The Carmi-White County Bulldogs will welcome the Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton-Elverado Bearcats to Harrington-Jeffries Stadium Friday night for Week 7 of the IHSA football season and it is also 2026 Homecoming.
Both teams enter the matchup with 2-4 records, and both remain firmly in the hunt for an IHSA playoff berth, especially with the expanded playoff format being introduced this season.
Both squads are also coming off impressive road victories.
Carmi-White County traveled to Sesser-Valier last Friday and came away with a dominant 26-0 shutout victory. Meanwhile, CZRE spoiled Red Hill’s Homecoming last Saturday with a 29-16 win.
The Bearcats are led by head coach Mike Rude, who is in his 56th and final season as a varsity head coach. Rude is spending his final seasons at his alma mater after returning to Christopher in 2025 with the goal of rebuilding a program that had won just two games over a three-year span from 2022-2024.
Rude guided the Bearcats to the playoffs in 2025, marking the program’s first postseason appearance since 2008. However, after graduating a senior class that featured five All-BDC players, CZRE has experienced an up and down 2026 campaign.
The Bearcats opened the season with a 27-0 shutout victory over Eldorado, but things quickly turned in the wrong direction. CZRE was shut out in consecutive weeks, falling 32-0 to Johnston City and 31-0 to Flora. The Bearcats then suffered a 16-15 loss to Hamilton County before falling 38-14 to Sesser-Valier.
Just when it appeared their season was heading in the wrong direction, CZRE responded with its biggest win of the season, traveling to Red Hill and knocking off a Salukis team that had won three straight games.
Now sitting at 2-4, the Bearcats believe they still have a path to the playoffs, but that path starts with a win over the Bulldogs Friday night.
One of the staples of Rude’s offenses throughout his various coaching stops in Southern Illinois has been his patented single wing offense.
It’s a formation the Bulldogs have not seen this season, and it comes with plenty of moving parts. The Bearcats will overload the offensive line to one side or the other, while utilizing two players in the shotgun who can run the football in either direction.
One of the primary players CZRE looks to get the football to is senior Tripp Fletcher.
Fletcher spent the previous two seasons as the Bearcats’ tailback in their spread offense, but this year has transitioned into the quarterback role in the single wing attack.
Through six weeks, Fletcher leads the BDC in both rushing attempts and rushing yards while ranking second in rushing touchdowns. He has accumulated 715 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on the season, including a monster performance last week against Red Hill when he rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries.
Fletcher has also attempted 24 passes this season for 202 yards.
“Fletcher is a very good athlete, and their whole offense runs through him,” CWC head coach Clinton Wolff said. “It will be very important for us against this style of offense to stay disciplined, read our keys, and contain Fletcher.”
When Fletcher isn’t carrying the football, he’s often handing it off to junior Landon Farmer. Farmer ranks second on the team with 243 rushing yards and has scored two touchdowns this season. Seniors Hunter Hammonds and Larry Salatas will also see their share of carries. The two have combined for 127 rushing yards and one touchdown.
For the Bulldogs, Friday night’s game comes after their most complete performance of the season.
Carmi put up season highs in points, rushing yards and passing yards against Sesser-Valier. The Bulldogs also converted all six of their 4th down attempts while recording their first shutout since 2021.
Jazz Duckworth and Cooper Hill turned in arguably the best performances of their careers. Hill rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown, while Duckworth finished with 128 rushing yards and a touchdown. Duckworth also recorded three tackles for loss and two sacks on the defensive side of the ball.
Carmi-White County will have to deal with its first significant injury of the season on Friday. Left tackle Ian Goemaat will miss the game as he continues to recover from a knee injury. Junior James Hutchcraft will step into the starting role at left tackle. Hutchcraft has previous starting experience after filling in on the right side of the offensive line earlier this season.
“James was in our rotation all summer, and he took reps at both guard and tackle,” said Wolff. “I have no doubt that James can step in and do the job. He’ll know where he is supposed to go.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Friday night at Harrington-Jeffries Stadium.
Fans can watch and listen to the game on 97.3 FM WRUL and the WRUL Sports YouTube Channel. The Taylor Eye Care Pregame Show will begin at 6:30 PM.