Football: Tri Cities playoff previews
Class 7A
No. 8 Bradley-Bourbonnais (5-4) at No. 1 Geneva (9-0) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.
Last year: Did not play.
Last week: Bradley-Bourbonnais 21, Joliet 14; Geneva 14, Batavia 12.
Players to watch: Another great running back has resulted in another stellar season at Geneva. In 1985 it was Derek Swanson who rushed for 20 TDs and 1,314 yards in just the regular season. In 2004, Nick Herrera finished the season with 1,318 rushing yards as the Vikings went on a lengthy postseason run, and this year it's a healthy Michael Ratay who enters tonight's action with 20 rushing touchdowns and 1,155 yards. Most impressive might be the fact that with 183 carries, Ratay is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. While eyes are on Ratay, it's linemen like Taylor Reed and Anthony Miller and company who are helping create opportunities for Ratay to pursue holes and keep the chains moving. Quarterback Mike Mayszak (67-of-149 for 1,135 yards, 4 INT, 14 TDs) is coming off a tough game on a windy night with 2 interceptions so he'll look to bounce back tonight. Drew Fagot, Sean Grady and Trey Hemming have given Ratay breathers at times, combining for over 500 rushing yards. Joe Augustine (31 catches, 622 yards, 7 TDs) is the Vikings' top receiver but Michael Faught (16 catches, 220 yards, 2 TDs) and tight end Colin McCaffrey (5 catches, 79 yards, TD) could also be key tonight. Bradley-Bourbonnais runs a spread offense so look for numerous players to try to help the guests score an upset. Senior quarterback Travis Moliga leads the Boilermakers offense while a pair of running backs -- senior Camren Bilyard and sophomore Austin Ringo -- are expected to continue splitting duty this evening and try to put an end to Geneva's stellar campaign.
Outlook: Before the season began Geneva aimed to make the playoffs, to win the Western Sun Conference and to beat Batavia. The Vikings have accomplished those three goals already and are now ready to begin pursuing a fourth goal -- to make an extended run in the postseason. The first roadblock is Bradley-Bourbonnais a 5-4 team that played in the very tough Southwest Suburban Conference. "I think it's the best football conference in the state so competition is very difficult so it's monumental to make the playoffs," Boilermakers coach Craig Bundy said. "We're the only 7A (team) in the conference; everyone else is 8A." In fact, even beating an 0-9 Joliet team last week didn't come easily for the Boilermakers, but they'll head to Burgess Stadium confident that they can battle Geneva regardless of its perfect record. "This is a really good 5-4 team, the best we've had in the first round of the playoffs," Vikings coach Rob Wicinski said. "You can tell they play really good competition." The Boilermakers utilize the spread offense so the Vikings do have some experience in stopping that this season. "If we're throwing for a decent percentage and not having to throw every down I feel we can do well," Bundy said. "That's when we have been most effective, but we have to hold onto the ball." That's something Geneva has done really well, especially with its defense collecting 24 interceptions and fumble recoveries. "The defense has been our M.O. and we rely on them for good field position and try to get the ball in the end zone without as much yardage," Wicinski said. Brennan Quinn (98 tackles), Frank Boenzi (4 sacks) and Casey Emanuel and Jack Conforti (4 interceptions each) are some of the statistical leaders of Geneva's stellar defense, which also includes Trevor Hyslop (65 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions), Matt Caliendo and others.
Bottom line: As long as they maintain their edge, remain focused on the game at hand, and play the way they have all season, the Vikings should be able to take care of this Boilermakers team and turn their focus to a potential St. Charles East matchup next week.
Advancement: The winner plays the winner of Granite City vs. St. Charles East.
No. 5 Granite City (6-3) at No. 4 St. Charles East (7-2) Game time: 7 p.m. today
Last year: Did not play.
Last week: Granite City 6, Belleville East 3; St. Charles East 39, Thornridge (Dolton) 0.
