It’s not often that two of our large school, high school football teams advance to the state quarterfinals in the same season, let alone play against each other. But that’s what’s happening Saturday night at 7 O’Clock when 10-1 Peoria High, fresh off scoring an incredible, IHSA state playoff record 96 points in its rout of Decatur Eisenhower Friday, hosts 9-2 Washington, which came back from a 10-0 halftime deficit Saturday to knock out the Orphans from Centralia Saturday afternoon at Babcook Field.
Congratulations also go out to Metamora, which scored 28 unanswered points in our Illinois National Bank Red Zone game of the week presented by OSF Healthcare, to upset second-ranked Highland last weekend to advance to meet Morris in a Saturday, 3 pm quarterfinal. That’s Metamora’s second straight playoff win over higher seeded teams. A third Mid Illini team, Canton, moved into the Class 4A quarters with a road win against previously unbeaten Columbia with a last-minute score.
Join longtime Peoria Pirates head coach Bruce Cowdrey, Tom Meredith, Tyler Busch and me for the “game of the year” Saturday night, with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m. I’ll have interviews with both head coaches, Washington’s Darrell Crouch and Peoria High’s Tim Thornton. Of course, if Metamora pulls off another upset, the Class 5A semifinals the following weekend will feature two large school, area teams, so that game will be our GAME OF THE YEAR, part 2.
Starcrest Cleaners, Rocket Tire Service and Heartland Apartments have been supporting sponsors all season long. Thank you for helping our sixth season of unprecedented high school football coverage going strong.
If you can’t make the game or are out of area, listen to our stream via this website or by downloading our free GLO station app. Saturday night, it’s THE GAME OF THE YEAR, Washington versus Peoria High in a Class 5A quarterfinal from Peoria Stadium on the Illinois National Bank Red Zone presented by OSF Healthcare on Peoria’s home for classic rock and football, 95.5, GLO.
Doc Watson
