BIG TIME
QB BRADEN HUTCHISON AND THE CRIMSONS
READY TO MAKE SOME NOISE IN CLASS 4A
FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS 2025
OCTOBER 31, 2025
West Central returns to IHSA playoffs, draws Camp Point Central rematch
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
Not many teams have done more with less than the West Central football team. Last year, with a very young team of only 30 players on the roster, and multiple freshmen starting on both sides of the ball, the Cougars earned a postseason berth but fell to Carrollton in the first round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs.
This season, those freshmen became sophomores, and with only 26 players on the roster (18 of them sophomores), West Central secured another postseason berth — the team’s fourth in the last five seasons — after compiling a 5-4 record.
The Cougars will have a tall test in the first round on Saturday as they travel to Camp Point Central for a rematch of the season opener. West Central lost that game 50-8.
“We are pretty excited,” West Central coach Matt Coultas said. “I think we would much rather play somebody that we hadn’t already seen this year, but we will get another re-do with Camp Point Week 1 of the postseason, so that’s OK.
“We are going to get real
Good Luck all Playo Teams
familiar with what they do and find the right scheme that slows them down and gives us a better chance on the defensive side.”
West Central is led by senior quarterback Ryker Ford, who has been starting since his freshman year. He took over as quarterback midway through his sophomore year. This season, he has completed 26-of-75
passes for 396 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 628 yards and eight touchdowns.
“He has been a staple of our program for the last three years,” Coultas said. “We go as he goes, having that leadership ability. With some younger kids, we relied on him in the beginning of the year, but with that cohesiveness, the kids were able to get better later in the year. He had a really good game on Friday, and it was nice to see him take over like I know he is capable of.”
Last Friday West Central beat Beardstown 46-13 in the regular-season finale for its fifth win. Ford ran for 150 yards and threw for a touchdown.
But he is not the only one making noise for the West Central offense. Junior Anthony Hance moved over
to tight end this season and has caught five passes for 83 yards and three touchdowns to go with 43 carries for 169 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior Tucker Arnold rushed for 388 yards this year with eight touchdowns. Sophomore Eli Crain leads the way out of the backfield with 726 yards on 96 carries and tied with Ford and Arnold for the team lead with eight rushing touchdowns.
“It has been a bit of a struggle finding the guys that fit best together in our backfield this year,” Coultas said. “But I think we finally found guys that fit into the right spots, and it’s starting to click a little bit better for us late in the year.”
The season started with a lopsided loss at Camp Point Central, a game West Central will remember. The Cougars won back-to-
ball, and I think we finally hit that stride last Friday. So maybe we are peaking at the right time.”
West Central’s sophomore now how another full season under their belts as they head into the playoffs.
“Now, they have seen enough football and hopefully, that gives us an advantage Saturday, more so than in Week 1,” Coultas said.
back games against Routt and North Greene before losing a tight 15-12 contest to Carrollton. A loss to Calhoun followed before West Central bounced back with a win over Pleasant Hill. After losing to Greenfield-NW in Week 7, the Cougars needed two wins to make the postseason. The team won a 58-50 shootout against Mendon Unity-Payson to set up the final game of the season against Beardstown.
“We had some ups and downs, just like anything else. It was a little bit of a roller coaster ride,” Coultas said. “Showed some really good glimpses in parts of games against some really tough opponents, and not so well in other times of the game against tough opponents. But we have been talking about playing a full four quarters worth of foot-
Beating Camp Point Central on the road will be a tough ask. The Panthers, a perennial power in Class 1A since Brad Dixon took over as head coach in 2011, has won the WIVC-North championship every season this decade. Camp Point has a 47-3 record over the past four seasons, including a state title in 2023 and a state runner-up finish in 2022.
Coultas feels his team is better set up for the postseason than it was a season ago.
“I feel we are a lot healthier than we were last year,” he said. “We don’t have very many kids, and we are still young, but we are not relying on freshmen, we are relying on sophomores with two years of experience under their belt,” the coach said. “I am just proud of our kids, being young and still going out there and battling week after week, learning from our losses and our experiences. We are just trying to improve each week. I think that gave us the confidence the last few weeks to pull out a couple of victories and get us into the postseason.”
