There is another powerhouse football program in the metro east area that has state championship aspirations alongside the East St. Louis Flyers.
Belleville Althoff has put together another dominant season, which extended into last week’s Class 1A playoff opening round game against Dupo. The Crusaders posted a 60-0 victory to move into this weekend’s second round game at Carrollton.
The Crusaders are senior running back Dierre Hill, an Oregon Ducks recruit who is one of the top prospects in the Midwest. Hill has rushed for 1,639 yards and has added 241 receiving yards. His 34 touchdowns are tops in the St. Louis area. Sophomore quarterback Jayden Ellington has passed for 1,668 yards with 28 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The top receiver is senior Charleston Coldon, who has 33 receptions for 672 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is a Boston College recruit.
The defensive line is anchored by big senior tackle Jason Dowell, who has a team-high 10 quarterback sacks. He has committed to Missouri. Senior linebacker Drake Mosley has a team-high 71 tackles while Colden has three interceptions.
Last Week’s Playoff Standouts
Quarterback Kyren Eleby of SLUH passed for 179 yards and three touchdowns in the Jr. Bills 35-0 victory over Hazelwood Central
Defensive back Steven Dyson II of Chaminade had two interceptions in the Red Devils 32-0 victory over McCluer North.
Quarterback Omar Mims of Cahokia had nine receptions for 119 yards and scored on a 77-yard kickoff return in the Comanches 30-17 victory over Columbia.
Wide receiver Zach Allen had eight receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns in the Jr. Bills 35-0 victory over Hazelwood Central.
Quarterback Collin Sinclair of Orchard Farm passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards in the Eagles’ 48-26 victory over Lutheran St. Charles
Top Missouri District Semifinals Game
(All Games are on Friday at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
Class 6
Oakville at Seckman
Marquette at CBC, Friday, 6 p.m.
Francis Howell at Kirkwood
Pattonville at DeSmet
SLUH at Ritenour, Friday, 6 p.m.
Francis Howell Central at Troy
Class 5
St. Mary’s at Cardinal Ritter
Washington at Eureka
Summit at Lafayette
Ladue at Hazelwood East, Friday, 6 p.m.
MICDS at Chaminade, Friday, 6 p.m.
Fort Zumwalt West at Fort Zumwalt North
North Point at Wentzville Liberty,
Class 4
Union at Gateway STEM
Jennings at Lutheran North, Friday, 6 p.m.
University City vs Miller Career Academy, Saturday, 1 p.m. (at Gateway STEM)
Fort Zumwalt East at Parkway North, Friday, 6 p.m.
Westminster at Orchard Farm, 6 p.m.
Class 3
Lift for Life at Borgia
St. Clair at John Burroughs, Saturday, noon
Hallsville at St. Charles West
IHSA Second Round Schedule
(Date and times of games were TBA at press time)
Class 6A
Normal Community at East St. Louis
Class 5
Highland at Morris
Class 4
Cahokia at Waterloo
Class 1
Althoff at Carrollton
Earl’s World
High school basketball standout Nicholas “Butta” Randall has given a commitment to the University of Missouri. A 6’8” senior forward, Randall is playing at Compass Prep (AZ) after playing three seasons at Vashon. Randall was the MBCA Class 4 Player of the Year in 2024 after helping lead Vashon to the Class 4 state championship. He averaged 10 points and seven rebounds while leading the Wolverines in blocked shots last season…Former East St. Louis football standout Dominic Lovett is having a solid season for the No. 2- ranked Georgia Bulldogs.. He posted a season-high seven receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 34-20 victory over Florida. For the season, Lovett has 38 receptions for 389 yards and three touchdowns…Congrats to former St. Louis area star athletes Anthony Bonner and Lavar Miller, who were selected for induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Bonner was a former star basketball player at Vashon High, who went on to become an all-time great at Saint Louis University. He also played several seasons in the National Basketball Association. Miller was a former track star at McCluer South-Berkeley, where he was one of the top combination jumpers in history of the state. He excelled in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. He went on to have an excellent collegiate career at perennial national power Arkansas. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on November 24 at the Chase Park Plaza.