Seventh-seeded Mascoutah football vying for first Class 5A semifinal berth since 2019
It’s been three years since the Mascoutah Indians have appeared in the IHSA Class 5A playoff semifinals.
At 3 p.m. Saturday, the seventh-seeded Indians (8-3) have the chance to return to the doorstep of a state finals berth when they host No. 3 seed Peoria High School (10-1) in a Class 5A quarterfinal match-up.
That opportunity has presented itself thanks in large part to a three-game win streak that culminated with an amazing 55-42 road win over second-seeded Highland in the second round Nov. 5.
Beating Highland no doubt was a daunting task, but the Indians to a man felt they were a much better team than the one the Bulldogs blanked 56-0 on Oct. 14.
“I think us losing 56-0, most of us had never been in that kind of predicament in a game and that (experience) gave us the fuel ... and we knew once we saw them again that we had to win this game,” Mascoutah senior wideout/defensive back Quincy Hall said.
After losing to Highland in week eight of the regular season, Mascoutah closed the campaign with a 50-23 win over Carbondale on Oct. 29 and opened the playoffs with a clutch 21-20 first-round home victory against Marion before shocking the Bulldogs.
Mascoutah coach Aaron Hilgendorf credited the team’s turnaround to a strong re-dedication to fundamental execution that has defined Mascotouh Indians football.
“Just (getting) constant improvement from when we got beat ... we weren’t playing very good football at that time, but, actually, that game woke us up a little bit to where we had to improve in several areas,” he said. “And we got (offensive/defensive linemen) Henry Paddock and Armani Parker back and the other thing was our kids just executed better and they played their roles better.”
Hilgendorf also pointed to increased contributions from the Indians’ top playmakers — senior quarterback Zane Timon, Hall, and senior wideout Allen Middleton.
Hall and Middleton combined for seven touchdowns and Timon threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns against Highland in round two.
“We know what they’re capable of doing and as the season progresses and then when the postseason hits it’s kind of like, okay, this is how we’re gonna go forward and try to win games and we needed those guys to touch the ball more,” Hilgendorf said. “Zane’s a dual threat for us and when he knows where he’s going with the football, he’s a very good passer while Quincy is just a dynamic playmaker and usually the fastest kid on the field. And then Allen, he’s just a weapon and he can do a lot of different things.”
Hall’s big day, improving defense
Hall also had six catches for 133 yards receiving to power the Indians’ big-play offense against Highland. Hall knew he needed to have big day and was thankful for the chance at redemption against the Bulldogs.
“I knew I had to put everything on the line because I’m a senior and it could possibly be my last game. So I knew I just had to put everything on the line and do whatever I had to do to help the team win. I wasn’t going to go out to them,” he said.
Mascoutah’s defense also has improved the past three weeks to help the postseason push. Prior to the Highland playoff game, the Indians stop crew held Carbondale to just 23 points in week nine before limiting Marion to 20 points.
“It comes down to tackling,” Hilgendorf said. “We’ve been much better tacklers the last few weeks and our guys are getting to the football and trusting keys and their eyes and we’re getting more guys to the ball.”
Peoria scouting report
Peoria will be an even stiffer test for the Indians on Saturday afternoon. The Lions are big and strong along the line of scrimmage, have speed at several spots and will create match-up problems for Mascoutah.
“They’re a heckuva football team,” Hilgendorf said. “They are fast at multiple positions and their offensive line is really big and they’re physical up front with what they do. They want to play with tempo and they put up a lot of points so we’ve got our work cut out for us there.”
Overall, Peoria has posted 60 or more points five times this season, including 62 in a opening round victory against Decatur MacArthur. The Lions also have scored 54 points once and 48 points twice.
Peoria runs its offense primarily through the hands of senior running back Malachi Washington.
“They want to get the ball in their running back’s hands and he is a really good running back, as good as you will see in this class (5A),” Hilgendorf said.
‘This means a lot to us’
Overall, Hall said he is enjoying this playoff run with his teammates as the Indians make their first quarterfinal appearance since 2019 this weekend. And, with the team being underdogs, they are relishing the moment and hope to keep going.
“I’ve been playing with this group of guys for a long time now and this means a lot to us,” Hall said. “We’ve been waiting for this our whole life and this year especially with us being an underdog gives me chills. So it makes us want to do this as our last run. It’s very exciting.”
Snapshot of Mascoutah & Peoria High School
Records/seeds: Mascoutah is is 8-3 and seeded No. 7. Peoria High School is 10-1 and seeded No. 3.
Kickoff: 3 p.m.
More about Mascoutah, Peoria: The Indians went 2-3 in the Mississippi Valley Conference while the Lions finished third in the in the Big Twelve Conference with a 6-1 mark.
Second round playoff game game: The Indians defeated Highland 55-42. The Lions defeated Kankakee 48-21.
Next game: The winner will face either No. 4 seed Mahomet Seymour (11-0) or No. 4 seed Morris (9-2) in the semifinals.
Mascoutah players to watch: QB Zane Timon (126-214, 1,908 yards, 21 TD; 115 rushes, 625 yards, 11 TD); WR Quincy Hall (38 catches, 754 yards, 10 TD); WR Allen Middleton (47 catches, 804 yards, 9 TD).
Peoria High School player to watch: RB Malachi Washington (39 rushes, 204 yards, 4 TD against Kankakee).
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 8:00 AM.