Week 9 football preview: Althoff, East St. Louis look to wrap up perfect regular seasons

Althoff and East St. Louis will both try to put a bow on their respective 2024 regular seasons in Week 9, while Belleville East looks to solidify its playoff positioning.

Belleville West, meanwhile, hopes to finish the regular season on a high note while Collinsville and Triad square off in an intriguing match-up that saw a wild finish in 2023.

Here is a snapshot of those games as well as O’Fallon’s regular season finale:

KANELAND KNIGHTS at ALTHOFF CRUSADERS

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Althoff High School.

Althoff coach: Austin Frazier.

2024 record: 8-0.

Week 8 result: The Crusaders defeated Granite City 55-6.

Kaneland coach: Michael Thorgesen.

2024 record: 5-3 overall. The Knights finished 2-3 in Interstate 8 Conference play.

Week 8 result: Kaneland defeated LaSalle-Peru 38-0.

2023 result: Althoff and Kaneland did not play each other last season.

Stat stuffer: University of Oregon commit Dierre Hill Jr. rushed for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 6 carries. Sophomore QB Jayden Ellington, meanwhile, completed 14 of 15 passes for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns and also had a rushing touchdown. Senior WR Charleston Coldon caught 5 passes for 95 yards and 1 touchdown.

Additional notes: Outside of a 53-52 win agains Tolono Unity, Althoff’s closest margin of victory this fall has been 27 points.

Look ahead: The Crusaders will open postseason action next weekend.

GRANITE CITY WARRIORS at BELLEVILLE EAST LANCERS

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Belleville East High School.

Belleville East coach: Michael Harrison.

2024 record: 5-3 overall. The Lancers finished 3-2 in Southwestern Conference play.

Week 8 result: Belleville East defeated Belleville West 38-14.

Granite City coach: Steve Roustio.

2024 record: 0-8.

Week 8 result: Granite City lost to Althoff 55-6.

2023 matchup: Belleville East defeated Granite City 68-7.

Stat stuffer: Against the Maroons, the Lancers raced to a 31-7 halftime lead and never looked back. Senior WR Xavien Moody rushed for 1 score and caught 2 touchdown passes from junior QB Kaden Wood.

Moody caught 2 touchdown passes and rushed for another score

Additional note: The Lancers became playoff-eligible with the win against Belleville West. A victory against the Warriors would further solidify their postseason standing.

Look ahead: Belleville East will open the postseason next weekend.

VIANNEY (MO.) GOLDEN GRIFFINS at BELLEVILLE WEST MAROONS

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Belleville West High School.

Belleville West coach: Ken Turner.

2024 record: 3-5 overall. The Maroons finished 1-4 in Southwestern Conference play.

Week 8 result: Belleville West lost to Belleville East 38-14.

Vianney coach: Chris Starkey

2024 record: 2-6 overall. The Golden Griffins finished 0-5 in Metro Catholic Conference play.

Week 8 result: Vianney lost to Borgia 28-23.

2023 matchup: Belleville West and Vianney did not play each other in 2023.

Stat stuffer: Sophomore QB Caiden Capell completed 12-of-18 passes for 105 yards and 1 touchdown, while rushing for 61 yards on 9 carries in the lost to Belleville East. Junior WR Nicholas Hankins hauled in 8 passes for 70 yards with 1 touchdown.

Additional note: Belleville West needed wins against rival Belleville East and Vianney to have a chance at securing a playoff spot.

Look ahead: Both teams will conclude their respective seasons Friday night.

IMG ACADEMY (FLA.) ASCENDERS at EAST ST. LOUIS FLYERS

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at East St. Louis High School.

East St. Louis coach: Darren Sunkett.

2024 record: 9-0 overall. The Flyers finished 5-0 in Southwestern Conference action.

Week 8 result: East St. Louis defeated Edwardsville 14-7. Edwardsville actually took a 7-0 lead, but the Flyers scored touchdowns in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to prevail behind a strong defensive effort.

IMG Academy coach: Billy Miller.

2024 record: 6-1.

Week 8 result: IMG Academy has not played since Oct. 4 when it defeated Venice 21-16.

2023 matchup: East St. Louis and IMG Academy did not play each other last season.

Stat stuffer: Senior RB Larevious Woods’s 19-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter put the Flyers ahead to stay against Edwardsville. Senior QB Kendrick Lyons also had a 14-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 7-7. Sophomore K/QB Reece Shanklin booted both extra points.

Additional notes: The Flyers wrapped up the SWC championship with the Edwardsville win.

