4A Favorites Coal City and Heyworth Head Into Quarterfinals
Three top-seeded teams face lower-ranked opponents in Saturday's IHSA football quarterfinals across Class 1A, 2A, and 4A.
By Simon Bennett ·
Four area teams play on Saturday for a place in the IHSA Class 1A, 2A, and 4A semifinals.
The quarterfinals feature three heavy favorites against lower-seeded opponents. No. 2 Coal City hosts No. 14 Rochelle in Class 4A at 1 p.m. No. 5 Wilmington hosts No. 8 Peotone in Class 2A at 6 p.m. No. 1 Heyworth hosts No. 4 Clifton Central in Class 1A at 2 p.m.
Coal City enters the game with a 10-1 record. The Coalers defeated Dixon in the previous round, securing their third shutout of the season. Running back Logan Natyshok scored three touchdowns in that win. Coal City has held opponents to one touchdown or fewer in seven of its eleven games. Rochelle holds an 8-4 record. The Hubs have scored at least 39 points in seven of their eight wins. They beat Chicago Clark in the first round of the playoffs, their only victory against a team with a winning record this season.
Wilmington plays Peotone in the Class 2A division. Wilmington holds a 10-1 record and is seeking to close out a strong season. The Wildcats defeated Tri-Valley 42-21 in the first round. They led 35-0 at halftime and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry. Peotone holds a 9-2 record and has reached the quarterfinals for the first time in school history. The Blue Devils won a tense game against Eastland Pearl-City in the first round. They lost to Wilmington 48-8 during the regular season in Week 4.
Heyworth hosts Clifton Central in Class 1A. Heyworth is 11-0 and holds the best record in the division. The Hornets are playing in the deepest postseason run in their 77-year history. They have averaged 47 points per game and allowed 5.4 points per game in their last nine contests. Clifton Central is 10-1 and has won ten straight games. The Comets have made the postseason 33 times in the past 33 years. Quarterback Cash Minard holds the single-season passing touchdown record with 35 passes. Lineman Jake Thompson, the Vermilion Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, has recorded 26 takeaways for the team this season.
The winner of the Coal City and Rochelle game will face the winner of Morris and Sterling in the semifinals. The winner of the Wilmington and Peotone game will play the winner of El Paso-Gridley and Aurora Christian. The winner of the Heyworth and Clifton Central game will face the winner of Stockton and Fulton. All three semifinalists are currently ranked in the top five of their respective classes.
Friday Night Drive analysts picked Coal City, Wilmington, and Heyworth to advance. Coal City is favored due to its defensive dominance. Wilmington is favored based on its offensive efficiency. Heyworth is favored because of its undefeated record and scoring margin. The matches conclude the quarterfinal round for these classes. The results will determine the final pairings for the championship run.
