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!
Gavyn Cothern Turns in Season-Best Performance
On Friday, Richland County got the W thanks in part to Gavyn Cothern playing the best football he has all season. Cothern rushed for 254 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 10.6 yards per carry, and also threw for 79 yards and a touchdown on only six passes.
The win for Richland County keeps them at an undefeated 7-0. Cothern and Richland County will welcome Casey-Westfield at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 83.12
Lucca Giannavola's Rushing Yards a New Career-High
Lucca Giannavola produced his most outstanding game to date while leading Marshall to the win on Friday. 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. Back in October of 2023 (the last time Giannavola saw the Indians), he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.1 yards per carry.
Gamescore: 56.10
Aj Knoblett's Big Game Leads Robinson over Newton
Aj Knoblett was instrumental in extending Robinson's winning streak to three on Friday. Knoblett was dynamite, picking up 160 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played.
This year, Knoblett has caught 8 touchdowns while averaging 70.1 receiving yards per game. He's made a big improvement compared to last season: at this point last year, he was only averaging 33.43 receiving yards per game.
Gamescore: 46.55
A Season-Best Effort from Ryan Richards Leads Casey-Westfield over Mt. Carmel
Ryan Richards produced his most outstanding game to date while leading Casey-Westfield to the win on Saturday. Richards picked up 211 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He torched the secondary when he pulled down a catch that went for 84 yards.
The victory for Casey-Westfield keeps them at an undefeated 7-0. Richards and Casey-Westfield will head out on the road to face off against Richland County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 38.68
Other Notable Players
- Nolan Clement: 286 yards passing; 34 yards rushing (Gamescore: 38.27)
- Luke Karras: 77 yards rushing, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 37.25)
- Ian Pianfetti: 70 yards receiving, 1 TD ; 43 yards rushing (Gamescore: 30.05)
- Reese Johnson: 280 yards passing; 40 yards rushing (Gamescore: 29.37)
- Dom Huisinga: 38 yards rushing, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 17.55)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
