Here’s what to know about Athens’ 2A state championship football game against Wilmington
Here’s what to know about the Class 2A high school football state championship game between Wilmington and Athens.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Friday at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
Keys to the game
It all comes down to the trenches.
Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage will win the Class 2A title game. It’s about as simple as that.
Both Wilmington (12-1) and Athens (11-2) wield a rugged double-wing offense. Each are more than content with eating up the clock and retaining the ball as much as possible but can also ignite at any given moment.
High school football: Athens punches first ticket to state with drubbing over Shelbyville in 2A semis
“They’re going to line up and be physical,” Athens coach Ryan Knox said of the Wildcats. “They’re happy with four yards at a time, but their backs are also very capable of busting big ones, so we’ve got to be disciplined in our approach. We’re going to have to value the ball, value points and value first downs.”
Wilmington coach Jeff Reents very much echoed the same sentiment.
It’s thus no secret that prizing possessions, getting into manageable first-down situations and taking care of the ball is the formula for success.
What to know about Wilmington
The Wildcats dominated Sangamo Conference champion Maroa-Forsyth 42-7 with four takeaways in its semifinal showdown.
Junior running back Kyle Farrell totaled 26 carries for 150 yards while sophomore Ryan Kettmann had 18 rushes for 116 yards in the win.
More: Athens survives Nashville to reach Class 2A semifinals
Farrell, who was named 2A all-state by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association, leads Wilmington with 2,056 yards rushing and 29 TDs, averaging 8.9 yards per carry.
Wilmington senior left guard/linebacker Joey Allgood – not unlike Athens senior left guard/linebacker Brayden Leathers – helps pave the way up front.
The Wildcats will be vying for their second 2A state title in three years. They also nicked Williamsville 20-17 with a game-winning field goal in the 3A state finals in 2014.
They dropped to Seneca 27-21 in this year’s season-opener before winning their next 12 games, including 20-14 in overtime in a quarterfinal rematch against Seneca.
Drew Cushman's passing grade: Senior quarterback runs Athens' offense
“You make the changes early in the season and then the more experience those kids get as the year goes on, they get more comfortable with the scheme and what they’re doing,” Reents said. “I wasn’t happy with the loss against Seneca, but they were a very good team and I think they pointed out to us a lot of places where we looked to make improvements and we made some of those changes.”
What to know about Athens
It might be hard to believe with all of the gaudy numbers that Athens has posted this year that only a couple of school records have tumbled en route to the program’s first state finals appearance – both from senior running back/linebacker Cory Craig Jr.
Craig touts the most touchdowns in a season (28) and career (59) while yielding 1,684 yards rushing on 262 carries. Tabbed all-state honorable mention by the IHSFCA, he is also second on the team defensively with 79 tackles and three sacks.
Leathers garnered all-state accolades with a team-high 137 tackles.
Craig is the go-to back while senior teammate Camren Bigard is the big-play threat on the wing.
Bigard leads the Warriors with 1,864 yards rushing and 18 TDs on 171 carries. He wound up with 295 yards rushing on 23 attempts in the 39-6 rout over host Shelbyville in the semifinals.
'Our rock’: How this versatile junior throws it down for Athens volleyball
“He’s not very big in stature,” Knox said of Bigard, “but he runs hard and he’s very compact.”
Athens ended up with more than 530 yards rushing against the Rams. Senior QB Drew Cushman additionally punished Shelbyville with his feet, along with fellow seniors Jared Schnapp and Zac Laird.
That medley of options could present a challenge for Wilmington.
“To get Jared going was important for us,” Knox said.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA football 2A state final: What to know about Athens, Wilmington
