Duerrisms beats the short clock to deliver all the dirt on Clark County vs South Shelby

Welcome to the five weeks of the year that make me love my job the most. Most people can't wait for the weekend so they can get away from work. Me? I spent all week counting down to Thursday because that meant three straight days of High School Football and a none stop avalanche of work. After 13 years of working here, I may well have finally lost my mind but at least I am blissfully, ignorantly happy in having done so. Now, we just need as many teams to stay alive for as long as possible....

This is Duerrisms, by the way, for the Week of November 4th, presented as always by the good folks at ADVANCE Physical Therapy. Because of the split schedule with playoff games in both Missouri and Iowa, we will post this column again in pieces and are working overtime to get you as much as we can here; albeit with neither Tyler or I spending more than about an hour or so a day actually inside the station. Too much running going on, which reminds me...

In partnership with McDonalds and Dene Lambkin Honda, we debuted the KHQA INSIDER REPORT this week, a chance for High School Seniors to play Sports Reporter/Anchor for a day. This week it was Palmyra's Chris "Jaws" Paro giving us an inside look at the Monroe City/Palmyra rivalry. On another Saturday, we might have someone call live highlights on the air. If you have ever had even a passing interest in Sports Journalism (where they pay you to watch sports for a living...SUCKERS!!!) this might be a fun chance to explore that career field. All you have to do is go to the icon at the top of the Sports Page, fill out your information, and we will be in touch. And look for your friends and classmates every week on OVERTIME every Saturday at 10:30pm.

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KHQA/ADVANCE Student Athlete of the Week

We have embarked anew on our fourth season of the KHQA/ADVANCE Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week. In a slight twist this season, we will be offering scholarship awards to two winners in June as our Male and Female Student Athletes of the Year. If you know of a senior who has a 3.5 minimum GPA and is involved in at least one varsity sport, you can have your Athletic Director or Principal nominate them for inclusion in our applicant pool. If they do not have the nomination form, they can call or e-mail me at cduerr@khqa.com and I will get them the proper paperwork. Our next committee vote will take place in late December, so the sooner we receive those forms the better chance your applicant of choice will have of coming through the process. Be sure to look for our weekly reports every Wednesday night on the Evening News at six.

2008/2009 Honorees

Week One: TAYLER ONION, Rushville-Industry Volleyball, Basketball, and Track

Week Two: AMANDA DARNELL, Quincy Notre Dame Cross Country

Week Three: JILLIAN YODER, North Shelby Softball

Week Four: TIM DENNEY, Jacksonville Routt Football, Baseball

Week Five: PARKER FREIBURG, Quincy High Golf

Week Six: MACY BROSS, Palmyra Softball

Past Winners:

2007/2008: LUKE GUTHRIE, Quincy High/University of Illinois (golf)

2006/2007: KATELYN BASTERT, Illini West/Duke University (cross country/track)

2005/2006: MIKAL BENCOMO, Clopton/SEMO (Womens Basketball)

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FOOTBALL 2008

WEEK TEN POSTMORTEM

Most Impressive Week Nine Winner: CLARK COUNTY

Most Pleasant Surprise: MACOMB

Least Pleasant Surprise: WIVC NORTH

Best Game: PGP/FAIRFIELD

Best Punctuation to a Season: HIGHLAND

The Drought is Over: NORTH SHELBY, KNOX COUNTY, BOWLING GREEN

Star Turn, Offense: RYAN COX, Bowling Green

Star Turn, Defense: JAMIE WISE, PGP

Bullet Point Number One: There are three different, distinctive types of "good" at the top of Tri State Football. QND is the most stable of the powerhouses in our area. You get the same, methodical blue collar performance out of the Raiders every single night and I can't remember a team that was ever this business like and consistent in Tri State Football. Clark County, meanwhile, is just pure octane. If the Raiders are the 1972 Dolphins, the Indians are the 1999 St Louis Rams. There is a certain jaw dropping, hold your breath quality to everything they do, in every phase of the game. Illini West is something else all together. No one has talked about it much but this Charger team has a real nasty streak to it; especially within the Offensive Line and on Defense. Watch these guys get out ahead of a teammate after an interception, or leading for a kick off return, or just on big play. You see more head turning blocks from IW in a night then you see from most teams in a year. Since I am drawing NFL references, you see a lot of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens nastiness at play, but with more explosiveness and excitement on offense. What I think is truly unique about the Chargers, however, is the "Gathering Storm" quality of this team. QND's genius comes from consistency of play. Illini West's brilliance is born of its momentum swings. The second quarter against PGP or CSE comes to mind. The Chargers just feast on adversity of opponents and once Illini West gets rolling downhill, they are the proverbial unstoppable steam roller.

Bullet Point Number Two: We've got some tougher-than-nails, genuinely heroic kids playing football around here. Matthew Schuman back from what, his fourth catastrophic knee injury. Devon Johnson's fourth quarter heroics against Fairfield, coming cold off the bench with a busted ankle to run like mad for seven carries and fuel PGP's Game Clinching touchdown. And off course, there was the Kirk Gibson moment in Title Town (see below) Seriously, any one of these stories would make for a heck of a Disney Movie....

