West Frankfort Football Gearing up for First State Quarterfinal Game in 40 Years

Forty years of waiting come down to Saturday afternoon for the West Frankfort Redbirds.

During Wednesday afternoon’s practice at West Frankfort, players and coaches used terms like ‘surreal’ and ‘wild’ as the Redbirds get ready for a State Quarterfinal game for only the second time in the program’s history and the first in 40 years.

This senior-dominated roster knows the objective is clear: defeat Flora away on Saturday afternoon to make history as the first squad in school history to reach the semifinals.

“[It’s] something I really never could have imagined or dreamed of,” Redbird senior Nick Hefner said. “I feel like that’s what we’ve worked for, and it’s all coming together, and we’re not done yet.”

IHSA 2A First Round — Ballin4God

While the milestone feels surreal to outsiders, the players inside the program view it as the logical outcome of years of preparation. Hefner pointed to the tight-knit nature of the senior class, noting they have been working out together since junior high.

“We’ve worked a really long time for this, especially my class,” senior Julian Wyant added. “We’ve been independently in the weight room since eighth grade, and we’ve had a good group, and we’ve stuck it out.”

West Frankfort Football Gearing up for First State Quarterfinal Game in 40 Years

That resilience was tested late in the regular season when the Redbirds had to close out their schedule with 4 straight road games. They won 3 of those 4 contests to secure a first-round bye in the postseason.

After picking up back-to-back home wins to open the playoffs, West Frankfort must hit the road again to face Flora.

“Something we talked about last week was resilience,” head coach Brian Beery said.

“We’re playing teams now that have the ability to score at will, they have playmakers all over the field. There are no bad teams left playing football right now… it goes back to experience. The experience of playing a lot of games on the road at the end of the season just better prepares you to play on the road for the playoffs.”

Class 2A Quarterfinal Matchups Peotone at Wilmington Aurora Christian at El Paso-Gridley Nashville at Johnston City West Frankfort at Flora

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Regardless of the final score on Saturday afternoon, Beery and his players believe this run has established a permanent foundation for the program.

“We are setting something up for the future, it’s not just this class, it’s not just this football team, it’s what’s going to happen later,” Wyant said. “What we’ve tried hardest to do is start a legacy, start something that’s going to continue and to grow our community.”

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“This group is a special group, they’ve done everything we’ve asked of them ever since they hit high school, and they’re reaping the rewards of all their hard work,” Beery said. “It’s a group that has had an impact not only on our football team, but our school, our community.”

For now, the immediate focus remains squarely on extending the postseason run.