BREESE — Mater Dei needed a spark late in the third quarter in its Class 4A football playoff game against Massac County on Friday.

Clinging to a one-point lead, Mater Dei's defense delivered. Zac Revermann and Josh Hodges combined for a sack on fourth down, ending a Massac County drive. The play ignited Mater Dei's offense, which scored 20 unanswered points to pull away for a 34-13 win.

Revermann and Hodges "work so hard," Mater Dei coach Jim Stiebel said. "Their favorite atmosphere to play in is (these conditions) right here. They spent all week diving in the mud."

Mater Dei (9-1) wasted no time capitalizing on the sack. On the next play, Tyler Detmer found John Huelsmann for a 63-yard touchdown pass to make it 20-13.

"It was muddy all night, so it was hard to get a grip on the ball," Detmer said.

Lucas Hemann added an 18-yard touchdown run and Detmer made a 1-yard run to complete the scoring. Hemann rushed for 140 yards and two scores.

"It's been raining all week, and I've been licking my chops," Hemann said. "This condition is perfect for me. Usually, I don't like to run around people. In this, I go straight ahead and it seems to work."

Mater Dei will play at Freeburg in the second round. Freeburg beat Mount Zion 30-21.

Mater Dei led 14-7 at halftime despite dominating the first half. The Knights took the game's opening drive 62 yards for a touchdown, capped by a 1-yard run by Hemann.

Massac County (7-3) answered on its first drive. Malcom Amos' 47-yard run set up Jarelle Johnson's one-yard run to tie it 7-7 midway through the first.

Mater Dei went back on top midway through the second quarter on a 14-yard run by Detmer.

The Knights missed a chance to tack on more after Drew Berndsen intercepted Johnson's pass on the next play from scrimmage. Mater Dei drove the ball to the Massac County 31, but several illegal-motion penalties stalled the drive.

Mater Dei's offensive line — Revermann, Cody Tebbe, Justin Dulle, Dominick Rund and Brett Dierkes — controlled the game. The Knights held the ball for more than 17 of the first 24 minutes, including more than 10 minutes of the second quarter.

"They've gotten so much better since week one," Hemann said. "I can't give enough credit to those guys. It all starts with them."