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This is State Representative Steve Reich. Since twenty sixteen, it's been my privilege to represent the sixty third district in the Illinois House. I'd like to continue representing you, and I'm asking for your vote on November fifth. Thank you pay for.
By citizens to elect Stephen Reich.
Hello everybody, and welcome to the Friday Night Drive Western Suburb Suburbs Podcasts. I'm Josh Welge, joined here on a rainy Tuesday afternoon by Joe Bennett's Joel. How you doing today. I'm really hoping that the rain gets out of here before the weekend.
Yeah, definitely. I mean it's I was actually spending most of the week down in Saint Charles, Missouri, where I've you know, grown up for most of my life, and it was filled with rain the entire time. So I'm also very much done with this weather and just hoping that it goes away before this weekend. Starts.
It's funny. I was talking to one of the coaches or today and I said, you know, I felt like for a month and a half we didn't get any rain at all, and now they're just dumping it all on us. So we'll see what happens. You know, it's that time of year you're gonna get get at. But uh, but anyway, Uh, we're here to talk football and and saw some great games last week. You and I were at at a couple and you know, I got another good one, good one in this weekend. A lot of great games
to look forward to. But but we'll start to the games that that we saw last weekend and start with the game that you were at, Joel and uh Batavia. Why they really they really brought their offense. You know, what do you say those guys. It looks like they had everything going for them offensively.
I mean they really did. I mean forty seven points in just a half of play against Collinsville and it looked like everything was just going their way. And you know, great build is droughout the entire game whenever they got on the offense. Plus also the defense pretty much stning in Collinsville's offense. Throughout the entire time. Just led to the recipe for success for this potato or for the Batavia team. And you know, it looks like they are
fully ready for these playoffs. And you know, they showed that no matter who they're going to face, they're going to give their all. I mean, the backfield duo of Nathan Whitwell and Grayson Kelly, you know, really showed up in that game. They ended up rolling out two different quarterbacks during their game. They had Body Anderson, who's been starting for them pretty much all season, and then they also put in Michael vander Lutgarden, who's a sophomore who
saw some time against Glenbard North. They put them in as well. Both of them combined for four passing touchdowns. Like I mentioned, the defense, I think they limited them to I want to say, like forty yards of offense when they faced or when they played in the first half. So it was just overall very dominating victor for Davia and it looks like they're ready to make another deep playoff run this year.
Yeah. I mean, you know, one game and obviously that was that was a blowout where everything was going offensively, but it really sounds like it's a little bit more the Batavia that I'm a little bit familiar with defensively from the standpoint that obviously Nathan Witwell is there a guy that they go to, but getting other guys involved like Grayson Kelly. Isaiah Brown is a really talented receiver. Being able to unlock him and get in the ball and let him do what he does. He's a really
good receiver for them. So you know, a really good sign for them going forward that they able to do kind of kind of that. And and again I think I said last week, I mean I don't bet against Batavia ever, and definitely not this time of year, because they've proven that when you know, they can really get going come playoff time. So really good first round seven a win for them in seven A bracket. Another team in the seven A bracket that I got to see
on Friday night equally impressive with Downers Grows North. They handled Wheaton Warneville's out pretty pretty handily. Final score was thirty four to seven. You know, one of the stories in that game down as go Norse junior quarterback Owen Lanceu really impressive. I mean, he've looked every bit like one of the best quarterbacks in the state eighteen of twenty one, passing three incompletions and one of them was
a drop. And you know, just a kid that you know, really fast release, very accurate, I mean, you know, takes with the defense gave him. They were giving him a lot of the short stuff. He took it and they just kind of marched down the field, you know, really impressive. Just just a kid that's just got all the physical tools and all the mental tools also as well, just kind of mature beyond his years. And then they got
a great defense on top of it. They give up a touchdown to Wheaton Warneville South and Wheaton Wheaton's first drive, but they shut him out after that. They forced a couple of turnovers. Joe Edwards really good defensive lineman, had a couple of sacks for them. So similar to Batavia. They looked like a team that is poised for a deep playoff run. So very impressive first round win for down His Grove North. You know, those are two programs
that have had some success lately. You know, a program that it's been a while in the playoffs, but they got a good win for them last week. Burlington Central, What do you think about them. I mean first playoff win. Was it eighteen years?
