‘Edgy’ Tim: One key for all 16 IHSA football finalists

The IHSA football state championships will happen this Friday and Saturday at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University. Here is a very early preview and a key for each team in all eight games.

Class 1A

Lena-Winslow: The Panthers will look to go Wild on Friday, as in Lena-Winslow senior fullback/linebacker Aiden Wild. Wild is a hard runner and hard-nosed tone setter on both sides of the football. As Aiden Wild goes, so go the Panthers.

Brown County: Can the Hornets grind out one more win in 2025? Their biggest wins this season (Saturday's 14-13 win over Calhoun and a second-round 16-8 payback win over WIV North rival Camp Point Central) have been grind-it-out type of games. The longer the Hornets are moving the sticks, the better on Friday.

Class 2A

Maroa-Forsyth: Make Wilmington chase points. The Trojans always have a balanced offensive attack capable of the run as well as the pass. Maroa-Forsyth senior QB Ryne Sheppard is an experienced playmaker and will need to find a way to make Wilmington get into a shootout from early on in this game.

Wilmington: Bring pressure to the Maroa-Forsyth spread offense. Wilmington has posted running-clock wins in all four playoff games so far, not bad for a power run offense. Yet for the Wildcats to win on Friday, the defense needs to bring pressure to a very capable Maroa-Forsyth offense.

Class 3A

Byron: Get No. 37 involved as much as possible. That’s senior fullback/linebacker Caden Considine, who is an all-state multiyear starter. His ability is high level and Byron needs that effort once more time this season.

Unity: Bring that high-octane offense to ISU. Unity has been averaging 42 points per game led by QB Dane Eisenmenger, including a 51-44 win on Saturday over conference rival St. Joseph Ogden. The offense again will need to kick into high gear on the state's biggest stage.

Class 4A

Montini: Make a handful of key defensive stops. Montini has an impressive offense led by Israel Abrams, a four-star quarterback as ranked by Rivals, along with a ton of capable weapons. Yet the Broncos’ defense has been solid all season and will get tested by the Rochester spread offense. Getting a handful of stops and/or forcing a turnover or two will be huge, especially if this game becomes a shootout.

Rochester: Get out of the gates quickly Friday night. Rochester head coach Derek Leonard is one of the most innovative coaches in Illinois and his offense is averaging nearly 48 points per game. The Rockets will face its toughest opponent all season in Montini, and the offense will need to be on point.

Class 5A

St. Francis: Slow down the Providence run game. This game is a rematch from Week 5, a 47-35 St. Francis victory. The Celtics have been getting a huge postseason effort from junior running back Broden Mackert working behind a big and senior-led offensive line. That focus on slowing the Celtics’ ground game needs to happen again this time around.

Providence: Limit the Spartans’ big-play abilities. In the Week 5 matchup, St. Francis got big games from QB Brock Phillips and receiver Dario Milivojevic, who connected for four touchdowns in the win. That can't happen again this time around for Providence.

Class 6A

Fenwick: Match the Flyers’ physicality. The Friars will go into this game as an underdog, and that suits them just fine. Fenwick will need to match up and find a way to slow an East St. Louis team that has speed in the skills, huge size up front and can run and throw the football equally well. Fenwick must come out and set an early tone. Winning the line of scrimmage is a great place to start.

East St. Louis: Big play the Friars. East St. Louis has the ability to strike as quickly as any team in Illinois. Getting out of the gates quickly and establishing their playmakers is a must for the Flyers.

Class 7A

Brother Rice: Keep bringing the noise. Brother Rice has one of the state's best defensive lines led by three high-level DI names in senior defensive lineman King Liggins (Illinois), junior defensive tackle Brayden Parks and sophomore defensive end Kameron McGee. The defense has been able to get its offense multiple possessions all season long and that needs to continue on Saturday.

St. Rita: Let the seniors lead the way. In the Week 3 matchup (a 28-10 Brother Rice win), St. Rita played Brother Rice without senior QB Steven Armbruster and senior receiver Walter Jones, who missed the game due to injury. This time around, Armbruster and Jones need to be major factors in the Mustangs’ offense.

Class 8A

Mt. Carmel: Make the Panthers chase points as quickly as possible. The Caravan offense has been nothing short of explosive. Between Mt. Carmel senior QB Emmett Dowling and a stable of highly-sought-after receivers and backs, this is as explosive as any offense in Illinois. Getting off to a good start against a strong Oswego defense is paramount.

Oswego: Control time of possession. Oswego has been led in the postseason by a defense that's allowed just 11 points per game, while the offense has good balance between the run game and play-action passing. The Panthers want to control the clock and limit the Mt. Carmel touches as much as possible.