There are no secrets between South Elgin, St. Charles North
Sometimes familiarity breeds, well, familiarity.
Unlike many playoff teams that had to scour tape of an unknown opponent this week, Upstate Eight foes South Elgin and St. Charles North are quite used to each other.
The teams will play for the third time in two years and the second time in two weeks at the same locale when No. 12 St. Charles North (6-3) takes on No. 5 South Elgin (7-2) in a Class 7A playoff opener at Millennium Field in Streamwood today at 1 p.m.
In Week 8 of the regular season, the teams played to a 7-7 tie before sophomore David Reisner's field goal lifted the Storm to a 10-7 victory. The teams played about as evenly as two squads can. Coach Mark Gould's North Stars gained 227 total yards to the Storm's 217 and both teams turned the ball over once.
"I think you'll see a repeat of that on Saturday and it'll come down to which team wants to win more," said fourth-year South Elgin coach Dale Schabert, whose team is making the first playoff appearance in the program's brief history. "It should be a good battle. I know Mark does a real good job of getting his kids ready, and we've had a real good week of practice. We're looking forward to it."
The North Stars are led defensively by linebacker J.J. Weaver, who has a team-best 9 sacks, and linemen Brian Pedersen (6-foot-7, 230 pounds) and Trevor Lilovich (6-3, 215). The St. Charles North secondary includes Connor Mohs (5-8, 170) and Pat Killeen (6-1, 180).
They will have to contend with the Fox Valley area's leading receiver, senior Jake Kumerow (36 rec., 858 yards, 7 TD), and Domico Failla (14-242-1). Kumerow (6-4) and Failla (6-3) will have a distinct height advantage if quarterback John Menken (81 of 73 1,240 yards) is given enough time to find them. Menken, a junior, has thrown 13 touchdown passes and an equal number of interceptions.
One key personnel difference is St. Charles North running back Jordan Huxtable, who did not play in the first meeting. He hasn't played much this season due to an injury and a suspension, but the senior gave the Storm a rough time last season in a 35-24 St. Charles North victory.
In that game Huxtable gained 176 of his 246 rushing yards in the second half, including touchdown runs of 52 and 56 yards. He found the end zone three times in all.
"We had him contained until the fourth quarter and he got away from us a couple of times," Schabert said of the 2008 meeting. "He's a pretty good player, but he's still within the scope of their offense. Those guys who were playing in his absence I thought were pretty darned good running backs too. They're big strong kids and they run hard. We had really good effort on our side too. We're really proud of our kids. I think our defense has really been our strong point this year. They've really carried us and kept us in games."
The junior-laden Storm defense is led by third-year starting middle linebacker Sean Kolber (6-3, 215), a senior.
A close game would play into the confidence of South Elgin, which has won 5 games this season in come-from-behind fashion.
"It's unreal the resolve of our kids to win," Schabert said. "They are not going to accept coming out on the wrong end. We're proud of our kids and we don't want it to end."
The winner will advance to play the winner of Friday's game: No. 13 Elk Grove Village (6-3) at No. 4 Machesney Park Harlem (8-1).