Yeah, they went in eighteen years at first home playoff win, also since two thousand and six. I mean, just a really controlling victory over Grant forty two to fourteen. It looked like it they had been you know it. They didn't look like it was their first playoff game in eighteen years. Let's just say that. I mean, it was just a very dominant performance. Jackson Alcorn had four touchdowns.
At the game.
You know, we kind of mentioned it a couple of weeks ago when they got their win over Prairie Ridge. You know, Alcorn is one of the best quarterbacks in the league that nobody's talking about. And you know, he's proved time and time again since that game that you know, he deserves to be talked about and deserves to be up in that conversation. Thats one of the best, you know quarterbacks in the area, and he proved it once
again in their first playoff game. And you know, it's really shown how much Burlington Central has grown over these past couple of years where they finished four and five and just missed out on the playoffs. You know, it's shown how much you know, they've grown as a program, and you know it's a really good sign for them, especially with a tough matchup in the second round. So you know, it's going to be really interesting to see
how they face off against a duking conference opponent. And yeah, no, it's gonna be really exciting to see. They showed some great stuff in their Week one picture and they're not one their Week ten victory to say.
Round one, Round one, Week ten, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah, really really uh really good win for Burlington Central. They're really on a nice, nice role lately with some good wins for them. You know. One of the storylines for me in a in the first on the playoffs the West Suburban Conference as a whole tremendous job, I mean, down to go North. As I mentioned before, no surprise there.
You know, Lions Township stays undefeated, no surprise there. But there are some other wins in there that you know, maybe if not surprising. They were pretty impressive York playing Edwardsville. You know, I was talking to a friend of mine from downstate by Edwardsville during the week and he said, you know, Edwardsville, he felt that he had one of the best defense in the state and probably the number
one player in the state. And I kind of texted him during the game, like what happened to that elite defense? York scored thirty seven points on him. Bruno Massel, their senior quarterback, ran for one hundred and seventy two yards, eleven for eleven passing, and York put up thirty seven points on again what I was led to believe was an elite Edwardsville defense. I mean that that was a pretty impressive win for York last Friday.
Yeah, definitely shout out to Billy for the and the edwards Hill friend. Yeah, but yeah, no, I mean, obviously a couple of weeks ago, you know, they held East Saint louis Is just fourteen points in their matchup against them, and you know, I was really interested to see how York was going to face off against the team like that. But I mean, as you mentioned, you know, York planned for that game extremely well to get those thirty seven points, and you know, I thought it was going to be
a really close matchup. But they, I mean, they proved me wrong. They proved you wrong, They proved Realy wrong. It was just a really fun It was just a really fun game to kind of just track throughout during my game. And yeah, no, it's really interesting to see how this York team is going to match up later on the playoffs when they faced even more tough teams in the future.
Yeah, no doubt. I mean, I'll be the first one AD made. I was wrong about that one. I bought into the Edwardsville kol Aid and really kind of doubted York. They had a couple of late season losses they kind of made wonder but that was a very impressive win for the Dukes. Equally impressive and equally surprising. Willerbrook going on the road to Hananiga. Hananiga is a program from
the Rockford area. They only had one loss during the regular season, and they actually had zero losses on the field because they took a four for loss for an ineligible player early in a year. But they're undefeated other than that. Willerbrook goes on the road and gets a win. Very impressive. I mean, Willobrook is a team that outside of the West Suburban Gold this year, they really kind of struggled earlier in the year, so I kind of wondered how they would do when they get out of
the league. But man, I will say that willerbrook they've been a team that consistently, They've got to the playoffs every year for the last decade or so, and when they get to the playoffs, they usually do something in the playoffs. I mean they've been to the quarterfinals routinely the last several years. They got to the semifinals in
twenty nineteen, I believe, so they do it again. I mean the shout out to Nick Hildrith and Willobrook a really good win beating Hot Andigo last week, and shout out to their other West Suburban Gold you know rival, I guess, so to speak, Downers Grow South first playoff wins. I believe twenty eleven winning a back and forth game over Plainfield South a really good win for downs Grow South.