West Central’s Anthony Hance takes the ball upfield during a football game against Calhoun earlier this season. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
2025 IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
CLASS 1A
No. 16 Galena (5-4) at No. 1 Stockton (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 9 Heyworth (7-2) at No. 8 Princeville (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Knoxville (5-4) at No. 4 Clifton Central (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 4 pm
No. 12 Dwight (6-3) at No. 5 Rushville-Industry (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 15 Toulon Stark County (5-4) at No. 2 Kewanee Wethersfield (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 10 Deer Creek Mackinaw (6-3) vs. No. 7 Chicago Crane (7-2) at Rockne Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 4:30 pm
No. 14 Forreston (5-4) at No. 3 Lena-Winslow (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 11 Ottawa Marquette (6-3) at No. 6 Gibson City Melvin-Sibley (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 16 Villa Grove (5-4) at No. 1 Calhoun (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1:30 pm
No. 9 Sesser Valier (6-3) at No. 8 Greenfield-Northwestern (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 13 Bridgeport Red Hill (5-4) at No. 4 Casey Westfield (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Nokomis (6-3) at No. 5 Tuscola (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 3 pm
No. 15 Winchester West Central (5-4) at No. 2 Camp Point Central (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 10 Athens (6-3) at No. 7 Brown County (72), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 14 Catlin Salt Fork (5-4) at No. 3 Dupo (81), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 11 Carrollton (6-3) at No. 6 Fithian Oakwood (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
CLASS 2A
No. 16 Carthage Illini West (5-4) at No. 1 Taylor Ridge Rockridge (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 9 Downs Tri-Valley (7-2) vs. No. 8 Chicago Richards (7-2) at Stagg Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Port Byron Riverdale (6-3) at No. 4 Seneca (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 12 Hamilton West Hancock (6-3) at No. 5 Wilmington (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 3 pm
No. 15 Chicago Marshall (5-4) at No. 2 El Paso Gridley (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 10 Colfax Ridgeview (7-2) vs. No. 7 Sterling Newman Central Catholic (7-2) at Sterling, Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 14 Lanark Eastland (5-4) at No. 3 Farmington (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 11 Erie-Prophetstown (6-3) at No. 6 Aurora Christian (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 4 pm
No. 16 Trenton Wesclin (5-4) at No. 1 Johnston City (9-0), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 9 Maroa-Forsyth (7-2) at No. 8 Chester (81), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Nashville (5-4) at No. 4 Flora (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 12 Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin (6-3) at No. 5 Pana (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 15 Shelbyville (5-4) at No. 2 Westville (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 10 Carlinville (7-2) at No. 7 DuQuoin (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 14 Marshall (5-4) at No. 3 Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 11 Sullivan (7-2) at No. 6 Toledo Cumberland (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
CLASS 3A
No. 16 Poplar Grove North Boone (5-4) at No. 1 Richmond-Burton (9-0), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 9 Aurora Central Catholic (7-2) vs. No. 8 Chicago Noble/Rauner (7-2) at Hanson Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Princeton (6-3) at No. 4 Bloomington Central Catholic (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm No. 12 Manteno (6-3) vs. No. 5 Monmouth-Roseville (8-1) at Coach Dobry Field, Sat., Nov. 1, 5 pm
No. 15 Oregon (5-4) at No. 2 Byron (9-0), Fri., Oct. 31, 7:15 pm No. 10 Pecatonica (6-3) at No. 7 Johnsburg (72), Sat., Nov. 1, 6 pm
No. 14 Herscher (6-3) at No. 3 Kankakee McNamara (9-0), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 11 Elmhurst IC Catholic (6-3) vs. No. 6 Chicago Hope Academy (8-1) at Altgeld Park, Sat., Nov. 1, 3 pm
No. 16 Hillsboro (5-4) at No. 1 Williamsville (90), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 9 Fairfield (6-3) at No. 8 PORTA/A-C Central (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 3 pm
No. 13 Mt. Carmel (5-4) at No. 4 Tolono Unity (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 12 Paris (6-3) at No. 5 Monticello (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 15 Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton (5-4) at No. 2 Vandalia (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 10 Greenville (6-3) at No. 7 Stanford Olympia (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 14 St. Joseph Ogden (5-4) at No. 3 Benton (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 11 Roxana (6-3) vs. No. 6 West Frankfort (6-3) at Johnson Field, Sat., Nov. 1, 2:30 pm
CLASS 4A
No. 16 Chicago Urban Prep/Bronzeville (4-5) at No. 1 Lombard Montini (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 9 Peoria Notre Dame (7-2) at No. 8 Marengo (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 13 Woodstock North (6-3) at No. 4 Dixon (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 12 Sterling (6-3) at No. 5 Coal City (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 4 pm
No. 15 Woodstock (5-4) at No. 2 Morris (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 10 Chicago South Shore (7-2) at No. 7 Metamora (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1:30 pm
No. 14 Country Club Hills Hillcrest (5-4) at No. 3 Macomb (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 11 Rochelle (6-3) at No. 6 Geneseo (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 16 Jacksonville (5-4) at No. 1 Olney Richland County (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 5 pm
No. 9 Cahokia (7-2) at No. 8 Centralia (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Columbia (6-3) at No. 4 Breese Central (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 12 Highland (6-3) at No. 5 Freeburg (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2:30 pm
No. 15 Alton Marquette (5-4) at No. 2 Carterville (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 10 Sacred Heart-Griffin (6-3) at No. 7 Quincy Notre Dame (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 14 Taylorville (5-4) at No. 3 Rochester (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 11 Waterloo (6-3) at No. 6 Mt. Zion (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
CLASS 5A
No. 16 Vernon Hills (5-4) at No. 1 Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (9-0), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 9 Wheaton St. Francis (6-3) vs. No. 8 Chicago Morgan Park (6-3) at Gately Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Chicago King (5-4) vs. No. 4 Chicago Agricultural Science (8-1) at Gately Stadium, Fri., Oct. 31, 5:30 pm