Bullet Point Number Three: Certainly not my best week of playoff projections ever as I suffer from seriously over valuing the WIVC North and undervaluing Macomb. I do take some solace in giving you BPCA as an upset winner and nearly hit on Jacksonville as well. One can only hope the real Triopia shows up this week or I am going to look really dumb.

Bullet Point Number Four: What I love most about this upcoming week is a pair of local matchup rarities that really intrigue: South Shelby/Clark County and Macomb/Illini West. It sure beats the heck out of the usual Intra-Conference rematches we seem to get stuck with every year at this time, no?

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THE LAST MAGNIFICENT SEVEN OF THE FOOTBALL SEASON

7. LYNN WILLIAMS, DE, Clark County

3.5 Quarterback Sacks vs Brookfield

6. KENNAN GILLESPY, QB, Knox County

100 Yards Passing, Rushing; 4 Total TD vs Schuyler County

5. LOGAN LOVEJOY, RB, BPCA

101 Rushing Yards, 2 TD vs Fieldcrest

4. SHEA SIBLEY, RB, QND

10 Carries, 152 Yards, 3 TD vs Paris

3. JORDAN CAWTHON, QB, PGP

9 of 18 Passing, 169 Yards, 2 TD; 35 Rushing Yards, 2 TD vs Fairfield

2. DEVON JOHNSON, RB, PGP

7 Carries, 60 Yards, Game Winning TD vs Fairfield

1. KYLE ELLISON, QB, Highland

24 of 35 Passing, 346 Yards, 4 TD vs Macon

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KHQA Player of the Week:

SHAWN MALONEY, QB, Monroe City

What else do you do here but tip your cap to this kid? Maloney had not one, but potentially three season ending leg injuries all playing out at once (MCL, Meniscus, and partially fractured fibula) and was supposed to sit out the season finale with Palmyra. The guy could barely walk and yet he somehow begged his way into the game, with Monroe City down 7-0 in the late second quarter, and fashioned the gutsiest individual performance in memory. Maloney wandered off the bench and completed 11 of his 12 passes for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns, almost single handedly rescued the Panther playoff hopes. Moreover, if you go back and look at the video of the passes Shawn was throwing on a bum leg, they were just absolutely beautiful strikes; some of the prettiest spirals of the season. People throw around words like moxie and courage in regards to sports, but very rarely have we seen a better personification of those intangible qualities. The kid is simply tougher than the prime rib at a $5.99 buffet and Shawn's performance is the stuff of future urban legend; our football equivalent of the Bill Heisler shot or Dan Fouts allegedly playing with a bullet wound. And if I know our friends in Monroe City, ten years from now, the embellished story will include tales of Maloney leaping out of a wheel chair and shaking off the ill effects of Scurvy to throw those passes. Fair enough. The fact that Monroe City is a District Title winner for the first time in four years is nothing short of a football miracle and if anyone deserves their own legend around here, it is most certainly Shawn Maloney.

Previous Winners:

Week One: JAVIS VINEYARD, RB/SS, Clark County

Week Two: AARON ZETTERLUND, RB, Keokuk

Week Three: DEVON JOHNSON, RB, Pittsfield/Griggsville-Perry

Week Four: ALEX DANIEL, RS, North Shelby

Week Five: SHEA SIBLEY, RB, Quincy Notre Dame

Week Six: SHAWN MALONEY, QB, Monroe City

Week Seven: MITCH BEALS, RB, Illini West

Week Eight: MICHAEL LAFFERTY, QB, Illini West

Week Nine: STEFAN ANDRESS, RB, South Shelby

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THE GRAPHIC EDGE presents CHRIS DUERR'S FRATERNITY OF PAIN

Week One Winner: MATT PATTERSON, South Shelby

Week Four Co-Winners: JAVIS VINEYARD, Clark County

SEQUOIA BAILEY, Clopton/Elsberry

Week Five Winner: MITCH GREENWELL, South Shelby

Week Six Winner: GAGE JOHNSON, Illini West

Week Seven Winner: JESSE HOLTSCLAW, Illini West

Week Eight Winner: STEVEN PHILLIPS, Mark Twain

Week Nine Winner: SKYLER JAMESON, Mark Twain

Week Ten Winner: TYLER COUSINS, Macomb

(Winners announced Thursday on KHQA Evening News; receive limited edition T-Shirt)

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DUERRISMS IHSA PLAYOFF POWER POLL

Eleven teams entered the Post Season Meat Grinder. Now, just six are left on the Road to Champaign after one week of IHSA Playoff action. We had surprises both positive and negative and I remain cautiously optimistic that we will continue to have busy Saturdays chasing multiple area teams for at least two more weeks. Fingers crossed. A reminder that the number that appears in front of each team, both the living and the eliminated, was our pre-playoff projection of each team's championship prospects, relative to everyone else in Western Illinois. One is the highest level of confidence. Eleven the least.

