By Carter Crane
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Fall playoff season is upon us in some sports and the soccer playoffs started at the end of last week and this week. Boys and girls State championships in golf will be played Saturday. Tennis sectional tournaments will be Saturday.
The football season has three regular-season games remaining for rivalries, with playoff berths on the line with conference championship implications.
Each Saturday through November 30 there will State championship tournaments in various sports. That’s seven Saturdays. Football in eight classes will conclude November 29-30 following Thanksgiving Day.
Pro football fans may focus on the Thanksgiving Day game of the Chicago Bears at Detroit in the Motor City’s annual Thanksgiving Day game, however, high school football teams and fans will think about the conclusion of the playoffs.
Eight football teams in The Voice circulation area have records of 6-0 each and will complete the regular season in three weeks. Yorkville, Minooka, and Oswego of the Southwest Prairie Conference West Division each is 6-0. Yorkville will play at Minooka at 7 p.m. Friday and there are big rivalry games, to include Oswego East at Oswego; Sandwich at Plano, Joliet Central at Joliet West, and St. Charles East at Batavia, the latter for leadership in the second-year DuKane Conference.
Other teams with 6-0 records include: South Elgin, Glenbard West, Hinsdale Central, Benet Academy, and IC Catholic Prep.
Just as important Friday in high school football will be teams with 2-4 records each seeking to win the first of three consecutive games just to qualify for the playoffs. Some teams find themselves in such an uncommon situation, to include Waubonsie Valley, West Aurora, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Wheaton North, Elgin, Streamwood, East Aurora, and Fenton. Rivals Sandwich and Plano, each 2-4 has incentive in the game in Plano. Naperville Central will be at Waubonsie Valley, each seeking survival. West Aurora and East Aurora each will be at home to avoid a fifth defeat.
High school head football coaches’ comments:
• Mike Stine, Naperville Central (2-4) said, “We do have our backs against the wall and we will keep the same focus. We have to go 1-0 this week against Waubonsie Valley that is in the same position. We have to trust the process and stay together as a team and be willing to put in quality preparation each day.” Against Neuqua Valley Friday (a 19-14 defeat), Stine said, “Give Neuqua Valley credit. They drove the ball 82 yards in eight minutes to end the game.”
• Dan McGuire, Yorkville (6-0): “We had some success running (in a 30-7 victory over Oswego East).” On the game at Minooka, each 6-0: “Minooka is a very physical team that is well-coached. It is a tough place to play and we will have our work cut out for us. We need to match their physicality and limit mistakes.”
• Dan Thorpe, Marmion (4-2): “Fenwick (31-26, victor) was very physical and got up early on us (in River Grove). We did have a nice comeback in the second half. St. Viator (4-2, 7:30 p.m. at Marmion Friday), will really bring it. They return both their offensive and defensive lines from last year and are big and athletic in the lines. Linebackers are physical and blitz a ton. Key is they have low numbers. We will have four starters out for the game due to injuries Key is St. Viator has low numbers and plays many kids both ways. But we are beat up.”
• Brian Cooney, Oswego (6-0) at home against crosstown rival Oswego East, 4-2), “You can throw out the records. We have to play our game and remain focused on what we want to do. (Against host West Aurora, Friday, a 40-21 victory) We decided to hang on to the ball in the red zone and not turn it over. We continued to play adequate defense.” Oswego holds a 14-0 record against Oswego East.
• Rick Ponx, Plano (2-4) at home against rival Sandwich, 2-4, Friday: “The determining factor will be which team shows up and makes the least amount of mistakes. Looks like weather may be a factor. Sandwich has a great running game.”
• Dennis Piron, Batavia (5-1, 4-0) in a game for DuKane leadership: “St. Charles (5-1, 3-1) has a very good offensive line and quality defenders everywhere. Our run game overall has worked the best for us. It should be a really even game, a great game. (Against Geneva, 0-6, 0-4) We played smart and physical. We did what was require. Geneva’s plan kept the score close for a good while (in a 42-0 final score).
• Nate Eimer (West Aurora, (2-4): “We turned the ball over against Oswego and couldn’t move the ball. Logan Mont is having a (great) season, Cam Van Vleet is tremendous on defense every week and (QB) Will Tammaru is having a nice season.”
• Dragan Teonic (South Elgin, 6-0) Leads the Upstate Eight and is trailed by three teams each with a 5-1 record, including Friday’s visiting opponent, Glenbard South, and has scored 315 points and given up seven. “Their QB, Nick Plaso is a good one and throws the ball well and is accurate. We’ll need to control their run game and force them to become one-dimensional. He will take chances with the ball. The weather could be an issue. We do a good job of keep (the players) focused and so do our senior leaders. This is a little bit of a trap game with Bartlett (5-1) on the horizon.”
• Pat Ryan (Kaneland, 5-1, in third place in the Insterstate Eight):”Right now I am most impressed with the fact that we are playing really well in all three phases. We are making big plays on special teams, our defense is doing a nice job rishing the pass and shutting the run, and we are making big plays on offense. Our team has big-play potential in all three phases. Getting (running back) Wilson Giffney back to 100% is key; (most surprising) is the addition of players we did not expect. Ian Diehl (TE/DE) has been a huge contributor. Defensively, Connor Collins, Ethan Feiza, and Tommy Show have done a nice job. Jack McIntire ran the ball effectively filling for an injured Wilson Giffney.