John Hough, Sports Writer

CARROLLTOn - It’s rare to be viewed as underdogs if you’re wearing a Carrollton Hawks jersey. The narrative that Carrollton head coach, Nick Flowers has preached all week is how the Hawks don’t have any pressure on their shoulders. “There’s no pressure on us,”...

SEE PHOTO GALLERY: SESSER - Nick Flowers could tell his team was going to bring it in the final two quarters of the game during halftime. After all, his playoff record in the past seven years suggests he’s a master at finding ways to win ball games early in the playoffs...

ROLLING MEADOWS - It came down to one play. The 27th-seeded Alton Redbirds had fought tooth and nail against the undefeated Rolling Meadows Mustangs all game long. Amhad Sanders caught a leaping 29-yard touchdown catch in triple coverage from Andrew Jones with 24.3 seconds to play, and...

SESSER - The 10th-seed Carrollton Hawks downed the seventh-seed Sesser-Valier Red Devils 37-14 in Sesser on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs. The Hawks improve to 7-3 and will host the Camp Point Central Panthers on Saturday for the second consecutive season. Coincidentally...

ROLLING MEADOWS – Rolling Meadows, 9-0, entered as a big favorite against Alton, 5-4, in the IHSA Class 7A football playoff game Friday night at Rolling Meadows. Alton was defeated 29-27 in a game close all the way, and the Redbirds clawed to the very end of the contest. The game was knotted...

CARROLLTON - For the seventh season in a row, the Carrollton Hawks are playing a tenth game. The 10-seeded Hawks will face the 7-seed Sesser-Valier Red Devils in the first round of the Class 1A IHSA Playoffs on Saturday at 1 p.m. This will be the second time during Carrollton’s playoff run...

ALTON - Friday night, the Alton Redbirds will attempt an upset in Chicago. Tonight at 7 p.m. they’ll take on the undefeated and sixth-seeded Rolling Meadows Mustangs in the first round of the Class 7A IHSA playoffs. This is the second season in a row the Redbirds have qualified for the postseason...

COLLINSVILLE - It was surely heading for overtime. However, when you mix high school sports and playoffs into one, then the results are almost always glorious and heart-breaking. The Edwardsville Tigers and Collinsville Kahoks both obtained goals in the second half, and with time winding down...

ALTON - Something had to give. The Marquette Catholic Explorers and the Columbia Eagles previously played twice in the regular season and split both games. They were evenly matched, and there could only be one winner in the Class 2A Bethalto Regional Championship. After going up a goal in...

CARROLLTON - It couldn’t have gotten out to a worse start for the Carrollton Hawks in each of the opening acts in both halves. Through grit, skill, and determination they fought back gallantly, but ultimately it wasn’t enough as they fell to the No. 6 Class 1A-ranked Camp Point Central...