GSV Sep 28, 2026

Week 5 Review

We are now officially more than halfway through the 2026 high school football season. That is insane. Playoffs are not that far away. From now on, every single game matters. Many teams have solidified themselves as a serious threat, while others are trying to finish the last 4 games strong. This week, we had many high quality matchups highlighted by outstanding performances.

CBC @ Lipscomb Academy (Tennessee) 34-35

This week, led by QB Daylen Austin-Harvey, the Cadets of CBC traveled to Lipscomb Academy in Nashville Tennessee to play the Mustangs. This game was an absolute battle. After going down 14-0 in the 1st quarter, the Cadets clawed their way back into the game and took a 20-14 lead in the second quarter after multiple Austin-Harvey touchdowns. However, after the first touchdown, the extra point attempt was no good, which would later come back to bite them. Lipscomb was able to get a touchdown of their own to enter into halftime with a 21-20 lead. CBC was able to grab a 34-28 lead after the third quarter, but was not able to seal the deal, as the Mustangs got a 4th quarter touchdown and converted the extra point, which would be enough in the end to beat the Cadets. This was a tough one to swallow for CBC, but they will be returning home this week to host the Nabun-Gap Nacoochee Eagles.

Fox @ Seckman 20-26 (OT)

Speaking of battles, we had another one brewing down in Imperial. The Jaguars of Seckman hosted the Fox Warriors. In a game that featured 607 total rushing yards, Seckman and Fox exchanged blows for 4 quarters in a row. After 2 rushing touchdowns from both teams, Fox went into halftime with a 14-12 lead. In the third quarter, Seckman QB Jaxon Jablonski ran for a touchdown followed by a 2-pt conversion to give the Jaguars a 20-14 lead. Then, after back and forth drives that led to nothing, Fox QB Jude Pribbish ran 12 yards for a TD to tie the game with 2 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. With a chance to take a 1-point lead, Fox could not convert on the extra point. 4 quarters proved to not be enough for these 2 teams. After thwarting the Fox offense, Seckman took over the ball and stormed down for a game winning TD to seal the deal against the Warriors in overtime. Seckman moves to 4-1 with this win while Fox drops to 2-3.

Triad @ O’Fallon 3-7

If you love watching good defense, this was your game to be at. The 5-0 Triad Knights looked to stay undefeated against the 2-3 O’Fallon Panthers. However, records do not mean a whole lot at the end of the day. All that matters is who can play the best football for 4 quarters in a row. And in this game, that was the O’Fallon Panthers. Those who say “Defense Wins Championships” look to games like this. After scoring an average of 40 points per game in their first 5 games, Triad could only put up 3 against O’Fallon. After both teams scored in the second quarter, either team scored the rest of the game. Triad looks to get back in the win column with a game against Granite City next week, while the O’Fallon Panthers will face the Edwardsville Tigers.

Kirkwood @ Eureka 24-35

Down in Eureka, the Kirkwood Pioneers traveled to face the Wildcats of Eureka in one of our highest ranked matchups of the week. Both of these teams entered this game with very strong resumes. After the first half, the Eureka Wildcats were defending their home turf just as they had planned, getting off to a 14-3 lead. Kirkwood came out of halftime with vengeance and managed to go on a 21-7 run over the next 2 quarters, giving them a 24-21 lead with 8:43 left to go in the game. But then, with the ball and a chance to go up by even more, Eureka LB Ben Mohesky intercepted Nick Tucci and took it all the way back for 6. Then after another defensive stop, the Eureka offense sealed the deal with a 34 yard TD run from QB Zac Kem, giving them a 35-24 victory against the Pioneers. The Wildcats look to go 5-1 next week against a good Marquette squad, while Kirkwood looks to get back on track against the Lindbergh Flyers.

Cardinal Ritter @ St. James Performance 6-50

With a score that shocked me when I saw it, the Cardinal Ritter Lions fell to St. James Academy 50-6. The Strivers have demolished every team they played, including now the powerhouse Cardinal Ritter Lions. With a schedule that has shown absolutely no mercy, the Lions fall to a deceiving 1-4. The Lions are surely battle tested, which could be scary for the rest of the season.

Other Notable Games:

SLUH 14 - Lift for Life 0

Marquette 27 - Lafayette 21

Timberland 70 - North Point 46

Lindbergh 16 - Rockwood Summit 14

Veritas Christian 27 - Crystal City 26 (2 OT)

Top 10 Stat Performers of Week 4:

1. Alex Graham (North Point) QB - 23/36 Pass Atts, 458 Yards, 4 TDs, 2 Ints, 65 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD

2. Carter Hill (Washington) QB - 20 Rushes, 234 Yards, 5 TDs

3. Ronnie Gomiller (East St. Louis) WR - 15 Rushes, 276 Yards, 3 TDs

4. Aeran Collins (Pattonville) RB - 7 Rushes, 238 Yards, 4 TDs

5. Noah Menneke (MICDS) QB - 24/37 Pass Atts, 327 Yards, 5 TDs, 0 Ints