A thread to talk about some of the bigger teams in the 618(Southern Illinois).
O’Fallon vs Edwardsville delivers
The showdown between then undefeated Edwardsville and O’Fallon is a classic example of what makes high school football great with its big plays, drama and a comeback worth remembering.
With less than 5 minutes to play, the Panthers were on the wrong side of a 31-17 score. But quarterback Colt Michael rallied his troops for two touchdowns and threw a lead taking two point conversion to go up 31-30 with ~1:30 to play.
After trailing for the first time all night, the Tigers got a big jolt from Daion Gaston who returned the subsequent kickoff to midfield. The critical play of the drive came on a fourth and long when O’Fallon appeared to commit pass interference but a no call turned the ball over to run the clock out.
Here are the stat lines for the impressive quarterbacks: Edwardsville’s Curry 20/30 for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns/ O’Fallon’s Michael 24/37 for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns.
This marks the second win in a row for the Panthers after a 9 game skid against the Tigers.
Other Southwestern scores: Alton(1-3) 28-7 Belleville West(0-4) and East St. Louis(2-2) 57-0 Belleville East(2-2)
Waterloo knocks off Mascoutah
This game was on my upset radar, but I certainly didn’t see Waterloo being so dominant or winning in as high scoring of an affair as this one.
Mascoutah struck first in this one for a 6-0 lead, but Waterloo would respond with 28 consecutive points into the fourth quarter. The Indians pulled this one closer late, but never would get closer than the final score of 31-18.
What was the formula for Waterloo’s win? Run the ball and limit the big play.
Running back Evan Davis provided most of the offensive firepower for the Bulldogs after touting the rock 32 times on his way to 3 touchdowns and 179 yards.
This also marks Waterloo’s first win against any of the Mississippi Valley’s big three (Mascoutah/Highland/Triad) since 2016. Waterloo certainly can beat Triad and may give Highland a run for their money down the conference stretch.
Other Mississippi Valley scores: Triad(2-2) 49-0 Civic Memorial(1-3) and Highland(3-1) 61-19 Jerseyville(2-2)
Marion emerges from the crowd
Of the big three conferences in the 618, the South Seven has been the hardest to pick a winner so far. The Marion Wildcats delivered some clarity to that discussion with a 36-14 outing over Cahokia.
This game was 20-14 late in the fourth, but the Wildcats put an exclamation point on this game with two late touchdowns. Their 31 points against the Comanches is more impressive when you consider they only had 230 yards of offense and just one completion. The trio of Walker, Noelle and Larson looked impressive for the victors.
Other South Seven scores: Mt. Vernon(3-1) 68-41 Althoff(2-2) and Centralia(3-1) 27-21 Carbondale(1-3)
Can conference favorites survive big tests?
East St. Louis, Highland and Marion seem to be the best bets to win each of their respective conferences. Interestingly enough, I think they may all be facing their toughest test left this coming week. Here are some reasons to watch for an upset in each one:
Starting with the Flyers, they will be paying a visit to a 4-0 O’Fallon squad.
The Panthers key to winning this one is for quarterback Colt Michael to make some plays. East Side has shown to be stronger on defense this year than offense and it may not take as many points as normal to hang with the Flyers.
Highland will be at home this week for a battle with Triad. For those unfamiliar, these two schools have built a reputation for having one of, if not the biggest rivalry in Southern Illinois. The Knights have won the last three battles, but the Bulldogs took the previous four meetings. Games like these are always tricky to pick with emotions running high, even when Highland seems a clear favorite.
Marion will have Mt. Vernon is in town this week in what is an intriguing matchup. Both teams are coming off big wins where the forward pass seemed to be forgotten. The Rams are coming into this one with a lot to prove after being a doormat for the rest of the South Seven in recent years. Mt. Vernon has been fond of special teams trickery so far this season and if they can steal some possessions, Marion will be in for a metaphorically long night(this game probably won’t take long in real time with all the running of the ball).
Games to watch
Friday
Mt. Vernon(3-1) @ Marion(3-1) 7:00 pm
Triad(2-2) @ Highland(3-1) 7:00 pm
Saturday
East St.Louis(2-2) @ O’Fallon(4-0) 1:00 pm
O’Fallon vs Edwardsville delivers
The showdown between then undefeated Edwardsville and O’Fallon is a classic example of what makes high school football great with its big plays, drama and a comeback worth remembering.
