High school football semifinals feature 5 area teams across 3 classes

(WAND) - After three rounds of the IHSA football postseason, only a handful of local teams remain with hopes of reaching the state championship. Throughout the playoffs, programs have fought through blowouts and nail-biters to keep their seasons alive.

Saturday, November 21, will feature games in three classes with local schools, with two of them pitting some of central Illinois' finest head-to-head.

2A: (3) ALAH vs. (9) Maroa-Forsyth - 2pm

ALAH postseason resume: vs. #14 Marshall (27-14), @ #6 Cumberland (41-22), @ #2 Westville (42-35)
Maroa-Forsyth postseason resume: @ #8 Chester (26-14), vs. #1 Johnston City (41-6), vs. #4 Flora (48-12)
Deepest postseason run in program history for ALAH
- Reached quarterfinals in 2006 as Arthur-Lovington
- Won 1A state championship in 1980 as Atwood-Hammond
Knights remain undefeated entering state semifinals
Maroa-Forsyth eyeing back-to-back 2A title game appearances
- Last achieved as three-peat (2016, 17, 18)
Trojans' fourth-consecutive appearance in state semifinals
Maroa-Forsyth outscoring opponents 89-18 in last two weeks

3A: (14) St. Joseph-Ogden vs. (4) Tolono Unity - 1pm

SJO postseason resume: @ #3 Benton (17-14), @ #11 Roxana (42-32), vs. #2 Vandalia (38-24)
Unity: vs. #13 Mt. Carmel (42-14), vs. #5 Monticello (21-20), @ #1 Williamsville (42-7)
Teams met in week 4 of regular season (Unity won 40-10)
Spartans last appeared in state semifinal in 2015 (lost to Unity 30-8)
SJO has finished as state runners-up 5 times in program history
- Most recent in 2013
Unity in first season under H.C. Tony Reetz
Rockets return to state semifinal for second-straight season
- Lost to Monticello in 2024
Rockets finished as state runners-up 6 times under previous H.C. Scott Hamilton
- Most recent in 2021

4A: (3) Rochester vs. (4) Breese Central - 4pm

Rochester postseason resume: vs. #14 Taylorville (56-7), @ #11 Waterloo (55-21), vs. #10 vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin (41-35)
Breese Central postseason resume: vs. #13 Columbia, vs. #5 Freeburg (42-7), @ #9 Cahokia (36-12)
Rochester's 4th appearance in state semifinals in last 5 seasons
Rockets have won 9 state championships under H.C. Derek Leonard
- Most recent in 2023
Breese Central appearing in first-ever 4A semifinal
Cougars finished 2024 season 11-1
Both programs enter semifinal game with 11-1 records
- Breese Central's lone loss: Week 3 @ Mt. Zion (38-28)
  - Rochester beat Mt. Zion in week 2 (28-24)
Rochester and Breese Central averaging more than 40 ppg. in playoffs