Millsaps named Bears Coach of the Week
Rolling Meadows head football coach Doug Millsaps was honored by one group of Bears as he was preparing to try to beat another one.
Millsaps was chosen Thursday as the Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Week after the Mustangs clinched the outright Mid-Suburban East title with a 46-38 victory at Prospect last Friday.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, the Mustangs begin their seventh straight postseason appearance and ninth in Millsaps' 13-year tenure when they host the Bears of Lake Zurich in Class 7A.
Millsaps also won the Bears Coach of the Week honor in 1999 with his first playoff and MSL East title team at Meadows. The Bears will donate $1,500 to the school's football program and Millsaps will be invited to attend the Bears-Rams game Sunday, Dec. 6 at Soldier Field and be recognized in an on-field ceremony.
Millsaps will also received a framed certificate and have the opportunity to attend a Bears practice and "chalk talk" with head coach Lovie Smith along with other 2009 Coach of the Week honorees. Buffalo Grove's Jim Farrell also won the award this season.
Which day to play? One of the playoff debates is whether to play Friday or Saturday.
Palatine coach Tyler Donnelly has a clear preference with his team playing its 8A opener at home at 7 p.m. Saturday against Leyden.
"We wanted to play Friday night - and every Friday night is our preference, to play when you are used to playing," Donnelly said. "I don't care about weather and ticket gates. I wish the IHSA would change that."
IHSA rules stipulate playoff games to be played Saturdays between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. with the start time determined by the host school. Games can be played Friday if both teams mutually agree.
"I don't like playing on Saturdays - ever," Donnelly said. "I'm not trying to lay blame on Leyden because it's within their right to play Saturday. But I definitely would want to play Friday nights."
Some coaches prefer playing Saturdays to get an extra day of preparation time or injury healing time.
The big four classes (5A through 8A) annually play their state title games in Champaign the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.
"Then I have no problem doing that," Donnelly laughed.
It is possible there could be no Friday games with area schools after this round. Once teams get into a Saturday schedule they usually stay on it but there have been a few local exceptions.
Prospect's 2001 7A state champion hosted a Friday night semifinal with Bolingbrook after a Saturday afternoon quarterfinal at then-unlighted Buffalo Grove.
In 1999, 6A runnerup Schaumburg didn't have lights when it had a Saturday home opener with Maine South and played the next two Friday nights at Downers Grove South and York.
Conference calls: Tom Cerasani Jr. played in the Mid-Suburban League at Schaumburg and his dad Tom Sr. coached in it with the Saxons and Palatine.
But the Eagles haven't played an MSL team in Cerasani Jr.'s 10 years on their coaching staff. They lost 21-20 to Barrington in a 6A second-round game in 1998.
"I'm interested to see how our conference (West Suburban Gold) stacks up against the MSL," Cerasani said of Saturday's game at Palatine. "I think (the MSL) is a good conference but I think we have a good conference, too."
Said Palatine coach Tyler Donnelly: "I'm hoping our competition in our conference and the teams we've played and the level of physicalness will help us in this game.
"It doesn't mean it will. but we've seen good backs and good offenses before and here's just another one (Leyden's Angel Maldonado)."
On the air: There will be a live video Web cast of tonight's Elk Grove-Machesney Park Harlem game by Rockford radio station WNTA 1330 AM at wnta.com.
Tonight's Prospect-Carmel game is the Comcast CN100 Game of the Week.