Batavia High School, St. Charles North, Montini Catholic, IC Catholic Prep, Joliet Catholic Academy, are just a few of 32 football teams remaining in the Illinois High School Association football playoffs. Batavia just slipped past Willowbrook Saturday in Batavia in a game of teams each with an 11-0 record. Batavia started fast, led 24-7, fell behind and tied the score at 27 in the final seconds on a 24-yard field goal by Jackson Williams.
Carter Crane/The Voice
The overtime was a stark contrast. Batavia took possession of the ball first and in one play scored on a 10-yard run by linebacker/running back Michael Jansey. The Batavia defense pushed Willowbrook back and the 34-27 victory sent the Bulldogs to a semifinal game at Nazareth Academy at 1 p.m. Saturday in Class 7A.
The Batavia touchdown in overtime was a formation used only once this season until the game with Willowbrook. The vernacular joke framed the play as with the (three) Stooges: Linebackers Jansey, Luke Weerts, and Quinn Urwiler, all three stalwart linebackers, who rotate on offense. The Batavia formation went right and Jansey went left through one defender and into the end zone. Batavia is 12-0 and in two years has lost only to St. Charles North last season in a conference game. Post game slogans for Batavia included: “One more week….Don Stop Believin’….” .
• Wheaton Warrenville South ended its return to the playoffs after a three-year hiatus and a 10-2 record following a 21-10 defeat against St. Charles North in Class 7A. “The future looks very positive with our lower level success,” WWS head coach Ron Muhitch said.
• High school basketball is here. Boys tournaments will start Monday, Nov. 19 and include Hoops for Healing at Oswego and Naperville North; Ron Johnson at St. Charles East; and Ken Peddy at Batavia.