HS football playoffs: Althoff & Red Bud, Highland & Mascoutah among the big games

The second round of the high school football playoff circuit in the metro-east will be in full swing Saturday afternoon and evening.

Below is a snapshot of the second round matchups featuring metro-east teams, along with several key players to watch. All games are Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon/night, the BND will also post game results from around the region. We will update the scores list as we get results throughout the afternoon and evening.

On Saturday evening, we will also post a game by game recap from around the region, along with individual stories from a couple of the local contests.

You can see all of this coverage at bnd.com, beginning Saturday afternoon.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s games.

Red Bud at Althoff, Class 2A

Records/seeds: Red Bud is 8-2 and seeded No. 6. Althoff is 6-4 and seeded No. 14.

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

First round playoff game: The Musketeers defeated Nashville 34-21. The Crusaders defeated Shelbyville 38-34.

Next game: The winner will face either No. 2 seed Johnston City (10-0) or No. 10 seed Arthur Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (8-2) in a quarterfinal game.

Red Bud players to watch: QB Thomas Friess (60-101, 1,126 yards, 13 TD); RB Nick Gantner (140 rushes, 788 yards, 11 TD; 16 receptions, 263 yards, 3 TD); RB Lucas Schwartzkopf (46 rushes, 308 yards, 6 TD; 19 receptions 268 yards, 2 TD).

Althoff players to watch: RB Malike Nave (153 rushes, 615 yards, 3 TD); WR Lucious Dones (46 receptions, 554 yards, 2 TD; 1 kickoff return for touchdown; 1 fumble return for touchdown); WR Charleston Coldon (37 receptions, 471 yards, 4 TD); QB Braylon Grayson (129-205, 1,741 yards, 14 TD; 5 rushing TD).

Fairbury Prairie Central at Roxana, Class 3A

Records/seeds: Roxana is 7-3 and seeded No. 9. Fairbury Prairie Central is 10-0 and seeded No. 1.

Kickoff: 2 p.m.

First round playoff game: The Shells defeated Hillsboro 13-7. Fairbury defeated Paxton Buckley-Loda 57-12.

Next game: The winner will face either No. 5 seed Mt. Carmel (9-1) or No. 4 seed Tolono Unity (9-1) in a quarterfinal game.

Roxana players to watch: RB Terrel Graves (95 rushes, 986 yards, 9 TD); RB Evan Wells (170 rushes, 794 yards, 9 TD).

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Waterloo, Class 4A

Records/seeds: Waterloo is 7-3 and seeded No. 10. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin is 10-0 and seeded No. 2.

Kickoff: 5 p.m.

First round playoff game: The Bulldogs defeated Olney Richland County 76-28. The Cyclones defeated Spring Valley Hall 55-6.

Next game: The winner will face either No. 6 seed Murphysboro Coop (8-2) or No. 3 seed Macomb (10-0) in a quarterfinal game.

Waterloo players to watch: RB Evan Davis (211 rushes, 1,579 yards, 16 TD; 14 catches, 253 yards, 2 TD); RB Koby Osterhage (87 rushes, 837 yards, 11 TD; 10 receptions, 192 yards, 1 TD).

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin players to watch: QB Tyaire Lott (133-175, 2,127 yards, 31 TD); RB Richard Jackson Jr. (27 carries, 259 yards, 12 TD); WR Madixx Morris (39 receptions, 692 yards, 9 TD).

Breese Central at Rochester, Class 4A

Records/seeds: Breese Central is 8-2 and seeded No. 5. Rochester is 9-1 and seeded No. 4.

Kickoff: 4:30 p.m.

First playoff game: The Cougars defeated Mount Zion 21-18. The Rockets defeated Effingham 45-14.

Next game: The winner will face either No. 8 seed Coal City (7-3) or Carterville (10-0) in a quarterfinal game.

Breese Central players to watch: QB Conner Freeze (115-223, 1,786 yards, 15 TD; 149 rushes, 672 yards, 6 TD); RB/WR Chase Lewis (17 catches, 228 yards, 3 TD; 10 rushing TD); WR Braden Revermann (55 catches, 1,013 yards, 8 TD).

