By the time the lights went down Friday night, four area teams counted themselves among the earliest playoff qualifiers after each won their sixth game of the season.
By the time the lights went down Friday night, four area teams counted themselves among the earliest playoff qualifiers after each won their sixth game of the season.
Gibson City-Melvin Sibley, Monticello, Argenta-Oreana and Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin all swiftly raced to 6-0 this season, with GCMS charging to its fourth shutout of the season and extending its winning streak to 20 games.
The Falcons celebrated their homecoming in grand fashion, holding their second straight opponent scoreless in a 42-0 victory over Tri-Valley (3-3). They have allowed just 18 points all season after six games.
In Piatt County, Monticello secured its 10th straight playoff berth for the Sages under coach Cully Welter in an Illini Prairie Conference victory, 41-0, over Unity (1-5), a loss that dashed playoff hopes away from the Rockets and ended the area’s longest active playoff streak of 24 straight appearances.
A Little Okaw Valley Conference Northwest clash featuring Argenta-Oreana at Cerro Gordo/Bement (3-3) ended in a 54-6 blowout in favor of the Bombers, whose high-octane offense is now averaging nearly 46 points per game.
Two Vermilion Valley Conference teams had a shot at reaching six wins Friday, but Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin was the only one that managed to seal the deal with a 38-14 road win at Villa Grove/Heritage (2-4). Salt Fork (5-1) suffered its first hit of the season in a 51-27 loss at Paxton-Buckley-Loda (5-1), which is also one win away from a playoff berth.
A key Big 12 game takes place at 1 p.m. Saturday in Champaign when Champaign Central (3-2) hosts Danville (3-2). Both teams have won their two last two games after both experienced a 1-2 start.
And the two other Big 12 area teams, the Chargers avoided playoff elimination, jumping out to an early lead en route to a 33-6 victory against the Tigers (0-6). Centennial (2-4) will try to keep its playoff hopes intact next Friday night at Lincoln-Way Central.
For scores on all these games and the rest of the area action throughout the weekend, check out our online scoreboard below:
Baseball Boys‘ Basketball Boys‘ Golf Boys‘ Soccer Cross Country Football Girls‘ Basketball Girls‘ Golf Girls‘ Soccer Softball Swimming and Diving Tennis Track and Field Volleyball Wrestling
