State Finals Primer: 5A - 8A Preview, Picks, Prospects

***Use Code “BLACKFRIDAY2025” for 50% off your annual subscription THIS WEEK ONLY***   We have reached the final week of the high school season!  Eight state champions will be decided.  Here is our Primer of the 5A - 8A Games with states, top prospects, and picks.   5A   Providence Catholic vs Wheaton St. Francis (10:00 AM)   Wheaton St. Francis is looking to get over the hump to win a state title after falling to Nazareth the last two years.  Their quarterback Brock Phillip is a senior who has thrown for 2,519 yards and 31 touchdowns.  In the backfield Tivas Caldwell has 872 yards and 9 scores.  The strength of this team is in their wide receivers led by Michigan State commit [player_tooltip player_id='212322' first='Zachary' last='Washington'] who is the top senior wide receiver in the state.  Ha has 896 yards and 6 touchdowns.  [player_tooltip player_id='212321' first='Tanner' last='Glock'] is such a versatile offensive and defensive chess piece.  Dario Milivojevic actually leads them in receiving this year with 46 grabs for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Up front [player_tooltip player_id='801979' first='Cooper' last='Paukstis'] is the game changer while [player_tooltip player_id='1335196' first='James' last='McGrath'] and Glock rack up tackles and plays on the back end in the secondary.   Providence Catholic also comes in at 10-3 with one of those losses coming via St. Francis mid-season 47-35.  [player_tooltip player_id='992492' first='Dominic' last='Vita'] runs the show at QB with running back Broden Mackert behind hem along with pounding full back [player_tooltip player_id='2061729' first='Joey' last='Levy'].  Mackert and Levy are an excellent 1-2 punch!  Linebackers Declan Dircks and Collin Shedwill will try to slow down the St. Francis offense.   Pick: Wheaton St. Francis       6A   East St. Louis vs Fenwick (1:00 PM)   Both teams come into this game at 10-3.  Fenwick quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='401610' first='Jamen' last='Williams'] has had a rock solid senior year with 2,484 yards and 26 touchdowns.  The playmaking on both sides of the ball for Fenwick comes from two way stars [player_tooltip player_id='811647' first='Jake' last='Thies'] and [player_tooltip player_id='279386' first='Tommy' last='Thies'].  Both project as defensive backs at the next level, but they impact on both sides of the ball for Fenwick as Jake has 1,192 rushing yards and 4 TDs on the ground.  As a pass catcher he has reeled in 30 passes for 360 yards and 3 more scores.  Defensively Jake has 59 tackles including 3 sacks, 6 TFLs, and 4 interceptions.  [player_tooltip player_id='279386' first='Tommy' last='Thies'] has 274 yards rushing and 7 TDs on offense while defensively he has 90 tackles, 3 sacks, and 8 TFL.  Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='2061650' first='Michael' last='Murphy'] is a force with 116 tackles, 11 TFL, and 3 picks.  Power 4 kicker [player_tooltip player_id='2061138' first='Noah' last='Sur'] brings a leg for this squad!   Against in-state opponents this year East St. Louis has outscored opponents 499-47 with their three losses coming to national powers.  Where to start?  The three headed junior backfield of top 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='788737' first='Myson' last='Johnson-Cook'] (1,107 yards and 14 touchdowns), [player_tooltip player_id='1282833' first='Amir' last='Tillman'] (587 yards and 9 touchdowns), and [player_tooltip player_id='1604137' first='Ahmad' last='Coleman'] (689 yards and 14 touchdowns) is a great place to start with all averaging about 10 yards every time they carry it.  Junior QB Reese Shanklin has settled in as the year went on racking up 1,750 yards and 25 touchdowns.  Quartet of big time wide outs in [player_tooltip player_id='1669549' first='Kortez' last='Rupert'] who is headed to Indiana, Eastern Michigan bound [player_tooltip player_id='1128408' first='Armaad' last='Sharp'], and elite juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1335411' first='Ronnie' last='Gomiller'] as well as [player_tooltip player_id='1335408' first='Laron' last='Baker Jr.']  Such a balanced defense with stars all over.  Up front [player_tooltip player_id='401621' first='Leon' last='Howard'] Jr, [player_tooltip player_id='401599' first='Cornell' last='McIntosh'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1335224' first='Caleb' last='Brown'] are forces.  Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id='1131012' first='James' last='Bryant'] and [player_tooltip player_id='498273' first='Phillip' last='White'] bring the BOOM!  [player_tooltip player_id='1160641' first='Jabarri' last='Lofton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1335357' first='Raheem' last='Floyd'] are P4 playmakers on the back end!   