Yeah, definitely. I mean, both both of those programs, I mean, you know, they didn't have the best start of the season. I think both of them entered West Erba Gold play at one and two, and you know, they both played really well throughout conference play and they showed how good
they were when it comes to the playoffs. And I mean you mentioned Willowbrooks always performing well in the playoffs I mean, you know, they've won sixth straight heading or they won five straight heading into the playoffs, and they just used that momentum to pull them forward. In same for Downs Show South, I mean six straight victories to end the season and then that big win against Playing
Field South to get their first playoff victory. I mean, both of these teams are rolling throughout the playoffs and it's going to be interesting how they're going to move that momentum through to the next round.
No doubt, both of them have very difficult Round two games. Wilderbrook host Saint Rita on Friday night. Down As Go South goes on a road to Wayan's township also on Friday night, and there's a lot of Saturday games, but those are two of the Friday ones, so kind of looking forward towards to that any other first round games or first round wins that kind of kind of struck you Before we.
Go on around two, I just want to talk about the number of records or school records that were broken at that Saint Charles North game against Rolling Meadows. I mean there were there were three school records broken in that game. I mean Ethan Plumb through for seven touchdowns,
that was a school record. Keaton Ranky two hundred and ten receiving yards, that was a school record, and then breaking also got over a thousand careers or not thousand careers, a thousand receiving yards in the season, first receiver to
ever do that at Saint Charles North. And considering the amount of quality wide receivers that they've had in their program over the past couple of years, even including last year where they had three really talented ones, you know, for him to be the first, that's a proving statement for how good Keaton Rinky has been this year. And you know, I think you know they're kind of rolling heading throughout the playoffs, and you know, after that Week four loss to the Table or to Batavia, they've just
kind of been rolling. And they proved how how good of a team they are in that first round game against Robbie Gould and Rolling Meadows.
It was like every week Ethan Plumb is doing just crazy things, you know, throwing a football. He just had a whale of a year for St. Charles North and Keaton ranking. I mean, you wrote about him this week in your King County Notebook. A kid that I believed he didn't play too many games last year. But he's really come back gangbusters this year.
Yeah, I mean he is how I believe. He got injured in Week two and he was out for a majority of the season before they played Bradley bourbon As in the first round last year where they lost, and you know, after that loss, he kind of said it's like, hey, I'm kind of mad of how this season went. I need to prove myself next year. And he's definitely done that this season for sure.
Yeah, no doubt about that. A lot of a lot of great stuff in Round one. But you know, let's let's get started. Let's let's get ahead to Round two, and you know a game I think both of you and I are going to be having an eye on Saturday night. Actually, Burlington Central going to Geneva, if I'm not mistaken. Matt Roodibald emailed this week it's the first time these programs have ever met.
That's correct.
That that's something else. Those two programs are not separated by a whole lot of real estate. So but but fun matchup. I mean, when you talk about the quarter starting with the quarterbacks with Jackson al Corn for Burlington Central, uh Tony Chahino for Geneva. The receivers, We've l J. Kerr for Boington Central, obviously Tallon Taylor and a whole crew of guys for Geneva. You know what are you looking from that one?
