The Little Illini Conference added two more football teams to the playoff mix on Friday as Marshall and Mt. Carmel both posted regular-season finale wins, bringing to five the number of league teams now “playoff eligible.” That wasn’t the only headline from Week 9. There was an upset, and a celebration to boot. Here’s the full recap:

Paris (4-3, 6-3) 22, #7 1A Casey-Westfield (5-2, 7-2) 17
RB Carter Crippes scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds remaining to give Paris, a 14-point underdog, a 22-17 lead. Then, a Tiger interception sealed the deal in this battle of playoff-bound teams. Crippes finished with 85 yards rushing on 25 carries, second to Dawson Rogers’ 91 yards on 19 carries. Paris QB Brayden Rogers was 4-of-6 in the air for 77 yards. Casey-Westfield, suffering a second straight loss after opening the season 7-0, had a balanced running attack, led by Luke Karras with 48 yards. QB Nolan Clement added 47, with Kaiden Sullivan adding 34.  This will mark Casey-Westfield’s 35th trip to the playoffs. For Paris, it will be post-season appearance No. 8.

Mt. Carmel (5-2, 5-4) 42, Lawrenceville (0-7, 1-8) 15
RB Elliott Acree scored three touchdowns and ran for 216 yards as Mt. Carmel became playoff eligible with a win over their ancient rivals. Acree passed the 900-yard mark on the season, and stands at 2,465 yards for his career. The Golden Aces ran for 409 yards on the night, but they were just as strong on defense. Mt. Carmel has now held five opponents to less than 100-yards rushing (Lawrenceville got only 81 yards on 31 carries). However, Indians QB Blayton Gossett sizzled in the air, finishing 17-of-21 for 192 yards and two TDs (passes to Luke Schultz and Jacek Mickiewicz). Mt. Carmel will make its 42nd trip to the state playoffs

Marshall (3-4, 5-4) 32, Newton (2-5, 3-6) 15
Marshall is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 after rallying to defeat Newton, a 10-point pick going in. The Lions trailed, 15-8 at halftime, but outscored Newton, 24-0, in the second half. Marshall RB Lucca Giannavola rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns to aid the cause. He is at 1,255 yards for the year, and 2,425 for his career. Kaiden Sanders also scored for the winners. Newton’s Quincy Fulton scored both touchdowns for the Eagles, one on the ground and one on the receiving end of a QB Hayden Mulvey scoring pass. Mulvey was 19-of-38 in the air for 176 yards, finishing the season with an LIC-best 1,864 passing yards. This will be Marshall’s 30th trip to the playoffs.

Olney (7-0, 9-0) 43, Robinson (2-5, 3-6) 21
The Tigers wrapped up their second consecutive 9-0 regular-season, a first in school history, and will thus carry that 18-game streak into the 2026 season. The Tigers left little to question in this one, leading 21-0 at the half. QB Gavyn Cothern was his usual self, with 118 yards and three TDs on nine carries on the ground, while adding 139 yards and three scoring passes on a 7-of-8 night in the air. Robinson QB Reese Johnson ended his career with a bang. He threw for 118 yards on 10-of-18 accuracy, which pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season, and within 17 yards of the 4,000-yard career plateau. Olney is headed to the playoffs for the 25th time.

This story will be updated as more information is gathered. Some of the statistics used are unofficial.