Kellen Creviston and the Routt Rockets ready for a run
Brown County Hornets secure playoff spot after strong 2024 season
By Travis Zuellig For the Journal-Courier
The Brown County football team had a rebuild during the 2023 season. An unusually high number of underclassmen came out for the team, and the Hornets had to replenish numerous starting positions on both sides of the ball.
Brown County came up short of a playoff spot with a 3-6 record. But last season’s growth fueled a productive offseason, and Brown County (5-4) came out much stronger in 2024. After two early close losses, the Hornets responded with four wins over the next five games, including one over a fellow playoff team. A final win over Pleasant Hill in Week 9 sealed their ticket in the IHSA Class 1A playoffs.
The Hornets will travel to Greenfield-NW (7-2) on Saturday. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
“I just think (it was) continued growth,” head coach Tom Little said. “Last year, we had a young squad, and this year, we started off young. And a lot of these guys have stepped up and really performed and grown as football players and grown as teammates. I think that growth is the difference between last year and this year.”
Brown County is back in the postseason for the 17th time during Little’s tenure. Last year, the Hornets lost a few close games in the middle of the season to fall out of playoff contention. This season’s schedule started with three playoff teams from last season.
Brown County opened with losses to Greenfield-NW and West Central by a combined eight points.
The Hornets bounced back with wins over Unity, Triopia, Beardstown and Routt, with a loss to Camp Point Central sandwiched in the middle.
Brown County’s 32-0 win over Unity avenged last year’s 22-21 defeat. A 60-39 victory over Routt in Week 7 put Brown County in a good position to lock up a playoff bid in Week 9. Maverick Henry, Tyce Fullerton, Tanner Sitze, Trey Fullerton, Eli Staton and Kanye Mitchell all scored touchdowns in the seasondefining win over the Rockets.
“They came out really focused in that game and made a lot of big plays and ended up getting the victory,” Little said.
After a loss to Calhoun, Brown County took care of business in the final game of the season against Pleasant Hill. Tyce Fullerton and Trey Fullerton scored two touchdowns apiece in the 3414 victory.
“It was huge,” Little said. “The goal for this team has always been to get back in the playoffs, and to be able to get that fifth win against a talented P-Hill group who do some stuff really nicely, it was a big victory.”
Growth was the main emphasis from Little for this season, and the Hornets achieved that. From last season’s schedule, the Hornets flipped close losses to Unity and Routt into big victories. Double-digit losses
to Greenfield-NW and West Central in 2023 turned into one-possession games, and last year’s blowout losses to Camp Point Central and Calhoun were much more competitive this season.
“It was a growing season for us. We have a lot of young guys and a lot of guys who hadn’t
been starters before that were able to get better through the season and get us into the playoffs,” Little said. “A lot of those games were close, and I think understanding how to finish games, how to deal with some adversity and how to stay confident in what we do, I think those things are going
to help us have a chance in the playoffs to get a victory.” Brown County has improved from the team that fell 6-0 to Greenfield-NW in the opening game of the season. And the Hornets will be familiar with the trip down to Greenfield as they made the same trip in Week 1.
Brown County players run a play during practice earlier this season.
New Berlin football returns to IHSA playoffs with revamped offense
By Dennis Mathes For the Journal-Courier
The New Berlin football team is back in the IHSA playoffs for the first time since 2015, when the Pretzels finished 7-3 under head coach Barry Creviston.
After many seasons of frustration and hard work, the Pretzels knew this would be their year.
New Berlin (7-2) received the No. 7 seed in Class 3A, will host No. 10 Benton (6-3) this Saturday. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.
A new offense, plus a seasoned group of athletes who have been playing football for years, helped New Berlin turn around last year’s 4-5 record.
“This is kind of what we expected going into this year, especially with the switch over in our offense,” said New Berlin coach James Dambacher, now in his second year. “I knew we were going to have at least two guys back to run the ball. We actually ended up losing Michael Pecoraro at the beginning of the year. So I was really hoping on a three-headed monster in our backfield. But you know, it’s really gone the way we kind of thought it would.
“I told the boys at the beginning of the year there’s not a game in this conference that I don’t think we can win this year,” the coach said.
The new offense? The wing-T that tried and true, grind-itout, ball-control offense that has helped teams like Camp Point
Central dominate high school football for years.
“Last year we were more of a spread team,” Dambacher said. “You know, we had Lucas Bixby as our quarterback. He was 6-foot-4, could run like a deer, could throw the ball 60 yards. It just kind of made sense. And, you know, I worked on putting a little bit of this wishbone wing-T, broken bone stuff in last year, and we just couldn’t get a snap under center so I just kind of scratched it. And going into this year -- after Lucas got hurt, that’s what we ran the last two weeks of last season. And the kids loved it. They liked the style of it. And it’s kind of what I wanted to go to -- just fits our kids. Just tough-nose, grind-it-out style of football.”
