Cary-Grove’s defense held tight when it had to Saturday and the Trojans completed an undefeated season with a stunning 37-36 win over top-ranked East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s Class 6A football state championship game between Cary-Grove and East St. Louis.

Drew Magel’s 20-yard touchdown run wrapped up another dominant performance across the board for the top-seeded Trojans, who racked up 505 total yards of offense and held Lake Forest’s starters scoreless. C-G defeated the No. 6-seeded Scouts, 40-7, in the Class 6A semifinals to reach the state championship for the sixth time in school history. C-G (13-0) will face No. 4-seeded East St. Louis (11-2), a 54-13 winner over No. 7-seeded Crete-Monee, at 1 p.m. Nov. 27 at NIU’s Huskie Field in DeKalb. The Trojans, who won state titles in 2009 and 2018, played their past five state title games in Champaign.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s Class 6A football semifinal game between Cary-Grove and Lake Forest.

While there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the unbeaten Cary-Grove football team’s offense (more on that in a few seconds), the Trojans’ defensive exploits have been equally impressive this season. In seven of the Trojans’ nine regular-season games, opponents were held to two touchdowns or less.

Prospect’s Owen Walter took a crash course in Quarterback 101 this past week. And after his performance Saturday in the Class 7A quarterfinals, the senior earned an A-plus. Walter directed a ground-oriented Prospect offense that moved the ball and controlled the clock. The 11th-seeded Knights used that and a attacking defense to beat 19th-seeded Jacobs 35-21.

Cary-Grove’s Ben Hurt-Haller has been itching to make a big play all season. Unable to stay healthy and on the field over the past two seasons, the Trojans senior came through with one of the biggest plays during Saturday’s Class 6A quarterfinal against Crystal Lake Central. After C-G’s defense forced a three-and-out on Central’s opening possession, Hurt-Haller blew past the Tigers’ blockers, stretched out and blocked the punt of Myles Stanger. The ball stayed on the ground long enough for Hurt-Haller to pick it up and run 10 yards the other way for a touchdown. The top-seeded Trojans went on to score the first 42 points and rolled to a 42-21 victory over No. 12-seeded Central, putting C-G a win away from its sixth state championship appearance. The Trojans have reached the semifinals seven times since 2004, winning state titles in 2009 and 2018.

No. 6-seed Lake Forest scored with 14 seconds left in the game to stun No. 7 Prairie Ridge 22-21 Saturday in their Class 6A quarterfinal playoff game.

Here’s a look at the football matchups in the Fox area for the quarterfinal round, including Jacobs trying to keep its surprise postseason run alive and Cary-Grove putting its 11-0 record on the line.

Underdogs? Jacobs senior running back Ben Ludlum is having none of that.