BELLEVILLE – Chicago Mt. Carmel Catholic, the top-seeded team in Class 8A and a traditional Chicago football power. built up a 34-7 halftime lead, but Belleville East hung in and outscored the Caravan in the second half 22-7. Mt. Carmel, however, took the IHSA football second round playoff game over the Lancers 48-29 late Saturday afternoon, Nov. 8, 2025, at Charlie Woodford Field in Belleville.
East was the only southern Illinois team in Class 8A, and had advanced to the second round with a 48-34 win at West Aurora last Saturday.
The Caravan struck first on a 47-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Emmett Bowling in the opening quarter to go up 7-0, but the Lancers tied things up early in the second quarter on a touchdown pass to draw level 7-7. The Caravan then scored 27 unanswered points in the quarter, on a 30-yard rushing score and a four-yard run by Issac Saldana, and on passes of 32 yards and three yards by Bowling to take a 34-7 lead at halftime.
The Caravan continued its progress in the third quarter, as Bowling threw four yards to Quentin Burrell early in the period to make the score 41-7, then Bowling threw 50 yards for another touchdown, his fifth of the game, to give the Caravan a 48-7 lead and trigger the running clock rule. Later in the third, Josh Ware ran in from three yards out, and in the fourth quarter, the Lancers took a fumble back 56 yards for a touchdown, and late in the game, a 50-yard touchdown pass and two-point convert made the final score 48-29.
Mt. Carmel is now 11-0, and hosts Frankfort Lincoln-Way East, who won over Palatine 55-13, next Saturday at 4 p.m., while the Lancers finish their season 8-3.