No. 12 Chicago Lake View (5-4) vs. No. 5 Chicago Corliss (7-2) at Gately Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 4:30 pm
No. 15 Chicago Noble/Bulls (5-4) at No. 2 Belvidere North (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 10 Lake Villa Lakes (6-3) at No. 7 Maple Park Kaneland (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 5 pm
No. 14 Chicago St. Patrick (5-4) at No. 3 Wauconda (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 11 Sycamore (5-4) at No. 6 Cary Grove (72), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 16 Normal University (5-4) at No. 1 Washington (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 9 Marion (6-3) at No. 8 Mahomet Seymour (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 13 Lemont (5-4) at No. 4 Kankakee (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 3 pm
No. 12 Springfield (5-4) at No. 5 New Lenox Providence Catholic (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 15 Champaign Centennial (5-4) at No. 2 Oak Forest (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 10 Mascoutah (6-3) at No. 7 Bloomington (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 6 pm
No. 14 Decatur MacArthur (5-4) at No. 3 Peoria (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 11 Calumet City Thornton Fractional North (6-3) at No. 6 Morton (6-3), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
CLASS 6A
No. 16 Rockton Hononegah (5-4) at No. 1 LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 9 Wheaton Warrenville South (6-3) at No. 8 Highland Park (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 13 Fox Lake Grant (6-3) at No. 4 Lake Zurich (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 12:00 noon
No. 12 Glen Ellyn Glenbard South (6-3) at No. 5 Antioch (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 15 Libertyville (5-4) at No. 2 Burlington Central (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 6 pm
No. 10 Chicago Mather (6-3) at No. 7
Machesney Park Harlem (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 6 pm
No. 14 Rolling Meadows (6-3) at No. 3 Riverside-Brookfield (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7:30 pm
No. 11 Oak Park Fenwick (6-3) vs. No. 6 Chicago Kennedy (7-2) at Winnemac Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 16 Joliet Catholic Academy (4-5) at No. 1
Chatham Glenwood (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 9 Plainfield East (6-3) vs. No. 8 East St. Louis (6-3) at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium: 4901
State St., Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
No. 13 South Holland Thornwood (5-4) at No. 4
Normal Community West (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm
No. 12 Chicago Simeon (5-4) vs. No. 5 Chicago Goode (7-2) at Rockne Stadium, Fri., Oct. 31, 4 pm
No. 15 Palos Heights Shepard (4-5) at No. 2
Bradley-Bourbonnais (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7:30 pm
No. 10 Burbank St. Laurence (5-4) at No. 7 Oak
Lawn Community (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 6:30 pm
No. 14 Quincy (5-4) at No. 3 Crete Monee (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 11 Pekin (5-4) at No. 6 Dunlap (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
CLASS 7A
No. 32 Edwardsville (4-5) at No. 1 Oak Lawn Richards (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 6 pm
No. 17 Chicago Payton (7-2) at No. 16 Arlington Heights Hersey (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7:30 pm No. 25 Chicago St. Rita (5-4) at No. 8 Rockford Guilford (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 2 pm
No. 24 Burbank Reavis (6-3) at No. 9 New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 29 West Chicago (5-4) at No. 4 Lombard Glenbard East (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 20 Hoffman Estates (6-3) at No. 13 Batavia (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 6 pm No. 28 Tinley Park Andrew (5-4) at No. 5 Moline (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 4 pm No. 21 Carol Stream Glenbard North (6-3) at No. 12 Yorkville (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 31 Villa Park Willowbrook (5-4) at No. 2 Glen Ellyn Glenbard West (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm No. 18 Mt. Prospect (7-2) at No. 15 Downers Grove North (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 26 Chicago Lincoln Park (5-4) at No. 7 New Lenox Lincoln-Way West (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 23 Chicago Prosser (6-3) vs. No. 10 Chicago Kenwood (8-1) at Lane Stadium, Fri., Oct. 31, 4 pm
No. 30 East Moline United (5-4) at No. 3 St. Charles North (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7:30 pm No. 19 Normal Community (7-2) at No. 14 Mundelein Carmel (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm No. 27 Rockford Jefferson (5-4) at No. 6 Chicago Brother Rice (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 22 Algonquin Jacobs (6-3) at No. 11 Addison Trail (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 12:00 noon
CLASS 8A
No. 32 Wilmette Loyola Academy (4-4) at No. 1 Chicago Mt. Carmel (9-0), Sat., Nov. 1, 4:30 pm No. 17 Belleville East (7-2) at No. 16 Aurora West Aurora (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 6 pm No. 25 Palatine (5-4) vs. No. 8 Chicago Whitney Young (8-1) at Rockne Stadium, Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 24 Lincolnshire Stevenson (6-3) at No. 9 Frankfort Lincoln-Way East (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 29 Huntley (5-4) at No. 4 Palatine Fremd (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7:30 pm No. 20 Elmhurst York (6-3) at No. 13 LaGrange Lyons (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 28 Winnetka New Trier (5-4) at No. 5 Gurnee Warren (8-1), Sat., Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 21 Oswego East (6-3) at No. 12 Bolingbrook (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 31 Elgin (5-4) at No. 2 Barrington (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 18 Minooka (6-3) at No. 15 Glenview Glenbrook South (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 26 Homewood-Flossmoor (5-4) vs. No. 7 Chicago Curie (8-1) at Rockne Stadium, Sat., Nov. 1, 1 pm No. 23 Lockport Twp. (6-3) at No. 10 Orland Park Sandburg (7-2), Sat., Nov. 1, 6 pm No. 30 Downers Grove South (5-4) at No. 3 Park Ridge Maine South (8-1), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 19 Hinsdale Central (6-3) at No. 14 South Elgin (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm No. 27 Chicago Perspectives/Leadership (5-4) vs. No. 6 Chicago Lane (8-1) at Lane Stadium, Fri., Oct. 31, 7:30 pm No. 22 Naperville North (6-3) at No. 11 Oswego (7-2), Fri., Oct. 31, 7 pm
Brown County posts best season since 2017, will host Athens in first round of playoffs
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
The Brown County football team has been to the playoffs many times.
