The name of the game? Donnelly powers Prospect past Rockford Guilford in Class 7A playoff rout

Prospect football coach Dan DeBoeuf likes games with names.

His Knights just earned one.

A state quarterfinal.

Senior running back Matthew Donnelly scored six touchdowns — four rushing, two receiving — Friday night to power fifth-seeded Prospect past 12th-seeded Rockford Guilford 50-10 in a Class 7A second-round playoff game at George Gattas Memorial Stadium.

The victory was DeBoeuf's 101st.

Prospect (10-1), which reached a state quarterfinal for the first time since 2021, will visit fourth-seeded East St. Louis (11-1) next weekend. The Flyers crushed St. Patrick 72-12 Friday.

“We talked early on about playing in games with names,” DeBoeuf said.

His Knights listened. Especially Donnelly.

The hard-nosed, shifty senior rushed 24 times for 152 yards and caught four passes for 71 yards. His six-touchdown encore followed a 250-yard, three-TD rushing performance in last weekend's 56-22 playoff-opening victory over DePaul Prep.

Nine touchdowns. Two games. Not bad.

“He's a really special football player who made tremendous growth from last season to this one,” DeBoeuf said. “No doubt he'll play at a high level at the next level.”

Eastern Illinois-bound quarterback Jackson Cacini completed 18 of 25 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, both to Donnelly. He also rushed for a score.

Prospect led 14-7 after one quarter and 28-10 at halftime before scoring 22 unanswered second-half points.

Donnelly opened the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown reception from Cacini at 9:04 of the first quarter. Guilford (8-3) answered quickly, getting a 32-yard touchdown pass from Greyson Weber to Elias Farr.

But the Vikings couldn't keep pace.

Cacini scored on a 5-yard run late in the first quarter, and Donnelly added touchdown runs of 22 and 6 yards in the second.

Guilford's Landon Horn kicked a 37-yard field goal to make it 21-10 before Donnelly struck again.

The second half? All Knights on a crisp night.

Donnelly scored on runs of 3 and 2 yards in the third quarter before hauling in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Cacini with 8:15 remaining. Their ensuing two-point conversion triggered a running clock.

Prospect's defense contributed plenty, too.

Senior defensive lineman Colin Fouch, playing for the first time since Week 8 because of an ankle injury, recorded 1½ sacks, a tackle for loss and a quarterback pressure.

Fouch practically took up residence in Guilford's backfield.

Junior linebacker Julian Kranc shared a sack with Fouch and recovered a fumble. Junior defensive back Benjamin Murray intercepted a pass.

Weber finished with 172 passing yards, while Leonidas English rushed for 109.

The teams' previous playoff meeting? Prospect won 54-14 in 2010. Friday's sequel was nearly as lopsided.

“Super proud,” DeBoeuf said. “It took a full team effort.”

Next up: East St. Louis. A formidable opponent. A long road trip.

And, for Prospect, a game with a name.