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I think it's just gonna be a great battle of quarterbacks. I mean you kind of mentioned it. I kind of mentioned earlier. You know, Jackson Alcorn being you know quarterback that nobody's talking being the best quarterback, and nobody's talking about Toy Chahino is probably the best first year quarterback that everybody got to note throughout the entire season. I mean he's up to thirty nine passing touchdowns this season,
only two interceptions that go along with it. I mean, he has then extremely good and you know, both of these quarterbacks, it's gonna be a fire or a fire battles throughout the entire game and it'll be which quarterback and out dual the other. And you know, I'm really interested to see how both of these teams match up. We talked about Burlington Central's when Geneva bounce back from the weeknd lost to Saint Charles North for the Big
four nine seven victory over a Munson. I mean, our Talon Taylor has had three or five three touchdown games this season. I have not seen any of them, so oops. But no, it's you know, both these teams are extremely good. They're one of the big teams that we've been talking about all season long. And you know, it's a matchup that I'm really excited to, you know, kind of walk along with from where I'm going to be at Saturday night, and you know, I'm really excited to see how the game turns out.
Yeah, it should be fun. I mean, obviously Geneva they bring that Duquane Conference pedigree. They've had a great year for there, but man, I mean Bernton Central. They come from a conference that's no slouch itself, in the Fox Fight Conference. They got that really good win over Prairie Ridge a few weeks ago. The game the Jackson ol Corn threw for like four hundred yards and six touchdowns
something crazy like that. So, you know, again I've been wrong before, but I do believe there will be points scored Saturday night in Geneva. Game that I'm gonna be at on Saturday afternoon at one o'clock. I really looking forward to this one. Byron playing at Montini. This is a rematch of last year's Class three A state semifinal. Byron won that game, I believe, twenty six to twenty one. They went on to win the Class three state championship.
That was their toughest game along the way, you know, the whole way, and and and it's a game that Montini. They've had their that game circle under calendar, uh, you know, pretty much ever since that loss. Game is gonna be at Montini. So we'll see if that makes a difference or not. But uh, you know, really curious Mantini has been on quite a role playing at c C L E s c C. Their their sophomore quarterback is he Abraham since he's taken over. I said it last week
in a podcast. I mean, they're their offense is really taken off since he's been the quarterback for them, you know, kind of a dual threat to Mension. But man on the other side, Byron, you know what they do, they just do so so well. And and they got they had that really tough week Gate game with Dixon where they're able to survive that. They got Kaden Conston and and who's a really talented fullback and middle linebacker. He was hurt for at least a portion of this year.
He's back now. So that's a game that you know, you hate to say it's a Class three A state championship because it's only the second round, but it's gonna be one of the games that's going to decide to Class three A state championship of that of that I do know, so again, really looking forward to that one.
Yeah, it's definitely gonna be a fun matchup, especially for second round of the playoffs. And you know, you mentioned that both teams have been really good throughout you know, the entire season. I mean Byron is once again undefeated heading into the playoffs since their third time four years whereas that where that has happened, and you know, Mantiniez pulled off some pretty impressive wins, especially down the stretch, and you know, it's gonna be really exciting to see
how these two teams match up. And yeah, once again we're gonna I'm gonna make the prediction points will be scored in that game.
Yeah, I think points are gonna be scoring that game. I mean to be curious to see how many points because Byron is Byron can really score. But they're not like a quick strike type score type offense. They're a wing t you know, if it needs to be ten plays, if it needs to be twelve plays, if it needs to be twenty one plays, they will score eventually. It's just you know, they don't mind doing a third and three,
fourth and one type thing. So you know, I'm interested, you know, see how many possessions there are in that game because they can play those long drives. But yeah, but yeah, it should be fun. I'm I'm definitely looking forward to that. Haven't got a chance to see Montini yet, really looking forward to seeing them. Have not seen Byron this year obviously, they're a little bit of drive from Rockford. But but yeah, that should should be a lot of
fun on on Saturday afternoon. Another Saturday afternoon game. Gave me, you're gonna be at Saint Charles North going to Mount Carmel. Man two pretty good quarterbacks in that game with with with Ethan Plumb and and Mount Carmel's quarterback that's going to Vanderbilt El Jack Elliott. A little bit of a history there too. I mean Saint Charles North when they went to State a few years ago, they needed to beat Mount Carmel along the way they did beat them.
I remember Tyler newban Uh basically put Saint Charles North on his back and they're able to beat them in a very memorable semifinal game, I believe. But man, really really curious to see that one. Obviously, Mount Carmel is in seventy one of the teams that all right, if you're gonna get to where you want to go, you got to go through these guys.
