Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland unable to keep pace with Meridian in I8FA playoff loss
Anita Patel, a graduate of DePaul University, has over 8 years of experience covering high school athletics for various local publications. She has a deep passion for sports and youth development, often championing the stories of student-athletes making an impact in their communities.
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Through the first quarter of Saturday’s Illinois 8-man Football Association first-round playoff game No. 14-seeded Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland was trading scores with No. 3-seeded and host Meridian.But then the host and high-powered Hawks (9-1) started to pull away in the second quarter and eventually ended the Falcons (5-5) season with a 61-27 victory in Macon.Meridian - which scored touchdowns on its first eight possessions - entered the contest averaging nearly 440 total yards and just over 53 points per game. Against FCW the Hawks recorded 533 total yards, 243 rushing and 290 through the air.“Meridian is a very tough team to defend,” FCW coach Aaron Jackson. “In 8-man football the toughest part of the game is defense because there is always going to be a hole somewhere because of really only having two levels. So, the biggest key is making the tackles when you have the opportunities. With the skill and speed Meridian has that is a tough task. We had our moments today, but we just wer