But lately, the Hornets have been sneaking into the party with a 5-4 record.
That changed this year, as Brown County secured seven regular-season wins, the most since 2017. That’s a big deal for this team and for head coach Tom Little, who has been in charge of the Hornets since 2002.
Brown County will host Athens in the first round of the playoffs Saturday afternoon.
“We love playing at home,” Little said. “We love playing against somebody we haven’t seen before, too, so our kids are excited about the experience of being back home on our field again.”
The enthusiasm is understandable for Brown County, which has made it to the postseason four of the past five seasons with five wins — always opening on the road. The Hornets earned second-round home playoff games in 2021 and 2024 with first-round upsets.
The Hornets had a very strong season, winning five straight games over Carrollton, Pleas-
Hornets hope to build on playoff win
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
Since Tom Little took over the program in 2002, the Brown County football team has been both consistent and competitive.
ant Hill, Routt, Mendon Unity-Payson and Triopia to open the season. They beat every one of those opponents by more than 20 points. Wins over Beardstown and North Greene were sandwiched between losses to two undefeated teams — Camp Point Central and Calhoun. The Week 8 win over North Greene was Little’s 150th victory at Brown County.
The Hornets have made the IHSA playoffs 17 times. After missing the postseason in 2023, Brown County bounced back to reach the playoffs last year, beating Greenfield-NW 18-16 in a tight first-round clash.
Replacing seniors Tyce Fullerton and Tanner Sitze will be tough, but with an unusually deep roster, Little has plenty of returners to fill those roles and make another playoff run.
The final game against Calhoun was a playoff preview, with both teams already securing their spots. Trailing at halftime, the Hornets outscored the Warriors in the second half, but it wasn’t enough in a 21-12 loss.
“Definitely ended on a positive note last year going into the playoffs, and we are excited about the future,” Little said. “We know these guys have the chance to be in the playoffs and win a playoff game, so we feel like those were big steps, and hopefully, they can continue that. And hopefully, raise the bar a little bit more.”
“We feel like we continuously got better throughout the year,” Little said. “We saw some really good opponents, and we had our losses to Camp Point and Calhoun, who are both still undefeated. We feel like we played some really good football teams, and we feel like we became a better team throughout the season.”
Despite losing multiple seniors on the offensive side of the ball, the Hornets reloaded. The team is led by senior Trey Fullerton, a punishing ball carrier who can block as well. His play
Last season, after dropping the first two games of the season against playoff-bound Greenfield-NW and West Central by a combined eight points, the Hornets rattled off 32- and 45-point wins over Mendon Unity/Payson and Triopia. Dominant wins over Beardstown, Routt and Pleasant Hill sealed a playoff berth, and Brown County avenged that earlier loss to
brings experience will lead a secondary that
plenty of weapons at his disposal besides Fullerton. Senior tight end Micah Henry should be his main target through the air, with Eli Staton and Matt
“We had a lot of young guys on the team last year that were
leading the linebackers. Junior Hunter Law
stown and North Greene, with
Brown County’s Bradley Markert (5) and Alex Behymer (67) celebrate a touchdown during a football game against Routt earlier this season in Jacksonville. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
grow as a leader,” Coach Little said. “He has continued to gain confidence and has made some big plays on the offensive end with his arm and his legs. He does a really good job just being that guy on the field that understands what we are doing and helping those other guys get in position.”
The Hornets are accustomed to postseason competition, but in recent years they’ve rarely been favored to win. That didn’t stop them from pulling off firstround upsets over Toledo Cumberland in 2021 and Greenfield-NW last season.
Athens will be a different test. The Warriors finished third in the Sangamo Conference and are coming off back-to-back wins over New Berlin and Riverton. Athens was the IHSA Class 2A state runner-up in 2023 after making a historic run as the No. 4 seed. The Warriors finished with a 2-7 record last year and missed the playoffs. Little hopes last year’s experience for the Hornets could be a difference in this firstround matchup.
sets up chances for senior Eli Staton, juniors Jack Sefton and Brodie Phelps, and sophomore Beau Little to shine with the ball in their hands.
“Trey Fullerton is such a strong part of our offense with his ability to run and
catch and to block,” Little said. “And then we have a plethora of running backs.
A lot of guys get to carry the ball in our system. Trey’s been playing with us since he was a sophomore, so he’s got a lot of big-game experience. He does a good
job with his leadership of making sure guys know where they are supposed to be. He is a big asset on both sides of the ball, just from his knowledge of the game.
“I just think we have a lot of athletes that are able to do a lot of different things,
and a very unselfish team that it doesn’t matter who’s getting the carries that week or making the catches or making tackles, they are just happy to be able to play as a team.”
This is the second season under center for
senior Vince Little, who started at quarterback during his junior year.
Before the season, Coach Little expected more from his son in his senior year, and the quarterback did not disappoint.
“He has continued to
“I think it is key when you gain confidence from being in (the playoffs),” Little said. “You know that first game’s not as nerve-racking as it is for a team that’s in it for the first time. The playoff experience that we got last year with this group, we hope that’s going to help these guys throughout the week, just in preparation and knowing what to expect going into Saturday.”
