December 26, 2024
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Marquette football vs. Galena Class 1A playoffs score, news, our pick, live coverage

By Charlie Ellerbrock
Marquette's Payton Gutierrez dives for the end zone to score a touchdown as Seneca's Nick Grant tackles him late on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 at Seneca High School.

Marquette's Payton Gutierrez dives for the end zone to score a touchdown as Seneca's Nick Grant tackles him late at Seneca High School. (Scott Anderson)

Marquette faces Galena in Round 2 of the 2024 Class 1A IHSA football playoffs. Friday Night Drive editor reporter Charlie Ellerbrock will have live updates, scores and news from the game.

What to know

Marquette vs. Galena kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Galena High School

Marquette-Galena preview

About the Crusaders: This is a matchup of two teams that pulled off upsets in the opening round. Marquette Academy did it in resounding fashion, 44-6 at eight-win Rushville-Industry, the decisiveness of the win perhaps more surprising than the result going in favor of the playoff-regular Crusaders. Marquette’s defense (limiting run-heavy Rushville-Industry to 233 yards from scrimmage) and wing-T running attack (led by Payton Gutierrez’s 167 yards and two TDs, Jaxsen Higgins’ 165 yards and one TD, and Grant Dose’s 88 yards and three TDs) were firing on all cylinders in the opener. It will likely take another such effort to propel the Cru to the 1A quarterfinals for the first time since making back-to-back trips to the semifinals in 2015 and 2016, also under current head coach Tom Jobst. Last week’s win lifted Marquette to 2-4 against 2024 playoff teams overall and 1-1 against fellow 1A playoff teams this season.

About the Pirates: Galena had to rally late and survive a thriller in its opening-round matchup at Stark County, defeating the Rebels 43-42 on a do-or-die 2-point conversion attempt with just more than a minute remaining. Survive it the Pirates did, however, despite trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter, and due to being 1A North’s No. 12 seed to Marquette’s No. 13, the Pirates will be hosting this Saturday matchup with the winner likely hosting undefeated LeRoy in the third round. RB Myles Schumacher (89 yards rushing, 36 yards receiving in the opening-round victory) and QB Roman Romer (12-for-21, 203 yards passing; 58 yards rushing) are the centerpieces of an offense that prefers to run but acquitted itself quite well when behind and forced to throw last week in Wyoming. The Pirates’ win at Stark County was their first against a fellow Illinois playoff team, with their four losses coming at the hands of 7-3 Eastland-Pearl City (22-6), 9-1 DuPec (61-13), 10-0 Lena-Winslow (22-10) and 7-3 Stockton (34-0).

Friday Night Drive pick: Galena

Live updates