Crunch time.
It’s on the line in high school sports this time of the year. Competition, seeking the fruits of hard work by individuals and teams to qualify for the playoffs, advance, and achieve goals. True for football, boys soccer, cross country, girls tennis and starting Monday, Oct. 25, girls volleyball.
Candace Parker recalls her path to the girls basketball State championship for Naperville Central High School. Now, 35 years old, she was a key player in the recent Chicago Sky Women’s National Basketball Association championship accomplished Sunday, Oct. 17 as the sixth seed in a three-to-one championship series victory over Arizona. She grew to 6-4 after giving indications as a 6-1 freshman at Naperville Central, she would follow in the footsteps of older brother, Anthony Parker, who played 15 years professionally in the NBA and in both Israel and Italy. The Sky knew crunch time. Chicago has a celebrated championship team.
High school football playoff pairings will be announced Saturday evening on many television stations across the State. Any team with six victories in eight games has clinched a playoff berth. Many hopeful teams face a necessary victory in the coming Friday and Saturday, or, a seat on the sidelines when the playoffs begin. There will be eight classes based on enrollment and 32 teams in each class.
Teams with 5-4 records may qualify if they have enough points based on opponents victories. See the standings on page 11. East Aurora, Bartlett, Marmion Academy, Plano, St. Charles North, Yorkville, Geneva, Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville North, Naperville South, Benet Academy, Plainfield East, Minooka, Larkin, Downers Grove South, Downers Grove North, and Willowbrook all are on the cusp, in crunch time. There is no turning back.
• Marmion is 5-3 following its 29-0 shutout victory against Leo in Chicago Saturday. “Leo gave us fits the first half,” Marmion head coach Dan Thorpe said. “We led only 6-0. We played give-a-way with two turnovers inside the 10.” Marmion, 0-2 in the Chicago Catholic/East Side Suburban Catholic Conference White Division and 5-3 overall will play host to DeLaSalle, 0-2 and 3-5 at 7 p.m. Friday. “DeLaSalle is athletic, fast, and has a ton of playoff points. We must grind out long drives and stay away from the big plays by their speed and skilled players.”
• Plano (5-3 overall and 3-3 in the Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Blue) head coach Rick Ponx: “We are having a much better season than the last two. Kids have bought into what we teach, and, just like at AU (Aurora University) the third year seems to be the turning point. We are approaching the Ottawa (2-6, 1-5) game just like a playoff game (with victory clinching a playoff berth). It is a must win situation for our team to achieve our goals Our running back Ray Jones has been the backbone of the team and rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season.”
• Oswego (6-2 overall and 4-0 in the Southwest Suburban West) has clinched a playoff berth, however, has its sights set on an undefeated conference championship. Oswego will finish the regular season at Yorkville (4-4 and 1-3 in SS West.) “Yorkville is big and always fights until the end of the game,” Oswego head coach Brian Cooney said earlier this week. “We will have to play well. “(Against rival Oswego East, 6-2 and 2-2, a 38-14 victory Friday, Oct. 15) The offense gained 415 total yards.”
• Batavia (8-0 and 6-0 in the DuKane) has given up only 360 yards rushing all year, 45 per game. St. Charles North (4-4, 2-4), “Are always better than their record,” said head coach Dennis Piron, “and have played us tough every year. They have a multiple offense and a solid defense.”