Players to watch: We'll see if the St. Charles East defense can rise to the occasion again tonight as Granite City relies heavily on Kenny Stanley to keep the offense going. Stanley (184 rushes, 964 yards, 10 touchdowns) isn't the only one running the ball though as quarterback Matt Kelly has more rushing attempts (106) than passing attempts (90). Still, Kelly's ability to do a nice combination of the run and pass can frustrate defenses. He's thrown for 624 yards, but only 2 touchdowns, while rushing for 355 yards and 6 touchdowns. Troy Fox is another important weapon for the Warriors. He's dangerous in and out of the backfield having combined for nearly 450 yards of total offense. Nick Rozell (68 tackles) and Kyle Jackson (66 tackles) lead the Warriors defense. All that said, it'll be interesting to see how defensive tackle Dave Mashal and the rest of the Saints defense, which has shutout three opponents this fall, will respond tonight. Offensively, the Saints continue to receive great production from Wes Allen who eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last week. With Allen (177 rushes, 1,026 yards, 13 TDs) and Chris Caci (60 rushes, 400 yards, 7 TDs) in the backfield, success running the ball allows for better opportunities for quarterback Sam Gunther (111 of 189, 1,199 yards) to move the ball in the air to the team's leading receivers, Matt Hammer (57 catches, 637 yards, 4 TDs) and Jake Krzeczowski (29 catches, 289 yards, 2 TDs).
Outlook: The Saints are coming off yet another shutout and they'll look to slow down an up-and-coming Granite City team which is enjoying its best season since 1991. Tonight's contest will be the Warriors' first postseason game in 16 years and they're playing well, having won four of their last five including a huge 6-3 win last week as they handed Belleville East only its second loss all year. "We think it's a great draw and we're happy to be at home," Saints coach Ted Monken said. "It's good to have a 7-2 (record) instead of 5-4 and having to travel, and we think this is a team we match up well with. We think it'll be a great game and don't think we'll be overmatched." All season long Monken had said that he believes the Saints can play with anybody in the state and that's apparently true. In the Saints' two losses to Lincoln-Way East and St. Charles North you could argue that it was more missed assignments and turnovers that did the Saints in. That said, they will definitely look to avoid those things this evening. While the Saints don't know much about Granite City, other than what they've viewed on tape and seen in statistics, they expect the Warriors to come ready to play. "You don't get in the playoffs unless you won some big games," Monken said. "They beat Edwardsville (who knocked the Saints out of the playoffs last year) and we expect them to come up here with a plan of kicking our butts." Stopping Stanley seems to be the key and the Saints have been battled-tested this season, having to stop a handful of great running backs and fullbacks. "Hopefully we'll find a way to stop him," Monken said. "Hopefully the good competition will have prepared us for this and we can show up and knock them down a few times."
Bottom line: Coaches often argue about what a team gains in losing, but the Saints' loss to St. Charles North in Week 8 might have roused the team. They look like they've recaptured the momentum and excitement they've enjoyed most of the year, and as long as they avoid beating themselves they should beat a good Granite City team.
Advancement: The winner plays the winner of Bradley-Bourbonnais vs. Geneva.
No. 6 Batavia (5-4) at No. 3 East St. Louis (8-1)
Game time: 3 p.m. Saturday.
Last year: Did not play.
Last week: Geneva 14, Batavia 12; East St. Louis 54, Edwardsville 16.
Players to watch: Bai Kabba (91 carries, 828 yards, 7 TDs) has simply developed into an outstanding offensive player and will only continue to get better. He had 173 rushing yards against a very good Geneva defense and will need another strong effort Saturday. Shane Holl (8 carries, 52 yards) saw some action at fullback last week now that Nate Greviskes is out for the season with an injury. Brian Krolikowski is the team's second leading rusher (70 carries, 504 yards, 10 TDs) but he only had a pair of carries last week. Quarterback Jordan Coffey (89 for 193, 1,407 yards, 9 INTs, 14 TDs) and an assortment of wide receivers, including Ryan Webb (22 catches, 407 yards, 2 TDs) and Erich Zeddies (18 catches, 351 yards, 5 TDs) will look to help the Bulldogs control the clock and score some points. East St. Louis, the Southwestern Conference champions, have some impressive weapons in their arsenal, beginning with quarterback Detchauz Wray (82 for 157, 1,756 yards, 20 TD passes). What makes the Flyers offense so lethal is the fact that they have two impressive runners in the