The final week of the 2024 high school football season takes place this weekend, with teams attempting to clinch IHSA playoff berths, other schools will attempt to solidify their berths, and other schools play their final game of the season in week nine of the season.
The final weekend of the regular season, with all games starting at 7 p, n,, unless otherwise noted, shows DeSmet Jesuit playing at Edwardsville, Granite City at Belleville East, Benton at Harrisburg, IMG Academy of Bradenton, Fla. coming to East St. Louis, Trenton Wesclin at Madison, Charleston at Salem, Dupo at Nashville, Breese Central goes to Herrin, Anna-Jonesboro is at Carterville, DuQuoin at Murphysboro, Centralia plays at Effingham, Cahokia is at Sycamore, Bridgeport Red Hill is at Carlyle, Mt. Zion is at Breese Mater Dei Catholic, Piasa Southwestern goes to Hillsboro, Metropolis Massac County is at Pinckneyville, Civic Memorial hosts Pontiac, Marquette Catholic is at Roxana, Collinsville is at Triad, St. Louis Priory Catholic is at Freeburg, East Alton-Wood River goes to Red Bud, Carbondale is at Mascoutah, Lasalle-Peru is at O’Fallon, Virden North Mac is at Greenville, Decatur St. Teresa Catholic plays at Highland, Vandalia is at Litchfield, Mt. Vernon visits Alton, West Frankfort is at Sparta, Carlinville is at Gillespie, Jersey is at Columbia, Belleville West hosts St. John Vianney Catholic, Concord Triopia is at Greenfield Northwestern, Hardin Calhoun is at Beardstown, Pleasant Hill is at Mt Sterling Brown County, White Hall North Greene is at Mendon Unity, Camp Point Central is at Winchester West Central, and in the eight-man game, Metro-East Lutheran hosts Danville Schlarman Catholic at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Waterloo is at Chester in a noon kickoff, Maple Park Kaneland is at Belleville Althoff Catholic at 1 p.m., and Carrollton plays at Jacksonville Routt Catholic, also at 1 p.m.
Edwardsville is coming off a tough 14-7 loss last week to East Side, while the Spartans, long a St. Louis-area power, lost to St. Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep Catholic 28-3. The Tigers will have quarterback Yale Weaver at the helm, and is currently 73-of-123 passing for 775 yards and four touchdowns, also running for 56 yards and another touchdown. Steven Moore, Jr. and Gavin Yates make a powerful one-two rushing combination for Edwardsville, the two combining for 1,008 yards and 10 touchdowns, while four receivers, led by Devyon Hill-Lomax’s 18 catches for 341 yards and four scores, leads the way, while Jack Weaver had 20 receptions for 205 yards.
Collinsville lost at Cahokia last week 26-9, and will need to win to have any chance at the playoffs, while Triad won at Civic Memorial 48-6 to solidify their playoff spot, and possibly clinched a first round home game. The Kahoks are led by quarterback Chase Reynolds, who’s 75-of-141 passing for 674 yards and four touchdowns, also running for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns. Amari Rodgers-Parrott is the team’s leading receiver, with 30 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown.
Issac Ackerman is the Knights’ quarterback, and he’s 17-of-118 passing for 1,077 yards and 11 touchdowns, also rushing for 554 yards and eight touchdowns. Jack Phelps has added 387 yards on the gorund and five touchdowns, while Ian Dempsey had caught 30 passes for 567 yards and 10 scores, and Louis Yohannes has 20 receptions for 342 yards and a touchdown.
Granite City lost at home to Belleville Althoff Catholic 55-6 last week, and will have a tall task ahead of them against the Lancers. Quarterback Zaiden Kelley is 31-of-84 passing for 473 yards and five touchdowns, also rushing for 158 yards. Ryan Brokaw leads the team in rushing with 178 yards and two touchdowns, and Isaiah Ford is the leading receiver with 19 catches for 311 yards and two touchdowns.
