The Sentinel: Postseason Football

IHSA semifinal football playoff schedule

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Class 3A All-Stater Zeke Young looks for open turf during Monticello's first game of the season. After the opening loss to St. Joseph-Ogden, Young led the Sages on a seven-game win streak.

That was until the season finale against Unity, now Monticello's only barrier to berth in the Class 3A state title game on November 29 at Redbird Stadium in Normal. Will the Sages avenge the earlier two-score, 42-28 loss in Week 9? Kickoff is at 2 PM at Monticello. Here is a listing for all eight football classes this weekend.

Class 1A

mifinals (Nov. 23)

(2) Lena-Winslow (12-0) at (1) LeRoy (12-0), 2 p.m. Saturday
(3) Camp Point Central (11-1) at (1) Belleville Althoff (12-0), 2 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 10 a.m. Nov. 29

Class 2A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(6) Chicago Christian (11-1) at (1) Farmington (12-0), 2 p.m. Saturday
(2) Maroa-Forsyth (11-1) at (1) Johnston City (11-1), 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 1 p.m. Nov. 29

Class 3A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(2) Wilmington (12-0) at (9) Montini (10-2), 1 p.m. Saturday
(9) Tolono Unity (9-3) at (6) Monticello (10-2), 2 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 4 p.m. Nov. 29

Class 4A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(9) DePaul (9-3) at (7) Coal City (10-2), 1 p.m. Saturday
(12) Mt. Zion (9-3) at (10) Normal U-High (10-2), 7 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 7 p.m. Nov. 29

Class 5A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(4) St. Francis (10-2) at (3) Nazareth (10-2), 1 p.m. Saturday
(13) Morris (8-4) at (6) Joliet Catholic (9-3), 2 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 10 a.m. Nov. 30

Class 6A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(1) Cary-Grove (12-0) at (3) Geneva (11-1), 1 p.m. Saturday
(2) Richards (11-1) at (1) East St. Louis (11-1), 2 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 1 p.m. Nov. 30

Class 7A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(4) Batavia (11-1) at (24) Lincoln-Way Central (9-3), 5 p.m. Saturday
(19) Mt. Carmel (9-3) at (10) St. Rita (10-2), 3 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 4 p.m. Nov. 30

Class 8A

Semifinals (Nov. 23)

(12) Loyola (10-2) at (1) Lincoln-Way East (12-0), 6 p.m. Saturday
(14) York (10-2) at (7) Naperville Central (11-1), 6 p.m. Saturday

Championship game: 7 p.m. Nov. 30

Keywords: Monticello Football, Unity Football, IHSA Football Playoffs, State Football Semifinal Schedule

Photo Gallery: Faces in the crowd & on the field

It was a gorgeous late-fall Saturday at Hicks Field. Filled hundreds of fans and entertained by a couple of unintentional flyovers by commercial flights taking off from nearby Willard Airport, two of the four best Class 3A teams in the state squared off to advance to the state championship game at Northern Illinois University.

After two momentum shifts and a quiet third quarter, the Rockets exploded on both offense and defense for a come-from-behind 28-21 victory. Here's a look at the fans who fueled both teams and the players who gave their all.

Check out more faces and game photos here.

View more photos from this game in the PhotoNews Media archives. Follow this link to IHSA State semifinal Mt. Carmel at Unity.

Photo Gallery: Unity football is headed to state!

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity football head coach Scott Hamilton celebrates with players and fans after his 2021 Rocket team defeated visiting Mt. Carmel High School on Saturday at Hicks Field on Saturday. Unity prevailed in the seesaw battle to advance to the state title game after defeating the Golden Aces, 28-21. Heading to the Class 3A championship game, the Rockets will take their 17-game win streak to DeKalb to face the Byron Tigers who upset IC Catholic with a stunning fourth-quarter 15-14 comeback.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Clutching the game ball, Rockets' quarterback Blake Kimball congratulates members of the Mt. Carmel team after the game. Kimball scored three of the four Unity TDs on Saturday and finished the game with 142 yards.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Members of the Unity Dance Team perform during halftime. The Rockets trailed going into the locker room, 21-14.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

A Unity receiver nearly loses his helmet taking a hit from Mt. Carmel safety Gage Kennard on a pass play.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Rockets' lineman Austin McDaniel lays out Golden Aces' receiver Gage Kennard in the second half.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity student fans cheer for their team during the fourth quarter. The Rockets fourth-quarter rally secured one of two spots in the Class 3A title game.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Cameron Marvin celebrates the first of two fourth-quarter TDs for the Rockets.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity quarterback Blake Kimball rolls out looking for an open receiver in the third quarter. See more photos of Kimball from this game here.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Oran Varela, a 5-11, 225-lb lineman for the Unity Rockets, fights his way past Luke Laws into the Golden Aces' backfield in the first half.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity's Cale Rawdin carries the ball looking for more green turf to cover moving the ball up the field.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Golden Aces linemen Luke Dardeen and Noah Noble celebrate their team first touchdown in the second quarter.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

With a little help from teammate Camden Mette, Unity's Boden Franklin strips the ball from Mt. Carmel's Blayne Sisson during first quarter action. The Rockets recovered the fumble to set up their next scoring drive.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Unity's Grant Albaugh and Kyus Root break through a banner before the start of their last home game of the season. The Rockets played all four of their 2021 postseason football games on their home field. Beating Mt. Carmel in the semifinals punched the Rockets' ticket to the Class 3A championship game this Friday at 4pm.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Rockets' Matt Brown and Karson Richardson head out to the field before the start of their team's final home of the season. The Rockets have not lost a contest at Hicks Field since August 30, 2019 against Illinois Valley Central. See more photos from this game using the preceeding link later this week.

Photo Gallery: Unity offense produces big win in football playoff opener

Chance Ingleman tosses teammate Braxton Manuel up in the air during team introductions prior to the start of Unity's first round playoff game against Newton at Hicks Field. Undefeated in the regular season, the Rockets continued their win streak with a 46-6 win over the visiting Eagles.