Lions Begin Playoff Push with Saturday Rematch Against Salem
The regular season is in the books. Now, the Carterville Lions turn their attention to playoff football. Unbeaten Carterville enters the Class 4A postseason at 9-0 and will host the Salem Wildcats on Saturday, October 31, at 1 p.m. The Lions hold the No. 2 seed in their half of the bracket, while No. 15 Salem brings a 6-4 record into the matchup. Carterville received an opening-round bye, while the Wildcats advanced with a 26-22 victory over Olney Richland County. Saturday marks the Lions’ playoff opener—and another meeting with a familiar conference opponent.
Carterville controlled the first matchup on September 18, beating Salem 45-0 at home. The Lions built a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, added 21 points in the second and went into halftime ahead 31-0. Another 14 points in the third quarter completed the scoring. Carterville’s defense kept Salem off the scoreboard throughout the night, helping the Lions improve to 5-0 at that point in the season. It was a complete performance that gave Carterville an early advantage and left the Wildcats chasing the game.
The Lions’ offensive leaders delivered big numbers in that September victory. Quarterback Jack Dodson completed 17 of 19 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown. Gavin Johnson caught 10 passes for 177 yards and all three touchdown receptions. Johnson also contributed in the kicking game, making six extra points and opening the scoring with a 23-yard field goal. Jonathan Miller rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns, giving Carterville a powerful ground attack to complement its passing game. Salem had trouble finding an answer for either.
That first result gives Carterville a strong blueprint, but Salem has earned another opportunity. The Wildcats followed the September loss with wins over Murphysboro, 50-20, and Herrin, 24-20, and now arrive with a postseason victory over Richland County behind them. From a matchup standpoint, Carterville’s priorities are clear: protect the football, finish possessions and keep Salem from establishing an early rhythm. The Wildcats will look to extend drives and avoid the quick deficit that put them in a difficult position during the first meeting. The Lions have already shown they can win this matchup; Saturday is about delivering that execution again.
The next step in Carterville’s bracket runs through No. 10 Highland at No. 7 Freeburg, scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. Highland enters at 7-3 after beating Lincoln 56-12 in the opening round, while Freeburg is 7-2 and received a bye. The Carterville–Salem winner will face the Highland–Freeburg winner in the second round. On the other branch of this quarter of the bracket, No. 19 Waterloo visits No. 3 Rochester on Friday at 7 p.m., and No. 11 Cahokia travels to No. 6 Jacksonville on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Those four teams will produce the other potential quarterfinalist from this section.
Across the other quarter of the southern half, No. 1 Centralia hosts No. 16 Bethalto Civic Memorial; No. 8 Mt. Zion hosts No. 9 Decatur MacArthur; No. 4 Sacred Heart-Griffin hosts No. 20 Jerseyville; and No. 5 Breese Central hosts No. 12 Metamora. All four games are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. Centralia and the Mt. Zion–MacArthur winner feed into one second-round matchup, while the Sacred Heart-Griffin–Jerseyville and Breese Central–Metamora winners meet in the other. That section will eventually produce the semifinal opponent for the team that survives Carterville’s quarter of the bracket.
Join us Saturday for the call as the Lions begin their playoff push. Pregame coverage starts at 12:40 p.m., with kickoff at 1 p.m. Watch our YouTube live stream or listen on NewsRadio WJPF, AM 1340 and FM 99.5.
Whether you’re heading to the game or following from home, we’ll have the action as Carterville looks to defeat Salem again and keep its unbeaten season rolling. It’s playoff football—and the Lions are ready to get started.
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