Granite City, Mascoutah need wins to secure IHSA postseason football playoff spots
By Dean Criddle
Granite City’s Freddy Edwards looks for room to run against Mater Dei.
Chris Johns
Chris Johns
Heading into the final week of the high school football regular season, the scenario is simple for the Granite City Warriors and Mascoutah Indians. It’s either win or put the shoulder pads away for the winter.
Fresh off a 41-7 thrashing at undefeated Highland, the Indians (5-3) will try to clinch their first playoff spot since 2009 on Friday when they host Centralia (1-7) to close the regular season.
The Indians are one of five area teams who enter the final week looking to lock up playoff spots with a sixth win or claiming a fifth win and hoping for enough playoff points to enter the postseason.
In past years, teams with five wins and 37-38 points have usually qualified for the post season. Playoff points are determined by wins of opposing teams. during the regular season. Mascoutah will enter its game with the Orphans with 33 points.
“Facts are we need to win six games.,’’ Mascoutah coach Josh Lee said on Monday. “There are too many variables if we stay at five wins and I don’t think we will get in with five because I don’t think we will get to 37 points.
“At this point we are just focusing on getting better and things we can control and that is getting win number 6.’’
Currently there nine metro-east teams who have clinched playoff spots with at least six wins. Undefeated Highland (8-0) headlines that list while Madison (7-1), Columbia (7-1) and Nashville (7-1) are all playoff bound.. East St. Louis, Mater Dei, Belleville West, Central and Freeburg are all 6-2 and have punched their postseason tickets.
Edwardsville, Alton and Mascoutah are all 5-3. Edwardsville, which defeated Belleville West 37-6 on Friday, has all but cllinched a Class 8A playoff spot with 38 playoff points. Alton, with 40 points, is also a near lock.. Edwardsville plays at Collinsville on Friday while Alton will host East St. Louis.
Of the three area teams which are 4-4, Dupo, Jersey and Granite City, coach Brad Hasquin;s Granite City team probably has the best chance of earning a playoff spot.
The Warriors, who last made the postseason in 2011, will be on the road to take on the Galesburg Silver Streaks (1-7). Granite City will enter the contest with 37 playoff points.
“We should get a couple of wins from our schedule this week and be sitting at 39-41 points,’’ Hasquin said. “We need to be focused on playing Galesburg. No distractions. They are an athletic team and we will need to play well against them. They will be motivated to stop us from getting into the playoffs.’’
Like Granite City, Jersey is 4-4 and has 37 playoff points. The Panthers will play at Columbia (7-1) on Friday. Dupo currently has 27 points and will play at Madison (7-1) on Saturday.
This story was originally published October 15, 2018 at 1:32 PM.
