Roxana Shells heads to Carlinville for rematch in playoffs

ROXANA - Coming off a seven-game win streak to end the regular season, the Roxana High School Shells football team is preparing for their first playoff game of the season at 7 tonight at Carlinville High School.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Pat Keith, the Shells are heading into the playoff season for the second year in a row. During the 2014 season, his team defeated Freeburg High School 47-21 in the first round. However, in the second round, the team fell to Carterville High School 49-22.

Having lost to the Cavaliers 48-24 in the first game of the season in August, the Shells have come a long way from that evening. After losing Sept. 2’s battle against the undefeated Pana High School, the Shells learned from their defeats. Since then, Coach Keith’s team has truly put their best work on the line each game, bringing home seven wins to clear out the regular season.

“We know a little how the Cavaliers play now,” Keith said. “Hopefully, we can use that knowledge to better our team.”

Over the past nine weeks of play, the Shells have found themselves to be undefeated in their away matches with a 5-0 record on the road. At home, the team was 2-2 for the 2015 regular season.

One thing that Coach Keith should be proud of is how offensively consistent his team has been over the past couple of months of play. The Shells have scored an average of around 35 points per game, only allowing their opponents to score around 20 points per game.

The 2015 season marks the Cavaliers’ ninth-straight playoff qualification. During their 2014 appearance, the team was eliminated during their second round match against Auburn High School 36-7. In the nine years that the team has qualified, they have not made it to the quarterfinals.

Looking ahead to this Friday’s match, the knowledge gained from week one’s competition can assist the Shells in winning against Carlinville during round one of the playoffs.

“We had a good week of practice,” Coach Keith said. “Hopefully, we can hammer out our problems, bring home a win and head into the second round of the playoffs.”

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