THE VICTIMS LIST

11. CENTRAL SOUTHEASTERN (5-5)

First Round Result: 55-7 loss to Illini West

Current Status: Season Complete

The Skinny: For two series, Halloween was "Hull" O-Ween in Hancock County as Derrick Hull drove CSE into the red zone twice against Illini West in the first quarter and gave his team an early 7-0 lead. Then Lyle Klein adjusted his defense, ramped up the pass rush pressure, and the Chargers feasted on three first half interceptions in route to 43 second quarter points; ruining CSE's first playoff appearance since 2001. It won't be the last. Bill Reed and his staff turned in one of the most inspired performances the year and with Derrick Hull back and the most talented group of lower level kids in school history on the come from the freshman and junior high levels, the Panthers are just getting warmed up.

10. SOUTH FULTON (6-4)

First Round Result: 36-14 loss to Mount Olive

Current Status: Season Complete

The Skinny: For 24 minutes, the Rebels went on the road and fought to a 14 all tie in one of the most hospital small school environs in the state. But in the second half, South Fulton's run defense finally gave up the ghost.

7. JACKSONVILLE (6-4)

First Round Result: 35-28 loss to Decatur McArthur

Current Status: Season Complete

The Skinny: Three Blake Schnitker Touchdown Passes and nearly 520 yards of total offense were not enough to get the job done against a Generals squad that is not only loaded with great skill position athletes, but is also pretty well coached. McArthur caught all the breaks on Saturday Night, but give Derek Spates crew credit for making its own luck as well. Give Mark Grounds a lot of credit. This season could have gone off the rails after that three game losing streak early, but the Crimsons showed a lot of character in getting back on track.

5. ROUTT (8-2)

First Round Result: 32-13 loss

Current Fate: Season Complete

The Skinny: Tuscola may not be John Weinke led dynasty of the last few years, but the Warriors still play some might fine defense, as evidenced by their complete domination of Routt. The Rockets could not run the football at all (having Tim Denney and Michael Tonry nicked up did not help) and had difficulty protecting Ben Heinemann in the passing game as well. Just a bad draw. The Rockets eight and two finish was far better than most of us predicted preseason and with a strong group of skill guys back next season, Barry Creviston's will be back strong in 2009.

4. BROWN COUNTY (7-3)

First Round Fate: 20-0 loss to Pawnee

Current Status: Season Complete

The Skinny: I was convinced that Pawnee's "vanilla" running game was a perfect fit for Brown County's speedy, aggressive defense. The Hornets packed the box with a 5-4 look and gave the Indians some early fits. Unfortunately, that unit was on the field far too much on Saturday afternoon. The Indians cut the heart out of Brown County's running game and further exposed the Hornets one glaring flaw from the entire season: a befuddling inability to finish drives. Tom Little has great numbers and a lot of promising prospects coming back from this team next season; but this program desperately needs one of those plethora of skill position kids to step up this off-season and become tent-pole player here ala a Devon Johnson, David Arendt, or Michael Lafferty. BC was the only really good team in our area that did not have that "money in the bank" go-to guy on the offense who could make things happen in a tight spot and that ultimately proved their undoing.

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ALIVE AND KICKING

9. MACOMB (8-2)

First Round Result: 28-21 win over Tolono Unity

Up Next: Saturday at Illini West

The Skinny: It would be easy to dismiss Tolono Unity as a lesser brand of its usual self this season, but I still hold that Macomb's win on Saturday was the Bomber's finest moment yet in a season of hardscrabble success. Yes, Macomb is still flawed in many ways (limited size, depth) but with each passing week, Kelly Sears crew finds new ways to prove that whatever it may lack in ideal football assets, it more than compensates for in intangibles. These kids just know how to win and have relished the underdog role better than any other squad in our area. Brian Elliott and Davis Hendrickson set the tone on the first two plays of the game against Unity. Elliott took a potentially disastrous bad hop off the opening kickoff and weaved his way to mid-field, creating good from bad. And Davis Hendrickson took all of one play to ride three outstanding blocks from fullback Austin Sears and linemen Tevin Jordine and Robert McKee to a statement touchdown of 56 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Granted, Hendrickson is a sensational back but the real story here was just how well Macomb's Offensive Line, and in particular the left side of it, beat a bigger Unity Defensive Line like a drum all night long. What the Bombers lack in size up front, they seem to compensate well for in sheer tenacity. There really wasn't a whole lot spectacular from the offense the rest of the game; just two other methodical drives and one easy touchdown born of a Matthew Gordy Interception that underscore just how consistently good the Bombers played up front. Austin Sears pounded in a pair of one yard touchdowns behind their handy work and Kendall Hocker delivered his usual array of perfect moment scrambles to keep drives alive. It was just a very even performance. The flip side of the equation here is that after a fantastic first half, the Bomber Defense got worn down a bit late by a very good Unity power running game. Again, the lack of depth and size hurts there, but I don't think it was reasonable to expect that Macomb or many 3A teams would be able to limit Unity to less than 20 points. The important lesson here is that the Bombers held late and made the plays in the fourth quarter that got them out of a jam and into an ultra-rare showdown with Illini West in round two. Again, Macomb will be the underdog in that game against a Chargers squad that is bigger, deeper, and more pedigreed. By the same token, that hasn't seemed to stop the Bombers yet this season.

