Football semifinals: Mascoutah, East St. Louis one win away from championship games
The Mascoutah Indians and East St. Louis Flyers are teams from the metro-east region which will compete in semifinal round IHSA playoff football games on Saturday.
Here is a brief look at their semifinal round games.
Class 6A: (2) Chatham-Glenwood at (1) East St. Louis
Kickoff: 2 p.m.
Last time out: Chatham-Glenwood defeated Providence Catholic 40-16; East St. Louis defeated Oak Lawn Richards 60-0
Scouting the Titans (12-0): Making its 17th straight trip to the IHSA playoffs and 24th overall, the Titans are a win away from a third trip to the state championship game. Coached by David Hay, Chatham-Glenwood enters the contest with the Flyers, averaging just under 50 points a game and is the only team to beat both perennial state title contenders Rochester and Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin on the road to winning the Central State Eight Conference championship.. The Titans high-powered offense is led by quarterback Luke Lehnan who has run for over 1,200 yards and 27 touchdowns while throwing for more than 2,000 yards and 20 TDs. Senior running back Narkiel LeFlore (1,388 yards, 21 TDs) is one of the best in Central Illinois. The Titans defense hasn’t been bad either, giving up just 190 points in 12 games.
Scouting the Flyers (12-0): After coming up short in quarterfinal round games the past two years against Chicago Mount Carmel, the Flyers have been hard to contain on both sides of the football during the ‘19 season. Champions of the Southwestern Conference, coach Darren Sunkett’s squad has rolled 622 points while allowing only 148 points in 12 games. Junior quarterback Tyler Macon leads the talented group and has had a hand in 50 touchdowns (36 passing, 14 running) with accounting for more than 4,000 yards of total offense. Senior running back DeMonta Witherspoon has rushed for 1,444 yards and 27 touchdowns while junior receiver Dominic Lovett (58 receptions, 1,544 yards, 15 TDs) headlined the top quartet in the state. Seniors Kendrick Scarborough and Darius Walker are two of four Flyers defensive players with more than 100 tackles.
Up Next: The winner will play either Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge or Deerfield in the Class 6A state title game at 1 p.m. Nov. 30 at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb.
Class 5A (2) Rochester at (12) Mascoutah
Kickoff: 5 p.m.
Last time out: Rochester defeated Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 49-35; Mascoutah defeated Joliet Catholic 21-14
Scouting the Rockets (11-1): The dominant high school football program in the state during the past decade with seven state championships, the Rockets are making their 14th straight postseason trip and have an overall postseason mark of 49-11 under coach Derek Leonard. Titans’ senior quarterback Clay Bruno is one of the best in the state. The 6-foot Bruno has completed 167-of-255 for 3,022 yards with 39 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. Sophomore Hank Beatty has played beyond his years at wide receiver with 80 receptions for more than 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns. Always well-balanced, Rochester also features a solid running game. Junior back Jacob DuRocher has rushed for more than 1,700 yards and 23 scores.
Scouting the Indians (9-3) The underdog role has suited the Indians just fine during the 2019 postseason. Coach Josh Lee and the Indians have upset higher seeded teams the last three weeks to reaching the state semifinals for the third time in school history. Making their 13th playoff appearance in all, the Indians feature a swarming defense which has allowed only 30 points the last two weeks in wins over Kankakee and Joliet Catholic. Senior linebacker Thomas Conroy is one of many Indians who have stepped up on defense in the postseason. Senior quarterback Devon Ross has been a consistent leader both on and off the football field for Mascoutah which features one of the top running backs in the state in senior Devin Wills who has rushed for 1,989 yards and scored 3 2 touchdowns this year.
Up next: The winner will play either undefeated Rockford Boylan (12-0) or Chicago St. Rita (9-3) in the Class 5A state title game on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb.