It was a drastic change, but Dambacher knew he had the right combination of players to run the wing-T.
“I think it’s just, you know, we have a blue-collar community, being like that, the tough kids,” the coach said. “We don’t play finesse football. We play power football, and that’s what our style is. I mean, the best part about our defense is stopping the run game, too. So it just kind of fit.”
A strong offensive line was the first piece of the puzzle. “That’s one of the points I actually made at the beginning of the year with our boys, too -- we’re going to go as far as our line really wants to take us. It’s by far our best group, and collectively, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re physical,” Dambacher said. ‘We have some
speed up there. They’ve just bought into everything that we’re doing. So it’s been awesome.”
Having Clark Nelson and Gabe Lyons in the backfield was another key. The wing-T is designed to preserve a lead, and not necessarily to score a ton of points. But New Berlin has scored 34 or more points in six of its nine games this season.
“It’s one of the reasons we went to the offense, too, was to start to control the clock,” Dambacher said. “But I think we’ve been scoring points just because of Clark and Gabe back there, especially when Gabe’s healthy. Clark’s an animal. I mean, we could play him on the line. We could probably play him at quarterback if we wanted to, but putting the ball in his hands, I mean, you can see how many times we’ve given it to him throughout the year. He just passed over a thousand yards rushing for the season, I think he’s a big reason -whenever he’s scoring, you know, 50-, 60-, 70-yard runs, it takes away that clock management.”
Those long runs would not be possible without solid downfield blocking from New Berlin’s receivers.
“We have a good group of receivers,” the coach said. “They kind of had to make a change going into this year, but they bought into it. Owen Derosear is the big one. Man, if we were in the spread, he would be our star receiver, and he’s just really bought into what we’re doing. One big thing he said to
me was he’s supposed to be in the playoffs. That’s where he wants to be. So he’s going to do whatever it takes for us to be there.”
And now, the Pretzels are there.
“I think one of the biggest things is, we just want a home football playoff game,” Dambacher said. “I think that’s going to be huge for all three communities. It’s going to be huge for the boys. It’s going to be huge for the program to see another playoff game back here. And then it’s a whole new season when you get started in the playoffs, and you’ve just got to make every single game count like it’s your last and just keep moving forward.”
A New Berlin receiver makes a catch during a recent practice in New Berlin.
CLASS 1A
No. 16 Aurora Christian (5-4) at No. 1 LeRoy (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 9 Rockford Lutheran (6-3) at No. 8 KewaneeWethersfield (6-3), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 13 Ottawa Marquette (5-4) at No. 4 RushvilleIndustry (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Galena (5-4) at No. 5 Toulon-Stark County (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 15 Clifton Central (5-4) at No. 2 Lena-Winslow (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 10 Stockton (6-3) at No. 7 Princeville (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 14 Catlin Salt Fork (5-4) at No. 3 Gibson City Melvin-Sibley (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 11 Chicago Hope Academy (5-4) vs. No. 6
Sterling Newman Central Catholic (7-2) at Sterling, Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 16 Dupo (5-4) at No. 1 Belleville Althoff Catholic (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 9 Carrollton (6-3) at No. 8 Winchester West Central (6-3), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm
No. 13 Jacksonville Routt (5-4) at No. 4 CaseyWestfield (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 12 Mt. Sterling Brown County (5-4) at No. 5 Greenfield-Northwestern (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 15 Moweaqua Central A&M (5-4) at No. 2
Hardin Calhoun (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1:30 pm
No. 10 Bridgeport Red Hill (6-3) at No. 7 Sesser Valier (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 14 Nokomis (5-4) at No. 3 Camp Point Central (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 11 Tuscola (5-4) at No. 6 Toledo Cumberland (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
CLASS 2A
No. 16 Mackinaw Deer Creek (5-4) at No. 1 Farmington (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3:30 pm
No. 9 Lanark Eastland-Pearl City (7-2) at No. 8 Taylor Ridge Rockridge (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm No. 13 Fithian Oakwood (5-4) at No. 4 ElmwoodBrimfield (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 12 Dwight-Gardner-South Wilmington (6-3) at No. 5 Momence (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 15 Erie Prophetstown (5-4) at No. 2 Bismarck Henning-Rossville-Alvin (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm No. 10 El Paso-Gridley (6-3) at No. 7 Seneca (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 14 Bloomington Central Catholic (5-4) at No. 3 Downs Tri-Valley (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 11 Carthage Illini West (6-3) at No. 6 Palos Heights Chicago Christian (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 5 pm No. 16 Red Bud (5-4) at No. 1 Johnston City (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 9 Carmi White County (7-2) at No. 8 Warrensburg-Latham (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm No. 13 Shelbyville (6-3) at No. 4 Pana (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 12 Niantic Sangamon Valley (6-3) at No. 5 Vandalia (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 15 Decatur St. Teresa (5-4) at No. 2 MaroaForsyth (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 10 Westville (6-3) at No. 7 Chester (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm
No. 14 Flora (6-3) at No. 3 Quincy Notre Dame (81), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 11 Virden North Mac (6-3) at No. 6 ArthurLovington-Atwood-Hammond (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
2024 IHSA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
CLASS 3A
No. 16 Fairbury Prairie Central (5-4) at No. 1 Byron (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 9 Lombard Montini (7-2) vs. No. 8 Chicago North Lawndale Charter (7-2) at Rockne Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, noon
No. 13 Oregon (5-4) at No. 4 Princeton (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Chicago King (6-3) vs. No. 5 Chicago Marshall (8-1) at Rockne Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 4 pm
No. 15 Stillman Valley (5-4) at No. 2 Wilmington (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 6 pm
No. 10 Peotone (6-3) at No. 7 Eureka (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 14 Genoa Kingston (5-4) at No. 3 Pecatonica Du-Pec (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm No. 11 Paxton Buckley-Loda (6-3) at No. 6
Monmouth Roseville (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 4 pm
No. 16 West Frankfort (5-4) at No. 1 St. Joseph Ogden (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 9 Tolono Unity (6-3) at No. 8 Roxana (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2:30 pm
No. 13 Stanford Olympia (6-3) at No. 4 Nashville (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2:30 pm
No. 12 Fairfield (6-3) at No. 5 Greenville (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 15 Mt. Carmel (5-4) at No. 2 Sullivan-Okaw Valley (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 10 Benton (6-3) at No. 7 New Berlin (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm
No. 14 Carlinville (5-4) at No. 3 Williamsville (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 11 DuQuoin (6-3) at No. 6 Monticello (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
CLASS
4A
No. 16 Geneseo (5-4) vs. No. 1 Chicago Sullivan (90) at Winnemac Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 9 Chicago DePaul (6-3) vs. No. 8 Chicago Dyett (7-2) at Stagg Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 13 Sandwich (5-4) at No. 4 West Chicago Wheaton Academy (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Burbank St. Laurence (6-3) at No. 5 Richmond Burton (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 15 Rockford Boylan Catholic (5-4) vs. No. 2 Chicago South Shore (9-0) at Gately Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, noon
No. 10 Johnsburg (6-3) at No. 7 Coal City (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm
No. 14 Marengo (5-4) at No. 3 Dixon (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 11 Chicago Clemente (6-3) vs. No. 6 Chicago Agricultural Science (7-2) at Eckersall Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 16 Harrisburg (5-4) at No. 1 Breese Central (90), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 9 Murphysboro (7-2) at No. 8 Macomb (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm
No. 13 Peoria Notre Dame (5-4) at No. 4 Rochester (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Mt. Zion (6-3) at No. 5 Carterville (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 15 Kewanee (5-4) at No. 2 Olney Richland County (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm
No. 10 Normal University (7-2) at No. 7 Manteno (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 14 Taylorville (5-4) at No. 3 Waterloo (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 11 Columbia (6-3) at No. 6 Cahokia (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
CLASS 5A
No. 16 Chicago Noble/Bulls (5-4) at No. 1 Sycamore (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 9 Chicago Westinghouse College Prep (5-4) vs. No. 8 Chicago Prosser (6-3) at Lane Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 4 pm
No. 13 Sterling (5-4) at No. 4 Wheaton St. Francis (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Chicago Goode (5-4) at No. 5 Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 15 Aurora Marmion Academy (5-4) at No. 2
Rochelle (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 10 Chicago Perspectives/Leadership (5-4) at No. 7 Lisle Benet Academy (6-3), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 14 Chicago Payton (5-4) at No. 3 LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 11 Freeport (5-4) at No. 6 Woodstock North (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 6 pm
No. 16 Tinley Park (5-4) vs. No. 1 Chicago Morgan Park (8-1) at Gately Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 4 pm
No. 9 Metamora (6-3) at No. 8 Centralia (6-3), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm
No. 13 Morris (5-4) at No. 4 Troy Triad (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 6 pm
No. 12 Marion (6-3) at No. 5 Highland (6-3), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 15 Country Club Hills Hillcrest (5-4) at No. 2 Peoria (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 10 Calumet City Thornton Fractional North (63) vs. No. 7 Chicago Corliss (6-3) at Gately Stadium, Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 14 Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (5-4) at No. 3 Mahomet-Seymour (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 11 Jacksonville (6-3) at No. 6 Joliet Catholic Academy (6-3), Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30 pm
CLASS 6A