With less than 5 minutes to play, the Panthers were on the wrong side of a 31-17 score. But quarterback Colt Michael rallied his troops for two touchdowns and threw a lead taking two point conversion to go up 31-30 with ~1:30 to play.
After trailing for the first time all night, the Tigers got a big jolt from Daion Gaston who returned the subsequent kickoff to midfield. The critical play of the drive came on a fourth and long when O’Fallon appeared to commit pass interference but a no call turned the ball over to run the clock out.
Here are the stat lines for the impressive quarterbacks: Edwardsville’s Curry 20/30 for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns/ O’Fallon’s Michael 24/37 for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns.
This marks the second win in a row for the Panthers after a 9 game skid against the Tigers.
Other Southwestern scores: Alton(1-3) 28-7 Belleville West(0-4) and East St. Louis(2-2) 57-0 Belleville East(2-2)
Waterloo knocks off Mascoutah
This game was on my upset radar, but I certainly didn’t see Waterloo being so dominant or winning in as high scoring of an affair as this one.
Mascoutah struck first in this one for a 6-0 lead, but Waterloo would respond with 28 consecutive points into the fourth quarter. The Indians pulled this one closer late, but never would get closer than the final score of 31-18.
What was the formula for Waterloo’s win? Run the ball and limit the big play.
Running back Evan Davis provided most of the offensive firepower for the Bulldogs after touting the rock 32 times on his way to 3 touchdowns and 179 yards.
This also marks Waterloo’s first win against any of the Mississippi Valley’s big three (Mascoutah/Highland/Triad) since 2016. Waterloo certainly can beat Triad and may give Highland a run for their money down the conference stretch.
Other Mississippi Valley scores: Triad(2-2) 49-0 Civic Memorial(1-3) and Highland(3-1) 61-19 Jerseyville(2-2)
Marion emerges from the crowd
Of the big three conferences in the 618, the South Seven has been the hardest to pick a winner so far. The Marion Wildcats delivered some clarity to that discussion with a 36-14 outing over Cahokia.
This game was 20-14 late in the fourth, but the Wildcats put an exclamation point on this game with two late touchdowns. Their 31 points against the Comanches is more impressive when you consider they only had 230 yards of offense and just one completion. The trio of Walker, Noelle and Larson looked impressive for the victors.
Other South Seven scores: Mt. Vernon(3-1) 68-41 Althoff(2-2) and Centralia(3-1) 27-21 Carbondale(1-3)
Can conference favorites survive big tests?
East St. Louis, Highland and Marion seem to be the best bets to win each of their respective conferences. Interestingly enough, I think they may all be facing their toughest test left this coming week. Here are some reasons to watch for an upset in each one:
Starting with the Flyers, they will be paying a visit to a 4-0 O’Fallon squad.
The Panthers key to winning this one is for quarterback Colt Michael to make some plays. East Side has shown to be stronger on defense this year than offense and it may not take as many points as normal to hang with the Flyers.
Highland will be at home this week for a battle with Triad. For those unfamiliar, these two schools have built a reputation for having one of, if not the biggest rivalry in Southern Illinois. The Knights have won the last three battles, but the Bulldogs took the previous four meetings. Games like these are always tricky to pick with emotions running high, even when Highland seems a clear favorite.
Marion will have Mt. Vernon is in town this week in what is an intriguing matchup. Both teams are coming off big wins where the forward pass seemed to be forgotten. The Rams are coming into this one with a lot to prove after being a doormat for the rest of the South Seven in recent years. Mt. Vernon has been fond of special teams trickery so far this season and if they can steal some possessions, Marion will be in for a metaphorically long night(this game probably won’t take long in real time with all the running of the ball).
Games to watch
Friday
Mt. Vernon(3-1) @ Marion(3-1) 7:00 pm
Triad(2-2) @ Highland(3-1) 7:00 pm
Saturday
East St.Louis(2-2) @ O’Fallon(4-0) 1:00 pm
