Top performers from Week 4 of high school football in the Springfield area

Here are the Springfield area's top high school football performers for Week 4.

Jack Dettro/Jacob Ahlberg, Chatham Glenwood

The senior cornerback had two dazzling interceptions and the senior running back scored three touchdowns in Glenwood's 33-0 Central State Eight Conference victory over Springfield High at Memorial Stadium. Dettro's two picks were highlight reels — the first was tugged away from a Senators receiver — and the second was an over the shoulder snag in midair. Ahlberg finished with 82 yards on 20 carries and his rushing TDs went for 14 and 1 yard, while catching one from 11 yards.

More: High school football Week 4: Scores, schedule from around the Springfield area

Johnny Ramage/Christian Pollard, Sacred Heart-Griffin

Ramage, a senior receiver, caught two touchdowns and Pollard, a senior back, scored three times as SHG blanked Southeast 42-0 in the Central State Eight Conference at Ken Leonard Field. Ramage's 53-yard TD reception capped off a 99-yard drive that gave SHG a 28-0 halftime lead. He finished with four catches for 122 yards. Pollard had TD runs of 2, 55 and 4 yards as he ended the night with 116 ground yards on 13 touches.

Ki'on Carson, Lincoln

The senior running back got back on track in Lincoln's 48-12 nonconference victory over Peoria Manual. After getting just 84 yards in a 29-12 loss at Springfield High on Sept. 8, Carson rushed for three scores and finished with 120 yards on 16 attempts against Manual. His first TD was a 19-yard run that gave Lincoln a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Lincoln concluded with 366 rushing yards to improve to 3-1.

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Baron Odam, Taylorville

The two-way player generated the first turnover on defense in a 28-6 Apollo Conference loss to Mount Zion. The quarterback/defensive back stripped the ball from Mount Zion’s Brayden Trimble early in the second quarter. That set up his 9-yard touchdown pass to Cash Foraker on fourth down. He ended up going 6-for-11 for 55 yards and one score with one INT offensively, in addition to 25 rushing yards.

Camren Bigard/Cory Craig Jr., Athens

The pair of senior running backs each ran for more than 150 yards in Athens' 51-34 Sangamo Conference win over Auburn on Friday at the Athens Sports Complex.

Bigard had a game-high 205 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries while Craig tallied 160 yards and two touchdowns on 23 rushes. The effort gave Bigard the team lead in yards on the ground with 574 in four games and 50 carries. Craig is second with 549 on 78 carries. Bigard is averaging 11.5 yards per run.

Athens finished with 453 yards rushing, including 58 yards and two TDs from senior Jared Schnapp.

"It’s pretty easy when you’ve got three good running backs — especially Cory," Athens quarterback Drew Cushman said. "Cory is a good fullback. They hit the hole hard every time and you have to expect a couple of yards out of every single one of them."

More: Athens football will rely on run again in playoff pursuit

Danny Skelton, Pleasant Plains

The senior quarterback had 215 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns to lead Pleasant Plains past host Petersburg PORTA 35-18 in a Sangamon Conference game. Skelton had TD runs of 29 and 2 yards and scampered for 103 yards on 13 carries. He completed 8 of 18 passes for 112 yards, including a 29-yard TD pass to Carter Durako for the first score of the game.

Lucas Bixby, New Berlin

Bixby, a senior quarterback, ran for two scores and threw for three others as New Berlin rolled to a 40-0 shutout victory over Pittsfield in a Sangamo Conference meeting. Clark Nelson caught two TD passes from Bixby that covered 68 and 9 yards and Tanner Frye added a 25-yard TD reception. Bixby completed 9 of 18 passes for 132 yards and ran 11 times for 53 yards, including touchdown runs of 3 and 5 yards.

Mason Gilpin, Carlinville

The junior receiver/defensive back racked up 132 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns that included a defensive score as Carlinville defeated Staunton 46-14 in a South Central Conference game. Gilpin ran for 75 yards on 21 attempts and three touchdowns and caught eight balls for 57 yards with a TD reception. He had a pair of 12-yard TD runs and a 1-yard score. His touchdown catch was from 6 yards and he returned an interception 13 yards for a score.

Auburn's passing game

Talin Kern, the Trojans' senior second-year quarterback, threw for 339 yards and completed 17 of 27 passes in Auburn's 51-34 Sangamo Conference loss to Athens at the Athens Sports Complex on Friday.

He found four different receivers, including Sawyer Smith for six catches, 133 yards and a touchdown and Grant Dobson for six receptions and 83 yards.

Auburn coach Ryan Gardner said despite the loss, he thinks the Trojans are rounding into a more formidable team.

We have a very good receiving corps, good running backs, a lot of guys can do multiple things," Gardner said. "It’s really not a lack of talent that we’re dealing with; it’s the ins and outs, it’s the operations of the game, it’s the making sure that everybody’s getting used to the tempo and the bigs up front are clicking.

"It’s taken a few weeks but I think we’re getting the ball rolling."

Isaiah Harbert/Wyatt Kile, Pana

Harbert and Kile combined for eight touchdowns and 268 rushing yards in Pana's 55-20 South Central Conference win over North Mac in Virden. Harbert, a junior running back, ran for four scores and had 20 rushes for 153 yards. Kile, a senior quarterback, completed 10 of 17 passes for 197 yards and threw three touchdowns. He also had a rushing TD and ran for 114 yards on 13 carries.

Bryan Zulauf, Rochester

The junior QB threw a 56-yard TD pass to  senior receiver Henry Buecker on just the second play of the game and finished 12 of 14 for 328 yards and five TDs with one pick in a 56-0 Central State Eight Conference rout against Jacksonville at Rocket Booster Stadium. Buecker had five catches for 155 yards and three scores.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA football: Top performers in Springfield area for Week 4 of 2023