The stage is set for what could be another winner-take-all showdown between undefeated teams Casey-Westfield and Olney for the Little Illini Conference football championship. But, that is next week. For two league teams, the post-season is already here, in essence, because they now have to win out just to reach the playoff bubble at 5-4. Two others have to win out to get in at 6-3 and avoid the bubble.

Here’s the way it went on Friday night:

#4 1A Casey-Westfield (5-0, 7-0) 21, Mt. Carmel (3-4, 3-2) 20 (ot)
Casey-Westfield stopped Mt. Carmel’s two-point conversion attempt in overtime to hang on for a 21-20 win to remain undefeated on the year. After a 14-14 tie in regulation, the Warriors scored first in OT on a two-yard run by Kellen Sullivan and added the PAT from Wyatt Erickson for a 21-14 lead. The Aces countered with a TD run by Jackson Kling on third down, but he was then stopped short on a walk-off conversion attempt. Twice, Casey-Westfield answered Mt. Carmel go-ahead scores, one on a 44-yard run by Luke Karras, the other on an 85-yard kickoff return by Jack Julius. Kling scored twice for Mt. Carmel, with quarterback River Deisher adding the other tally on a one-yard run that put the hosts up, 6-0.

Marshall (2-3, 4-3) 34, Lawrenceville (0-5, 1-6) 7
Marshall snapped a three-game losing streak and reignited their playoff hopes with a 34-7 triumph over Lawrenceville. RB Lucca Giannavola rushed for 201 yards on 25 carries to lead the Lions. All five Marshall touchdowns came on the ground, with Giannavola scoring three times, one on a 40-yard run. Silas Dean and QB Luke Brodie added other scores. Giannavola has rushed for 1,190 yards this year and is nearing the 2,400-yard mark for his career. Brodie was 5-of-9 in the air for 126 yards, the longest a 58-yard flip to Liam Keim. Marshall’s defense aided the cause, with two pass interceptions, from Gavyn Boden and Kaiden Sanders.

Newton (1-4, 2-5) 24, Robinson (2-3, 3-4) 21
Newton snapped a five-game losing streak with a 24-21 upset win. Henry Will’s 28-yard field goal with under three minutes to go proved to be the game-winner for Newton, making it 24-13 at the time. Robinson hustled down the field and scored on a pass from Reese Johnson to Isaac Ayers, plus a two-point conversion pass to A.J. Knoblett but time ran out on the Maroons. Newton QB Hayden Mulvey had another big night for the Eagles, completing 14 of 17 passes for 221 yards. His Robinson counterpart, Johnson, threw for 101 yards (10-of-17  on the game) while rushing for 131 yards on 22 carries. The Maroons were a one-point favorite coming in.

Olney (5-0, 7-0) 41, Paris (2-3, 4-3) 22
Olney left little doubt in this one. The Tigers scored the first three touchdowns of the game, led 21-6 by halftime, and cruised to a 41-22 win. Gentry Hough scored on a 45-yard run less than three minutes in to set the stage. QB Gavyn Cothern scored twice for Olney. He rushed for 157 yards on 14 carries, while adding 219 yards through the air on 9-of-13 accuracy (with two TD passes). WR Cooper Hires caught both of Cothern’s scoring passes (covering 42 and 37 yards). RB Xavior Zuber added a rushing TD. Paris got two scores from RB Carter Crippes, part of his 103-yard night on the ground. Dawson Rogers also scored. Paris wound up with 118 yards in the air on 3-of-11 passing.