For the first time since 2023, the Carmi-White County Bulldogs will host an IHSA State Football Playoff game at the friendly confines of Harrington-Jeffries Stadium. The Shelbyville Rams will make the 123-mile trip to Carmi on Saturday afternoon for an opening-round matchup.
Carmi enters the postseason riding a four-game winning streak after closing out the regular season with victories over Sesser-Valier, Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton-Elverado, Edwards County, and Eldorado. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 5-4 record, outscoring their opponents by a combined 194-25 during their four-game winning streak.
After a challenging start to the season, Carmi has found its stride at the right time, building momentum heading into the postseason. Now, the Bulldogs will look to carry that success into the playoffs as they welcome a Shelbyville team whose 2-7 record might not tell the entire story.
Shelbyville competes in the small school division of the Heart of Central Illinois Football Conference, one of the state’s most competitive leagues. The Rams’ opponents have combined for a 50-22 record this season, giving Shelbyville a challenging schedule from start to finish. Among the Rams’ losses were a 27-0 defeat to undefeated Heyworth (ranked #4 in Class 1A), a 32-20 loss to 7-2 Tuscola (ranked #7 in Class 1A), a 48-22 loss against Tri-Valley ( ranked #5 in Class 2A), and a 52-13 loss to undefeated El Paso-Gridley (ranked #2 in Class 2A).
The Rams received a forfeit win in Week 7 after Clinton High School forfeited their remaining schedule. Shelbyville secured their postseason berth with a 28-20 victory over Eureka in Week 9, a game they needed to win to qualify for the expanded IHSA playoff field.
“The Heart of Central Illinois Conference, regardless if you’re on the big side or the small side, is a very competitive league,” said Carmi-White County head coach Clinton Wolff. “Don’t let their record fool you.”
Offensively, Shelbyville runs a scheme similar to what Carmi saw from the Flora Wolves in Week 2. The Rams look to spread the field, get the football out quickly, and put their best athletes in positions to make plays in open space.
Senior Owen Beyers (#4) leads the offense at quarterback. While the passing game has had its struggles throughout the season, Beyers is coming off one of his strongest performances of the year after throwing three touchdown passes in last week’s win over Eureka.
Senior wide receiver Rylan Murphy (#9) caught two of those touchdown passes, while sophomore running back Jayce Davis (#5) hauled in the other.
On the ground, senior Jaden Meister (#23) has led the way in the Rams’ rushing attack. Shelbyville will use lots of pre-snap motion to create opportunities for its playmakers, including senior Wade Reid (#3), who is featured on jet sweep style plays and in trick play situations. Freshman Kit Ulmer (#2) is another player the Rams look to involve in their offensive attack.
Wolff knows the Bulldogs will need to be disciplined defensively to slow down Shelbyville’s playmakers.
“They’ve got a nice running back, their quarterback throws the ball well enough, they’ve got a really nice receiver on the outside,” Wolff said. “We have to stay disciplined. We’re going to have to read our keys, the line of scrimmage is going to have to play extremely well.”
Defensively, Shelbyville looks to load the box and bring pressure with its linebackers to slow down opposing rushing attacks. That will put an emphasis on Carmi’s offensive line, which will need to pick up blitzes, control the line of scrimmage, and open running lanes for the Bulldogs’ backfield.
Carmi’s offense has found its rhythm during the team’s four-game winning streak. The backfield combination of Jazz Duckworth, Cooper Hill, Branson Burnett, and Kyzen Edwards, along with quarterback Dakota Brown have hit their stride at the right time.
The Bulldogs have piled up 1,567 rushing yards over their last four games. If Carmi can continue to establish the run and find success on the ground against the Rams, it could go a long way toward helping the Bulldogs earn their first playoff victory since 2013.
Under the previous playoff format, a 5-4 record would likely have meant a road trip to face an 8-1 or 9-0 opponent in the opening round. However, with the expanded IHSA playoff field, the Bulldogs will have the opportunity to open the postseason on their home turf.
“Having the opportunity for a home playoff game is tremendous,” Wolff said. “I think that’s great not only for our community and our fans, but it’s a great thing for our kids to be able to experience a home playoff game. It’s special.”
Saturday’s matchup marks the second all-time meeting between Carmi and Shelbyville. The Rams won the first encounter, defeating the Bulldogs 46-6 in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.
Fans can watch and listen to Saturday’s game on 97.3 FM WRUL and the WRUL Sports YouTube Channel. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 PM, with the Taylor Eye Care pregame show beginning at 1:15 PM.
CWCHS Playoff History:
1975 3A – vs East. St. Louis Lincoln (L 33-10)
1999 4A – at Chatham Glenwood (L 35-0)
2000 4A – at Metamora (L 63-14)
2001 3A – at Du Quoin (L 20-14 OT)
2003 3A – vs Pinckneyville (W 22-7)
2003 3A – vs Carterville ( W 19-14)
2003 3A – vs Du Quoin (L 19-14)
2004 3A – vs Oakwood-Armstrong (W 41-14)
2004 3A – at Tolono Unity (L 48-13)
2005 3A – vs CZR (W41-22)
2005 3A – vs Carterville (L 21-15 OT)
2006 2A – at Marshall (W 40-11)
2006 2A – vs Red Hill (W 22-13)
2006 2A – at Casey-Westfield (L 23-8)
2007 3A – vs Carlinville (L 31-30)
2010 2A – at Casey-Westfield (L 36-16)
2011 2A – vs Carlyle (L 35-28)
2012 2A – at Casey-Westfield (L 45-0)
2013 2A – at Chester (W 30-25)
2013 2A – vs Gillespie (L 28-12)
2014 2A – at Chester (L 21-8)
2016 2A – vs Shelbyville (L 46-6)
2017 2A – at Bismarck-Henning (L 37-34)
2021 2A – at Breese Mater Dei (L 54-16)
2022 2A – vs Athens (L 48-8)
2023 2A – vs Breese Mater Dei (L 40-22)
2024 2A – at Warrensburg-Latham (L 35-30)