Week 3 predictions for high school football games in the Springfield area
Jacksonville survived a rollicking 35-34 Central State Eight Conference victory over Decatur MacArthur at Kraushaar-Rosenberger Field in Week 2.
The Crimsons now welcome perennial CS8 power Sacred Heart-Griffin on Friday at 7 p.m. Jacksonville last knocked off SHG in the 2010 playoffs and just once has beaten the Cyclones during the regular season since the league initiated in 1993.
Here are this week’s predictions after registering 21-3 in Week 2.
More: Sacred Heart-Griffin's rebound, Decatur MacArthur's phenom top Week 2 takeaways
CENTRAL STATE EIGHT
Decatur Eisenhower (0-2) at Chatham Glenwood (2-0): Glenwood rolled to a 77-0 rout over Lanphier while Eisenhower fell to Lincoln 46-6. Glenwood 56, Eisenhower 6
Rochester (2-0) at Decatur MacArthur (1-1): MacArthur dropped a heartbreaking loss at Jacksonville despite 304 rushing yards combined from freshman phenom Myson Johnson-Cook and senior QB Cameron France. Rochester’s defense pitched a second straight dominant performance in a 58-0 win over Springfield High, allowing just 15 yards. Rochester 49, MacArthur 14
More: How this Rochester senior went from waterboy and ballboy to ‘brilliant’ football leader
Sacred Heart-Griffin (1-1) at Jacksonville (2-0): Jacksonville senior QB Mani Moore punched in the game-tying TD on a 1-yard sneak against the Generals with 16 seconds left, with Brandon Sims kicking the go-ahead PAT. SHG rebounded with a 35-17 CS8 win over Normal U-High. SHG’s defense racked up three INTs in the win. SHG 35, Jacksonville 28
Lincoln (2-0) at Springfield High (0-2): Lincoln senior running back Ki’on Carson set school records for both TDs in a game (5) and career (37) against the Panthers. A win would put the Railsplitters firmly on the path to the elusive playoffs. It’s a must-win for the Senators, who draw Glenwood and SHG in the following two weeks. Springfield High 21, Lincoln 20
Southeast (0-2) at Normal U-High (1-1): Southeast dropped to Peoria Richwoods 24-12 while U-High has proved itself as a strong playoff hopeful. U-High 44, Southeast 8
Lanphier (0-2) at Champaign Central (0-2): Both teams are looking to stir up momentum. The host Maroons have dropped consecutive games against Normal West (47-7) and Normal Community (57-6) in Big 12 play. Central 35, Lanphier 12
More: Top performers from Week 2 of high school football in the Springfield area
SANGAMO
Athens (2-0) at Stanford Olympia (2-0): Athens cemented itself as one of the top teams in the league — and Class 2A — with a 63-21 win over Pleasant Plains. Olympia outlasted Pittsfield 35-14. Athens 35, Olympia 20
Auburn (1-1) at Pleasant Plains (0-2): Auburn is coming off a 49-6 loss to 2A top-ranked Maroa-Forsyth. Plains started with a buzzsaw, drawing Maroa in Week 1 and Athens in Week 2. Auburn 28, Plains 22
Petersburg PORTA (0-2) at Maroa-Forsyth (2-0): Maroa is billed as advertised. Kaiden Maurer completed 12 of 16 passing attempts for 191 yards and two TDs while Andre Harden ran for 111 yards and two scores against Auburn. Maroa 56, PORTA 0
More: ‘You don’t have that every year’: Why Pleasant Plains raves about its dynamic senior QB
Riverton (0-2) at New Berlin (2-0): Lucas Bixby ran for 102 yards and a TD and completed 14 of 25 passing attempts for 163 yards and two scores (both to Tanner Frye) in a 48-6 win over PORTA. Riverton bowed to 3A No. 4 Williamsville 42-13. New Berlin 35, Riverton 14
Pittsfield (0-2) at Williamsville (2-0): The Cates brothers, QB Josh and RB Braddock, have fueled the Bullets to a stellar start. Senior receiver Mason Lyttaker tied a school record for longest TD with a 99-yard kickoff return, held by his dad, Brian. Williamsville 49, Pittsfield 6
SOUTH CENTRAL
