Game Night Guide: Week 2 of prep football
Friday’s Schedule
Rock Island Alleman at Quincy Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Quincy High School at Alton, 7 p.m.
Jefferson City at Hannibal, 7 p.m.
Central at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
• Central Illinois Sports on YouTube
Calhoun at Unity-Payson, 7 p.m.
North Greene at Brown County, 7 p.m.
Pittsfield at Riverton, 7 p.m.
• Central Illinois Sports on YouTube
Bowling Green at Palmyra, 7 p.m.
Monroe City at Winfield, 7 p.m.
Missouri Military Academy at Highland, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
Mark Twain at Lexington, 1 p.m.
First and 10
Ten tidbits to know about this week’s slate of games:
• A 32-21 victory over Jefferson City last September at Adkins Stadium in the state capitol marked the first Hannibal had beaten the Jays since the 1954 season opener. Jeff City had won 27 straight meetings with Hannibal. The Pirates outscored the Jays 13-0 in the second half of last year’s game.
• In the first half of last week’s 54-20 victory over Helias, Hannibal ran 52 plays for 315 yards in the first half alone.
• Quincy High School last started a season 0-2 in 2017, which included a Week 2 loss at Alton. Following the 48-21 setback against the Redbirds, the Blue Devils ripped off four consecutive victories, finished 6-3 and made the playoffs.
• Quincy Notre Dame is starting off right where it left off. The Raiders scored touchdowns on special teams and defense in the season–opening 40-20 victory over Quincy High School. Last spring, the Raiders scored on defense or special teams in four of the six games. In 2019, the Raiders scored on defense in three of their four playoff games.
• Pleasant Hill had six players miss the season-opening 52-14 loss at Jacksonville Routt due to COVID-19 quarantine. Still, the Wolves marched 65 yards on the game’s opening possession and capped it with Aidan Johnson’s 1-yard TD plunge. Routt scored the next 52 points.
• Bowling Green’s coaching staff contains a couple of area ties. Bobcats head coach Joe Chinn is a Monroe City native, while defensive coordinator Mark St. Clair spent 22 years of his Hall of Fame career as the head coach at Hannibal.
• Five teams in the Western Illinois Valley Conference are either ranked in the Class 1A state poll or receiving votes. That includes Brown County at No. 3 and Central tied for No. 9.
• Unity-Payson’s two-headed monster of Cecil Hunt and Bryan Dieker combined for 327 yards rushing in the season-opening victory at North Greene. As impressive as that was, their yards-per-carry after that effort are insane. Hunt averaged 34 yards per touch, while Dieker outdid him at 41 yards per carry.
• Hayes Miller is expected to be part of the Palmyra football team’s lineup this week. The speedy back dubbed by a colleague as the “master of the jet sweep” was moving to Kansas before the season began, but plans have since changed. Coming off a loss to a talented Hallsville team, this might be the boost the Panthers need.
• Mark Twain is making a trek across the state on Saturday because it was forced to find an opponent on the fly. TDW Academy informed the Tigers early in the week it had to cancel the game because it did not have enough players. After a social media, email and phone call search, the Tigers landed a matchup with Lexington.
Game Night Grub
You’ve driven 45 minutes or an hour or longer to cheer on your favorite team. Now you’re hungry and want something more sustainable than a concession stand hot dog, a tray of nachos or a bag of salty popcorn. Where do you go?
Here are some suggestions:
If you’re making your way to Pleasant Hill, make sure to stop at the junction of Highways 96 and 54 and check out the Atlas Cafe. Known for having the best “catfish fritters and hush puppies on the planet,” you know the fish is going to be good with the restaurant’s proximity to the Mississippi River. If catfish isn’t your thing, go with the fried chicken. You’ll thank me later.
Any place that serves homemade root beer deserves consideration for a pregame meal. A menu filled with fried chicken, sandwiches, shakes and maid-rites becomes a destination. For those venturing from Jefferson City or scurrying from around the area to see one of the top teams in Class 4, the Mark Twain Dinette is the perfect pit stop in Hannibal.
When the menu features the “Stinger,” the “Hornet Nest” and the “Brown County Bruiser” — and they are all breakfast items served all day — you know you’re in the right place. If you’re looking for a hearty dinner before watching Brown County face North Greene, Renee’s Cafe in Mount Sterling offers ham steak, pork chops and plenty of other delectable items.
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