Pick: East St. Louis       7A   Brother Rice vs St. Rita (4:00 PM)   Amazing run through the playoffs for St. Rita who comes in at 9-4 after starting the season out at 2-4 having to win out to even make the playoffs.  Now they get a rematch against Brother Rice who beat them 28-10 back in September.  Senior signal caller [player_tooltip player_id='1627970' first='Steven' last='Armbruster'] has 1,556 yards passing and 16 scores.  His running back [player_tooltip player_id='1619312' first='Brandon' last='Johnson'] Jr has broke out this yer with 1,130 yards and 20 touchdowns.  The speedy [player_tooltip player_id='401629' first='Walter' last='Jones'] is the go to perimeter weapon with 681 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Jack Schapendonk will be key on the defensive side for St. Rita.   Brother Rice comes in at 12-1 with their only loss coming to Mt. Carmel.  Dominant season outscoring teams 517-144.  Army commit [player_tooltip player_id='801994' first='CJ' last='Gray'] does it with his arms and legs as he has 1,700 yards passing and 22 touchdowns along with 422 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground including four in the semis.  Love their 1-2 punch at running back with [player_tooltip player_id='401611' first='Jaylin' last='Green'] (927 yards and 15 touchdowns) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1303748' first='Jameson' last='Davis'] (822 yards and 11 touchdowns).  [player_tooltip player_id='401612' first='Jovan' last='Green'] Jr is the big play threat outside at wide receiver.  Left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1335452' first='Ethan' last='Posey'] is one of the best junior offensive lineman in the state.  While the offense is awesome the defense is even better!  Up front they have Illini commit [player_tooltip player_id='208769' first='King' last='Liggins'], top 10 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1334133' first='Brayden' last='Parks'], and elite 2028 edge rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1052814' first='Kameron' last='McGee'].  The sophomore has 42 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 13 TFLs this year.  [player_tooltip player_id='2064682' first='Charlie' last='Barkmeier'] is a tackling machine for this squad!   Pick: Brother Rice       8A   Mt. Carmel vs Oswego (7:00 PM)   Oswego has had a magical run through the playoffs including a thrilling win over Lockport in the semis.  Quarterback Drew Kleinhans has 1,724 yards and 18 TDs under his belt this season.  Ammar Banire is their leading rusher with 600 yards and 7 scores.  The playmakers are [player_tooltip player_id='503550' first='Teddy' last='Manikas'] (728 yards and 5 TDs) and [player_tooltip player_id='1358093' first='Mariano' last='Velasco'] (692 yards and 9 touchdowns).  Velasco is a fast rising senior DB who has 6 interceptions this year.  Conor Tully leads them in tackles with 95 while Ethan Pilip is worth monitoring up front as a pass rusher with 5.5 sacks and 20 TFLs.   They will have their work cut out for them as Mt. Carmel has been nothing short of dominant as the best team in the state all year comes in 13-0 with superstars all over the field.  Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='2061115' first='Emmett' last='Dowling'] has stepped in as his first year as a starter to throw for 3,581 yards to a star trio of top junior wide out [player_tooltip player_id='432197' first='Quentin' last='Burrell'] (1,093 yards and 14 TDs), top 2028 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1659180' first='Marshaun' last='Thornton'] (867 yards and 15 touchdowns) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='401609' first='Jamari' last='Brown'] (649 yards and 9 touchdowns).  [player_tooltip player_id='1335440' first='Nathan' last='Samuels'] has emerged as a versatile junior back that can do it all with 691 yards rushing and 10 scores along with 476 pass catching yards.  Up front their offensive line is led by #2 overall senior and Nebraska commit [player_tooltip player_id='1417782' first='Claude' last='Mpouma'].  Defensively their front three is unstoppable with USC commit [player_tooltip player_id='270192' first='Braeden' last='Jones'], top uncommitted prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1538329' first='Joey' last='Quinn'], and #1 ranked sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1682021' first='Caleb' last='Tucker'].  [player_tooltip player_id='1598821' first='Roman' last='Igwebuike'] is an elite junior long and rangy linebacker who has 104 tackles on the season.  [player_tooltip player_id='1524594' first='Stephen' last='Winkler'] is another tackling machine.  In the secondary [player_tooltip player_id='476341' first='Tavares' last='Harrington'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1578949' first='Gavin' last='Conjar'] are impact players.   Pick: Mt. Carmel

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