Bartlett, CLS underdogs? Yep, and that's fine with them
Few things in sports galvanize a team like being cast in the role of underdog.
Whether the role is real or imagined, being counted out before a game begins can stoke the inner fire of an athlete.
From professional sports down to pee-wee football, any team that finds itself going against a favorite wants to "shock the world" and stick it to the naysayers. It makes the game more personal, in theory, because being overlooked is an affront to team pride that must be overcome.
Basically, athletes take it as an insult and want to prove everybody wrong.
Coaches reinforce the notion in practice in the hope that being discounted makes their players hungry enough to focus better and execute at their peak against a (sometimes) superior opponent.
The football team from Crystal Lake South (10-2) has played the underdog card for the last two weeks and has turned in its biggest wins of the season as a result. The sixth-seeded Gators have slid right back into that role this week like sliding into a comfortable pair of jeans as they prepare to face powerful Geneva (12-0), a huge team led by prolific running back Tim Ratay (41 rushing touchdowns), in a Class 7A semifinal at Geneva's Burgess Field on Friday at 7 p.m.
"According to some of the newspapers down there, it looks like they should already book the trip because they're going (to Champaign)," said wry CL South coach Jim Stuglis. "So far the only thing we saw on film is that a couple of guys might have been wearing their shoes the wrong way. We're hoping to take advantage of that. And their color scheme might be a little off.
"We're thinking of sending over a side of beef because those big kids probably eat that much at lunch. Maybe if they eat a lot they'll be a little slower on Friday."
Stuglis similarly downplayed his team's chances before the Gators smoked undefeated Boylan 28-0 in Rockford two weeks ago and before they toppled undefeated Cary-Grove 14-7 last week in overtime.
Bartlett (12-0) has been the favorite to win in most games this season and is the No. 1 seed in Class 8A, but the Hawks are painting themselves as underdogs this week as they prepare to face No. 2 Maine South (12-0) in a Class 8A semifinal at Millennium Field in Streamwood on Saturday at 7:08 p.m. That game will be televised live on WPWR-Channel 50.
Perhaps more accurately, the non football-playing students at Bartlett are painting the Hawks that way, unintentionally helping steel their classmates' resolve.
"Our kids have got other kids in the hallways at school this week saying, 'Aw, it's too bad you've got Maine South this week'" Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. "I told our guys not to say anything back to them. Just say, 'Yeah, they're a great team, but we'll show up.' "
The IHSA seeded Bartlett ahead of Maine South due to playoff points, but even though Meaney's crew is playing on their home field they are a legitimate underdog against a dangerous spread offense that features Vanderbilt-bound quarterback Charlie Goro (2,861 yards passing, 37 touchdowns) and a defense anchored by tackle Zach Timm (6-3, 225), the Central Suburban League defensive MVP.
Maine South has been the top-ranked team in Class 8A since the start of the season. They've welcomed that pressure and thrived on it, according to coach David Inserra, who understands that most observers feel his team is the favorite to advance to the title game in Champaign.
"We tell our kids Bartlett is playing as the underdog," Inserra said. "They're playing to prove something and they've got nothing to lose. We get a lot of press, we know that. And they're going to use that against us."
Of course, there's nothing wrong with using the us-against-the-world angle, particularly if it works as effectively as it has for Crystal Lake South.
"It definitely works for us," Stuglis said. "I don't think anyone gave us a decent chance to beat Cary, so it's worked. We'll still push that underdog role and try to beat it into the kids as much as possible, but for the most part these kids think that's where they're at anyway. And they are.
"We're going up against an undefeated team that has a lot of big kids and a lot of talent. We are the underdogs, no doubt about it. It's not something we even have to fabricate. It's the fact. Hopefully, we can use it to our advantage."
Of course, behind the scenes both the Gators and Hawks are working tirelessly in the cold weather this week to assure they cannot only compete but pull off the upset.
"I hope our kids understand that we can do this if we play every down like it's our last," Meaney said.
If either Bartlett or CL South does advance to a state title game, people won't be calling them underdogs anymore.
Just top dogs.
BEGIN_ATTRIBUTIONjfitzpatrick@dailyherald.comEND_ATTRIBUTION