8. BPCA (6-4)

First Round Result: 38-32 win over Fieldcrest

Up Next: vs Momence

The Skinny: Playoff winners for the first time since 2005, the Spartans can now enjoy the luxury of some home-cooking in round two of the playoffs against a highly regarded Momence squad. If Friday's thrilling win over Fieldcrest is any indication, the Spartans power running game will be just fine in the 2A field. Logan Lovejoy, Trey Yocum and Colin Douglas all tallied over 80 yards rushing in route to a team total of 350 ground yards, although in a nice twist the Spartans got a pair of long distance home runs from both Yocum and Lovejoy in the first half to really put the Knights on their heels. As usual, great line play proved to be BPCA's calling card in the trenches. It was a mixed night of offerings however from the Spartan Defense, which surrendered 325 passing yards on the night, including 240 to a single receiver. Unfortunately, the Spartans will be facing an even more deadly accurate passer in the Redskins Clayton Simpson this weekend, who himself is coming off a 330 yard passing effort in Momence's blowout win over Farmington; the program's first playoff victory since 2000. We feared that a team with a strong vertical passing game might be the one "blind spot" opponent that could really trouble an otherwise very intriguing BPCA club. The key here this week is this: BPCA has a very intense pass rush and that pressure can force a quarterback into mistakes and quick throws. For all of their troubles against Fieldcrest, the Spartans did pick three passes. The Spartans must keep the pressure on Simpson this week, which is a challenge given the limited depth up front and BPCA's unfortunate tendency to wear out late. I still think BPCA can move the ball on just about any 2A team in the state and Blake King will give the Spartans a decided advantage in the Special Teams. If the BPCA Defensive Backs can ramp up their performance this week, don't be shocked to see Luke Tolley and company still around in Week Eleven.

6. PGP (9-1)

First Round Result: 40-32 win over Fairfield

Up Next: at Columbia

The Skinny: Much has been made this week about Devon Johnson's heroic return to the field in the fourth quarter to propel the Saukees to a come-from-behind win over Fairfield, but there were plenty of heroics to be had even before DJ's Kirk Gibson moment. Over the course of this season, we have watched Jordan Cawthon go from question mark to bona fide franchise quarterback...and there are precious few of those to go around in these parts this year. Cawthon completed his first two passes for touchdowns and added a pair of rushing tallies to the stat sheet as well. All that is fine and dandy, but Jordan's signature moment came on a play that might have gotten lost if you had not seen it person. Down 32-27 with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Don Bigley gambles his entire season on a 4th and Ten play from his own 40 yard line. And to be honest, the Saukee Defense had not been very stout up to that point; so a turnover on downs would have likely resulted in a short-field game ending touchdown for the Mules. You want confidence? How about Bigley putting the entire game on the shoulders of a kid who was making his first ever playoff start. And inexplicably, Cawthon rolls out of trouble, throws across his body with a Brett Farve gamble, and finds Kyle Harris for the game saving first down. Just an unbelievable play call trumped only by the level of execution it took to complete it. Okay, Cawthon a little too obvious the hero here as well? How about Michael Johnson, who filled in capably in the feature back roll with Devon Johnson out and Elijah Hoover limited. Heck, you could make a case for a lot of different guys on PGP's sensational offense. Me, I am going to argue here for Jamie Wise, who got pushed into two platoon duty in the second half as a Defensive Tackle because Cody Greifzu ran all over the Saukees in the first half. Wise gets pressed into Defensive duty and the Mules potent running game dried up in the second half as Jamie clogged two interior gaps and made the job of every other defensive guy on the team easier. Wise also registered a pair of tackles for loss on Fairfield's final drive to snuff out the Mules chances once and for all. Look, I remain dubious that PGP has enough Defensive moxie to win anything other than a shootout type upset against powerhouse Columbia on Saturday. That said, Wise gives the Saukees a much firmer base to hold the line and maybe take away the sprint draw from phenomenal Columbia QB Brian Winters this weekend. Winters ran the Eagles spread offense to near perfection against New Berlin, hitting on 20 of 26 passes for 276 yards. Apart from maybe 7-on-7 play, PGP has not faced a spread attack of this nature to my knowledge. In short, the Saukees are probably going to need to put 35-40 points on the board against the Eagles to pull of the upset, which this offense is fully capable of doing. That means four or five defensive stops would probably get the job done. PGP doesn't lack for speed or talent on defense. After all, these are the same kids who have made the offense so special. Here's hoping the talent translates the PGP Defense rises to this daunting challenge.

