Quarterfinal facts and figures for five Bloomington-Normal area football playoff teams
Five Pantagraph area teams remain alive in the high school football playoffs.
A win this weekend would move Normal Community, University High, Dwight, LeRoy and GCMS just one more victory from a state championship game appearance.
Here's a look at the area matchups.
CLASS 7A
Normal Community vs. Mount Carmel
When: Saturday, 5 p.m.
Where: Barda-Dowling Stadium, Chicago
Season records: NCHS 10-1, Mount Carmel 8-3
FYI: The No. 7-ranked Ironmen take on the two-time defending 7A state champions and No. 1-ranked Caravan ... The teams last met in the 2017 playoffs when Mount Carmel prevailed 14-13 ... Caravan quarterback Jack Elliott is a Vanderbilt recruit and throws to receivers Quentin Burrell, Cooper Lehman and Marshaun Thornton ... Mount Carmel has disposed of Harlem 56-14 and St. Charles North 48-15 in the postseason ... NCHS routed West Chicago 41-16 before a 52-49 win over Prospect in which Kyle Beaty passed for 360 yards and Calen Taylor rushed for 242 ... Beaty has 1,843 yards through the air, while Taylor has accumulated 1,385 yards rushing and 480 receiving ... The winner will face either No. 2 Quincy or No. 6 St. Rita in the semifinals.
CLASS 4A
University High vs. Cahokia
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where:
Season records: U High 9-2, Cahokia 9-2
FYI: In a matchup of All-State quarterbacks, No. 7-ranked U High's Alek Weiland (3,231 yards passing, 40 touchdowns) opposes Cahokia's Zion Taylor (2,445 yards, 70.5 percent completion rate) ... Weiland throws to Cade Cunningham (57 catches, 1,091 yards) and AJ Holden (48, 830) with Carson Stevens covering 624 yards on the ground ... The Comanches' Correyontae Midgett has run for 849 yards, while Hartles Holman has 50 catches for 915 yards and Omar Mims 36 for 740 ... U High has handled its first two playoff foes by a combined margin of 89-27. Cahokia got past Columbia 30-17 and Waterloo 40-20 ... The victorious team moves into the semifinals where it will oppose either top-ranked Breese Central or unranked Mount Zion.
CLASS 2A
Farmington vs. Dwight
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where:
Season records: Farmington 11-0, Dwight 8-3
FYI: The only 2A team with three or more losses still alive, Dwight tries to win three playoff games in one postseason for the first time in school history ... The Trojans won their first playoff game since 1983 in the first round 41-13 over No. 9 Momence and knocked out Elmwood-Brimfield 12-6 in the second round ... Second-ranked Farmington has ousted Deer Creek-Mackinaw 21-0 and Rockridge 14-10 ... The surviving team meets either No. 3 Bismarck-Henning or unranked Chicago Christian in the semifinals.
CLASS 1A
Galena vs. LeRoy
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where:
Season records: Galena 7-4, LeRoy 11-0
FYI: Third-ranked LeRoy has rushed for over 1,000 yards while storming past Aurora Christian 54-21 and Rockford Lutheran 53-29 ... The Panthers continue to run at will against opponents with 394.5 yards rushing per game while allowing just 51 on the ground ... Quarterback Bo Zeleznik has covered 1,457 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns. Stephon Williams (760) and Landon Welte (418) also are among six LeRoy rushers over 300 yards ... Zeleznik and lineman Tate Sigler represent the Panthers on the 1A All-State team ... Galena was a modest 4-4 in the rugged Northwest Upstate Illini Conference but has knocked off No. 9 Stark County (43-42) and Ottawa Marquette (33-6) in the playoffs ... The Pirates have an All-Stater in 295-pound lineman Will Anderson ... The winner tangles with either No. 2 Lena-Winslow or No. 8 GCMS in the semifinals.
GCMS vs. Lena-Winslow
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where:
Season records: GCMS 10-1, Lena-Winslow 11-0
FYI: No. 2-ranked Lena-Winslow had won three straight 1A state titles before dropping last season's championship game to Camp Point Central ... GCMS claimed the 2A state crown in 2017 and '18 ... Falcons' tailback Jacob Chase returned from an ankle injury in the second round and ran for 228 yards in a 28-0 shutout of Sterling Newman. Chase has 1,468 yards on the season despite missing all or part of three games ... GCMS also can throw with Brayden Elliott passing for 1,221 yards and wide receiver Trent Wetherell and All-State tight end Ryker Grauer as primary receivers ... Lena-Winslow has defeated playoff opponents Clifton Central and Stockton by a combined score of 114-46.
Compiled by Randy Reinhardt