No. 16 Chicago Senn (5-4) at No. 1 Cary Grove (90), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 9 Grayslake North (7-2) at No. 8 Antioch (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 13 Maple Park Kaneland (5-4) at No. 4 Belvidere North (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 12 Bensenville Fenton (6-3) at No. 5 Wauconda (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 15 Deerfield (5-4) at No. 2 Libertyville (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 pm
No. 10 Chicago Mather (6-3) at No. 7 Lake Forest (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 14 Chicago Amundsen (5-4) at No. 3 Geneva (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 11 Fox Lake Grant (6-3) at No. 6 Burlington Central (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 6 pm
No. 16 Springfield (5-4) at No. 1 East St. Louis Sr. (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 9 Chicago Simeon (7-2) at No. 8 Normal Community West (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 13 Oak Forest (6-3) vs. No. 4 Chicago Kennedy (7-2) at Lane Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, noon
No. 12 Crete-Monee (6-3) at No. 5 Chatham Glenwood (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 pm
No. 15 Dunlap (6-3) at No. 2 Oak Lawn Richards (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 10 Palos Heights Shepard (7-2) at No. 7 Washington (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm
No. 14 Glen Ellyn Glenbard South (6-3) at No. 3 Kankakee Sr. (8-1), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm
No. 11 Lemont (6-3) at No. 6 Bloomington (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 5 pm
CLASS 7A
No. 32 Chicago Kenwood (4-5) vs. No. 1 Chicago Whitney Young (9-0) at Rockne Stadium, Friday, Nov. 1, 7:15 pm No. 17 Bradley Bourbonnais (7-2) at No. 16 Algonquin Jacobs (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 25 Hoffman Estates (6-3) vs. No. 8 Chicago Lincoln Park (8-1) at Lane Stadium, Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 24 New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central (6-3) at No. 9 Des Plaines Maine West (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 pm
No. 29 Collinsville (5-4) at No. 4 Batavia (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 6 pm
No. 20 New Lenox Lincoln-Way West (6-3) at No. 13 Pekin (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 28 Wheaton Warrenville South (5-4) at No. 5 Downers Grove North (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 21 Chicago Brother Rice (6-3) vs. No. 12 Oak Park Fenwick (7-2) at Triton College Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 2, 1:30 pm No. 31 Summit Argo (5-4) at No. 2 Quincy (9-0), Saturday, Nov. 2, 1 pm No. 18 Addison Trail (7-2) at No. 15 Moline (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
No. 26 Villa Park Willowbrook (6-3) at No. 7 Rockton Hononegah (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm
No. 23 Rockford Guilford (6-3) at No. 10 Chicago St. Rita (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 pm No. 30 Rolling Meadows (5-4) at No. 3 St. Charles North (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm No. 19 Chicago Mt. Carmel (6-3) at No. 14 Machesney Park Harlem (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 6 pm No. 27 West Chicago (6-3) at No. 6 Normal Community (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm No. 22 Arlington Heights Hersey (6-3) at No. 11 Mt. Prospect Prospect (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
CLASS 8A
No. 32 Skokie Niles West (5-4) at No. 1 Frankfort Lincoln-Way East (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 pm No. 17 Minooka (7-2) at No. 16 Chicago Taft (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 25 Chicago Curie (5-4) at No. 8 Lombard Glenbard East (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 24 Orland Park Sandburg (5-4) at No. 9 Lincolnshire Stevenson (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 29 Huntley (5-4) at No. 4 Aurora West Aurora (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 20 Park Ridge Maine South (6-3) at No. 13 Naperville North (7-2), Saturday, Nov. 2, 6 pm No. 28 Glenview Glenbrook South (5-4) at No. 5 Chicago Marist (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 21 Belleville East (6-3) at No. 12 Wilmette Loyola Academy (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 pm No. 31 Joliet West (5-4) at No. 2 LaGrange Lyons (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 18 Plainfield South (7-2) at No. 15 Downers Grove South (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 26 Schaumburg (5-4) at No. 7 Naperville Central (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm No. 23 Tinley Park Andrew (6-3) at No. 10 Palatine Fremd (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm No. 30 Aurora Waubonsie Valley (5-4) at No. 3 Oswego (9-0), Friday, Nov. 1, 6:30 pm No. 19 Edwardsville (6-3) at No. 14 Elmhurst York (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 6 pm No. 27 Gurnee Warren (5-4) at No. 6 Palatine (8-1), Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 pm No. 22 South Elgin (6-3) at No. 11 Barrington (7-2), Friday, Nov. 1, 7 pm
Routt football team makes IHSA Class 1A playoffs after strong season
By Travis Zuellig For the Journal-Courier
Expectations were high for the Routt football team after just missing out on the postseason a year ago. The Rockets’ offensive output last year was staggering for a team that came up just short, but the team lacked the experience needed to close out a couple of tight games.
This year, the senior-heavy Rockets (5-4) had the goal of returning to the IHSA Class 1A playoffs after witnessing postseason football as sophomores. A couple of season-defining moments pushed Routt over the line to make the Rockets playoff-eligible. The Rockets will travel 150 miles to Casey to play Casey Westfield (8-1) Saturday in the first round (2 p.m. kickoff).