Yeah, exacinitely. And I mean when on the day of the seating selection show, I was actually covering Saint Charles North boys soccer that day at the regional final and I got approached by a couple of Saint Charles North fans and their appletic director, Joe BINOI and asked me. It's like, hey, do you have any idea what the seating is going to be? Anything like that, And I literally just told him, I'm like, hey, Steve Sussie probably has it the most accurate right now, because I have
no idea besides that. And as soon as I told him that, their faces dropped and they're like, you're telling me we're gonna have to face Mount Carmel in round two and I'm like, unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that's the case. So they've been dreading this matchup. But I don't see why. I think this is going to be a really great game. I mean, Saint Charles North kind of mentioned it before. They've been really good since their Week four loss to Batavia.
And when I talked to Keaton Rinky this weekend, you know, he was talking about how important the practice is going to be for this game. It's got to be the best that they have ever had. And you know, he was talking about the prep that they did for Geneva in week nine and how well that panned out. And he's like, we got to do that again, but even better this time. And you know, I'm really excited to see how this team faces off against Mount Carmel. I mean,
you mentioned it. Jack Elliott has been really good throughout this entire season. They've had a couple of bad losses this year, especially to Royola back in the Beek nine. But you know, I think it's gonna be a really good game either way. And I'm just really excited to see how both these teams, you know, play, and I think this is gonna be another game that they decide who potentially wins Class seven eight.
So yeah, I mean that Loyola game for Mount Carmelo is sort of the outlier for them in that Jack Elliott was healthy for that game and they didn't score a ton of points. I mean even in the games where they've mean, I think it's only they've only lost two games with Jack Elliott's been healthy, and one of them was to that Hunt school from New Jersey in Week one. Even in that game, Mount Carmel put up a ton of points. They put up a ton of
points against Nazareth when they beat them. So again, in a prediction that's sure to go wrong, I think there'll be a lot of points scored. Saturday, Carls North playing Mount Carmel because two really talented offenses earlier in the day on stardy afternoon game that I'm really interested to see. I'm not gonna be there, but city to see what happens. Fenwick playing at downers Grove North again another seven in game.
I'm interested from the standpoint of downers Grove North offense looks really good right now with Owen Lance who playing quarterback for them. Scott's a lot of good receivers, really balanced attack. But that Fenwick defense is pretty tough. I mean they they I believe they held Brother Rice to this seven points. Obviously, the headliner for Fenwick is Nate Marshall, defensive lineman going to Auburn, one of the best defensive linemen not only in the state but in the country.
They have a lot of different guys defensively, and Fenwick is just I don't want to say quietly but maybe a little bit under the radar. Has just been a really solid team all year long. And that went over Brother Rice last week. That kind of opened my eyes a little bit that, you know, maybe I need to pay a little bit more attention to Fenwick, but you know, obviously now they go to Downards Grove North, it should be a really fun game.
Yeah, definitely. I mean Fwick tess group and throughout the entire season that they can either score points or they can grind down opponents, especially in you know, the clutch time throughout you know, the final six minutes of the game, and they can grind out wins through their rushing game. And you know, they did it against Montini earlier than the year. Looks like they did it again against Brother Rice. So I'm really interested to see how what approach they're
going to take heading into this game. Are they going to trying to buy on their defensive stop alone Lansu and down and Scrup North, or are they going to try and score as many points as they can in order to make sure that they can keep up with that offense. So it's gonna be interesting what the game plan is going to be for that game, especially considering how talented down to Scrub North is on both sides
of the ball. And yeah, I think it's gonna be a really interesting game throughout just the entire match.
