It’s Week 8 of our 11th high school football season. United Township (3-4) tries to get an early start on securing a playoff berth with a huge 5:00 p.m. contest at 8-0 Eau Claire (WI) St. Regis. Meantime, Moline (5-2) sets its sights on a possible home playoff game, as the Maroons visit Galesburg. And, Rock Island (1-6) goes for two straight wins with a matchup at Sterling. Here are the links for Friday’s games:

4:45 p.m. United Township at Eau Claire St. Regis
7:00 p.m. Moline at Galesburg
7:00 p.m. Rock Island at Sterling
Panthers presented by Van Hoe Funeral Home; Maroons presented by Sexton Ford; Rocks presented by Wheelan-Pressly

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The Moline Maroons are making sure their absence from the playoffs does not become an ongoing thing.  After just missing out by going 4-5 last season, they became playoff-eligible by dominating the first half against rival United Township, leading 21-0 at halftime, and holding on for a 28-14 win at Browning Field on Friday night.  Moline is now 5-2 (3-1 in Western Big 6 play) with two games left and has a realistic chance to host an opening-round playoff contest.

While the defeat for the Panthers (3-4, 2-3) made their road to their first playoff berth since 2001 more difficult, they can still get in if they win their final two contests.  Their strength of schedule all but guarantees they would make the playoffs at 5-4, while providing at least a slight chance they could get in if they finish 4-5.

RB Adrian Cooper and the Maroons ran all over the Panthers in the first half.  Cooper scored on runs of 36 and 17 yards, while QB Eli Taylor threw 46 yards to Alex Rubingh for a TD with 21 seconds remaining in the second quarter.  Cooper finished with 145 yards rushing on 19 carries.

The Panthers fought back in the third quarter.  QB Christian Peterson ran 66 yards for a touchdown, and threw a 35-yard scoring pass to WR Cohen Parsons to cut the margin to 21-14.  But Moline ended hopes of a Panther comeback, as Taylor threw his second TD of the night, 28 yards to Zak Sierra with just over 8 minutes left in the game.

Overall, Moline ran for 266 yards and outgained UT in total yardage, 358 to 261.

Moline visits Galesburg (1-6, 0-4) before finishing the regular season at home vs Sterling (4-3, 3-1).  United Township faces a huge game at 8-0 Eau Claire (WI) St. Regis, Friday at 5:00 p.m. on QCSportsNet.com.  The Ramblers are coming off a bye week after winning by forfeit.

Rock Island’s defense set up a touchdown and stopped two would-be Galesburg TD drives, while the offense produced several clutch plays in a 13-6 win over the Silver Streaks, the Rocks’ first win of the 2024 season.

After Galesburg took a 6-0 lead with a TD drive that used more than 7 minutes of clock time, the Rocks responded with a 75-yard drive of their own, including two 10-yard passes to Avian Thomas, and capped off by V-Jay Garrard’s 26-yard scoring run on an end around for a 7-6 advantage with 5:42 left in the second quarter.  Galesburg then drove near midfield, but Thomas picked off Caden Riley’s pass, returning it 43 yards to the Streaks’ 22 yard line.  Thomas was one of four winners of the Rock Island Rocks Hungry Hobo Player of the Game.  On the next play, QB Jae’Vion Clark-Pugh found WR Evan Ellis in the right corner of the end zone for a 22-yard TD, putting the Rocks up 13-6 at the half.

It looked like the Rocks might increase their lead, when Clark-Pugh scrambled brilliantly, avoiding the sack three separate times, finding Ellis open in the left flat.  Ellis picked up a couple of downfield blocks and headed down the sideline, being tackled at the 9 yard line and sustaining an injury that kept him out for the duration of the game.  Ellis finished with 117 yards on 7 catches and was also a co-winner of the Hungry Hobo award.  But the drive stalled and the ball on Jonas Cortez’ 34-yard field goal try clanged off the right upright and fell in the end zone, no good, with 6:00 left in the third.

After an exchange of punts, Galesburg drove to the Rocks’ 6, but on third-and-goal, the shotgun snap sailed over Riley’s head, and after a mad scramble, Damauri McCaw recovered the fumble for the Rocks at their 25.  Rock Island punted again, and Galesburg again drove into Rocks’ territory.  Facing 3^rd-and-long from the 33 yard line, Riley threw his second interception as Santana Smith jumped the route and Rock Island took over at their 35 with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing possession, Rock Island couldn’t move the ball at all, and lined up to punt on 4^th-and-13 from their 32 yard line.  Then came the boldest play of the game.  Clark-Pugh lined up to punt, but instead threw an 18-yard completion to WR Eric Hillyer for a first down at midfield.  From there, Isaiss Duarte was inserted into the lineup and turned in runs of 9, 10, 5, and then 14 yards for a first down that clinched the victory.  Clark-Pugh finished 9-of-12 passing for 141 yards and a TD.  He and Duarte were also named Hungry Hobo Players of the Game.

Rock Island (1-6, 1-3 in the Western Big 6) visits Sterling (4-3, 3-1) next Friday, with the Golden Warriors coming off a crushing 63-6 defeat at Quincy, in which the Blue Devils led 56-6 at halftime.  Galesburg (1-6, 0-4) will host Moline (5-2, 3-1).

It’s Week 7 of our 11th high school football season, and we’ve got two big conference games, with Moline (4-2) looking to become playoff eligible, hosting a 3-3 UT squad hungry for the school’s first playoff berth since 2001. Rocky (0-6) looks to get its first win, hosting Galesburg (1-5). Here are the links for Friday night’s 7:00 games:

NOTE TO PANTHERS & MAROONS FANS: Click on *your* school to link to *your* broadcast. Joe Winkel has the Panthers play-by-play, with Grant Dahlstrom on the call for the Maroons.
United Township at Moline
Galesburg at Rock Island
Panthers presented by Van Hoe Funeral Home; Maroons presented by Sexton Ford; Rocks presented by Wheelan-Pressly