3. QND (10-0)

First Round Result: 44-0 win over Paris

Up Next: vs Seymour

The Skinny: In the most predictable offering of the weekend, QND made short work of Paris; out gaining the Tigers by a nearly 4 to 1 clip in total offense before Bill Connell mercifully allowed his opponent to leave town with some dignity by calling off the dogs in the second half. Brandon Kientzle flew in to register a seven yard tackle for loss on the first play from scrimmage and the Tigers spent the rest of the day punch drunk and fully aware they were way out of their depth. Joe Obert fed the Tigers a steady diet of both Shea Sibley and Ryan Spohr on the first few possessions before mixing in an expanded array of play action passes to give IVC/Seymour scouts something more to think about. Kramer Barnes shook off an early interception to complete 6 of his next 8 passes for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Brandon Ley and Elliott Waterkotte. Beyond that, there really wasn't much to glean from this sparring session except that QND continues to handle its affairs with scary focus. I wondered all week with that talk about the difficulty of the postseason schedule and the obvious conclusion that Paris would be nowhere near the ilk of opponent that Seymour and BCC will be ahead, how centered QND would be on this game. This was a game that QND was never going to lose under any circumstances, however, there existed the real possibility of a very flat effort. Remember we are dealing with 17 year old kids here and even the best of the lot can get unhinged in this kind of situation (see also Concord Triopia) I just come away marveling at how QND treated Paris like they were BCC or Richwoods and there was no discernable change in climate around the program. For all the talent that exists at 10th and Jackson; all the physicality of this team on both sides of the ball, nothing has impressed me more about QND this year than the collective psyche of this team. There have been a number of gifted (maybe even more gifted) QND squads who got into big games looking like Tarzan, but playing like Jane in critical moments. This group isn't fazed, intimidated, or diminished in any circumstance. I still hate this draw (although all the media conspiracy "investigation" this week made me chuckle. You plot the teams on the map in 4A and you get exactly the bracket QND was dealt. Just a bad geographic beat QND fans, nothing more) but I am convinced that this might be the only team in the state of Illinois mentally strong enough to survive this gauntlet and still flourish. Seymour will test the resolve of the QND run defense at a level it hasn't seen this season with 2200 yard rusher Andrew Brewer invading 10th and Jackson (hope to have a story on him for you Friday) Outside of BCC, no one has been able to slow his run of End Zone visits (now 31 I believe) this season. The Raiders and Bulldogs are no strangers to one another, with four playoff meetings in five years and there will be no secrets as two great running teams with stingy defenses simply slug each other with haymakers for 48 minutes. Challenging QND at strength seems a fool's errand, but more power to Mahomet Seymour for having the guts to give it a try.

2. TRIOPIA (10-0)

First Round Result: 20-6 win over Calhoun

Up Next: vs Arcola

The Skinny: One week after besting the Warriors 44-0, Concord Triopia fell pray to one of the classic blunders. The first is to never get involved in a land war in Asia. The second, only slightly less known, is to never underestimate conference opponent in the first round of the playoffs you just played and thumped a week earlier. Triopia came out completely flat and looked nothing like the powerhouse we had seen nine weeks prior. Kellan Phelps got hurt early. The Trojans gave Calhoun a short field and confidence building touchdown in the first quarter in the wake of a blocked punt. Offensively, Rich Thompson's crew never looked in synch. Phelps had to complete a pair of ulcer-inducing 4th Down conversions on the first Trojan Touchdown Drive, including a fourth and goal scramble at the one foot line. And if it weren't for Kody Kleinschmidt's 41 yard touchdown, there would have been nothing at all memorable about the Triop effort, except that it wasn't memorable against a lesser foe. In short, this was a "bad" win, if such a thing exists. That said, give the Triopia Defense plenty of credit for bailing this thing out. Adam Brockhouse and Jacob Whited both delivered critical fumble recoveries to snuff out any of the Warriors early momentum and I thought the hitting was crisp and consistent across the board for the Triopia Defense. Bottom line, sometimes you are simply going to have games like this and Rich Thompson's crew found a way to win without command its good fastball. Survive and advance, right? And truth be told, Arcola did not exactly deliver on its advanced hype as well, sneaking past Carrollton in a game that was equally bland. This will be an important game for the Trojans, who need to reestablish their edge with Mount Olive or Tuscola on the horizon. I am guessing we will see the real Triopia show back up at Don Kemp Field on Saturday afternoon.

1. ILLINI WEST (10-0)

First Round Result: 55-7 win over CSE

Up Next: vs Macomb

The Skinny: A rare ugly start for both the Charger Offense and Defense was quickly forgotten when Illini West gave CSE the "Saukee Treatment" with another huge second quarter output. This time it was 43 point stanza fueled by IW's decision to go after Panther Quarterback Derrick Hull and force him out of this considerable comfort zone. After two perfectly executed CSE passing drives, the Chargers flipped the script and halved Hull's delivery time. And when Derrick did have time to launch, the Chargers induced him into throwing into blind zones which were filled with waiting Chargers. Three first half interceptions and a fumble recovery (Chris Corzatt, Zack Burling, Heath Knowles, and Brett Cook with the fumble snare) essentially chummed the water for the IW Offense, which attacked in frenzy. With the Offense feeding off that momentum, Stefan Flynn and Drake Schmudlach got the benefit of some outstanding running lanes from Kyle Hartzell and the boys up front and the route was effectively on. Again, if you want to beat IW you can not give an opportunity to strike and build momentum. Jim Unruh is notorious for immediately coming out of takeaways by going straight for the jugular with end zone strikes. Jacob Schmudlach caught a pair in the Week Three meeting. This week, he and Travis Wilson got in on that action, which Michael Lafferty savaged the Panther Defense with a spirit deflating 56 yard run to punctuate the second quarter massacre. The Chargers reward is the rare reward of a date with Macomb, a game that has been argued about in theory for years. Now it comes to fruition with IW charged slowing one of the hottest teams in Western Illinois. Devon Johnson had running success on the Charger Defense earlier this year and Davis Hendrickson probably has more home run burst. The Bombers don't lack for other skill position weapons (have you seen how good Kendall Hocker has played of late under center?) and Steve Horrell will pull out all of his wizardry to devise an offense that finds and exploits the achilles heel of this Defense. These also might be the two best Special Teams units in Western Illinois right now. Lots to love about this pairing and it will be an absolute joy to see this long wondered about matchup.