Brown County linemen make a push for ball carrier Trey Fullerton (24) during a football game against Routt in Jacksonville earlier this season. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
senior-led offensive line to IHSA Class 5A playoffs
Jacksonville drops to Class 4A, faces unbeaten Olney Richland County in postseason opener
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
ball very well this year. And our defense excelled at taking the ball away and getting some turnovers on downs as well.”
Since the IHSA moved to eight classes for the football playoffs in 2001, the Jacksonville football team has been stuck in Class 5A. The Crimsons have always been one of the smallest schools, by enrollment, in the postseason field of 32 teams.
But not this year.
The Crimsons closed out the regular season with back-to-back victories over Decatur MacArthur and Lincoln to improve to 5-4 and punch their ticket to the IHSA playoffs. This year, they will be in Class 4A, traveling to Olney to play undefeated Richland County.
The season began for the Crimsons with a 26-14 victory over Class 2A Pittsfield. Jacksonville originally had Soldan/Sumner (St. Louis) on the schedule, but that team canceled, leaving Jacksonville with an opening, which Pittsfield filled after Riverton canceled its season.
Generals hosted Jacksonville in a do-or-die game for the Crimsons after hope seemed all but over after they were shut out by Quincy Notre Dame in Week 7.
With their backs against the wall, Jacksonville jumped out to an early 21-7 lead, but trailed late in the fourth quarter. A touchdown with 39 seconds left for a 36-33 win.
For Jacksonville head coach Mark Grounds, it’s a welcome change.
Jacksonville beat Eisenhower 65-12 in Week 2 before falling to Sacred Heart-Griffin on the road a week later. In Week 4, the Crimsons had their biggest offensive output of the season in a 76-14 win over Lanphier on Homecoming. Jacksonville scored 11 touchdowns, but the defense scored four of them with three pick-sixes and a fumble return for a touchdown.
“There are some great teams in 4A,” he said. “We were always the smallest 5A team that got in, so we are playing people that are our size in enrollment.”
Jacksonville took the season down to the final week, clinching a playoff berth after a convincing 77-0 win over Lincoln on Senior Night. The Crimsons gave themselves a chance to make the playoffs with a Week 8 win at Decatur MacArthur. The
schemes believe linemen) were as Surratt, Ryan Cook and helped seams all offense points second-most across State Williams, ball touchdowns yards four Daren Mitchell, Terrion Ackerman at least so options on game, emphasis on has been Crimsons. defensive became and a Grounds said. taking the our think that was this year. able tangible turnovers killed us,” still had year, but ton, and protected the
“What allowed us to get there was that the kids every week showed up with good work ethic and worked hard to improve week by week,” Grounds said. “Even with some of the losses we had, we saw huge progress with a young team, and they put it together against Decatur MacArthur to get us back to 4-4.”
Now the focus shifts to Richland County, one of the top seeds in Class 4A. The Tigers finished the regular season undefeated and won the Little Illini Conference Championship.
The Crimsons cruised past Springfield Southeast the following week before back-toback losses to Springfield and Quincy Notre Dame. Starting quarterback Braden Hutchison was fighting an illness against QND. But Jacksonville bounced back on Senior Night with a 53-13 victory to secure their spot in the playoffs. The Crimsons finished the regular season with a 30-point win at Lincoln.
“Just being able to qualify two weeks ago was a huge
Richland County is led by 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle Casey Thomann, who has committed to the University of Illinois football team. His specialty is pancake blocks. Richland County has a quick backfield led by quarterback Gavyn Cothern, a star high jumper.
stress relief as we lost a close one to Springfield High,” Grounds said. “We battled well into the fourth quarter against the conference champion Quincy Notre Dame but came up short. The last thing we wanted to do was to go up to Lincoln Week 9 and play at their place to make the playoffs. So (Week 8) was a great win. We have had some huge rivalry games with MacArthur, so to get that one at home and pull away in the second half convincingly gave us confidence going up to Lincoln.”
second that last game is over, this version of the Crimsons is gone forever.”
Jacksonville’s Jeremiah Jackson heads upfield during a football game earlier this year in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville’s Terrion Jackson takes the ball upfield during Friday night’s football game against Lincoln in Jacksonville. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
Grounds, an assistant track coach at JHS, has seen both at the IHSA State Final Track Meet. Grounds said the Tigers are a wellcoached team and a No. 1 seed for a reason. The coach said Jacksonville will have a game plan to slow down the explosive Tiger offense.
“There are a little bit different styles of play between the north and the south,” Grounds said. “We have our hands full because they are a No. 1 seed, but we will travel anywhere and play anybody.”
Jacksonville comes in as the clear underdog, but finally, the Crimsons are on an even playing field with their opponent.
“I think anytime you are an underdog, you have to control the clock, you have to score when you have the opportunities, and you have to minimize explosive plays from their offense,” Grounds said. “And you have to not turn the ball over and make plays in the special teams. Those are the key elements to upsetting somebody, and those are the areas we will continue to work on Monday through Friday whenever we get out on the practice field.”
The Crimsons’ three-back offense will have to play as well as they did the last two weeks of the regular season to have a chance to pull off the upset. Senior Easton Ackerman led the way for Jacksonville this season with 774 yards on 131 carries and 12 touchdowns.
