Playoff preview: Rockford Guilford at Cary-Grove
Class 7A
No. 15 Rockford Guilford (5-4) at No. 2 Cary-Grove (9-0)
When: Saturday at 7 p.m. at Al Bohrer Field
Playoff history: Cary-Grove is making its fifth straight playoff appearance and 15th overall. The Trojans finished as Class 7A state runner up in 2004, made a Class 5A semifinal appearance in 1997 and reached the quarterfinals in 1998, 2005 and 2006. Guilford is making its fifth straight playoff appearance and 12th overall. The Vikings won the Class 5A state title in 1982.
Outlook: Two run-oriented teams will try to hammer away at each other with their respective strengths. Cary-Grove's triple option is back at full strength with senior fullback Eric Chandler (153, 1,015 yards, 14 touchdowns) and junior wingback Alex Hembrey (57-455-4) healthy and ready to play alongside backfield mate Jonas Mack (75-540-5) and quarterback Tyler Krebs (57-455-4). Cary-Grove averages 29.4 points per game. The Trojans have won a first-round playoff game each of the last four seasons. Guilford played five eventual playoff qualifiers this year in the NIC-10 Conference and lost to four of them, beating only Freeport (5-4). Guilford's defense is its strength. The Vikings shut out Belvidere and Rockford East and allowed an average of 16.4 points per game. The charge is led by defensive tackles Noah Smith (6-5, 270) and Robert Appell (6-3, 255). The Vikings run the ball out of a pro-style offense. Quarterback Jeff Janusevic is a two-year starter. He has rushed 90 times for 368 yards and 8 touchdowns. The backfield carries are split between three players with 4.5 or 4.6 speed: junior Tim Hill (148 carries, 631 yards, 4 TDs), senior Devian Zackery (60-475-4) and junior Zane Gilfillan (60-195-5). "They're a talented bunch," Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay said. "They play hard physically. They've had competitive scores against the better teams in that league. They're definitely bigger than us and they have some big-time speed." Guilford's speed isn't confined to the backfield. Wide receiver Avery Sherman (6-3, 200), who plays both ways, has accounted for 358 of Guilford's 426 passing yards this season and 4 touchdowns. "The one thing we may bring to the table that nobody in (the Fox Valley Conference) has is raw speed," Guilford coach Mel Gilfillan said. "We have some kids who can flat-out fly. We're not a 5-4 team that's just limping into the playoffs. We had a bunch of kids out early and we're playing well now, so it should be a good game."
Advancement: The winner will play the winner of Saturday's 7 p.m. game between No. 10 Lake Zurich (6-3) and No. 7 St. Charles East (7-2). If St. Charles East wins, Cary-Grove would host in Round 2. If Lake Zurich wins, the Trojans would play on the road.