“We are proud of the team and where we are at right now, and it’s just been a joy the whole season, but we want to see how far we can take this thing,” head coach Barry Creviston said.
After opening the season with a loss to eventual WIVC South co-champ Calhoun, Routt rolled past North Greene, Triopia and Beardstown by a combined score of 136-14. The win over the Tigers avenged a heartbreaking 4644 defeat last season.
Next up was Unity, which also beat the Rockets by single digits last year. Led by Kellen Creviston’s five total touchdowns, Routt pounded Unity 44-0 on the road. Creviston opened the game with a rushing touchdown before connecting with Trey Gause, Eli Olson, Jace Lautemann and Sam Long for scores through the air. Charlie Alan,
the Routt running back, accounted for the other touchdown. Gause also made history when he recorded a state recordtying eight sacks in the dominant win.
After a one-point defeat to Camp Point Central and a more lopsided loss to Brown County, the Rockets still needed a victory to clinch a playoff spot with two eventual playoff teams remaining — Greenfield-NW and Carrollton.
Routt came out hot early against the Tigers and squandered most but not all of an early lead before taking over in the second half of the playoff-clinching 41-20 victory. Routt saw a 21-point lead shrink to just one point by halftime, but a long scoring drive capped by an Alan touchdown gave the Rockets some breathing room in the victory.
“We have had our ups and downs this season. We had a big win versus Greenfield, and we were just excited to be able to punch our ticket to the postseason,” Coach Creviston said.
“Once you get that fifth win, you are kind of rejuvenated, so this week in practice has been a good week for us.”
The offense this season has been just as impressive as last season. The Rockets scored 313 points, which was 42 more than last season. They were held to 20 points or less only twice.
Kellen Creviston had another monster year and became the second all-time leading offensive player in the history of the WIVC. He has plenty of weapons around him. Olson, Lautemann, Alan and Long, along with Dalton Brown and Declan Lahey, have formed a dynamic offense.
“I think we have done a great job offensively. Having a lot of guys back
senior-wise, we have just meshed from last year to summer through this season. It has been all the players, and everyone has been on the same page,” Coach Creviston said. “It is ‘pick your poison’ with us. If you are trying to shut
one thing down, we have the ability to go with another facet (of our offense). If we get our running game going and we can be 50-50 run-pass, that is just going to be harder for anybody who tries to shut us down.”
Routt’s Eli Olson looks the ball in during a football game at Carrollton earlier this season.
Carrollton Hawks aim for first playoff win under coach Rodney Flowers
By Travis Zuellig
For the Journal-Courier
The Carrollton football team continues to improve every season under third-year head coach Rodney Flowers. After two victories in his first season, the Hawks rebounded last season with five wins and a playoff appearance, which was a familiar place for Carrollton, which before this season had earned a trip to the postseason 15 times since 2005.
With continued development, the Hawks improved on last season’s .500 record, and with the help of a season-defining victory over rival Calhoun in Week 5, Carrollton is ready to win its first playoff game under the new Flowers regime.
The Hawks will travel to familiar foe West Central on Saturday (3 p.m. kickoff). Carrollton dropped a close one to the Cougars earlier in the season.
“It has been a really fun season. I am extremely proud of these boys,” Flowers said. “From where we left off last season, they wanted in the weight room right away. They weren’t happy with the taste in their mouth after the Sesser loss in the playoffs and got back to the weight room, and their offseason preparation has been excellent.”
Carrollton was a regular in the playoffs under previous head coach Nick Flowers, earning 14 playoff appearances and two state championship game
appearances. Rodney Flowers was on the coaching staff during his brother’s run, and after a oneseason learning curve, has the Hawks clicking again. And this experienced Hawk team knows what it takes to advance in the postseason; they were freshmen during the second of the two state runner-up campaigns.
This year the Hawks won their opening two games over Beardstown and Triopia before that 12-7 loss to West Central in Week 3 in a defensive tussle. Trailing toward the end of the fourth quarter, the Hawks drove the ball down to West Central’s 3-yard line before being stopped on downs.
Carrollton will have its chance for revenge when it travels to Winchester on Saturday.
“That one slipped by us,” Flowers said. “We had a touchdown called back on a holding penalty and dropped one in the end zone for a touchdown, so we walked away from that just nauseated. We should have won the game, but West Central played hard and wanted it a little more than us. It was one of those regret losses.”
After wins over Pleasant Hill and North Greene, Carrollton hosted rival Calhoun, which was undefeated at the time. The Hawks made a couple of changes to the defense, including moving Charlie Stumpf to middle linebacker to stop running back Conner Longnecker, and those changes
paid off in a 10-0 win. The defense forced numerous fumbles, stalling the Warriors offense. The victory avenged a 61-0 defeat at Calhoun last season.
