Semifinal Saturday went fairly in line with what was expected, leaving the 618 with two advancing teams. East St. Louis will represent the southern part of the state in 6A and Mt. Carmel will do so in 3A. We lost Roxana in a shootout against Mt. Carmel and Murphysboro met their demise against powerhouse Rochester.
Class 6A
#4 East St. Louis (11-2) vs #3 Cary Grove (11-2) SATURDAY 1:00 PM
The Flyers reached the state championship by way of an odd 34-18 semifinal against Washington. Senior Jaion Jackson housed the opening kickoff for the Flyers for a 7-0 start but East St. Louis would only take one snap in the first quarter while Washington inched within 7-3. The only other score of the half came when "Pops" Battle tossed a 16 yard score to Rico Bond for a 13-6 edge. Bond caught the game's only third quarter score for his fifth postseason touchdowns and as well to go ahead 20-3. East Side eventually pulled ahead 26-3 before some late scores provided the 34-18 final.
Turning focus towards this week's game, the obvious storyline here is what happened when East Side met Cary Grove in the title game two years ago. Can the Trojans pull off another upset like their 37-36 win in the last meeting? If they do, it won't be because they East Side cannot figure out the offensive scheme, as evidenced by their 57-7 dismantling of Prairie Ridge in last year's final. Speaking of last year's state title, the Flyers will be player for their first repeat titles since their 83, 84 and 85 back-to-back-to-back state championships.
The prediction? "Pops" Battle avenges the lone loss in his career 13-1 playoff record as starting quarterback. This does seem like it should be a pretty close game however. Cary Grove's defense really pops off the page, which leads one to expect a lower scoring game than their last meeting. East Side's defense is impressive too, but its their offense that seems like the difference maker here.
Class 3A
#4 Mt. Carmel (12-1) vs #1 Byron (13-0) FRIDAY 4:00 PM
Mt. Carmel made it to the state championship after racing by Roxana in a 63-48 track meet. In the first half, 10 of the 11 offensive possessions resulted in touchdowns. The Golden Aces recorded the lone stop on Roxana's last drive, kicking them ahead 42-28. Looking back, it feels like that one stop made all the difference. Mt. Carmel was only stopped once all day - when they kneed out the clock on their final drive. Quarterback Blayne Sisson made all of the difference in the world in this one for Mt. Carmel, running for 5TDs and 300+ yards with another score and 100+ yards through the air. Sisson also played as a defensive back most of the day.
Byron has been the 3A favorite all year long and for good reason. Before their 26-20 victory over Montini last week, they had not played a game within 36 points. Through 13 games, their average score has been 58-6.7. Expect the Tigers to win here, but if Mt. Carmel has a chance, they will need to turn this into another shootout with Sisson running wild.
Class 6A
#4 East St. Louis (11-2) vs #3 Cary Grove (11-2) SATURDAY 1:00 PM
The Flyers reached the state championship by way of an odd 34-18 semifinal against Washington. Senior Jaion Jackson housed the opening kickoff for the Flyers for a 7-0 start but East St. Louis would only take one snap in the first quarter while Washington inched within 7-3. The only other score of the half came when "Pops" Battle tossed a 16 yard score to Rico Bond for a 13-6 edge. Bond caught the game's only third quarter score for his fifth postseason touchdowns and as well to go ahead 20-3. East Side eventually pulled ahead 26-3 before some late scores provided the 34-18 final.
Turning focus towards this week's game, the obvious storyline here is what happened when East Side met Cary Grove in the title game two years ago. Can the Trojans pull off another upset like their 37-36 win in the last meeting? If they do, it won't be because they East Side cannot figure out the offensive scheme, as evidenced by their 57-7 dismantling of Prairie Ridge in last year's final. Speaking of last year's state title, the Flyers will be player for their first repeat titles since their 83, 84 and 85 back-to-back-to-back state championships.
The prediction? "Pops" Battle avenges the lone loss in his career 13-1 playoff record as starting quarterback. This does seem like it should be a pretty close game however. Cary Grove's defense really pops off the page, which leads one to expect a lower scoring game than their last meeting. East Side's defense is impressive too, but its their offense that seems like the difference maker here.
Class 3A
#4 Mt. Carmel (12-1) vs #1 Byron (13-0) FRIDAY 4:00 PM
Mt. Carmel made it to the state championship after racing by Roxana in a 63-48 track meet. In the first half, 10 of the 11 offensive possessions resulted in touchdowns. The Golden Aces recorded the lone stop on Roxana's last drive, kicking them ahead 42-28. Looking back, it feels like that one stop made all the difference. Mt. Carmel was only stopped once all day - when they kneed out the clock on their final drive. Quarterback Blayne Sisson made all of the difference in the world in this one for Mt. Carmel, running for 5TDs and 300+ yards with another score and 100+ yards through the air. Sisson also played as a defensive back most of the day.
Byron has been the 3A favorite all year long and for good reason. Before their 26-20 victory over Montini last week, they had not played a game within 36 points. Through 13 games, their average score has been 58-6.7. Expect the Tigers to win here, but if Mt. Carmel has a chance, they will need to turn this into another shootout with Sisson running wild.
