By Mike Carpinelli
Here’s a look at the Week 12 results for the teams in the SBLive Illinois Power 25.
1. East St. Louis (10-2) defeated No. 13 Crete-Monee 45-0
After jumping out to a 21-0 halftime lead, East St. Louis scored 21 third-quarter points to force a running clock. The Flyers put up 413 yards of offense and forced three Crete-Monee turnovers (including a Sael Reyes 52-yard interception returned for a touchdown) on Saturday en route to a convincing 45-0 6A quarterfinal victory.
2. Mount Carmel (12-0) defeated Brother Rice 48-12
The matchup of conference rivals Mount Carmel and Brother Rice was highly anticipated as it was a rematch of a 28-21 Mount Carmel victory during the regular season. This time around, it was all Mount Carmel. The Caravan erupted for 33 points in the second quarter to take a 40-0 lead and force a second half running clock. Brother Rice got on the board twice and the game concluded with a 48-12 decision in favor of Mount Carmel.
3. Loyola Academy (11-1) defeated No. 20 Lyons Township 30-17
Loyola got off to a quick start with 14 first quarter points and took a 21-3 lead into the second half. Lyons Township put up a good fight and outscored the Ramblers in the second half but could not complete a comeback. Loyola won 30-17 and moves on to faceoff against number 7 ranked York next weekend in the 8A semifinals.
4. Lincoln-Way East (12-0) defeated No. 9 Warren Township 35-14
Lincoln-Way East remained unbeaten after a 35-14 convincing win against Warren on Saturday. The Griffins had a successful passing attack against a very good defense and scored 3 touchdowns through the air and built a 35-14 lead. Warren got on the board late in the game with 2 scores. Lincoln-Way East moves on to a heavyweight matchup with number 8 Glenbard West in the 8A semifinals next week.
5. Lemont (12-0) defeated Kenwood Academy 14-0
This 6A quarterfinal game was a defensive battle from the start. Lemont was able to get across the goal line once in the first half to take a 7-0 lead to the third quarter. They scored one more time and were able to hold a solid Kenwood team scoreless the whole way. Lemont remains undefeated after their 14-0 win over the Broncos and they will take on top ranked East St. Louis in what is sure to be a great 6A semifinal matchup.
6. Sacred Heart-Griffin (12-0) defeated Murphysboro 51-13
Sacred Heart-Griffin returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to start the scoring in this contest and ran away with the game. There was no slowing down the Cyclones offense as they took a 51-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Murphysboro got in the endzone twice late in the game to make it a 51-13 final. Sacred Heart-Griffin will take on Rochester in the 4A semifinals, a rematch of their season opener in which the Cyclones won 61-27.
7. York (12-0) defeated No. 15 Palatine 24-10
After falling behind 10-7 going into the half, the York defense held Palatine scoreless in the second half en route to a 24-10 victory. Senior quarterback Matt Vezza led the way for York with a pair of rushing scores for the Dukes. York kept their undefeated season alive for another week and are moving on to just the third semi final appearance in school history.
8. Glenbard West (11-1) defeated No. 12 Maine South 37-34
After tying the game at 14 in the second quarter, the Hilltoppers took a couple of big chances by electing for an onside kick that led to a touchdown, followed by another onside kick that led to a field goal. After trading scores within 2 minutes, it was a 31-21 game at halftime. The Hilltoppers managed to kick a pair of field goals in the second half and slowed down Maine South’s passing attack just enough to escape with a 37-34 victory. Glenbard West will face number 4 ranked Lincoln-Way East next weekend.
9. Warren Township (10-2) lost to No. 4 Lincoln-Way East 35-14
Warren Township put up a fight against the 8A top-seeded Griffins but could not figure out one of the state’s top defenses. After falling behind 35-0 in the second half, Warren finished the game with 2 scores to get on the board and made it a 35-14 final. The Blue Devils finished with a 10-2 record.
10. Prairie Ridge (11-1) defeated Harlem (Machesney Park) 69-28
Prairie Ridge continued their streak of high scoring offensive efforts during their 6A quarterfinal game against Harlem with a 69-28 victory. Quarterback Tyler Vasey became the states all-time single season rushing leader and set a single game record with 481 yards on the ground. Prairie Ridge will face off against St. Ignatius next weekend for a spot in the 6A title game.