“It was a special day down here, redeeming ourselves after a 61-0 loss to them last year. To beat them 10-0 on our home field, and put us into the playoff hopes, it was just an amazing day,” Flowers said. “We put our best athletes on the field and in positions to make plays. We had some strong tendencies against what they wanted to do, and we frustrated them and caused a lot of turnovers.”
Following two losses to playoffbound Greenfield-NW and Camp Point Central, the Hawks closed out their season with an emotional 24-13 victory over Routt. Hours after hearing that their teammate Grant Cox had been injured in a motor vehicle accident, the Carrollton football players summoned the courage to take the field and earned their sixth victory of the season for their injured teammate.
The offense under secondyear starting quarterback Carson Flowers continued to improve every week. Behind Flowers, who threw for two touchdowns in the victory over Routt, the Hawks have scored 237 points — 50 more points than last season in 10 games. Flowers has multiple weapons on offense, and the coach thinks his junior quarterback is having a solid season.
“Carson has done a great job,” Coach Flowers said. “He has really matured and gotten bigger, stronger and faster. He is making great decisions, and we are proud of him. He is also a straight-A student, and he has been born into our program and he is starting to get comfy back there and do a good job for us.”
The Hawks will make the familiar trek up to Winchester
and will still have a sour taste in their mouths from the defeat in September.
“Overall, I am just proud of our program,” Flowers said. “We are the only team in the whole conference that doesn’t co-op or consolidate, and numbers are low, but here we find ourselves fighting to get back in the playoffs, and this conference really prepares you for the postseason.”
A Carrollton defender closes in on a Routt player during a football game earlier this season.
Jacksonville’s senior-led offensive line powers team to IHSA Class 5A playoffs
By Travis Zuellig
For the Journal-Courier
It is tough to stop a team when you don’t know what they are going to do on offense. As for the Jacksonville football team, it has been tough for their opposition to stop them on offense even when the defense knows the game plan.
Behind a senior-heavy offensive line, the Crimsons’ dynamic running attack has been key to this season’s success and the program’s return to the IHSA Class 5A playoffs. Led by senior La’Marion Williams, the team combined for over 3,100 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns, with nine ball carriers scoring.
Jacksonville hopes to continue that ground success when it travels to Joliet to play Joliet Catholic Academy in the first round of the IHSA Class 5A playoffs on Saturday (7:30 p.m. kickoff).
“Everyone knew we were going to run the ball, and we were still able to run the ball,” Crimson head coach Mark Grounds said. “I think (the offensive linemen) were as advertised. They opened up some good holes for our running backs, and I also think we improved greatly at the wing and wide receiver spots at stalk blocking, and some of our
perimeter blocking schemes have helped as well. I believe (the offensive linemen) were as good as advertised.”
Seniors Aiden Surratt, Ryan McCombs, Avery Cook and Miradi Dandu Mwani helped create holes and seams all season for a Crimson offense that finished with 371 points scored — second-most across the 12-team Central State Eight Conference. Williams, Jacksonville’s leading ball carrier, scored 13 touchdowns and ran for over 100 yards four times.
Jeremiah Jackson, Daren Henry, Cross Mitchell, Terrion Jackson and Easton Ackerman have all run the ball at least 20 times this season, so Jacksonville has options on offense. The ground game, combined with an emphasis on defense this season, has been crucial for the Crimsons.
“We changed our defensive scheme up. I think we became a defense-first team and a running team,” Grounds said. “And worked on taking the ball away and limiting our turnovers. And I think that was a good recipe for us this year.
“I think we were able to point to some tangible instances where the turnovers in critical games killed us,” the coach said. “We still had some turnovers this year, but we cut them down a ton, and I just think we protected the
ball very well this year. And our defense excelled at taking the ball away and getting some turnovers on downs as well.”
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.
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.
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
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.”
Jacksonville will have a 200mile, three-hour trek up north to the Chicago suburb to play its first-round game. Grounds, who said he and the team have appreciated the fans’ support at home and on the road, wants his team to be hungry for more this season.
“I tell them you want to be greedy,” Grounds said. “We want to practice on Monday. We want to stay a team as much as possible, because the 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.
Greenfield-Northwestern football defies odds,
By Travis Zuellig
For the Journal-Courier
On paper, it was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the GreenfieldNorthwestern football team. After a run all the way to the state semifinals, the graduation of a two-year starting quarterback along with numerous other starters, most programs would have lowered expectations for the following season.
Instead, that extra month of practice during last season’s playoff run helped fuel development, and the Tigers reloaded, rattling off another winning season and a share of the WIVC South championship. Talon Albrecht took over for Dylan Pembrook at quarterback, and the Greenfield-NW offense hasn’t missed a beat, while the defense posted three shutouts.
