The IC Catholic Prep football team now is two steps away from getting a crack at a three-peat.
The Knights headed west and recorded a 31-0 shutout win against Stillman Valley in a second-round Class 4A state football playoff game.
IC Catholic Prep, which has won two state championships in a row, moved to 11-0 on the season and earned a spot in the state quarterfinals for a fourth year in a row.
IC Catholic Prep hosts Marengo in the state quarterfinals either Friday or Saturday. Check IHSA.org for date and time.
In the win against Stillman Valley, The Knights led 11-0 at halftime and 18-0 after three quarters. The Knights piled on 13 points in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Khalil Saunders completed four passes for 41 yards and one touchdown.
The Knights also racked up 310 yards on the ground on only 39 carries (7.9 yards per carry). Kyle Franklin ran 18 times for 196 yards and one touchdown (10.9 yards per carry). Rashad Sbeih ran 11 times for 63 yards and scored two touchdowns, while Saunders ran seven times for 40 yards.
Jacob Lytton caught two passes for 14 yards and a score, while Khali Saunders had two catches for 27 yards.
On defense, Kevin Cooke made 21 total tackles, while Ricky Mysliwiec had 10 tackles. Julian Vega finished with eight tackles. Khali Saunders, Dominick Krepulec and Kevin Akins each had six tackles.
The Knights registered 10 tackles for loss with A.J. Howard, Koby Reed and Akins each having two. Khalil Saunders, Lytton, Cooke and Mysliwiec each had one tackle for loss. Lytton, Howard and Reed each recovered a fumble, while Khali Saunders caused a fumble.
Lytton had two punt returns for 41 yards and one kickoff return for 11 yards. Khalil Saunders scored a two-point conversion and Joe Sloan kicked a 26-yard field goal.
Franklin now has rushed for 1,623 yards on 177 carries (9.2 yards per carry) and has 26 rushing touchdowns. IC Catholic Prep is averaging 295.2 yards rushing per game and is averaging 9.1 yards per carry this season. The Knights have 49 rushing touchdowns as a team.
IC Catholic Prep now has won 12 playoff games in a row and has a 15-1 playoff record over the last four seasons. In those four seasons, the Knights have an overall record of 49-3.