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MSHSAA PLAYOFFS:

The Tale of the Tape: SOUTH SHELBY AT CLARK COUNTY  (A matchup so good, it gets its own Duerrisms)

QUARTERBACK: Ethan Allen would have the best numbers in Tri-State Football if he ever got to play more than two quarters a night. He runs the spread with great comfort and has flawless decision making. What no one talks about near enough is his mobility, both on the keep and away from pressure. In that aspect, he is every bit as special as Jonathon Nutt or Shawn Maloney, just less utilized and celebrated there. Matt Patterson is a better overall athlete (than just about anyone in the area, to be honest) but his role within the Cardinal offense has been incredibly restrained, especially over the last few weeks. He is the guy who can beat you with both is his arm and his feet, but I just feel like Allen is the guy more likely to beat you with both at this point in the season.

Advantage: Clark County

RUNNING BACK: Javis Vineyard is the most special talent in Tri State Football right now and it's not even close for second. And in concert with Allen, Clark County is the most explosive running team in the Tri States. All of that established, I am very hesitant to declare the Indians the winner in this department, even with Matthew Schuman playing on a bum knee and Shannon Hall's status up in the air. The most salient lesson in Northeast Missouri the last two week has been the potential of Stefan Andress as a bona fide feature back. Forget the fact that he has nearly 600 yards and 10 total touchdowns in two games (if you can) To me, it is the way Stefan has handled his business that really impresses. The two catches against Monroe City. The hurdling of the kid against Twain. The break on the ball for the interception against Palmyra. He is the hottest commodity in Tri State Football right now and if Rob Wilt can get anything at all out of Schuman's knee (for all the heroic talk about Shawn Maloney, remember this kid is playing with torn knee ligaments for the third time in his career) or Hall comes back, Clark's defense may finally be tested.

Advantage: Push

RECEIVERS: He is pretty nicked up, but Justin Wilt remains the gold standard in tight ends in Tri State Football and Mitch Greenwell is a vastly underrated commodity stretching the field on the edge. Any other night, that might be enough but Clark County has the best set of wide receivers in Tri State Football in Matt Morrow and Bryan Plenge (who would be sure-fire All Staters if they weren't fighting for scraps in Clark County's 24 minute weekly blowouts) and a pair of unsung kids in Mason Owen and Ethan Horton would I am convinced would be very credible number one receivers at 85% of the schools in the Tri States. You will read more about this further down the column but to my mind, Plenge and Morrow are the key to victory in this game..for both teams.

Advantage: Clark County

OFFENSIVE LINE: Both Teams area really solid up front, centered around All Staters in Michael Brennan and Bryce Johnston (who may have been better this year at Offensive Line than Linebacker, which is saying a mouthful) South is younger up front, but Shane Smith is a future superstar at Center (if not already) and the Cardinals are playing their best football of the season in the trenches. Clark pass blocks as well as any time in the region and the nature of the spread offense (and the fact they aren't facing their own Defensive Line) makes their task just a little bit easier this week.

Advantage: Clark County

DEFENSIVE LINE: South Shelby boasts All State Defensive Ends of the present and the future in Justin Wilt and Shane Smith, respectively. The secret weapon here, however, is All Conference First Team Defensive Tackle Ethan Decker, who is monster in the trenches as a sophomore. Any other pairing, South probably gets the nod. But at this point, Lynn Williams, Michael Brennan, and Cori Seth are at the height of their powers.

Advantage: Clark County

LINEBACKER: Clark County is solid, if not spectacular at the second level of the Defense, but it is a unit blessed with quickness. Bryce Johnston might be the purest run-stuffing linebacker in state history and he is the heart and soul of the Cardinal Defense.

Advantage: South Shelby

SECONDARY: Remember how porous the South Shelby secondardy was 13 months ago? The transfer of Stefan Andress has killed the one glaring hole in that unit and now the Cardinals are in the rare position of having two lockdown corners and a tremendous centerfielder in Andress, Matt Patterson, and Mitch Greenwell and this unit has become a source of pride. Clark counters with a supremely talented "rover" in Javis Vineyard, pound for pound the hardest hitter in Tri State Football, a proven All State Corner in Bryan Plenge, and balance across the board.

Advantage: Push

SPECIAL TEAMS: With Matthew Schuman hampered in the kicking game, South Shelby loses an important advantage here. Stefan Andress is proving to be a heck of a return specialist, but Clark County counters with three kids in Vineyard, Plenge, and Morrow who can go to the house on any touch (ask Brookfield)

Advantage: Clark County

INTANGIBLES: Clark County has home field advantage and the mounting pressure to not only win but prove to all the critics of their schedule that in this first real "red letter" game of the season that the Indians are indeed for real. South Shelby has none of those pressures, a better pedigreed schedule, the advantage of knowing it could and should have beaten Centralia on the road, and a wheel deserved reputation as the most physical team in Northeast Missouri, which is something Clark really hasn't been countered with yet. And to be honest, Stefan Andress might be the kid I would least like my team to face right now. A lot of things, including talent for talent pairings, set up nicely for the Cardinals here.

