Nashville in the hunt for first state football title, East Side goes for No. 9
The Nashville Hornets and East St. Louis Flyers will compete for state football championship games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb this weekend. Here’s an overview of each game:
Class 2A: (4) Newman Catholic vs. (5) Nashville
Kickoff: 1 p.m., Friday, Huskie Stadium
Last time out: Sterling Newman defeated (Minonk) Fieldcrest 21-7; Nashville def. Decatur St. Teresa 35-21
Scouting the Comets (12-1): No strangers to the postseason or state championship games, Newman is making its 19th straight postseason appearance and 31st overallall. The Comets are 5-2 in championship games and won their last title in 2013 by defeating Staunton 40-13. Relying heavily on a strong defense, the Comets have outscored their opponents 321-132 during the regular season and have allowed just 26 points in its four postseason games. On offense, Newman has three solid backs in seniors Andrew Velasquez (936 yards, 7 TDs), Conner McBride (796 yards, 10 TDs) and Kye O’Brien (690 yards, 12 TDs). Junior quarterback Jake Ackman has thrown for 913 yards and six touchdowns. Valesquez, also a top linebacker, leads the Comets’ defense with 111 tackles.
Scouting the Hornets (12-1): The Hornets, whose only loss came against River-to-River Conference rival DuQuoin in week eight, are making their 18th playoff appearance and second in a row. Nashville’s only previous trip to the state championship came under longtime coach Bruce Reeder in 1998 when it lost the Class 3A final to Maple Park Kaneland (21-7). The Hornets average more than 49 points per game while giving up only 19. Speedy running back Jullian Metcalf has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 28 scores while Luke Ehret has 500 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns. All-state quarterback Cole Malawy has thrown for 2,900 yards and 27 touchdowns. His favorite target is junior Isaac Turner, who has caught 52 passes for 908 yards and nine touchdowns. Middle linebacker Justin Aulds has 140 tackles to lead the Nashville defense.
Class 6A: (1) East St. Louis vs. (1) (Crystal Lake) Prairie Ridge
Kickoff; 1 p.m. Saturday, Huskie Stadium, DeKalb
Last time out: East St. Louis defeated Chatham-Glenwood 50-28; Prairie Ridge defeated Deerfield 49-16
Scouting the Flyers (13-0): East St. Louis is making its 12th championship game appearance. The Flyers are 8-3 in previous title games with a total playoff record of 95-30 in 39 postseason trips. Averaging better than 51 points per game, the Flyers have outscored their opponents 672-176 this season. Junior quarterback Tyler Macon leads the Flyers offense completing 205-of-295 passes for 3,937 yards and 36 touchdowns. Macon has also rushed for 723 yards and 16 touchdowns. Senior running back DaMonta Witherspoon has gained 1,649 yards on the ground and scored 36 touchdowns in all. Junior Dominic Lovett (68 catches, 1,423 yards, 14 TDs) is one of four Flyers receivers with 35 or more receptions. The defense is led by senior defensive lineman Kendrick Scarborough and senior linebacker Darius Walker with 137 tackles each.
Scouting the Wolves (12-1) Prairie Ridge has ruled Class 6A in the last seven years, winning three state championships since 2011 and finishing a perfect 14-0 in taking back-to-back titles in 2016-17. The Wolves had their 11 game playoff winning streak snapped by Chicago Phillips in the second round a year ago. Prairie Ridge also features a high-powered offense and has outscored its 13 foes 623-132. The Wolves rely heavily on a strong running attack led by senior Carter Evans (897 yards, 15 TDs) and junior Taidhgin Trost (598 yards, 10 TDs). Trost has also caught 16 passes, 13 for touchdowns and 528 yards. Trost’s 16 catches have been for an average of nearly 33 yards each. Quarterback Carter Lydon has completed just 44 passes but 17 have gone for scores. Lydon has thrown for for more than 900 yards while running for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior linebacker Josh Crandall (118 tackles) and sophmore defensive back Tyler Loucks (116 tackles) lead the Wolves defense.