Carlinville (1-1) at Vandalia (1-1): Both teams will look to stay in contention for the South Central Conference title with each falling to Pana. Jack Rouse returned a kickoff 80 yards for a TD, but the Cavaliers couldn’t get a key defensive stop in a 30-20 loss to the Panthers. Rouse added two more scores rushing. Vandalia eked out a 21-7 win over Staunton. Carlinville 28, Vandalia 26
Greenville (2-0) at Gillespie (0-2): The Miners dropped a 28-22 loss to North Mac in overtime despite strong outings from QB Tristen Wargo and RB Logan Griffith. The latter ran for 109 yards and one TD. Austin Wall ran for 116 yards and two scores in addition to three catches for 48 yards in a significant 27-7 win over Hillsboro. Greenville 35, Gillespie 14
Hillsboro (1-1) at Staunton (0-2): Hillsboro won last year’s meeting 40-0. Hillsboro 28, Staunton 7
North Mac (1-1) at Litchfield (0-2): Payne McLean scored the game-winning TD on a direct snap against Gillespie. Litchfield suffered a narrow 27-21 loss to Piasa Southwestern. Carson Saathoff led the Purple Panthers with five catches for 82 yards and two scores. North Mac 21, Litchfield 20
Piasa Southwestern (2-0) at Pana (2-0): Pana already seems to have a knack for closing out tight games and scored all of its 30 points in the second half against Carlinville. Junior QB Wyatt Kile threw 9 of 15 for 115 yards and three scores. Piasa also started the season with a 22-7 win over Gillespie in Week 1. Pana 34, Piasa 18
More: Here are the new QBs to follow in the Springfield area for the 2023 football season
APOLLO
Taylorville (2-0) at Columbia (0-2): Taylorville has won its first two games over Olney Richland County and Robinson by a combined 57 points. Columbia has lost its first two games by a combined 22 points, including 14-0 to Waterloo in Week 2. Columbia 28, Taylorville 20
WESTERN ILLINOIS VALLEY (NORTH)
Jacksonville Routt (1-1) at Concord Triopia (1-1): Kellen Creviston manhandled White Hall North Greene in a 48-0 win. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 272 yards and three TDs. He also led the Rockets in rushing with 86 yards and a score. Triopa bowed to Carrollton 14-0. Routt 22, Triopia 7
Beardstown (1-1) at Camp Point Central (2-0): The Tigers dispatched Pleasant Hill 34-14, but meet 1A No. 3 Camp Point Central, which has wins over North Greene (40-8) and Hardin Calhoun (30-22). CPC 30, Beardstown 12
More: Prep spotlight: Rochester boys soccer stays perfect in CS8
LINCOLN TRAIL-PRAIRIELAND (SMALL)
Havana (0-2) at Astoria South Fulton (1-1): Havana fell to Princeville 36-14 while South Fulton nicked Abingdon-Avon 13-0. Havana 20, South Fulton 12
Kewanee Wethersfield (1-1) at Rushville-Industry (0-2): Rushville bowed to Monmouth United 34-22 while Wethersfield narrowly lost 21-20 to Toulon Stark County. Wethersfield 14, Rushville 7
LINCOLN PRAIRIE
Cerro Gordo-Bement (1-1) at Niantic Sangamon Valley/Buffalo Tri-City (1-1): The host Storm are coming off a 41-14 loss to defending league champion Toledo Cumberland. Cerro Gordo blanked Oakland Tri-County 16-0. Cerro Gordo 20, Sangamon Valley 18
Villa Grove (0-2) at Nokomis (1-1): NHS picked up its first win as part of the conference, 46-14 over Argenta-Oreana. Villa Grove lost to Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 43-35. Nokomis 22, Villa Grove 20
8-MAN
Kincaid South Fork (2-0) at Champaign St. Thomas More (2-0): The Ponies throttled Danville Schlarman 66-28. St. Thomas More nicked Flanagen 20-17. St. Thomas More 32, South Fork 28
Ashton-Franklin (1-1) at Pawnee (1-1): Pawnee rolled to a 50-12 win over Decatur Unity. Ashton-Franklin nipped Hebron 34-33. Pawnee 35, Ashton 21
Contact Bill Welt: 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Week 3 predictions for every football game in the Springfield area