Yeah, another game this weekend involving a Westnburban Silver team again. I'm gonna be on Friday night. York is gonna be playing Uswego again. You know interesting one. I mean York. You know they're able to really do a number on a good defense last week with Edwardsville. Well guess what they're gonna get another really good defense this week going to Oswego. Oswego has only given up seventy points all
year long. I think their first defense, first team defense has given up something crazy like five total touchdowns or something like that they beat with Bonzi last week. I will say the notable in that that game, they're they're really talented. Senior linebacker Carson Coney got going to Ioway. He left that game uh late in the game, was told like a like an ankle injury. Did not return, so I'm not sure about his status uh for this week. So so that's something to keep an eye on. But
but again it should should be a fun game. I mean, both teams they really like to run the football, they both like to play really good defense. And Oswego, I mean they're undefeated, but I will say that I think this is definitely their toughest test since that Joyed Catholic win where they really they're their notable win of the season that that came in Week two. I don't think they've played a team uh that caliber since that time until this week. Uh, you know, your tough team man.
You know they can again run the football. Bruno Massol is a good dual threat quarterback. I think Oswego their offense is gonna need to you know, kind of show out a little bit more this week. I mean, I think they've as weeks, really lean on that defense quite
a bit this year. I think their offense is going to need to put up a few points because you know, it's gonna be tough to like ask them to shut out a team or or holding the ten points a team that just you know, dropped thirty seven points last week. So but but definitely a game that they may not be surprised if that one doesn't go down the wire.
Yeah, definitely, And I mean you mentioned it. Oswego has had a really good defense from showing throughout this entire year by me, you know, offensively, they have also shown that you know, they can play whatever it matters. I mean that Minuca game a couple of weeks ago where they scored forty two points off of them that basically
decided the conference. I mean, you know, they've shown that they can put offense on the board, especially against talented teams, and they're gonna definitely need to do it again against a your team that is riding high after their big window after over Edwardsville. I mean, they're gonna need to show it again in order to make sure that they can make it as far as they can in this
A day playoffs. So once again, it's gonna be really interesting to see if Ositgo can't live up to the challenge against York.
Yeah. Fun to see a game like that where I mean there are two teams that I've seen both of them play, but they come to from two different leagues. They don't see each other. I don't know when the last time those two programs played each other. Maybe ever. I mean, they just don't run into each other. Uh So it should be a lot of fun to watch any other games that you're kind of keeping an eye on this weekend that you only kind of wonder what's gonna happen with that one.
I'm keeping an eye on that Patavia Lincoln Way West game. I mean, obviously Patavia did show that they have the good potential in their win against Collinsville, but they're gonna need to do it again, especially it gets a tough Lincoln wait West team, and you know they pulled up nd. Waight West pulled up the upset victory last week over Peakin, and you know, they really showed out in that game. I believe in final score was like thirty four to
ten or something like that. But they really pulled ahead early from the start. So you know, if potatas if Batata wants to get a winning that game, they're gonna need to pull out ahead early, just like they did against Collinsville. But you know, I'm really interested to see how the two teams match up this time around.
Yeah, no, I agree, I'm I'm curious on that one as well. And just throwing one more out. I mean, Saint Francis playing Prairie Rich. Saint Francis looked great last week, you know, really steamrolling Sterling. But but man, Prairi Ridge is a team that comes in with a they a lot of good playoff experience. They made some deep runs in the pass. They come from that Fox Valley conference. It's tough. They're gonna want to run the football at Saint Francis is gonna want to run and pass the
football quite a bit. So that's another one that I'm kind of like, hmm, wonder what's gonna happen there. H two really good programs, a lot of great football this weekend. You're gonna be there out there on Saturday. I'm gonna be out there on Friday and Saturday. Uh, looking forward to it. Hopefully the rain the rain kind of gets through the area and we move on. Just want to point out people want to check out the other podcast that's out there right now, The South and West with JT.
Penalty and Eddie Griffiel. I'll be back here tomorrow with Steve Susie as we look ahead to some of the great game state wide and looking forward to it.
Rachel, Yeah, definitely, it's going to be a fun another week of playoff football, so it should be even more fun to summer around.
No doubt about it. Well, anyway, for Joe Bennett's, this is Josh Walgy. Everybody, have a great Tuesday afternoon.
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