:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/VKXZGXZ5T5GXZFK7DAMB6PZ3OI.jpeg)
Seneca faces BHRA in Round 2 of the 2024 Class 2A IHSA football playoffs. Friday Night Drive reporter Brian Hoxsey will have live updates, scores and news from the game.
What to know
Seneca vs. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: BHRA
About the Fighting Irish: Seneca received maybe a little more of a test than most expected in last week’s opening round, trailing six-win El Paso-Gridley by four points heading into the third quarter of an eventual 39-23 Irish victory. Leading rusher Brody Rademacher (1,425 yards, 17 TDs, 16.4 per-carry average on the season) and Nick Grant (514 yards, 5 TDs including last week’s game-winner, 8.4 per attempt) both rushed for over 100 yards in the comeback win over the Titans. With QB Paxton Giertz (238 yards passing; 439 yards rushing) they will be asked to lead Seneca’s run-heavy power-T attack against what has been a stingy Blue Devils defense allowing just 13.2 points per game, albeit with no shutouts. Perhaps counterintuitive for an old-school rushing offense, big plays have powered Seneca. The Irish defense, too, should have its hands full with BHRA’s multi-faceted offense. Seneca will be looking to return to the Class 2A quarterfinals for a second straight season, with the winner of 9-1 Chicago Christian versus 9-1 Tri-Valley awaiting the Irish if they do.
About the Blue Devils: Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin has been in the playoffs each of the past 14 seasons, but not to the third round in any of those trips. That’s something the Blue Devils will try to change after an undefeated regular season and then a surprisingly nail-biting 14-6 win in the opening round against 5-5 Erie-Prophetstown last Saturday. Champions of the Vermilion Valley Conference, the Blue Devils have averaged 41.3 points per outing this fall thanks to a balanced attack led by 1,000-yard passer Anderson Thomas (75-of-115 for 1,190 yards, 17 TDs, 4 INTs), 1,000-yard rusher Evan Parish (1,471 yards, 21 TDs, 8.8 per carry) and approaching 1,000-yard receiver Chaz Dubois (39 receptions, 746 yards, 9 TDs). BHRA’s top two wins on its resume include a 21-20 victory in Week 2 over 6-4 Westville and 42-14 in Week 7 over an 8-2 Momence team that got blown out in the opening round by a Dwight/GSW squad the Fighting Irish beat by 30 points in their Chicagoland Prairie Conference meeting this season.
FND pick: Seneca