Here are the Peoria area's top IHSA playoff football performers from the second round

Each week, the Journal Star will take a look at the top-performing teams and players from games across the Peoria area.

Players from Peoria High, Pekin and Princeton lead our performers for the second round of the IHSA football playoffs:

More:Where and when Peoria-area teams play in the 2022 IHSA football playoffs

Malachi Washington, Peoria High

The running back has nearly 2,500 rushing yards during his season campaign following a 204-yard night in Friday's Class 5A second-round playoff victory over Kankakee, 48-21. He had four touchdowns with 39 carries, scoring from 3, 13, 3 and 1. Peoria High's opening drive consisted of 17 handoffs to Washington, who accounted for all 75 yards and a score.

Landon Newby-Holesome, Peoria High

Newby-Holesome showed his speed in taking a short pass from QB Tino Gist for 76 yards and a score in Peoria High's 48-21 win over Kankakee in the Class 5A second round. The 6-foot, 231-pound senior fullback added a four-yard, fourth-quarter TD. He finished with three catches for 91 yards and those two TDs. The Lions (10-1) travel to face Mascoutah in a 3 p.m. Saturday quarterfinal game.

More:How Peoria High slowed down one of the state's fastest high school football teams

Scott Jordan, Pekin

The quarterback finished 20-for-32 for 283 yards to help Pekin to a thrilling 32-31 come-from-behind victory over Normal Community in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs. His top target was Bo Benassi, who caught 11 passes for 194 yards and Pekin's lone passing TD — a 65-yarder in the second quarter.

Tanner Sprecher and Kanye Tyler, Pekin

The dynamic duo was back at it again, bolstering the Pekin offense (522 total yards) in a second-round win over Normal Community, sending Pekin to 11 wins for the first time in school history. Sprecher ran for 135 yards and two TDs on 23 carries, while Tyler added 66 yards and a TD on 11 carries. Tyler also added four catches for 73 yards for the Dragons, who will host Lake Zurich in a quarterfinal next weekend.

More:'Can't count us out': How Pekin football made history with a thrilling playoff finish

Jacob Morin, Eureka

The quarterback nearly rallied to the Hornets (8-3) to the Class 3A quarterfinals, throwing a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter of an 18-16 second-round loss to Williamsville (10-1). He finished 8-of-13 for 65 yards and two TDs to Drew Dingledine, who finished with four catches for 44 yards and both scores.

Kaden Hartnett, Metamora

The quarterback did his best to move upset-minded Metamora into the Class 5A state quarterfinals. He ran for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries in a 44-28 second-round road loss to top seed Mahomet-Seymour. Running back Frederick added 93 yards and two TDs on nine carries for the Redbirds (7-4), who trailed 29-28 at halftime against the state's No. 2 ranked team. Mahomet returned the second-half kickoff 75 yards and controlled the game from there.

Augie Christiansen, Princeton

The running back had 172 yards and a touchdown on 28 touches to help the Tigers remain unbeaten with a 26-2 victory over Genoa-Kingston in the Class 3A second round. Quarterback Teegan Davis added 101 total yards passing and rushing and accounted for three scores for the Tigers (11-0), who face Elmhurst IC Catholic in their third consecutive quarterfinal appearance.

Jaxin Johnson, Knoxville

The running back scored six touchdowns on Saturday to help lead the Blue Bullets to a 48-29 upset victory over Bismarck Henning-Rossville-Alvin. The 5-foot-9 senior had 20 carries and 282 of Knoxville’s 452 yards on the ground. He had touchdown runs of 20, 86, 55, 5 and 3 yards behind the Bullets’ offensive line of Hudson Strom, William Stowe, Trenton Kirgan, Joe Wall and Dalton Hutchison. He also hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Beau Honeycutt. No. 7-seeded Knoxville (9-2) faces Downs Tri-Valley in its second quarterfinal appearance in the last three postseasons.

Aaron Frey of the Galesburg Register-Mail contributed to this story.

Peoria-area IHSA football playoff pairings

Class 1A

Second-round score

(1) Lena-Winslow 76, (8) Oneida ROWVA/Williamsfield 7

Class 2A

Second-round scores

(1) Maroa-Forsyth 42, (8) Farmington 12

(7) Knoxville 48, (2) Bismarck Henning-Rossville-Alvin 29

Quarterfinal schedule

(7) Knoxville (9-2) at (6) Downs Tri-Valley (9-2), TBA

Class 3A

Second-round scores

(1) Princeton 26, (8) Genoa-Kingston 2

(15) Stanford Olympia 60, (7) St. Joseph Ogden 28

(3) Williamsville 18, (6) Eureka 16

Quarterfinal schedule

(4) Elmhurst IC Catholic (10-1) at (1) Princeton (11-0), TBA

(3) Williamsville (10-1) at (15) Stanford Olympia (7-4), TBA

Class 4A

Second-round score

(6) Murphysboro/Elkville Elverado 20, (3) Macomb 16

Class 5A

Second-round scores

(3) Peoria High 48, (6) Kankakee 21

(1) Mahomet-Seymour 44, (8) Metamora 28

Quarterfinal schedule

(3) Peoria High (10-1) at (7) Mascoutah (8-3), 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12

Class 7A

Second-round score

(3) Pekin 32, (19) Normal Community 31

Quarterfinal schedule

(11) Lake Zurich (10-1) at (3) Pekin (11-0), TBA