Little Illini Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances across Friday and Saturday's football action (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
Lucca Giannavola Turns in Season-Best Performance
On Friday, Marshall got the W thanks in part to Lucca Giannavola playing the best football he has all season. Giannavola rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry, good enough to set a new career-high in rushing yards in the process. He didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made ten total tackles.
Giannavola must have Lawrenceville's number; he was a force to be reckoned with the last time he faced them too. Giannavola rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.1 yards per carry the last time he and the Indians duked it out back in October of 2023.
Gamescore: 56.10
Knoblett Made His Presence Known in Robinson's 35-28 Win
Robinson picked up their third consecutive win on Friday thanks in part to Aj Knoblett. Newton had no answer to Knoblett as he picked up 160 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Knoblett continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played.
Knoblett and Robinson will head out on the road to challenge Paris at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The last time Knoblett took on the Tigers, he picked up 61 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 62 yards. Can he match (or beat) that performance?
Gamescore: 46.55
A Season-Best Performance from Ryan Richards Leads Casey-Westfield over Mt. Carmel
On Saturday, Casey-Westfield got the W thanks in part to Ryan Richards playing the best football he has all season. Richards picked up 211 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He torched the secondary when he pulled down a catch that went for 84 yards.
Richards will try to repeat (or improve) on that dominant effort when he faces off against Richland County on Friday. The contest will pit Richards up against the Tigers' star WR Dirks Weiler. With so much talent on the field, fans are surely in for an exciting game. The only thing left to see is who brings home the W.
Gamescore: 38.68
Nolan Clement and Co. Win Seventh in a Row
Nolan Clement was instrumental in extending Casey-Westfield's winning streak to seven on Saturday. Clement was unstoppable, throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns on only ten passes, while also rushing for 34 yards. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October of 2023.
Clement and Casey-Westfield will challenge Richland County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The match will pit Clement up against the Tigers' star quarterback Gavyn Cothern. With so much talent on the field, fans are surely in for an exciting game. The only thing left to see is who brings home the W.
Gamescore: 38.27
Casey-Westfield Gets a Boost from Karras in 50-14 Victory
Luke Karras was instrumental in extending Casey-Westfield's winning streak to seven on Saturday. Karras was dynamite, rushing for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
For the year, Karras has run in 11 touchdowns while averaging 119 rushing yards per game. He's made a big improvement compared to last season: at this point last year, he was only averaging 50.57 rushing yards per game.
Gamescore: 37.25
Other Notable Players
- Reese Johnson: 280 yards passing; 40 yards rushing (Gamescore: 29.37)
- Dom Huisinga: 38 yards rushing, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 17.55)
- Shain Meador: 56 yards passing; 82 yards rushing, 1 TD (Gamescore: 15.13)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