Advantage: South Shelby

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CLARK COUNTY WINS IF.... Cori Seth becomes the first player this year to make Shane Smith look like an underclassmen. If Lynn Williams and Michael Brennan spend more time in the Cardinal backfield than Matthew Schuman. If I mention Javis Vineyard more than three times in Wednesday's highlight reel.

SOUTH SHELBY WINS IF.....Matt Patterson completes more than 10 passes. If someone other than Stefan Andress reaches the end zone. If Ethan Allen is sacked more than once. If Patterson and Andress can get a push in coverage against the best pass catching combo in Tri State Football

FUN FACT: Illini West Coach Jim Unruh confided this week that his teams three seven-on-seven matchups with Clark County may have done more to elevate his team this offseason than anything else in the pre-season docket.

FEARLESS DUERR PREDICTION Watching Clark County dismantle Brookfield last week with 42 first quarter points was the single most impressive thing I have seen on a football field this season and brought to mind the same vibe as watching Keokuk last fall. This offense can do anything it wants to on a football field, at any time, against any opponent. Heck, Clark has better overall team speed than the Chiefs had last year. Those of you disparging Clark's strength of schedule need to step into the present. The Tri Rivers Conference may not be a bastion of great football, but the Clarence Cannon Conference isn't exactly the Big Twelve South either anymore. Matt Smith has proven that by rolling his team past Palmyra and Monroe City for three years straight to district titles. And to be honest, I think Clark County would be a powerhouse playing in the NCMC as well. Great system. A wealth of athleticism across the board. This isn't about the company the Indians keep. Clark County is no less a great team than Centralia is. Than QND is. This is about talent and coaching. Acknowledged or not, Clark County has top tier quality in both categories. And I believe this is the night, against a South team that everyone acknowledges is incredibly physical in the trenches, gifted at the skill positions, and centered on one of the finest linebackers ever to don Shoulder Pads, that the Indians finally make everyone else come to the conclusion that we here reached three years ago. The throwaway pull quote we dropped on Sports Final that became a T-Shirt motto: Yep, Clark County is Legit. Talk to coaches who have seen them play; the same folks who came away marveling at the Keokuk Chiefs last year before it became fashionable to do so and they will tell you the same. This is a very special group. And as much as I like what South Shelby has done the last two weeks, I am not taking the Cardinals, the Centralia Panthers, or even the QND Raiders to beat Clark heads-up.

PROJECTED SCORE: Clark County 45  South Shelby 20

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MSHSAA Sectional Playoffs

Class 2

BROOKFIELD AT MONROE CITY

The Skinny: How the mighty have fallen. The Bulldogs have been outscored 95-13 over the last two weeks and catch a Monroe City squad riding the emotional high of Shawn Maloney's superman act. I hate to ruin the legend, but let's not forget that the Panthers Wide Receivers and Linebackers were kind of special in their own right last week as well. If the Panthers can keep Aaron Sprouse hemmed in, I expect Monroe to continue Brookfield's run of misery and this seems like a good week for a Jordan Holland monster performance on both sides of the football

Class 1

PARIS AT HAYTI

The Skinny: Granted, Valle Catholic is a very good Class 1 Football team but the Coyote Defensive Struggles last week (60 some odd points surrendered) were incredibly worrisome. A long road trip to Powerhouse Hayti is a really tall order.

KNOX COUNTY AT PRINCETON

The Skinny: Our old friend Dave Cavanah tries to rain on the Eagles first Postseason party since 1995. Knox is a very solid defensive team, fronted by a very strong defensive line. Offensively, however, the Eagles are a mixed bag and really inconsistent. To Steve Ramer's credit, many the team's scoring drives have been born of smoke and mirrors play calling. That kind of hit-and-miss execution won't play well against this level of foe. Lucas Hudson and crew will have to be nearly perfect this week for the Eagles to steal past this difficult draw.

MARCELINE AT NORTH SHELBY

The Skinny: Former Mark Twain skipper Deacon Windsor has Marceline back atop the Lewis and Clark Conference, thanks to having one of the most productive small school feature backs in the state in Matt Bell at his disposal. The incredibly solid play of North Shelby's defense, led by Dahn Kemp, has been of the most pleasant surprises of the season and Bell will be a huge test. My concern here is that Marceline's passing game is also very efficient and North has struggled against teams that put the ball into the air. I think Terry Ahern has done an incredible job here of reestablishing luster to what was in the mid 1990's the benchmark of NEMO small school football. Anything that happens from here on out is icing on the cake. With Marceline laying for Josh McEwen and Daniel Jones, someone else is going to have to step up on Offense for the Raiders to pull off this sizable upset.

