Game Night Guide: History, playoff positioning at stake Friday night for area football teams
What’s at stake Friday night? For some high school football teams, it’s the chance to play another day. For others, history beckons. And there are those who want to finish with a flurry.
Quincy High School wraps up the Western Big 6 Conference slate by playing host to Rock Island. With a victory, the Blue Devils would give themselves a chance to play a first-round playoff game at home, depending on how the postseason brackets fall. They also would be eliminating the Rocks from postseason contention.
Central is chasing a perfect regular season for the fourth time in program history. The Panthers are already assured of their 14th straight playoff appearance, but a 9-0 record likely gets them the No. 1 seed in their playoff bracket.
Macomb also is looking to put a stamp on a 9-0 regular season and become the first Bombers team since 1989 to go undefeated prior to the playoffs. Only one other Macomb team finished the regular season undefeated as the Bombers went 8-0 in 1954, 20 years prior to the IHSA introducing the playoffs.
Monroe City is looking for another undefeated regular season as well. The Panthers, ranked No. 1 in Class 1, will be the top seed in their district and are revving up for another state championship pursuit.
Hannibal is looking to win its sixth straight game and head into Class 4 District 5 with momentum. The Pirates should be the No. 1 seed in the six-team district.
Illini West, which plays host to Macomb, needs a victory to qualify for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Unity-Payson wants a sixth victory to improve its playoff seeding.
Here is a look at this week’s slate of high school football games and where those games will be broadcast on the radio or via livestream:
Friday’s games
Rock Island (4-4) at Quincy High School (6-2), 7:30 p.m.
Columbia Battle (2-6) at Hannibal (6-2), 7 p.m.
Calhoun (5-3) at Central (8-0), 7 p.m.
• Central Illinois Sports on YouTube
Unity-Payson (5-3) at Winchester West Central (4-4), 7 p.m.
• Unity Mustangs Sports Network on YouTube
Macomb (8-0) at Illini West (4-4), 7 p.m.
Riverton (1-7) at Pittsfield (1-7), 7 p.m.
• Central Illinois Sports on YouTube
Clark County (4-4) at Monroe City (8-0), 7 p.m.
South Shelby (5-3) at Palmyra (1-7), 7 p.m.
Van-Far (1-7) at Mark Twain (3-5), 7 p.m.
Highland (1-7) at Brookfield (3-5), 7 p.m.
West Hancock (1-7) at Rushville-Industry (5-3), 7 p.n.
Pleasant Hill (1-7) at Beardstown (4-4), 7 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Quincy Notre Dame (4-4) at John Burroughs (4-4), 1 p.m.
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