6A IHSA State Game Preview

<span style="font-weight: 400;">#4 EAST ST. LOUIS (12-2) V #1 CARY-GROVE (13-0)</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">This game will be a game worth watching. It’s a game between 2 coaches who have had nothing but success in their time at the helm, and teams who don’t know how it really feels to lose. Cary Grove won their last state title in 2018, while East St. Louis won in 2019. One key thing that anyone will say both teams have for sure, would be their abilities to create explosive plays. Cary Grove comes into this game averaging 422 yards of offense a game. Last week, they amassed over 500 yards in that game with an average of 9 yards a play. On the other side, East St. Louis is a team that has multiple games in which they have put up over 45 points, alongside having 6 shutouts. Both teams have outstanding playmakers such as Cary Grove’s [player_tooltip player_id="136006" first="Jameson" last="Sheehan"], Drew Magel, Michael Gustafsson; or East St. Louis’s TaRyan Martin and Robert Battle just to name a few. Those playmakers all contribute to their team’s success, but this game will be dictated by the offensive line play of both teams. Cary Grove’s offensive line has been mauling people all year, and their team seems to feed off of their energy. The Flyer’s offensive line is arguably the biggest in the state all over 6’4 300 pounds, and have been overwhelming opponents. This will be a well coached game that features two teams that have created a culture of winning and want to prove their dominance in the state. </span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Game Breakers to watch</strong></em></span> <strong>DOMINIC DIXON LB</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Dominic Dixon’s sophomore season has been severely under the radar. At linebacker this year he comes into this game with 12 sacks and over 150 tackles. This young man is a game-breaker against Cary grove in the sense that he’s all over the field. How he attacks Cary Grove’s offensive line when he blitzes and secures tackles to neutralize their running game, will be a key in this match. East St. Louis shut out 6 opponents this year in large part to Dominic playing his role within the defense at a high level. Last week against Crete-Monee he finished with 13 solo tackles and 2 sacks. This is a player who could be a future all-state player, and this afternoon will be a game where you can see why. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Luther" last="Burden"] III WR</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="37529" first="Luther" last="Burden"] iii has been unstoppable all year and it’s fair to assume it will be no different in this game. Luther comes into the game with 71 receptions, ~1200 yards, and 20 receiving touchdowns! He has been Robert Battle’s top receiving target all year whenever needed. Luther has a smooth release off of the ball, and he’s explosive out of his routes. With measurements being 6’2” 200 pounds, he turns into a running back once he catches the ball. Luther’s a game-breaker who I wouldn’t be surprised picks up 10+ receptions in this game. Down the field and through quick screens. </span> &nbsp; <strong>COLIN DESMET LB/FB</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Colin Desmet is the leader of the strong defense Cary Grove has illustrated all season. He led his team in tackles with 130 and has 4 interceptions as well. Colin is in a position where his focus and ability to neutralize East St. Louis’s big plays will help in the team’s success. Colin is a smart player who reads his keys, fills his gaps physically, and makes sure his defensive line is in the right position. On the other side of the ball, he will line up at fullback and seeks out contact in order to create a big play himself, or make way for one of his teammates to create a big play. </span> &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118837" first="Wade" last="Abrams"] LB/RB</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="118837" first="Wade" last="Abrams"] is an underrated skill player that has played both ways this season. He has played RB and OLB at a high level for his team this fall. The best two words to describe him are physical and explosive. Wade is a highly coveted D3 recruit for the way he plays through the whistle and his ability to continue to run his feet in contact. These 2 things have led to big plays for Cary grove all year. I believe this state game will bring the best out of Wade as a competitive football player. Due to his team’s success this season, he usually doesn’t get to play a full game. This week, I’m sure he’ll have a full game to exhibit his full potential, and it helps that he’ll be fresh going into the game. </span> <hr /> <b><i>For more IHSA team previews, you can follow @prepredzone or prepredzoneIL! To have your team featured for a season preview, recruiting advice, or having players featured in future articles, please DM and follow @_D3BO</i></b>