Kaneland looking to put it all together
The victor getting the spoils only goes so far.
Yes, Kaneland won the Northern Illinois Big 12 East Conference in its first year of existence and finished the regular season 9-0 for the first time since its last state championship season in 1998.
Sure, the Knights earned a No. 1 seed in Class 5A, and field possible all-staters like quarterback Joe Camiliere and two-way players Blake Serpa and Tyler Callaghan.
Their first-round opponent is a No. 16 seed, King (5-4), which is 0-5 in five prior playoff visits and is one of two 5A playoff teams, along with Chatham-Glenwood, to have allowed more points than it's scored.
Any coach will tell you in the playoffs all this stuff means doodly-squat.
"We're going into this saying it's playoff football, we've got to play our best football," said Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly. "We're telling them anybody in the playoffs is a good team and we need to play our best."
Kaneland's best has been good enough to average 41.8 points, trailing only Senn (45.8) and Sacred Heart-Griffin (44.3) and just ahead of Joliet Catholic (41.6) in 5A.
The scales have tilted slightly toward Camiliere's passing arm the last third of the season, but Kaneland's averages of 209.6 yards passing and 177.8 yards rushing still provides the balance Fedderly seeks. Camiliere's most popular target this season is Quinn Buschbacher with 33 catches for 538 yards and 7 touchdowns, but he's joined by four other receivers who've caught at least 15 passes: Serpa, Callaghan, Taylor Andrews and Sean Carter.
That'll occupy King defensive back David Mathis and linebackers Jaquan Booth, Deandre Branch and Kishon Beard. The Jaguars also field 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman Greg McKee.
They're part of a team that went 44-37 against a schedule including six playoff teams, and took a 44-0 loss to 9-0 Robeson, a No. 3 seed in Class 6A.
The Jaguars will take their shots downfield, Fedderly said, but normally like to run the ball out of split-back and Pro-I formations.
They won't be underestimated by Kaneland three-year starters Camiliere, Serpa, Callaghan, Andrews and defensive lineman Jimmy Boyle, who remember Sycamore defeating barely higher-seeded Kaneland last year in the first round. As sophomore starters they lost to Sterling in the opening round.
"When we had these kids as sophomores, getting to the playoffs was a big thing," Fedderly said. "Then last year, hosting a playoff game was a big thing. Hopefully this year we'll put it all together."