Which teams are primed for playoffs? What we learned about Peoria-area football in Week 7
Here are some takeaways from Week 7, including Washington take things week-by-week, Peoria High looking good, who's in and who needs to do some work to make the playoffs as well as a look ahead to Week 7.
One game at a time for dominant Washington
Washington wanted to come into Dunlap and score points on offense.
That, however, didn't really transpire in Friday's matchup of Class 6A state-ranked teams. No. 3 Washington (6-1, 5-0) scored two defensive touchdowns in a 28-7 victory against seventh-ranked Dunlap.
"Every week, we go into the same mindset," Washington junior Noah Bell-Lorentzonah said. "1-0 every single week. We all know we got to prepare."
Washington faces winless Canton next week before a Week 9 meeting with Morton, which could decide the Mid-Illini Conference title. Morton (7-0, 5-0) faces Dunlap (6-1, 4-1) in Week 8.
Week 7 coverage: Scores | recap | Top performers
Don't look now but Peoria High is emerging
Peoria High seems to be all the way back.
A week after scoring 76 points, the Lions were at it again, dispatching Bloomington 52-12 to maintain just one loss in Big 12 Conference play. The difference in this one? The offense was nearly lights out.
Peoria High's 556 yards (417 passing, 139 rushing) came with 30 first downs while converting 5 of 6 fourth-down conversions. Quarterback Tino Gist (417, five touchdowns), running back Maliek Ross (114 yards, two TDs) and wideout Jaivyn Moore (135 yards, TD) accumulated a big portion of the Lions offense.
Speaking of offense, how's this for Bloomington's offense? 185 total yards (171 passing, 14 rushing). Those were a product of the area's most underrated defense in Peoria High, which had six sacks and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Playoffs: Who's in and who still has a chance?
Eleven of the teams in the Tri-County area are either in the playoffs or still have a shot at a berth in the 256-team field when it's set in a couple of weeks. Have a look:
They're in: Morton (7-0), Washington (6-1), Dunlap (6-1) and Farmington (6-1)
Unofficially in: Metamora (5-2), Peoria Notre Dame (5-2), Peoria High (5-2)
Need to win one: Eureka (4-3) and Princeville (4-3)
Need to win out: Deer Creek-Mackinaw (3-4) and Fieldcrest (3-4)
Bring on Week 8
Just two weeks remain in the regular season, bringing us closer to the playoffs. But first, let's see what Week 8 is offering.
All but one of Peoria's teams (Normal West at Peoria) head on the road for a Big 12 Conference showdown. Peoria Notre Dame gets a Class 7A state-ranked Normal Community on the road, while Richwoods visits Danville and Manual is at Urbana in a matchup of winless teams.
Dunlap welcomes undefeated Morton to town to highlight the penultimate week before the postseason rolls in. The Eagles (6-1, 4-1), ranked No. 7 in Class 6A, face off against the Class 5A ninth-ranked Potters (7-0, 5-0) in a kay game in the hunt for the Mid-Illini Conference title.
In the small-school ranks, Deer Creek-Mackinaw (3-4) is in a must-win situation and will visit a tough El Paso-Gridley team for a playoff berth. Farmington (6-1) needs to bounce against Lewistown/Valley/Cuba, while things won't be easy for Eureka (4-3), which travels to Colfax Ridgeview/Lexington.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall. Wes Huett contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football Week 7 takeaways: Results from biggest games near Peoria
