By WJBC staff
Normal West High School’s football team became playoff eligible and earned its fourth straight victory, 49-43, over Peoria Notre Dame in a Big 12 Conference game at home.
Meanwhile, Tri-Valley won its 18th straight Heart of Illinois Conference game, dating back to 2014, and its third league title with a 42-35 triumph at Deer-Creek-Mackinaw.
Tri-Valley 42, Dee-Mack 35
Tri-Valley’s Jared Nelson recovered a fumble at the Vikings’ 14 with 1:22 left at Mackinaw to thwart a potential game-tying Deer Creek-Mackinaw to win its 18th straight Heart of Illinois Conference game and its third league title in four years.
Tri-Valley posted its third straight perfect regular season at 9-0, while the Chiefs finished 8-1 after a battle of the top two teams in the state in Class 2A. Tri-Valley, ranked No. 1, last lost in conference play to the Chiefs in 2014.
Sophomore Evans Smith rushed 37 times for 360 yards and five touchdowns for Tri-Valley, including what turned out to be the winning score on a 4-yard run with 3:49 to play. Quarterback Aaron Kussman completed 7 of 11 passes for 114 yards and a score.
Dee-Mack’s Derek Baker had 205 yards passing on 7 of 11 completions and two touchdowns, while Jared Reece finished with 130 yards on 22 carries.
West 49, Notre Dame 43
The Wildcats pushed their overall record to 5-4 as junior Genesis Forrest gained 302 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns. West jumped to a 13-7 first quarter lead on scores on two passes from Payton Dillingham to Malik Tucker for 51 yards and 15 yards.
West scored twice in the second quarter on a 2-yard run by Forrest and a 15-yard pass from Dillingham to Forrest for a 27-21 advantage. The Wildcats added two more scores in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Forrest and a 25-yard pass to C.J. Davis to keep the lead at 41-35.
A 45-yard touchdown run by Forrest in the fourth quarter sealed the victory. Dillingham finished 8 of 12 for 179 yards and four touchdowns. Notre Dame’s Fred Dixson had 306 yards and four scores on 32 carries.
Danville 77, BHS 54
The Purple Raiders will be playing the waiting Saturday to find out their playoff fate after a Big 12 loss at Fred Carlton Field. BHS has a 5-4 record, but may not have enough playoffs points to qualify for post-season play.
BHS quarterback Colton Sandage passed for nearly 400 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Avory Lyons caught seven passes for over 100 yards and two scores for the Raiders.
NCHS 54, Champaign Central 14
The Ironmen moved their record to 8-1 with a Big 12 win on homecoming night as they rolled up 403 yards of offense, including 243 passing and 160 rushing.
Nick Hesse got things started by returning the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown as the Ironmen scored on eight of their first nine possessions. NCHS led 14-0 after the first quarter on Hesse’s return and a 2-yard run by quarterback Grant Price.
The Ironmen extended the lead to 35-0 by halftime a 20-yard scoring strike to J.D. Villafuerte and 1 and 2-yard runs by Price. Steven Towns caught a 16-yard touchdown pass, while reserve quarterback Daylen Boddie had a 63-yard run in the third quarterback.
NCHS tacked on two scores in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard runs by Boddie and a 12-yard run by Jeremiah Glenn. Price finished 12 of 14 for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the passing department and added three touchdowns rushing.
U-High 24, Moline 24
Nathan Clay’s 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter proved to be the catalyst the Pioneers needed as they ended the season on a winning note and a 3-6 record in a nonconference game at Hancock Stadium.
U-High scored touchdowns in each of the first three quarters on a 9-yard pass from Doug Holmes to Mark Widdel, a 39-yard pass to Trey Heffner and a 26-yard run by Holmes. The Pioneers never trailed in the game.
Holmes finished with 14 completions on 20 attempts for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 50 yards on seven carries and a score.
Tolono Unity 24, Central Catholic 23
The Saints saw their seven-game winning streak snapped in a nonconference game at Tolono as the Rockets scored the winning touchdown with 10:27 left in the game. Central finished the regular season with a 7-2 mark.
Central’s Sa-mond Davis scored in the first quarter on a 2-yard run before the Saints erupted for 14 points in the second quarter for a 20-14 lead on a 2-yard run by Davis and a 2-yard run by Reece Seidl. Central’s final score came in the third quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Max Moews.
Moews finished with 196 yards passing on 12 of 17 completions, while Davis had 78 yards on 18 carries. Central had three turnovers.
SCORES
Intercty
Normal West 49, Peoria Notre Dame 43
Normal Community 54, Champaign Central 14
University High 24, Moline 18
Danville 77, Bloomington 54
Tolono Unity 24, Central Catholic 23
HEART OF ILLINOIS
Tri-Valley 42, Deer Creek-Mackinaw 35
Eureka 28, El Paso-Gridley 20
Ridgeview-Lexington 21, Fieldcrest 15
LeRoy 43, Fisher 6
Tremont 54, Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland 0
GCMCS 53, Heyworth 6
Corn Belt
Mahomet-Seymour 33, Effingham 20
IVC 49, Macomb 26
St. Joseph-Ogden 42, Prairie Central 22
Kankakee 48, Pontiac 10
Big 12
Peoria Richwoods 33, Champaign Centennial 32, OT
Urbana 34, Peoria Manual 26
Galesburg 35, Peoria Central 28