It remained business as usual in Greenfield as the Tigers (7-2) will host Brown County (54) on Saturday in the first round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs (2 p.m. kickoff). GreenfieldNW beat the Hornets 6-0 in the first game of the season.
“We were fortunate to have some critical spots get a lot of valuable experience last year,” head coach Joe Pembrook said. “We knew we were going to rely on those guys, and they did a really good job of leading our program this fall.”
“We got some really positive contributions from a lot of different people on both sides of the line. We grew well as a team and were able to stack enough wins on top of one another and found a way to share the WIVC South Conference. Very pleased we were able to qualify for the postseason and the challenges that lie ahead.”
That first game against Brown County was decided by Albrecht’s 17-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter in a defensive scrap. The defense allowed just 183 total yards in its first shutout of the season.
Greenfield-NW continued that hot start through the first four games of the season, beating Unity, Pleasant Hill and White Hall in consecutive weeks, including another shutout against Pleasant Hill.
Pembrook said that the great start allowed the new players to feel more comfortable.
“I think that was critical to gain some confidence, and it helped them get accustomed to playing with each other,” the coach said. “We have a lot of different guys in some new roles this year, and we needed to trust one another out on the football field and grow as a team.”
In Week 5, Calhoun’s defense was too much for the Tigers in a 20-0 loss. Greenfield-NW bounced back in a big way, pulling off wins over West Central and Carrollton — both playoff-bound. In those two victories, Albrecht threw for a combined 536 yards and seven touchdowns.
Albrecht has the Tigers firing on all cylinders this season. The senior has plenty of senior receivers, and he’s thrown to all of them. Garrett Costello, Caleb Albracht and Avery Lamb all have caught touchdown passes this season. Albracht is the main man out of the backfield, leading the team in carries, while Ashton Preusen and Wyatt Stuart get plenty of touches as well, creating a high-powered offense.
“(Albrecht) does a good job of running our offense. He was a guy who became very accustomed to our offense last year as a receiver,” Pembrook said. “He was very comfortable in those roles and understands all of our routes and timing, and getting the ball out and execution. He is a talented kid and throws the ball well. He sees the field extremely well, and he has done a good job in his progression the last couple of months.”
After a loss to Routt in Week 8, GreenfieldNW closed out the regular season with a 28-0 win over Triopia.
There will be a sense of familiarity for the Tigers in their first-round matchup against Brown County, but it won’t be the same Hornet team from Week 1. Brown County has been held to under 20 points four times this season, with outputs of 51 points, 57 points and 60 points.
Greenfield-Northwestern quarterback Talon Albrecht looks for a receiver during practice earlier this season.
Calhoun Warriors aim for playoff success after best regular season since 2005
By Travis Zuellig For the Journal-Courier
After missing the postseason three seasons in a row (minus the 2021 COVID season), the Calhoun football team returned to the IHSA Class 1A playoffs in 2022, and the Warriors wanted to turn that success into a habit.
Last season, Calhoun built off that success with a playoff win over Heyworth — the program’s first playoff win since 2016.
This season, the Warriors continued to improve, finishing off the program’s best regular season in head coach Aaron Elmore’s 12-year tenure with an 8-1 record -- the team’s most regular-season wins since 2005.
Calhoun, whose defense has allowed just 78 points through nine weeks, will host Heart of Illinois Conference member Moweaqua Central A&M on Saturday.
“Just having veteran players and guys who have experience make a big difference. We returned a lot of guys from last season, and they were hungry to be successful, and they want to do well in these playoffs,” Elmore said. “I thought we got better as the season went along, and that’s the most important thing. Overall, it was a good regular season, and now we are ready for the playoffs.”
After starting the season with a victory over Routt on the road, Calhoun hosted defending Class 1A state champion Camp Point
Central in Week 2. Trailing by six in the fourth quarter, the Warriors mounted a final drive, capped by Conner Longnecker’s two-yard touchdown run with 2 seconds left in the game.
Jack Webster converted the extra point, and Calhoun came away 14-13 victors.
The Warriors rattled off three straight wins over North Greene, West Central and Greenfield-NW to become playoff eligible. After a slight hiccup in a 10-0 loss to Carrollton, Calhoun bounced back with a shutout win over Pleasant Hill before back-to-back wins over Brown County and Beardstown to close out the schedule.
Defense has been the key to Calhoun’s success this season. Led by seniors Bo Lorsbach and Webster, who have a combined 185 total tackles this season, the defense has held every opponent to under 20 points, including two shutouts. Elmore credits having hungry athletes on the defensive side of the ball.
“I think it was just playing great defense and controlling the ball — just playing Warrior football. Just wanting it more than your opponent at that time and being successful,” Elmore said. “They are aggressive guys and spring to the ball real well. Every one of them wants to make the tackle on any given play, so whenever you have hungry guys on that side of the ball, it makes for a great defense.”
