IHSA football playoff bids at stake for trio of Cahokia Conference schools
Red Bud coach David Lucht will have his work cut out as he prepares his pregame speech to his Musketeers football team prior to taking on the Sparta Bulldogs in the regular season finale Friday at Red Bud High School.
Lucht just hopes its not his final pregame speech of the year.
One of three Cahokia Conference schools with 4-4 records and needing a fifth victory Friday to become eligible for an IHSA playoff berth, Lucht knows that even a win over Sparta won’t necessarily get the job done.
Like many other teams around the state, the Musketeers are on the Class 2A bubble.
“It looks like we could be the last team in or the first team out. ‘’ Lucht said Wednesday. “It will be very close in playoff points if we can get to five wins. But none of that is possible without a win and I feel we have a good chance if we play well. ‘’
While Red Bud and its 30 playoff points aren’t guaranteed a berth even if they win Friday, both Freeburg (4-4) and Central (4-4) are virtual locks to get into the Class 4A postseason with wins Friday.
Central, which finished 4-2 in conference play and has 39 points, will host Herrin (4-4) while Freeburg faces a tough test when it travels to take on Class 4A state ranked Effingham (7-1). The Midgets have 40 playoff points.
A win over the Herrin Tigers would give coach Brian Short’s Cougars a fourth playoff appearance in the last five years.
“If we win we’re in,’’ Short said. “Getting to 5-4 and getting in the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment for us this season. This is the biggest swing game for our program that I have had since being here. We have gone through a tremendous amount of adversity this year.
“To find a way to scratch and claw into the playoffs with only four seniors returning from last year, brutal season ending injuries, and starting up to seven sophomores in some games, would be one of the biggest accomplishments for this program since I have been a part of it. These seniors have a chance to leave an unforgettable mark on this program with a win Friday night.’’
Freeburg, Central and Red Bud are seeking to join fellow Cahokia Conference schools Columbia (8-0) and Salem (6-2) in the playoffs.
Which teams are in the postseason
The East St. Louis Flyers, ranked first in the Class 5A state poll all season, are one of 10 local teams to have locked up playoff spots heading into Week 9 games on Friday.
Joining the Flyers out of the Southwestern Conference are the Edwardsville Tigers (6-2), Mississippi Valley Conference co-champion Highland (5-3), Triad (6-2), Civic Memorial (6-2), Cahokia (6-2), Nashville (7-1), Mater Dei (7-1), Columbia and Salem.
The 256-team playoff field will be revealed on Saturday by the Illinois High School Association. First round pairings in all eight classes will be announced with first round games set for Nov. 1-2.
Mascoutah needs a win
The Mascoutah Indians are playoff eligible at 5-3, but with only 33 playoff points, coach Josh Lee feels his team must win at Carterville (3-5) to earn a second straight postseason spot.
The Indians feature one of the top running backs in the St. Louis area in senior Devin Wills, but Lee also knows the Carterville Lions will pose a test for his team.
“On a typical year there is no way you are only getting in with that many (33) points... We think 100% that we will have to win.,’’ Lee said. “You can look at Carterville’s scores at the beginning of the year and look at them now and see the difference of their team on paper alone. They have put up some major points the last four games, and have played some quality opponents very close.
“ We have to show up in attack mode and play our best to come home with win No. 6.’’
The best of the best
The two remaining undefeated teams in the metro-east, the East St. Louis Flyers and Columbia Eagles, look to close out their regular seasons with wins on the road on Friday.
The top-ranked Class 5A team in the state, East St. Louis, coming off a 68-3 win over Belleville East, will travel to the Chicago area for the third time this season when it takes on Naperville Central (4-4).
The Flyers have outscored their eight opponents 383-99 this season.
Columbia, which has allowed only 38 points all season, travels to take on Jerseyville (2-6).
Metro East Lutheran looks for a winning season
Competing in 8-man football for the first time in 2019, the Metro East Lutheran Knights (4-4) will be out to clinch a winning regular season Saturday when they travel to take on Elgin Westminster Christian (1-6).
The Knights have not had a winning season since 2008 when they finished 5-4.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 4:04 PM.