Junior Terrion Jackson
and sophomores Jeremiah Jackson and Darren Henry each ran for over 500 yards this season. That trio combined for 17 touchdowns on the ground.
Hutchinson, a senior, also scored nine touchdowns on the ground, giving Jacksonville plenty of options.
“We are a three-back attack — four-back attack if you include the quarterback, and we rotated a lot of guys in to keep them fresh and develop depth,”
Grounds said. “It protects us against injuries, and academics, and just keeping people fresh. They have bought into it, and it’s been an effective thing for us.”
Jacksonville has earned a playoff berth in four of the past five seasons, so the team knows what to expect in Week 10. Grounds said that previous experience, along with the never-giveup mentality this team possesses, could help the Crimsons on Saturday.
Most of all, Grounds credits his team’s neversay-die attitude. “We are not going to give up, and we are going to get better, and we are going to play hard for each other,” the coach said. “They have really bought into that this year, and our senior leaders have been just tremendous at pulling the young guys along in teaching them and having them prepared.
“I’ll fight for as many Mondays that we possibly can to still be a team, because it has been a special experience for us all.”
Jacksonville’s Jeremiah Jackson smiles as he runs off the field during a football game against Lincoln in Jacksonville Friday night. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
Greenfield-Northwestern rebounds from slow start to reach playoffs, will host Sesser-Valier in opener
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
Coming into this season, the Greenfield-Northwestern football team had some question marks after graduating a senior-heavy core from the 2024 team. The Tigers lost a lot at the skill positions.
Two losses in the first three games of the season put the Tigers under .500 for the first time this decade.
Those were growing pains, according to Greenfield-NW head coach Joe Pembrook. Inexperience early in the season led to some self-inflicted mistakes in the early close game.
But the Tigers grew up in a hurry, winning five of their final six games to reach to postseason for the seventh straight year.
“We had to play a lot of young guys,” Pembrook said. “Some youth had to be forced into some roles before they were totally prepared and ready for those, but they’ve responded and answered their call admirably, and I think as the season’s gone on, we’ve grown together and learned quite a lot. We’ve still got a ways to go, but we’re excited for the postseason. And overall, pretty pleased with how the regular season turned out.”
After a shutout victory over Routt in Week 1, the Ti-
gers fell to undefeated Camp Point Central in Week 2 before losing by six points to rival Carrollton on the road in Week 3. Turnovers played a big role in both defeats, with the Tigers giving it away six times in those games.
“Nobody ever expects us to play perfect,” Pembrook said. “We know we won’t be able to do that, so I think our guys have learned how impactful penalties can be, or turnovers, especially in the wrong situations. We’ve had a number of touchdowns called back, so we are taking some points off the board and taking away some explosive plays for us. So we’ve had to learn those lessons and go through some growing pains, and our guys have responded well, and hopefully, we can minimize those mistakes moving forward.”
After the slow start, Greenfield-NW got back on track with back-to-back wins over Pleasant Hill and North Greene, setting up a Week 6 matchup with Calhoun. The Tigers kept the game close, and had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter before eventually losing 14-6. Greenfield-NW rattled off wins over West Central and Triopia in consecutive weeks before pulling out a nail-biting 47-44 win on the road against Mendon Unity-Payson in the final week of
the season.
The Mustangs needed a win to become playoff-eligible. This young Tiger team hadn’t been exposed to that kind of atmosphere, but they came through.
“We used it as a learning experience,” Pembrook said. “We knew Mendon had their backs against the wall at 4-4, and it was a do-or-die situation for them, knowing if they lose, their season’s over.
That’s exactly what you get in playoff football, so a lot of
our guys haven’t been in that environment yet and haven’t been put to the test in those situations. I thought it was really good for us to understand the sense of urgency that we need to play with.”
One of the players familiar with playoff pressure is senior Kayden Roberts, who as a sophomore played defense on the Tiger team that reached the state semifinals in 2023. Now one of the cornerstones on defense, Roberts has been a key figure
on offense as well, rushing for nearly 500 yards and adding 13 touchdowns on the ground.
After a rough start, junior quarterback Ty Bowman has steadily improved as the season has progressed in his first year under center. He has completed more than 55 percent of his passes this season. He showed off his running ability against Mendon Unity, rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Junior Carter
Murphy has rushed for eight touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass this season.
“We want to spread the ball around. We want to be diversified,” Pembrook said.
“We don’t want defenses to key on one certain guy or one certain formation. We try to attack defenses not only vertically, but horizontally and through the tackles. We have a lot of capable bodies that can hurt defenses when the ball is in their hands, and we want to put guys in places where we can utilize their athleticism, hopefully gain a lot of yards, and put some points on the board.”
Greenfield-NW will host familiar playoff foe Sesser-Valier in the first round on Saturday. The Tigers beat the Red Devils 44-16 in the quarterfinals two years ago.
Greenfield-NW trailed early in the game before rattling off 22 points to take a commanding lead that the Tigers would never relinquish. This year, Sesser finished tied for third in the Black Diamond Conference. The Red Devils won five games in a row in the middle of the season before falling to undefeated Johnston City in their final game.
“We are familiar with their program. They are a perennial playoff qualifier, and they have great tradition,” Pembrook said. “We know a little bit about their system. There is not a lot of holdover in personnel, but there’s a few familiar faces and names that we saw a couple of years ago. But this year, they have to make the long trek up to Greene County. Hopefully, we can get a good week of preparation and be prepared for this Saturday.”
