Calhoun Goes On The Road, Highland, East St. Louis Play At Home On Saturday In IHSA Football Playoff Quarterfinals

Three local contenders face pivotal IHSA playoff tests, with Calhoun heading on the road and Highland and East St. Louis preparing to defend home turf.

Save Share
Listen to the story

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL - Calhoun will play on the road on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 8, 2026, with Highland and East St. Louis playing at home in the quarterfinals of the 53rd IHSA football playoffs, in schedules released this afternoon at the IHSA office in Bloomington-Normal.

The Warriors, who won their Class 1A second round game at home on Nov. 7 over longtime power Tuscola 22-6, will play at Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond on Saturday at 2 p.m. ALAH, the number two seed in the southern half of the bracket, won their second round game over Catlin Salt Fork 40-6. Both teams go into the game at 10-1 each, with the winner playing the winner of Mt. Sterling Brown County and Camp Point Central in the semifinals the weekend of Nov. 20-21.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

Sign in to hide this notification.

In Class 4A, Highland, the number 10 seed in the south at 9-3, hosts number three Rochester, currently 10-1, with the date and time still to be announced. The Bulldogs won their second-round game over Carterville 62-50, thanks to a seven-touchdown performance by running back Carter Harris, while the Rockets, a Central Illinois power, upended Cahokia 54-27. The winner will meet the winner of Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin Catholic and Centralia in the semifinals.

Article continues after sponsor message

Over in Class 7A, East St. Louis, the number four seed at 10-1, will play host to number five Mt. Prospect, also 10-1, Saturday at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium, with the kickoff time being 1 p.m. The Flyers have outscored their two playoff opponents 14-12 and won over Chicago St. Patrick 72-12 in their second-round game, while the Knights took a 50-10 win over Rockford Guilford Catholic this past weekend. The winner will face the winner of Chicago Brother Rice Catholic and top-seeded Normal Community in the semifinals.

The finals are set for Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27-28, at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal. The Class 1A-4A finals will be played on Nov. 27, with the Class 5A-8A finals on Nov. 28, at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m., respectively.

Prefer RiverBender on Google
Your community. Your stories. From school milestones to decisions at city hall, local stories deserve coverage. Subscribe to help RiverBender keep telling them.
Support Local Journalism
Copyright 2026 Riverbender.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

More like this:

Calhoun Faces Carlyle At Home Saturday, Edwardsville Travels To Normal Community As IHSA Announces First Round Dates And Times
Oct 26, 2026
Calhoun Gains First Round Bye in Class 1A, Edwardsville Gets Home Game In Class 7A As IHSA Announces Football Playoff Pairings
Oct 17, 2026
Calhoun, East St. Louis Host Football Playoff Showdowns
Nov 2, 2026
Carlinville, Marquette Set To Play Friday Night, Collinsville, Edwardsville Go On Saturday As IHSA Announced Opening Round Football Playoff Dates
Oct 20, 2026
Edwardsville Battles Belleville East to Deciding Set on Senior Night
Oct 21, 2026