Rochester players to watch: QB Keeton Reiss (119-173, 1,977 yards, 21 TD; 59 carries, 286 yards, 12 TD); WR Parker Gillespie (45 receptions, 820 yards, 7 TD).

Mascoutah at Highland, Class 5A

Records/seeds: Highland is 9-1 and seeded No. 2. Mascoutah is 7-3 and seeded No. 7.

Kickoff: 2 p.m.

First playoff game game: The Bulldogs defeated Dunlap 50-0. The Indians defeated Marion 21-20.

Next game: The winner will face either No. 6 Kankakee (8-2) or Peoria (9-1) in a quarterfinal game.

Highland players to watch: QB Brent Wuebbels (127-174, 1,776 yards, 32 TD; 67 rushes, 670 yards, 7 TD); RB Travis Porter (146 rushes, 1,159 yards, 16 TD; 21 receptions, 293 yards, 4 TD); WR Brode Lewis (43 catches, 606 yards, 6 TD); WR Cade Altadonna (29 catches, 468 yards, 7 TD).

Mascoutah players to watch: QB Zane Timon (113-193, 1,682 yards, 19 TD; 105 rushes, 602 yards, 11 TD); WR Quincy Hall (32 catches, 681 yards, 8 TD); WR Allen Middleton (44 catches, 719 yards, 9 TD).

Familiar foes: Highland and Mascoutah both compete in the Mississippi Valley Conference, with the Bulldogs prevailing 56-0 on Oct. 14.

East St. Louis at Normal Community West, Class 6A

Records/seeds: East St. Louis is 8-2 and seeded No. 6. Normal Community West is 9-1 and seeded No. 3.

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

First round playoff game: The Flyers defeated Oak Lawn Richards 71-0. The Wildcats defeated Danville 21-0.

Next game: The winner will face either No. 7 seed Crete Monee (8-2) or No. 2 seed Chicago Simeon (10-0) in the quarterfinals.

East St. Louis players to watch: QB Robert Battle (122-206, 1,571 yards, 20 TD; 82 rushes, 492 yards, 8 TD); RB Larevious Woods (94 rushes, 653 yards, 9 TD); RB TaRyan Martin (103 rushes, 666 yards, 12 TD); WR Christopher Bennett Jr. (33 catches, 405 yards, 3 TD); WR Jesse Watson (23 receptions, 316 yards, 7 TD); LB Dominic Dixon (92 tackles, 30 assists, 122 total tackles, 9 sacks).

Collinsville at Chicago Brother Rice, Class 7A

Records/seeds: Collinsville is 9-1 and seeded No. 8. Chicago Brother Rice is 6-4 and seeded No. 24.

Kickoff: 6 p.m.

First round playoff game: The Kahoks defeated Bradley-Bourbonnais 14-12. The Crusaders defeated Algonquin Jacobs 27-0.

Next game: The winner will face No. 1 seed Chicago Mt. Carmel (10-0) or No. 17 seed Downers Grove North (7-3) in the quarterfinals.

Collinsville players to watch: QB Ethan Bagwell (93-173, 1,177 yards, 9 TD; 123 rushes, 642 yards, 9 TD); RB Jerry Richardson (120 rushes, 876 yards, 10 TD; 23 catches, 346 yards, 3 TD); WR Darren Pennell (32 catches, 375 yards, 3 TD).

Wilmette Loyola Academy at Edwardsville, Class 8A

Records/seeds: Edwardsville is 7-3 and seeded No. 22. Wilmette Loyola Academy is 9-1 and seeded No. 6.

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

First round playoff game: The Tigers defeated Southwestern Conference rival O’Fallon 43-36. The Ramblers defeated Plainfield South 42-7.

Next game: The winners will face either No. 14 seed LaGrange Lyons (8-2) or No. 3 seed Plainfield North in the quarterfinals.

Edwardsville players to watch: QB Jake Curry (88-137, 1,374 yards, 16 TD); WR Daoin Gaston (33 catches, 461 yards, 6 TD); RB Da’Shawn Larson (46 rushes, 445 yards, 5 TD).

Loyola players to watch: QB Jake Stearny (128-188, 1,798 yards, 28 TD); WR Declan Forde (31 receptions, 646 yards, 9 TD); RB Will Nimesheim (97 rushes, 596 yards, 9 TD).