Central(0-1): The Milk Bowl boasts not only of the coolest rivalry names around, but also has a sweet trophy to go with it that will be up for grabs next week between Breese's schools. Recent history backs Mater Dei, with the private school winning the previous six meetings. In week one, Mater Dei picked up a 22-14 win over Columbia. Central already has incurred their first loss, but played a tougher opponent Highland in a 35-14 loss. Another tidbit that stands out with this matchup is a loss puts serious doubt on Mater Dei's path to 5 wins, but Central would still be in good shape if they drop this one. With all of this in mind, Mater Dei is my pick.
Columbia(0-1) at Waterloo(0-1): The Route 3 Rivalry was the toughest game to predict this week, but Columbia is the final pick. The Eagles are winners of 6 of the last 7 meetups, including a 9-0 win last season over Waterloo's best team in a long time. Waterloo's 55-41 loss to Mt. Vernon impressed me more than Columbia's 22-14 defeat to Mater Dei, but Waterloo also took on more wear in their loss. The Eagles also looked less mistake-prone in their loss.

 

[dcaudle68]

Pick 'Ems of the Week:
St. Frances(0-2) @ East St. Louis(0-1): National games are always a challenge to predict, but there's one factor that stands out here: this game will be played at East Side. Most of the Flyers' national games have been road games or at best neutral sites, but avoiding hours of travel seems like a big enough leg up to take East St. Louis. St. Frances has also looked beatable so far this fall.
St. Teresa(0-1) @ Althoff(1-0): This game figures as one of Althoff's toughest and for good reason. St. Teresa has made a habit of making notable postseason runs in recent years and I see no reason for that to stop. The Bulldogs just seem to have a sizeable advantage here being established, but a Crusader upset could upgrade their profile a few notches.
Triad(1-0) @ Mt. Zion(1-0): Both of these teams won in blowouts last week with impressive point totals(Triad scored 56 & Mt. Zion 42). Against tougher defenses, those figures are likely to drop but a shootout is well within the realm of possibility here. The Knights get my pick here mainly on the basis of playing a better week one opponent.
Mater Dei(1-0) @ Central(0-1): The Milk Bowl boasts not only of the coolest rivalry names around, but also has a sweet trophy to go with it that will be up for grabs next week between Breese's schools. Recent history backs Mater Dei, with the private school winning the previous six meetings. In week one, Mater Dei picked up a 22-14 win over Columbia. Central already has incurred their first loss, but played a tougher opponent Highland in a 35-14 loss. Another tidbit that stands out with this matchup is a loss puts serious doubt on Mater Dei's path to 5 wins, but Central would still be in good shape if they drop this one. With all of this in mind, Mater Dei is my pick.
Columbia(0-1) at Waterloo(0-1): The Route 3 Rivalry was the toughest game to predict this week, but Columbia is the final pick. The Eagles are winners of 6 of the last 7 meetups, including a 9-0 win last season over Waterloo's best team in a long time. Waterloo's 55-41 loss to Mt. Vernon impressed me more than Columbia's 22-14 defeat to Mater Dei, but Waterloo also took on more wear in their loss. The Eagles also looked less mistake-prone in their loss.

Althoff beats DST. DST is not the team they were a year ago. But thank you for doing this!