11. St. Rita (10-2) defeated No. 16 St. Charles North 28-7
St. Rita gave St. Charles North fits during their 7A quarterfinal matchup as they forced three North Star turnovers and blocked two punts (both returned for touchdowns). The Mustangs did not look back after taking a 10-7 first half lead and finished the game with a 28-7 victory as they moved on to the 7A state semifinals against No. 2 ranked Mount Carmel.
12. Maine South (9-3) lost to No. 8 Glenbard West 37-34
Maine South put together a great offensive effort against a very good team but Glenbard West controlled the ball for a large portion of the game. The Hawks scored a late touchdown to cut the Hilltopper lead down to 3 but their onside kick was not successful as the final score was 37-34 in favor of Glenbard West. Maine South finished their season 9-3.
13. Crete-Monee (9-3) defeated by No. 1 East St. Louis 45-0
Crete-Monee could not keep up with top-ranked East St. Louis on Saturday as they were defeated by a final score of 45-0. The quarterfinalist Warriors finished their season with a 9-3 record and East St. Louis will move on to the 6A semifinals next weekend.
14. Mahomet-Seymour (11-1) lost to Morris 35-14
After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Mahomet-Seymour scored 14 second quarter points and faced a 21-14 deficit going into the second half. The Morris defense made good adjustments and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half to complete a 35-14 victory. Mahomet-Seymour’s bid for an undefeated season came to an end as they finished with an 11-1 record.
15. Palatine (10-2) lost to No. 7 York 24-10
Palatine had the upper hand going into the half with a 10-7 lead but were held scoreless the rest of the way by a tough York defense. Their 10 points marked a new low for this season. Palatine finished the season with a 10-2 record.
16. St. Charles North (10-2) lost to No. 11 St. Rita 28-7
The North Stars were able to move the ball, but turnovers were an issue throughout the game as St. Rita held them in check by a score of 28-7. The DuKane Conference champs finished their season with a 10-2 record.
17. Lake Zurich (11-1) defeated No. 22 Pekin 29-27
After falling behind 21-7 late in the third quarter, Lake Zurich returned the ensuing kickoff to cut the Pekin lead back down to 7 to start the fourth quarter. The Bears scored 15 unanswered points in the final quarter and held on for a 29-27 victory. Lake Zurich improved to 11-1 and will take on number 23 ranked Batavia in the 7A semifinals next week.
18. Sycamore (12-0) defeated Sterling 28-0
Sycamore controlled their quarterfinal game against Sterling from start to finish on Saturday. The Spartans scored a touchdown in each quarter and were able to hold off the Sterling offense in a 28-0 shutout victory. Sycamore remained unbeaten and will take on Nazareth Academy in next weekend’s 5A semifinal game.
19. Yorkville (10-2) lost to No. 22 Batavia 17-6
Yorkville could not find any openings in the Batavia defense on Saturday as they were defeated 17-6. The Foxes finished the season with a 10-2 record – the school’s first 10-win season since 1999.
20. Lyons Township (9-3) lost to No. 3 Loyola Academy 30-17
Lyons did all they could against one of the top teams in the state and outscored Loyola in the second half, but could not overcome a 21-3 first half deficit. Loyola won by a final score of 30-17 to move on. Lyons finished their season with a 9-3 record.
21. Wheaton North (9-2) was eliminated
22. Pekin (11-1) lost to No. 17 Lake Zurich (11-1) 29-27
Pekin looked to have a sizable lead when they went up 21-7 in the fourth quarter but could not stop a Lake Zurich rally the rest of the way as they lost a close one by a score of 29-27. The Dragon’s undefeated run came to an end as they finished the season with an 11-1 record.
23. Batavia (9-3) defeated No. 19 Yorkville 17-6
Batavia’s defense and special teams units carried them on Saturday as they blocked a punt and a field goal and intercepted 2 Yorkville passes. The Bulldog’s offense was able to turn Yorkville mistakes into points as they finished with a 17-6 victory and moved on to play at number 17 ranked Lake Zurich next weekend.
24. Simeon (10-1) was eliminated
25. Hersey (10-1) was eliminated
Check out the Illinois high school football playoff brackets here: Class 8A | Class 7A | Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A | Class 3A | Class 2A | Class 1A
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