Playoff fever: Live updates of Week 9 high school football around Peoria
It's the final week of the Illinois high school football regular season and teams are jockeying for playoff positioning.
In Morton, the host Potters meet Washington for the Mid-Illini Conference championship. Across the river, Peoria High meets rival Notre Dame in a game on the baseball diamond at Dozer Park.
It's Week 9 here at Journal Star preps experience, your one-stop shop as we look around the Peoria-area football landscape.
Week 9 coverage:Predictions | Power rankings | Scores | Playoffs?What to know about the brackets
10:41 p.m. — Metamora wins a tight one
The host Redbirds (7-2, 5-2) scored with 87 seconds remaining and then stood tall on one final Dunlap (6-3, 4-3) drive to secure a 26-21 Mid-Illini Conference win at Malone Field.
Metamora trailed 21-20 with less than two minutes remaining and had the ball inside the 10 before a wild play decided the game. Redbirds running back Jaiduan Cranford took a handoff and went upfield a few yards before the ball squirted out. The ball was scooped up by Nick Rhoades, who raced for the front corner of the endzone for a touchdown at 1:27.
Dunlap then orchestrated a long drive that ended inside the Metamora 5. With the clock ticking down, Dunlap quarterback John Bargen hit his receiver — but Metamora's Avery Grebner made a tackle to keep him inbounds and end the game.
The victory gave Metamora third in the M-I. Full standings below.
10:30 p.m. — Peoria High holds on
Notre Dame made a late push, but Peoria High held on for a 48-44 victory at Dozer Park.
PND (5-3) is playoff eligible — and likely will make the Class 4A field — but officially just wait for the Saturday night announcement to be sure. Peoria High (7-2) improved its seed in the 5A field.
10:09 p.m. — Canton finishes on a high note
The Little Giants defeated Limestone 14-7 to win its first game of the season and avoid the program's first winless campaign since 2012.
10:03 p.m. — Washington wins the Mid-Illini
Washington beat Morton 42-21 to win the battle of state-ranked atop the Mid-Illini Conference — and the league title.
The Panthers (8-1, 7-0), No. 3 in Class 6A, jumped ahead early and held off the Potters (8-1, 6-1), who are No. 5 statewide in 5A.
Washington dominated in league play. This is the first time since Metamora in 2008 that an M-I champ defeated every conference opponent by at least 21 points.
The Washington Panthers are Mid-Illini Conference champions!
All the Week 9 scores: https://t.co/d4TimsLIg4pic.twitter.com/yqnE7NFN1P— Journal Star Sports (@pjstarsports) October 21, 2023
9:14 p.m. — Dee-Mack does its job
Deer Creek-Mackinaw is now playoff-eligible after a 22-20 road victory over Colfax Ridgeview/Lexington.
The Chiefs (5-4) won their final three games of the season to finish with five wins — and likely enough to get them into the Class 1A postseason when it is announced Saturday.
The other 4-4 team in the Peoria area is not as lucky. Fieldcrest trails Le Roy 49-28 late in that game. The Knights need to win to secure their possible playoff berth.
8:29 p.m. — Pekin ending the season on a positive note
After a tough schedule to start the Mid-Illini season, Pekin is making the most of the lesser backstretch of its slate.
The Dragons (3-5, 2-4) are on their way to ending the season on a three-game win streak and lead East Peoria 28-0 in the second quarter.
8:16 p.m. — All-time record for Kewanee quarterback
No one in Kewanee football history has scored more points than quarterback Brady Clark.
The 6-foot-3 QB surpassed a record that had been held more than 100 years when he moved back 1916 Kewanee grad Nels Buglsang, who scored 212.
CONGRATULATIONS to @brady_clark_ for breaking the Kewanee Football All-Time scoring record!
The former record was set by 1916 KHS graduate Nels Fuglsang with 212 points.
Brady has scored points receiving, rushing, PAT’s, 2 pt. conversions, field goals and interception returns. pic.twitter.com/dEAwTdNNM4— Matt Clark (@KHSBoilermakers) October 21, 2023
7:57 p.m. — Washington off to a quick start
Washington (7-1, 6-0) is in control early in their Mid-Illini Conference championship game against Morton (8-0, 6-0).
The Panthers have taken an early 14-0 lead, the first TD on a run by Kainon McQueary and the second an interception return for a touchdown by Elijah Papis.
The game has a great atmosphere at Carper Field in Morton, with each side of the stands packed with fans. Morton charged onto the field through a lineup of 10 motorcycles with riders gunning their engines while AC/DC Thunderstruck played overhead.
Washington at Morton tonight in battle of Mid-Illini Conference unbeatens, with title on the line. Both grandstands packed. pic.twitter.com/82sxy8W27I
— Dave Eminian (@icetimecleve) October 21, 2023
Who's in? Here is a look at the area playoff teams
Deer Creek-Mackinaw (4-4) and Fieldcrest (4-4) need to win tonight to make the playoffs.
The Chiefs face Colfax Ridgeview/Lexington (2-6) to complete a rebound from their 2-4 start to a spot in the Class 1A playoffs. Fieldcrest is our other 4-4 team, which has a tough Week 9 game at Le Roy (7-1).
Here are the 11 teams in the Tri-County area that are either in the playoffs or still have a shot at a berth in the 256-team field when it's set on Saturday. Have a look:
They're in: Morton (8-0), Washington (7-1), Farmington (7-1), Dunlap (6-2), Metamora (6-2) and Peoria High (6-2).
Unofficially in: Peoria Notre Dame (5-3), Eureka (5-3) and Princeville (5-3).
Need to win: Deer Creek-Mackinaw (4-4) and Fieldcrest (4-4)
IHSA football playoffs: Everything you need to know ahead of the bracket announcement
Game of the week: Washington at Morton
Class 6A No. 3 Washington (7-1, 6-0) travels to face 5A No. 7 Morton (8-0, 6-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday night in the Mid-Illini Conference championship game.
Kind of lost in the shadow of that looming showdown is a nice matchup between Dunlap and Metamora, both 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the M-I. Both already have qualified for their respective playoff fields, but the winner here will get a nice seed boost.
Take a look at the M-I standings, plus the Week 9 schedule below:
The Mid-Illini will come down to the final week. #pjspreps
All the scores: https://t.co/3rM11nsvoWpic.twitter.com/hBBcAdhWfn— Journal Star Sports (@pjstarsports) October 14, 2023
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Congrats to Washington, the best helmet in Peoria!
The Journal Star asked fans to pick the top high school football helmet in the Peoria area — and you answered.
Washington of the Mid-Illini Conference won the vote for top helmet, edging out Farmington in a back-and-forth battle over the five days of voting. All the details here.
Do you have a great video clip?
Have a cool play you'd like to see honored by the Illinois High School Association or included in this space?
To send a highlight to the IHSA, submit a video to FridayNight5@ihsa.org or via social media with the hashtag #FridayNight5. Each Tuesday, the IHSA releases the top five plays, culminating with the "Undeniably Dairy Play of the Week."
The school with the top play each week will receive a $250 gift certificate from Dick’s Sporting Goods for their football program.
Hey, and if you send a play the way of the IHSA — send it our way, too. We want to see your highlights or pictures here! Send your videos and photos to sports@pjstar.com or tag us on X.com at @pjstarsports.
All the Peoria high school football coverage
• We have every score from the 2023 season, plus links to every story. Click here for the full list.
• Dig into the Journal Star's preview coverage of the 2023 season. We have top players, returning coaches and much, much more. Find nearly 25 stories right here.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois high school football scores: IHSA Week 9 live updates around Peoria
