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The 2021 Class 6A final at Northern Illinois University pitted the same two teams that will square off for the 2023 Class 6A final at Illinois State University.
Heading into that 2021 final the overwhelming majority of people anticipated that East St. Louis’ high-octane offense and punishing defense would be too much for Cary-Grove to have to deal with.
What we got instead was one of the best state championship games of all time, one where Cary-Grove executed a masterful game plan and emerged with a 37-36 win.
We now enter the 2023 final with the same two teams set to square off with East St. Louis once again in the role of favorite. Will history repeat itself?
Here’s a closer look at the two teams squaring off in the Class 6A title game that will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday in Normal.
Cary-Grove (11-2)
Head coach: Brad Seaburg (124-28, 13 years)
Last state title game appearance: 2021, won over East St. Louis, 37-36
Path to state
• defeated Libertyville, 49-6
• defeated Highland Park, 49-29
• defeated Geneva, 41-7
• defeated Lake Zurich, 28-10
Offensive stalwart
Logan Abrams, RB: Abrams is a punishing runner for the Trojans and he assumes a heavy workload for Cary-Grove as he is just short of 1,500 yards rushing on the season.
Defensive stalwart
Connor Anderson, DB: Anderson is listed as a defensive back on the roster, but that doesn’t deter him from making impacts at all levels as he leads the Trojans by a wide margin in tackles.
The wildcard
Andrew Prio, RB: Prio’s numbers almost look like a mathematical error of some kind. He has over 1,200 yards rushing this season but amassed that number with just 80 carries. He’s scored 17 touchdowns on 85 total touches.
Stat book
• Cary-Grove has just 40 more rushes than their opponents this season, but nearly 2,300 more rushing yards.
•Trojans quarterback Peyton Seaburg has completed 16 passes this season, 10 of those completions have gone for touchdowns.
• Cary-Grove has outscored opponents 268 to 59 in the first half.
The skinny
Cary-Grove has had an epic turnaround after missing the playoffs last season. While it lost two games along the way, those were both one-point losses. The Trojans still have many of the components that frustrated East St. Louis in the matchup two years ago, but the defense is going to have to do a better job of containing things than they have for much of the season as Cary-Grove is giving up an average of 268 yards per game to foes.
East St. Louis (11-2)
Head coach: Darren Sunkett (251-76, 28 years)
Last state title game appearance: 2022, won over Prairie Ridge 57-7
Path to state
• defeated Lemont, 61-0
• defeated Normal West, 54-7
• defeated Kankakee, 34-13
• defeated Washington, 34-18
Offensive stalwart
Robert Battle, QB: Battle was a sophomore starter the last time these two teams met. He played well in that game, but with two more years of experience under his belt he likely won’t get rattled easily.
Defensive stalwart
LeonTre Bradford, S: The Purdue commit is the anchor in the Flyers secondary that tends to provide plenty of extra opportunities for the offense to go back on the attack.
The wildcard
TaRyan Martin, RB: Martin isn’t the listed starter for East St. Louis in the backfield, but more often than not if the Flyers are in need of some backfield thunder Martin is the man for the job.
Stat book
• East St. Louis two losses can certainly be identified as quality. The Flyers lost to Mount Carmel in Week 1 and loss to Humble Atascocita in Texas in Week 3. Atascocita is ranked in the top 50 nationally.
• While the Flyers lost several massive Division I recruits on the offensive line to graduation, they didn’t exactly get much smaller up front this year as it still averages 6-foot-1, 263 pounds across the offensive line.
• Since starting the season 1-3, East St. Louis has outscored opponents 440-72 over its last nine games.
The skinny
Pound for pound East St. Louis might still be the most talented team in the state, but it has had a few moments where it struggled to pull away from teams. And at other times, when the Flyers flip the switch and everything clicks, the results are truly awesome. It remains to see which version of East St. Louis will show up on Saturday or will it be a blend of the two?
The pick
East St. Louis 41, Cary-Grove 34