The Blue Devils will move into the second level of Class 2 state playoffs on Monday, when they host Northwest Academy (10-1) in a highly-anticipated rematch.

Maplewood Richmond Heights (11-0) first played Northwest at their place in the district playoffs, where MRH handed Northwest their only loss this season. MRH Head Coach Brandon Gregory said that it's harder to beat a team twice.

"I know the Northwest coach will have their guys ready," Gregory said.  "It's up to us, our coaching staff, to have our guys ready."

Gregory said the biggest thing for him and his staff is to keep his guys humble.

"My guys got to see that at the end of the day you have to settle down and play football," Gregory said. "So the trash talking and all the other stuff that goes on before the game, that's not what wins games."

After the Principia game on Wednesday, he told his players they have to get down to business and play Northwest like they played Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School. MRH beat MICDS, a class 4 team, by 10 points in August.

Both MRH and Northwest have played two games since they last met. Northwest beat Carnahan (46 to 6) and Brentwood (25 to 7), while MRH beat Lift For Life (80 to 32) and Principia (53 to 0). Both teams have steamrolled their opponents this season.

In that two-game span, Northwest has passed the ball 13 for 19 times for 285 yards, and rushed 75 times for 647 yards. MRH is 16 for 23 for 271 yards through the air, and has rushed 59 times for 569 yards.

Defensively, Northwest has tallied 109 tackles, eight sacks, three fumble recoveries and four interceptions. MRH has 81 tackles, 12 sacks, five fumble recoveries, and four interceptions.

Gregory said his team has one advantage they didn't have before. He said that senior defensive back Nick Coulter and junior running back Kayshon Hagens didn't play in the previous Northwest game because they were injured.

"We're going to be healthier than we've been all year," he said. "We're pretty much rested up and everybody is ready to make this run."

A win on Monday will put MRH into the state quarterfinal round on Saturday. The winner of Monday's game will play either Caruthersville (11-0) or Herculaneum (9-2).