A defensive difference for Schaumburg

All those games. All those points. All those yards.

Not anymore. Schaumburg knew it was better on defense than it showed all year, and it showed how Friday night, finally debuting its new field with a resounding 31-21 win over Conant that pretty much locked up its second playoff spot in three seasons.

The Mid-Suburban West win lifted the Saxons to 5-3 and 2-2 in the division and left Conant (4-4, 2-2) in a must-win position over Barrington next week to earn a playoff spot.

But out on the field, Schaumburg's first time on its new field even though it's Week 8 of the season, the Saxons showed they'll be comfortable on the trendy turf/grass mix if they can get a playoff game there too, which they just might if they can beat Palatine next week.

After Conant quarterback Sean Smith befuddled them in the first half with his quick feet and timely passing, keeping a statistically uneven game closer than it should've been, Schaumburg realigned on defense.

"We made some adjustments," said linebacker Matt Hutchison, who spent most of the second half in Smith's face. And the adjustment wasn't anything complicated. After plotting all week to throttle Smith, the Saxons went back to their base defense in the second half and held Conant to a final consolation TD drive in the final two minutes.

But the 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior believes in his defense. So far this season, in 3 losses, "We felt we beat ourselves," Hutchinson said. This time, they got a key interception from Vito Perrino and a lot of pressure on Smith from Hutchison, Nick Novak and Jordan Haley.

So after Smith and shifty Kendall Lane kept Conant close in the first half, the offense turned into Schaumburg's best defense. Garnering more than 500 yards, the Saxons kept Smith and Co. off the field in the second half as quarterback Anthony Iannotti (292 total yards) and running back Shephard Little (210 yards rushing) maintained clock-killing ball control.

After thinking he might witness a shootout when TDs were scored on the game's first three possessions, Schaumburg coach Mark Stilling said he "was proud of the way our kids fought after that first (Conant TD drive).

"I thought our kids did a tremendous job staying focused all week."

Craig Cruz, Richard Barnes, John Meija, Bill Abruzzo and Mike Scolire paved the way for Little and Iannotti, and gave Iannotti time to hit 13-of-19 for 143 yards and a touchdown to Josh Spandiary (8 catches, 84 yards).

And having clinched a playoff spot, "That feels amazing," said Iannotti. "I couldn't be more proud of our guys."

Conant, meanwhile, whose Smith and Lane showed the way with sometimes remarkable playmaking, still "didn't play the way we wanted," said head coach Bill Modelski. "I was disappointed.

"Give them credit," he said of the Saxons. "We never got a rhythm going on offense or defense. Now we've got to play a very good Barrington team," and beat them, to make the playoffs.