backfield and at the wideout positions. Freshman Vincent Arterbridge (94 carries, 857 yards, 13 TDs) and Courtney Molton (55 carries, 799 yards, 11 TDs) will need to be slowed by the Batavia defense as will Jerry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton whose statistics nearly mirror each other as the two have combined for 70 catches, 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Outlook: Things rarely come easy for a 5-4 playoff team and Batavia knew that beforehand. They have a lengthy bus ride to East St. Louis and will face a highly regarded program that has won 8 games in a row. "This is a great opportunity for our team," Bulldogs coach Mike Gaspari said. "We're getting a chance to play a storied program in Illinois sports, let alone football." That's been one of the blessings of the Batavia program, especially recently. In the last five years or so, they've gone up against programs such as Rock Island, Morgan Park, Providence, Cary-Grove and Joliet Catholic, and gotten some wins too. "We've been competitive in all those and I'm hanging my hat on that," Gaspari said. "All those experiences help mold young people and are things they will always remember." They'd also not forget celebrating a victory on a lengthy bus ride home, but it won't come easily. "We feel we have a great chance to win the game," Gaspari said. "We've seen plenty on film, and given our schedule we feel good about the opportunity, but the kids needs to go play their best and that's what it's going to take." It's going to take a big-time defensive effort from the Bulldogs, and an offensive approach where they are able control the clock and not allow the Flyers, who beat opponents by an average of 33 points, from jumping ahead early. "They've not really been challenged so we want to stay with them," Gaspari said. "If we can stay with them in the third and fourth quarter that's a great situation to be in because they've literally blown out their opponents and we've been in so many close games." As for the Batavia offense, Gaspari is confident that the Bulldogs can move the ball and score some points. "We know we're going to have to mix it up," he said. "They play the old Bears 46 defense with a lot of people in the box and challenge up front and we feel pretty good about moving the ball." Ian Wallis, who broke his collarbone last Friday against Geneva, is out for the season. Lastly, there's some history involved, in a sense, between these schools. Last year, East St. Louis won its first 11 games before being upset in the 7A quarterfinals by Providence. The year before that, 2005, Batavia beat Providence 15-13 in a 6A first-round game at Batavia.
Bottom line: Except for the opening season loss to St. Charles East, Batavia has been in every game into the fourth quarter. The Flyers haven't been tested in the past 8 weeks and if the Bulldogs can put them in such a position, perhaps they can pull off an upset nearly 300 miles from home.
Advancement: The winner will play the winner of St. Charles North vs. Moline.
No. 7 St. Charles North (5-4) at No. 2 Moline (8-1)
Game time: 7 p.m. today.
Last year: St. Charles North 14, Moline 13.
Last week: Neuqua Valley 45, St. Charles North 0; Moline 21, Ottawa 0.
Players to watch: Some of the cast has changed from last year but Bennett Welser continues to be the main stud of the Moline offensive attack. He's scored nearly 40 touchdowns in the past two seasons. Yes, that's 240 points, excluding PATs. The Western Big 6 leader in rushing yards and touchdowns this season, Welser has seen his role change as he not only has been running the ball but converted to quarterback at times to help pace the Maroons. He's got a big offensive line, led by Marquese James (6-foot-5, 335 pounds) and gets help from Seth Hood who can be a difference maker in the backfield and as a defensive back. The North Stars need to find some consistency with their offense. Can they get a combination of guys to come up with big plays or can they get a nice team effort to move the ball? Nic Higgins (61 carries, 462 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Kyle Harmon (56 carries, 374 yards, 2 touchdowns) have had the most success so far as Colton Hinrichs has only 150 yards rushing this season and quarterback Nic Neari, while leading the team with 98 carries is averaging only 2.2 yards per carry. Perhaps Jonathan DeMoss will get some carries tonight to give the North Stars an additional weapon. Neari is still pursuing double digits in touchdown passes and the North Stars could use a nice mix of the run and the pass tonight. Neari's completed nearly 50 percent of his passes for 1,054 yards, 9 touchdowns and has thrown 6 interceptions. Tim Ohlrich (25 catches, 419 yards, 2 touchdowns) leads the team in receiving but a nice mix of him, DeMoss, Higgins and others is needed to stretch the Moline defense.