Class 3

BOWLING GREEN AT MCLUER SOUTH

Jimmy Tucker's spread passing game will be put to a serious test against a Bulldog squad that is giving up just under 13 points per game and actually held powerhouse Normandy to that very number. Ryan Cox and Justin Edmond can expect to be pressured and smothered in the passing game, which leaves the Bobcats needing to findy sneak contributions from other sources (Huntley Leverenz may be the swing guy here) to survive this, the programs first playoff game since 1991. From what I can glean from the internet, South has been really erratic offensively, albeit against a schedule that is incredibly strong. Our hope here is that 14-17 points might get the Bobcats through to the upset.

Class 4

HANNIBAL AT ST CHARLES WEST

Coming off their shakiest defensive effort of the year at Helias, the Hannibal Pirates better get right in a hurry. Like Crusader signal caller Jay Shimmens, St Charles West Quarterback Brannon Champagne is a lanky, athletic quarterback who may be better with his feet than his arm. The good thing for the Pirates is that unlike Shimmens, Champagne doesn't have a Brad Lorang type feature back to compliment him in the backfield. West's Offense lives and breathes with Champagne, who has also 31 combined rushing and passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. The Warriors have given up some points this season, especially to physical opponents, and the return to form of Zach Nichols last week could not be better timed. I told you early I liked Hannibal here for at least two more rounds and I am not hedging my bet now. Expect a much better performance than the one the Pirates delivered at Adkins Stadium.

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KHQA DO OR DIE FOOTBALL AWARDS FINALISTS

KHQA Coach of the Year

MATT SMITH, Clark County

BILL CONNELL, QND

KELLY SEARS, Macomb

JIMMY TUCKER, Bowling Green

TERRY AHERN, North Shelby

JIM UNRUH, Illini West

RICH THOMPSON, Triopia

JOHN MCCORMICK, BPCA

MO/IA Offensive Player of the Year:

JAVIS VINEYARD, Clark County

ETHAN ALLEN, Clark County

SHAWN MALONEY, Monroe City

RYAN COX, Bowling Green

STEFAN ANDRESS, South Shelby

DANIEL JONES, North Shelby

IAN HATTON, Hannibal

IL Offensive Player of the Year:

DEVON JOHNSON, Pittsfield/Griggsville Perry

STEFAN FLYNN, Illini West

SHEA SIBLEY, QND

DAVID ARENDT, Concord Triopia

JACOB MILLARD, Concord Triopia

MICHAEL LAFFERTY, Illini West

BLAKE SCHNITKER, Jacksonville

MO/IA Defensive Player of the Year:

DAHN KEMP, North Shelby

BRYCE JOHNSTON, South Shelby

JAYKOB KING, Hannibal

JOE CHINN, Monroe City

LYNN WILLIAMS, Clark County

JORDAN HOLLAND, Monroe City

MICHAEL BRENNAN, Clark County

Illinois Defensive Player of the Year

NATHAN GOUDSCHAAL, Brown County

ANTHONY HENDREN, QND

TIM DENNEY, Jacksonville Routt

ROSS HUTSON, Illini West

AUSTIN SEARS, Macomb

PATRICK SMITH, QND

JIMMY HOLTSCHLAG, QND

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RANDOM MUSINGS

Clarence Cannon Conference Player of the Year awards, as expected, went to South Shelby's Bryce Johnston on Defense and Centralia's Will Evans on Offense, with Erle Bennett claiming yet another COY award for his stewardship of the Centralia Football program.

What the heck got into the Highland Football team last week? We've been telling you how the Cougars have made measurable strides under David Raleigh and become more respectable, but not even the most optimistic Highland backer could have seen this coming. Neither did Macon fans, who saw their playoff hopes blow up in their faces with not only an inexplicable loss in Ewing, but a blowout at the hands of Kyle Ellison and company.

Coolest story of the week: the first year Cross Country Program at South Shelby claimed a District Championship in its Postseason Debut at Linn, placing Katti Carroll, Jill Barry, and Elizabeth Russell 1-2-3 respectively as individuals. If this team takes a trophy in Jeff City this weekend, it might be the most impressive feat of the entire fall.

Marion County's reputation for running excellence got another boost with five runners placing in the top 12 at district, led by second place finisher Randi Plunkett. Hannibal's Boys Cross Country Team also won a District Championship last weekend and phenom Emma Burditt took top individual honors on the girls side.

For the first time in program history, QND will have two girls competing at Detweillor Park in the State Meet this weekend with both Amanda Darnell and Ashley Strieker advancing out of the loaded Centralia Sectional.

The Jacksonville Routt Volleyball team ran into a buzz saw Tuesday in AC Central, but Patrick Gibson's crew will likely have it's revenge next season. The Lady Rockets return arguably the most promising front line in Tri State Volleyball with Morgan Eilering, Erica White, and potential NCAA Signee Katie Lindsay back.

For a kid who is just 5'5" on her tiptoes, Central Volleyball's Dawn March is the Tri State's most inexplicably effective outside hitter. She may give up inches at the net but an explosive leaping ability allows her to really put the ball on the floor. She may be vertically challenged, by most front line standards, but Dawn has become one of our favorite players to watch.

QND alum Kayley Rodriquez , now playing volleyball at the Maine Maritime Academy, was named the NAC Freshman of the Week after jumping into the setter position in a pinch and netting 28 assists.