But don’t sleep on the offense. The Warriors finished third across the whole WIVC in points scored with 305. Longnecker leads
the way with 1,180 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, but six other ball carriers have scored rushing touchdowns. Jacob Snyders replaced Miles Lorton under center this year, and the Warriors offense didn’t miss a beat as the senior kept the offense rolling, completing half of his passes and finding all of Calhoun’s weapons.
Calhoun will host a firstround playoff game for the first time under Elmore. After the win over Heyworth in the playoffs last season, the Warriors hosted Camp Point Central in the second round.
“That has been kind of our goal. We’ve been wanting to have a home game just like we did last year in the second round,” Elmore said. “As the season went on, we wanted to win as many games as we could so we could get as many home games as possible because it is a huge advantage when you can play at home in the playoffs.”
Central A&M will travel over 100 miles for this playoff game against Calhoun (1:30 p.m. kickoff). All five of the Raiders’ wins this season came against teams with losing records.
A Calhoun player puts a hat on the ball during a football game against Routt in Jacksonville earlier this season.
West Central football overcomes challenges for another winning season
By Travis Zuellig
For the Journal-Courier
The West Central football team caught a few people off guard last season. With only 25 players, a resilient West Central team pushed through and made the postseason a year ago, falling in the first round to Salt Fork.
This year’s Cougar team faced similar challenges, but this time, it came down to experience as 11 seniors graduated from an already small team. But West Central (6-3) powered on and, thanks to a few new players, rallied to another winning season. That lack of experience did not hurt the Cougars early in the season as West Central’s two biggest wins came in the first three weeks.
One of those key early season victories was against their IHSA Class 1A playoff first-round opponent Carrollton (6-3).
“I think it has been a pretty solid year for our boys. We don’t have very many kids, and for them to play as well as they have, with the lack of experience coming in, it is probably an (overachievement) this year so far,” West Central head coach Matt Coultas said.
“We just had some kids who have been in the program and hadn’t had a whole lot of experience with varsity action but played together as JV players. Those kids that graduated were a pretty solid group, and they were taking the ‘next man up’ mentality, and I think the kids who didn’t get much time last year were
looking forward to their opportunity this year.”
The Cougars started with a tough slate with four possible playoff teams (three made it) in the first four weeks. After a victory over Unity, West Central traveled to Mount Sterling and beat Brown County 10-8 in a defensive scrap. Ryker Ford opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run a few seconds into the second quarter.
The Hornets responded with a touchdown just over a minute later and converted for two points to take a one-point lead. But then Anthony Hance kicked a 20-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the third quarter, and West Central held on for the victory.
A week later, West Central hosted Carrollton and hung on for another close victory. The Cougars took the lead with a 12-yard touchdown run by Hance in the first quarter. Carrollton responded and took a 7-6 lead midway through the second quarter. Again, the Cougars answered and went back on top right before halftime when Ford completed a 71-yard scoring pass to Beau Donovan.
“I think our kids were ready to go early and were ready to play, and we were able to scratch out a couple of good wins against some pretty good programs,” Coultas said. “Have to give a lot of credit to my assistant coach, Grant DeWitt. He is our defensive coordinator as well, and he generally comes up with good schemes week after week and has the boys playing in the right direction.
I think the biggest thing for us is mixing and matching the pieces for what we want to do that week.”
After falling to Calhoun, the Cougars beat Pleasant Hill 22-20 in overtime on the road. West Central won the game on a six-yard Ford touchdown run before the junior punched it in for the two-point conversion.
West Central lost to GreenfieldNW before earning blowout wins over North Greene and Triopia to punch their ticket to the postseason. In that victory over North Greene, Ford set a record for the longest passing play in school history when he connected on a pass to Luke Kunz for a 94-yard touchdown. The Cougars concluded the regular season with a loss to Camp Point Central.
Coultas gave credit to the defense for the success this season. Senior Carson Brown led the way with 126 tackles — almost double the secondleading tackler on the team.
“I think he is that glue that’s held that unit together and helped that unit out,” the coach said. “He is one of those young men that is looking to help the younger guys along the way, and he has been a great mentor for some of our younger guys. He has been a big part of that defensive unit.”
This will be the third appearance in the postseason for West Central under Coultas, and the Cougars are still looking for that first playoff win under their head coach. With a familiar foe at home, this may be the time.
“I don’t know if our young kids really understand it yet, but for our seniors, it will be our third time in four years they have made the playoffs with the team. That is something that hasn’t been done in school history, and we are trying to
Good Luck Cougars!
make that a more consistent reality for them,” Coultas said. “We are finally at the point where we are looking to get things put together and win a first-round game -- get into that second round and see where we can go from there.”
West Central’s Hayden Jefferson catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown during a football game against Camp Point Central in Winchester last Friday.
West Central’s Mason Berry heads upfield during a football game earlier this season at Winchester.