Look ahead: East St. Louis will open the postseason next weekend.

LASALLE-PERU CAVALIERS at O’FALLON PANTHERS

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at O’Fallon High School.

O’Fallon coach: Joe Speaks.

2024 record: 1-7 overall. The Panthers finished 1-4 in Southwestern Conference play.

Week 8 result: O’Fallon lost to Alton 30-17.

LaSalle-Peru coach: Jose Medina

2024 record: 3-5 overall. The Cavaliers finished 1-3 in Interstate 8 action.

Week 8 result: Lasalle-Peru lost to Kaneland 38-0.

2023 matchup: O’Fallon and LaSalle-Peru did not play each other in 2023.

Stat stuffer: In an 18-15 win against Belleville West on Oct. 11, senior QB Maddox English completed 10-of-15 passes for 127 yards and 1 touchdown. OTHS overcame a 9-0 1st quarter deficit to prevail.

Additional note: The Panthers missed a chance for a 2nd-straight SWC win against Alton.

Look ahead: O’Fallon’s season will conclude with the game against La Salle-Peru.

COLLINSVILLE KAHOKS at TRIAD KNIGHTS

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Triad High School.

Triad coach: Calvin Potthast.

2024 record: 7-1 overall. The Knights finished at 4-1 in Mississippi Valley Conference play.

Week 8 result: Triad defeated Civic Memorial 49-6.

Collinsville coach: Colton Rhodes.

2024 record: 4-5.

Week 8 result: The Kahoks lost to Cahokia 26-9.

2023 matchup: Triad defeated Collinsville 36-35.

Stat stuffer: Sophomore QB Brody Hasquin completed 6-of-6 passes for 159 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win against Civic Memorial; Collinsville senior QB Chase Reynolds threw for 101 yards in the loss to Cahokia.

Additional notes: Triad finished in a 3-way tie for the MVC championship with Waterloo and Highland. Head-to-head, Triad defeated Waterloo; Waterloo defeated Highland; and Highland defeated Triad; iIn the 2023 match-up Triad trailed Collinsville 35-27 in the 4th quarter. The Knights cut the deficit to 35-34 and ultimately prevailed on then-senior Cody Warren’s 39-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining

Look ahead: Triad will begin postseason action next weekend. Collinsville, meanwhile, must defeat the Knights to become playoff-eligible.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Several metro-east football players are putting up big seasons. Here is a look at how some of the top stars have performed through 8 weeks:

• Dierre Hill, Jr., Althoff, RB, senior. Hill Jr. is atop the leader board in the metropolitan St. Louis area in several categories, including touchdowns (28) and total points (172). He’s also second in the area in total yards (1,574) rushing yards (1,405). Of note, the University of Oregon commit is averaging a whopping 17.3 yards per carry, also first in the area by a wide margin.

• Zion Taylor, Cahokia, QB, senior. Taylor is 6th among area leaders in passing yards with 1,926. He’s thrown 18 touchdowns as well.

• Jayden Ellington, Althoff, QB, sophomore. Ellington is tied for 1st among area leaders with 23 touchdown passes with 23 (against only 2 interceptions). He also is 2nd among area leaders in passing ratio at 165.425.

• Preston Baker, Breese Central, QB, senior. Baker among area leaders with 21 touchdown passes is 5th in the area with a passing ratio of 148.224.

• Omar Mims Jr., Cahokia, WR, junior. Mims Jr. is 3rd in the area in return yards with 436 on 13 returns (29.07 yard average). He also boasts an area-leading average of 27.7 yards per catch.

• Cooper Weik, Columbia, WR/DB, junior. Weik is tied for 3rd in the area with 3 fumble recoveries.

• Isaac Phipps, Cahokia, DE/LB, senior. Phipps is among area leaders sacks with 8. He also is tied for 3rd in the area with 3 fumble recoveries.

• Noah Ramirez, Edwardsville, RB/LB, senior. Ramirez is tied for 3rd in the area with 3 fumble recoveries.

• Dane Olmstead, Freeburg, K, sophomore. Olmstead is second in the area in kickoff average with 1,154 yards on 19 attempts (61.74 average)

• Devin Habermehl, Collinsville, OLB, senior. Habermehl is 4th among area leaders in assiss with 52.

• Owen Schomaker, Breese Central, MLB, senior. Schomaker is 5th among area leaders in assists with 49.

• Mason Voegele, Columbia, QB/DB, senior. Voegele is tied for 3rd among area leaders with 5 interceptions.