Outlook: Moline is 0-11 in its last 11 postseason games and the Maroons haven't won such a game since they defeated Pekin 12-6 in OT back in 1991. St. Charles North upset them 14-13 a year ago as the North Stars captured their first postseason victory. But that's the past; this season the Maroons have won 8 in a row after dropping their season opener. They haven't lost since August and they have shut out their last two opponents. "They're pretty similar to last year's team," North Stars coach Mark Gould said. "They have a lot of guys back and some of them are big linemen. They looked to run the option more last year and look a little more content to power the ball against you now." From the very beginning of the season, the North Stars have considered defense to be their biggest strength, even after getting shutout 45-0 last week. Tonight, ends Tim Janeway and Dan McSweeney and company will have their work cut out for them. "We kind of geared to stop the running back (last week) and (Anton Wilkins) had one of his lowest (rushing) games but we played horrible against the pass," Gould said. "There were some things that happened that we should've responded to better." There's certainly no second chance tonight as it's win and keep playing or lose and turn in your equipment. "I think we have a good feel of what we can do and what schemes will work," Gould said. "We know you can't give the ball back to the other team and when we've been able to run we've done pretty good."
Bottom line: It's been a rollercoaster ride of a season for the North Stars with some lows in big losses to Bartlett and Neuqua Valley and huge wins against Larkin and St. Charles East. Both teams know what they're going up against and the North Stars must find a way to move the ball consistently on the ground, while protecting it, if they want to be a party-crasher in the Quad Cities for the second consecutive year.
Advancement: The winner will play the winner of Batavia and East St. Louis.
Class 6A
No. 15 Marmion (5-4) at No. 2 Prairie Ridge (9-0)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.
Last week
Last year: Didn't play.
Players to watch: Marmion is in the playoffs for the first time since 1998 after rallying to beat St. Edward in the second half of Week 9. "Very excited but more relieved," Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. "St. Ed sure gave us a scare." The Cadets face quite a challenge. Prairie Ridge runs a triple option offense, and their players tend to improve as the season goes on as they hone their attack. It is the same offense used by Cary-Grove and Carmel, all three teams were taught the offense by legendary coach Bill Mack, who is now an assistant at Prairie Ridge, where his grandson, Will, is a safety. Quarterback Bryan Bradshaw is the grandson of former Woodstock coach Bob Bradshaw, a hall-of-famer who won the state title in 1983.
Outlook: While it is a daunting test for Marmion, the team already has played Driscoll, Montini and Marian so it is no stranger to quality opponents. "We must keep their offense off the field or at least stay away from the big play," Thorpe said. "They are well coached, know their assignments, and look impressive. Excellent kicking game and return game and so we have to play our best which is what you expect in the playoffs. We just need to go 1-0 this week. We have played in a great conference and feel we are battle tested." Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp expects a physical game. "I think with the type of kids they get at the academy, they're going to be a hard-nosed group, I'm sure," Schremp said. "Some of their games they lost they made some special teams mistakes. The thing that worries me is them not making mistakes in a gave against us." Schremp also is concerned with Marmion quarterback Ricky Bird. "Their quarterback can make some plays both running and throwing the ball," Schremp said. "And if there's any type of offense we've struggled against this year it was that spread offense, which they can use. So, I'm sure we'll see them use the spread."
Bottom line: Thorpe said the team's best effort came in the first half of their week 2 win over Kaneland. The Cadets need to repeat that to have a chance at the upset. "We have had two great practices and know we have not played to our ability yet," Thorpe said. "The first half of Kaneland was great (in Week 2) and we have not come to that level yet. Hopefully Friday."
Advancement: Winner plays winner of No. 10 Lake Forest (6-3) vs. No. 7 Oswego (7-2)
Class 3A
No. 14 Rockford Christian (5-4) at No. 3 Aurora Christian (9-0) Game time: 7 p.m. today at Aurora Central
Last week: Rockford Christian 16, North Shore Country Day 14 (OT); Aurora Christian 56, Wheaton Academy 6.
Last year: Didn't play.
Players to watch: Aurora Christian running back Sean O'Boyle continues to have an amazing 10 yards per carry, with 631 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. John Smith leads the team with 11 rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Jordan Roberts has thrown for 1,917 yards and 26 touchdowns with Matt Morse leading the team with 27 catches and 593 yards.
Outlook: This appears to be a favorable opener for the Eagles. Rockford Christian shared one common opponent with Aurora Christian -- Rockford Christian Life. Aurora Christian won that game 55-0; Rockford Christian lost it 32-19. The Eagles have only given up more than 7 points in two of their nine games and have a plus-36 scoring margin to a -5 for Rockford Christian.
Bottom line: Rockford Christian is coming to Aurora in search of its first playoff victory in its fourth appearance, but the odds of it happening don't appear very promising.
Advancement: Winner plays winner of No. 11 West Carroll (5-4) at No. 6 Illini West (7-2)