Greenfield-Northwestern’s Carter Murphy takes the ball upfield during a football game against Triopia earlier this season. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
Calhoun eyes third IHSA title after 9-0 run; Warriors to host Villa Grove in opener
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
Like any football team at the beginning of the season, Calhoun listed its goals on a board in the locker room.
Now there is only one goal remaining on the board.
The Warriors dominated their way to an IHSA playoff berth, a WIVC South Conference championship and a perfect 9-0 regular-season record.
Now the focus shifts to the postseason, where Calhoun is the No. 1 seed in the south bracket in Class 1A. The Warriors will host Villa Grove (5-4) Saturday afternoon to start their push for the third IHSA state championship in school history.
“As the year went on, I think we got better each week,” Calhoun head coach Aaron Elmore said. “We had high expectations for ourselves coming into this season. We fulfilled what we wanted to do in the regular season, which was to go 9-0 and possibly get that No. 1 seed in the playoffs. But now it is the second season, and we are looking forward to the playoffs.
“The big thing is, these are a group of kids that just want to win and love football, and they play together very well, and they feed off one another.
We just think we will be a tough out this year.”
Elmore knows what it takes to win a state title. During his junior and senior years at Calhoun in 1992 and 1993, the Warriors finished with a combined 27-1 record en route to back-to-back IHSA
Class 1A championships.
“If everybody does their job, then it’s going to be hard for us not to be successful, because we have some talented guys,” Elmore said.
“It’s a process. Each game, you never know what’s going to happen. In one of these
playoff games, it could come down to one singular play, and you just hope you are the one who makes it as a team. So, one of those things we talk about is the process, to play every play as hard as you can and see what happens. We are in a good frame of mind
Good Luck Teams!
right now, and we are looking forward to Saturday, that’s for sure.”
The Warriors were in a similar position last season, finishing with an 8-1 regular-season record. They reached the state quarterfinals before losing 16-7 to Camp Point Central. This season’s Calhoun squad came back stronger than ever, led by junior running back Jacob Brannan, who rushed for 844 yards on 131 carries and scored 19 touchdowns. Ten other Calhoun players, from seniors to one freshman, scored touchdowns this season.
Juniors Easton Wallendorf and Will Lorton combined for more than 650 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Each also caught three passes for touchdowns. Senior Jacob Goode compiled more than 450 yards of total offense with five touchdowns. Senior Rodney Johnson caught 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
“We have a lot of athletes who do well when they have the ball in space, so we are just trying to get them the ball in different ways, whether that be passing or running,” Elmore said. “You just try to keep everybody involved as much as possible, and it makes it hard on the defense whenever they don’t know
how to defend you because you don’t know who’s going to get the ball.”
The offense is orchestrated by sophomore quarterback Earl Elmore, the coach’s son. Elmore completed an impressive 72-of-95 of his passes for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“He just did well from the get-go,” the coach said, “and he helps us get the ball to people like Jake and Easton and those guys, because he has the ability to throw the ball and gets rid of it real quick.”
Calhoun’s first-round playoff opponent, Villa Grove, comes out of the Lincoln Prairie Conference. Villa Grove reached the playoffs with five wins. The Blue Devils earned all of their wins against non-playoff teams and even secured a forfeit win in Week 3. They lost the last two games of the regular season. Elmore and his staff have been reviewing film, and he described the Blue Devils as a young, hungry team. He expects Calhoun will need to play well to be successful.
Calhoun’s hungry, too.
“We have had some guys that have stepped up and played really well for us this year, and we have some guys that are hungry to make a run and possibly get to state,” Elmore said. “We are going to take it one game at a time and see what happens.”
A Calhoun defender knocks the ball away from a West Central receiver during a football game in Winchester earlier this season. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
After 0-2 start, Carrollton rallies into IHSA Class 1A playoffs, faces Oakwood
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
After starting the season with two straight losses, the Carrollton football team had to work to make the playoffs this year.
The Hawks hadn’t opened with two losses since Rodney Flowers’ first season as head coach in 2022. That year, the Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
The 0-2 hole put a dark cloud over a perennial playoff program. But the Hawks did not waver under the pressure.
Carrollton bounced back with a six-point win over rival Greenfield-NW before rattling off three more wins in a row. After a loss to undefeated Calhoun, the Hawks ended the season with back-to-back victories to seal their spot in the IHSA Class 1A playoffs.
Carrollton will travel to Oakwood for a first-round game on Saturday.
“We are super excited,” Flowers said. “You know, it’s expectation around Carrollton, and it has been for decades. These kids are going in with that expectation. This was one of their goals, so we’re happy they’ve achieved their goal of getting into the playoffs.
“We kind of dug ourselves a hole, but then we regrouped and gathered the kids and fought back out of the hole and won four in a row and got back to 4-2. Had a chance for the (WIVC) South conference championship against a great Calhoun team, and we didn’t get the job done there. They beat us, but then we finished the year strong against Beardstown and Triopia, and got ourselves a real good seed in
the playoffs.”
On top of the two opening losses, the Hawks had to deal with injuries to key seniors, as quarterback Carson Flowers and feature back Charlie Stumpf both suffered slightly separated shoulders. They were back on defense in Week 2, then ready to go on offense by Week 3, just in time for a 13-7 win over Greenfield-NW.
