Scouting the playoffs: Prospect at Carmel

Posted October 29, 2009 11:00 pm

By Marty Maciaszek

No. 10 Prospect (7-2) at No. 7 Carmel (7-2)

When: 7 p.m. today at Baker Stadium

Last week: Prospect lost to Rolling Meadows 46-38; Carmel d. Nazareth 35-7

Playoff history: Prospect is 21-8 with three 7A titles and is making its fifth straight trip under Brent Pearlman and 12th overall. Carmel is 2-14 with a state title under Andy Bitto and is making its 10th straight trip and 16th overall.

Outlook: Can Prospect's defense get enough stops against Carmel's deceptive triple option attack? Have the Corsairs' stingy defense seen anything like the Knights' high-powered spread offense? It could add up to a lot of points on the board as the East Suburban Catholic Conference co-champion Corsairs hope sophomore FB Jordan Kos (829 yards, 9 TDs in 7 games), QB Brian Serio (637 yards passing, 7 TDs; 304 rushing), WR Matt Felicelli (17 catches, 567 yards, 9 TDs) and Arizona-bound lineman Mickey Baucus can keep the Knights' offense off the field. "It's going to be a major challenge," Pearlman said of a season-long search for defensive answers. "I'm sure they're going to be in no hurry to get us the ball back. If we continue to play defense like we've been playing, it will be hard for us to have success in this game. I'm not saying it can't happen, but it will be hard." Because it puts more pressure on QB Miles Osei (1,861 yards passing, 16 TDs; 904 rushing, 14 TDs), WR-RB Peter Bonahoom (890 yards rushing, 13 TDs; 26-656, 9 TDs) and WR John Coen (31-570, 4 TDs) to score almost every time, which won't be easy against a defense which hasn't allowed more than 8 points in its last three games behind LB Luke Venegoni, S Patrick Cox and lineman Logan Lester. "Defensively we've been really good the last month or so," Bitto said. "We need to be able to move the ball and we need to establish field position to make them go the distance."

Advancement: Prospect would be at home and Carmel would be on the road in the second round against the winner of No. 15 Wheaton North (5-4) and No. 2 Rockford Boylan (9-0).

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