FREEBURG — The Mater Dei High football team is slowly changing its image.

The Knights' prolific air attack has been shoved aside in favor of a bruising, lightning-quick ground assault.

Junior quarterback Tyler Detmer ran for 184 yards and two scores Friday to lead Mater Dei past Freeburg 35-14 in a Class 4A second-round Illinois playoff game in Freeburg.

Mater Dei, the No.-1-ranked team in the Post-Dispatch small-schools poll, improved to 10-1 with its 10th successive victory. Freeburg, which dropped a 38-35 decision to Mater Dei during the regular season, ends at 7-4.

Detmer had thrown for 2,156 yards and 18 scores entering the game. But on this night, he let his legs do the talking.

"Everybody thought we were a passing-type team for the first eight or nine weeks," Detmer said. "Our offensive line, they were getting sick of it. They love to run the ball, so we put it on their backs."

Explained coach Jim Stiebel, "We just take whatever they give us."

The Mater Dei defense also shined on Friday. Defensive back Collin Toennies returned an interception 33 yards for a backbreaking score late in the third period that pushed the lead to 28-7.

The Knights scored on their first two possessions of the game and took a 21-7 lead into the break with an 88-yard march in the final two minutes of the half. Detmer zipped up the middle from 17 yards out to cap the drive. Detmer also rambled 62 yards though the entire Freeburg defense early in the second period to put his team up 14-7.

"I feel real confident right now," Stiebel said. "We're injury-free and we're going to see what (tough) team they're going to put in front of us."

Mater Dei plays the winner of today's matchup between Metamora and St. Thomas More of Champaign.