South Elgin gets SCN; St. Edward travels to Mendota
Pairings for the 2009 football postseason were released by the IHSA Saturday night. Here's a look at the first-round matchups for the five qualifying teams from the northern Fox Valley area.
No. 12 St. Charles North (6-3) at No. 5 South Elgin (7-2): This Class 7A meeting is a rematch between Upstate Eight Conference foes. The Storm defeated St. Charles North 10-7 on a field goal in overtime in Week 8.
"We're looking forward to it," South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said. "Just like every other team still playing we've worked hard to get to this point and we'll play anybody they put us with. We worked hard to get a game at home and we achieved that. We've got an opponent we know and they know us very well. They just played three tough games in a row and so have we. It should be a good one."
South Elgin finished 4-2 in matchups against the six playoff teams it faced this season. The North Stars played three teams that made the playoffs and lost all three.
"It's going to be a good game," Schabert said. "I'm sure they're looking forward to getting back after losing that overtime game. You know your opponent, so the week of preparation for both teams will probably be pretty good."
Schabert said he was hoping to play the game on Saturday "to break the Friday rain cycle" that has plagued the area since Week 4.
The winner will advance to face the winner of No. 13 Elk Grove (6-3) at No. 4 Machesney Park Harlem (8-1).
No. 12 St. Edward (6-3) at No. 5 Mendota (7-2): The Green Wave, in the playoffs for only the third time in school history and the first time since 2003, will hit the road for a first-round game in Class 4A.
The entire team, coaching staff, cheerleaders, parents and friends of the program were in attendance at coach Mike Rolando's home when the matchup with the Trojans was revealed on the IHSA Web site.
Mendota, which finished second in the Lincoln Division of the North Central Illinois Conference, faced four playoff teams this season. The Trojans defeated Aurora Christian (6-3) and Rock Falls (5-4) and lost to Illinois Valley Central (9-0) and Peoria Richwoods (5-4).
"They beat Aurora Christian, which is a good team," said Rolando, whose team lost to Aurora Christian in Week 7. "It'll be a tough game. We'll try to get some film on them and go to work. We're enjoying the 6 wins for about 24 hours and then we're going to get to work."
Rolando said Saturday was a day of celebration, a chance for the players and those connected with the program to soak in the experience of being included in the postseason, a rarity for the Elgin Catholic school.
"It's a neat experience for the kids," the fifth-year coach said. "They'll remember this forever, and it was cool to go through that with them. It's a great opportunity for us to make history at St. Ed's."
If St. Edward beats Mendota, it would host a playoff game in Round 2 against the winner of No. 13 Morris (5-4) at No. 4 Chicago Raby (8-1).
No. 16 St. Viator (5-4) at No. 1 Cary-Grove (9-0): The Fox Valley (Valley) champion Trojans were awarded the top seed in the lower bracket of Class 6A.
They will face St. Viator, which plays in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, a league that advanced seven of its 10 teams to postseason play. The Lions played five playoff teams this season. They beat St. Patrick (5-4) and Marian Catholic (5-4) and lost to Joliet Catholic (7-2), Marist (7-2) and Notre Dame (6-3).
"We know they play in a good conference," Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay said. "We also know that 5-4 is not a good indicator of how good a team may or may not be, the competition they're playing, whether they had a kid injured here or there. That all impacts wins and losses. We just have to find out more about them."
The Trojans will not face rival Crystal Lake South this postseason. The teams had been placed in the same class every year since 2004 and have met four of the past five seasons in the second round or quarterfinals. CL South was placed in Class 7A.
"I think it's good for both programs to play somebody else," Kay said.
A win would advance Cary-Grove to face the winner of No. 9 Highland Park (6-3) at No. 8 Chicago Mather (7-2).
No. 15 Huntley (5-4) at No. 2 Marmion (8-1): In the playoffs for the second straight season, the Red Raiders had anticipated an assignment in Class 7A but instead will compete as the largest school in Class 6A. Huntley will face the Cadets, the champions of the rugged Suburban Christian Conference's Blue Division.
Marmion lost its season opener at South Elgin 24-14, but has since won 8 straight games. The Cadets have beaten three playoff teams: defending Class 5A champion St. Francis (7-2), Marian Central (7-2) and Montini (5-4). Huntley went 1-3 against playoff teams this season, beating only Kaneland (6-3)
Regardless of the classification, the Red Raiders knew they'd be paired against a top-notch opponent in the first round after gaining an at-large bid with 40 playoff points. The IHSA cutoff turned out to be 38 points this year.
"Obviously, our kids are very happy to get in," Huntley coach Steve Graves said. "At 5-4 you know you're going to get somebody tough no matter what. We could have been looking at a possibility of playing a Boylan or a Cary or someone like that. I'm sure (Marmion) is every bit as good. We knew no matter what it was going to be scary in that first round."
the winner will advance to face the winner of No. 10 Prairie Ridge (6-3) at No. 7 Chicago King (7-2).
No. 14 Glenbrook North (6-3) at No. 3 Crystal Lake South (8-1): CL South enters the Class 7A playoffs as the fourth-smallest school in the bracket.
"I thought that was where we were going to be all along," Gators coach Jim Stuglis said. "It's a crapshoot and you can't get upset one way or the other. Looking at 6A, though, where we could have been, it looks a little nicer than a Class 7A trip. But that's where we're going."
The Gators are making their ninth straight postseason appearance, the area's longest streak.
The Spartans of Glenbrook North faced three playoff teams this season and lost to all three: New Trier (5-4), Highland Park (6-3) and Deerfield (6-3). CL South defeated playoff teams Prairie Ridge (6-3) and Huntley (5-4) and lost to Cary-Grove (9-0). The Gators won't get a rematch against rival Cary-Grove, their only setback of the season. That's fine by Stuglis.
"Now that it's set in stone, I think it would be great for both of us to go deep in the playoffs and show the conference is very strong in multiple areas, not just getting one team through like we do all the time," he said. "This is an opportunity to showcase that the Fox Valley Conference is better than people think."
The winner will advance to face the winner of No. 11 Lake Zurich (6-3) at No. 6 Rolling Meadows (7-2).