“They are tough kids. They are gritty kids,” Flowers said of Stumpf and his nephew, Carson Flowers. “They are athletes, and they recovered well. Then the whole team started mending after that.”
Carrollton won games over playoff-bound West Central, Pleasant Hill and North Greene. After falling to Calhoun, the Hawks beat Beardstown at home to become playoff-eligible before closing out the season with a win at Triopia.
Flowers felt his team had a chance to beat the undefeated Warriors, despite the 41-0 score.
“Against Calhoun, we had kids in positions to make plays. We just didn’t make plays, and that’s the difference,” Flowers said. “Calhoun is extremely athletic and fast, and they
change their scheme up a little bit. But we had a good game plan against them.”
For now, Oakwood is the focus in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday afternoon. The Comets finished 7-2 in the Vermilion Valley Conference, falling to one-loss Clifton Central and undefeated Westville in Weeks 4 and 5. Oakwood is coming off a victory over another playoff team, Bismarck-Henning, in Week 9 to close out the season. Flowers said Carrollton is excited to play a team outside the WIVC in the postseason.
“Solid opponent,” the coach said. “They are 7-2 for a reason. They play in a conference with a lot of co-op teams, consolidated teams so they have a couple 2A and 3A schools in their conference.
“We have our hands full. It is a three-hour bus ride. We are excited to play a new opponent outside our conference, and our first and second round gives us that opportunity. We need to capitalize on that, playing two teams we haven’t in a long time, and a nonWIVC school. We are super excited about it.”
Carrollton quarterback Carson Flowers looks downfield during a game against Brown County earlier this season. Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
Central earns first IHSA playoff berth since 2013, will host Fairfield
By Travis Zuellig Staff Writer
The PORTA/A-C Central football program has made small strides here and there during the 2020s. But the Bluejays have always been moving forward.
The Jays had two winless seasons after the COVID season before winning a game in 2023. They won three games in 2024.
The talent, the progress and the offseason preparation all came together this season, leading to six wins in the tough Sangamo Conference and the team’s first IHSA playoff appearance since 2013.
“It means everything,” McAnally said. “All the hard work, both by our players and the coaching staff, and the offseason spent in the weight room and out on the track, building speed, it’s a true blessing.
“A lot of sacrifice from our guys in order to get our program to where it’s at. I think with our success this year with making the playoffs and having an awesome regular season, I think this paves the way for the younger guys that were able to watch this. I think it is going to be a continuation of awesome seasons to come for Bluejays football.”
The team watched the IHSA
fight right there,” McAnally said. “Probably one of the best games I have been associated with. Our group of guys has that no-quit mentality. We were down two scores, and they are the type of kids that don’t hang their heads. They are going to keep fighting and stay after it.”
The offense has excelled this season, with multiple players helping move the team forward. The Jays compiled 241 points — more than any other season under McAnally. O’Brien led the way with seven rushing touchdowns. He finished with more than 500 yards rushing on 90 carries.
Junior Drew Carter scored five times, including a receiving touchdown. Josh Carr scored four touchdowns on the ground as the trio in the backfield combined to average over 140 rushing yards per game.
McAnally said of his son. “He’s studied the game ever since he was little, and his leadership qualities are top-notch. The guys listen to what he has to say, and he is able to direct traffic and know everybody’s position, and put guys in the right spot to be successful.”
Now, the focus moves to Fairfield on Saturday. The Mules finished third in the Black Diamond Conference with a 6-3 record, with backto-back wins over Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton and Hamilton County to seal their postseason berth. Fairfield also beat two playoff teams during the regular season. The Mules run out of a wing-T formation. McAnally said Fairfield looks strong up front on both sides of the ball.
But the Bluejays will be ready.
playoff draw in the auditorium on Saturday, and players erupted in cheers when they learned they would be hosting Fairfield (6-3) on Saturday afternoon.
“They really didn’t realize at the time that we were going to have a home game,” McAnally said. “It was kind of quiet at first, and I was like, ‘Man, what’s going on?’ And then
I heard coach in the background, ‘Hey, you do realize we are playing at home?’ and the place just erupted. They are super excited to have a home game in front of our fans.”
The season did not start favorably for PORTA/A-C, which dropped games to eventual playoff teams Olympia, Williamsville and Maroa-Forsyth, with a win over New Ber-
lin in Week 3. But the Bluejays rattled off five straight wins over Pleasant Plains, Auburn, Athens, Riverton and Pittsfield to close out the season. The game against Athens in Week 7 was particularly close, with PORTA pulling out a 22-18 win. The Jays trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter before Will O’Brien scored twice for the victory.
“That was a heck of a dog
Lane McAnally improved under center between his sophomore year and his junior year, completing over 65 percent of his passes while racking up nearly 700 yards and six touchdowns. Bryce Davis and Logan Baker each caught two touchdown passes. The junior quarterback also rushed for three touchdowns, giving some variety to this Bluejay offense.
“His football knowledge is out of this world,” coach
“It can’t get here soon enough,” the coach said. “It’s kind of a dream here to have the first round at home. I got back last night from Kansas and saw a lot of people in the community here just as excited as we are. It’s going to be an awesome Saturday afternoon. I feel that all playoff games should be played on a Saturday afternoon. There is just a feel to a Saturday afternoon with the fans and the tailgating ... just an amazing opportunity.”
