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Hello everybody, and welcome to the Friday Night Drive semi final preview podcasts. I'm Josh Welge, joined here by Steve Susci and Michael duwaljak As. We taped this on Wednesday afternoon. And guys, it's one of the best weekends of the year. I feel like I see that a lot, but it really is. I feel one of the best weekends of the year. You know, it's the last games that are playing in high schools and obviously everybody wants to get to the championship games.
You know, what's your thoughts on that, guys.
Well, I think it's it's, like you said, one of those weekends where you look forward to it because you're pretty certain you're going to get at least, at the very least a couple of really really good football games, some barn burners, and if you're if you're lucky, you've got a whole slate full of them. And I think there's there's a potential for that. I do think there are a couple of games on here that I don't necessarily I'm not that convinced they're going to be all
that close. But for the most part, I look at these games and if they're not fifty to fifty games, they're sixty forty games, and those usually lead to some pretty good football games too. So just in general, this is what you would expect, obviously when all of these three playoff games.
Yeah, so I think we'll do it a little bit differently this week, guys, and start with Class one A and work our way up to Class aight A. You know's start with Class one A and and serious matchup that I'm interested in. Got to start with that belve All Off Campoint Central game. Uh, you know, to misakem did they play in a quarterfinal last year?
Yes, is that correct?
And and and a matchup that a result that you know, maybe it was a little bit surprising the way Aldholf was doing what doing to doing to teams and then campoint in Central is able to beat them.
You know, again similar situation.
Aldholf looks like a team that you know, looks like, if not the one a favorite, at least one a co favorite or something. You know, what do you make of the rematchin that one?
You know, it's an interesting situation because you looked at like what happened last year, Camp Point Central getting out to that giant lead and then kind of carrying that through. I think at one point it might have been thirty thirty four or thirty five to nothing in that game. And that was what really floored me about that initial meeting.
And it's interesting between these two teams because what I know about Altof and what I've witnessed when I've watched some tape i haven't seen them live this year, is that they're really really fast and really really athletic, to the point where they don't they do not resemble a one A football team. They they just got too many,
too many weapons that they can use and utilize. But the thing I think that has kind of flown under the radar about this Camp Point Central program, it was a little bit notable before they won the state championship last year. Their coach is kind of an innovator in one area in regards to how it applies to football. Coach Dixon has been on the speed training UH train
for a long time. So Camp Point Central is a pretty darn fast and athletic team too, and I think that was what allowed them to UH to get to where they got last year. So you know, on paper, you're thinking yourself, all tav isn't gonna let it happen again. Well, they might not have a say in that. I think it. I think if anybody matches up well with all tof in one a at least component wise, it's Camp Point Central.
The other semifinal Leroy playing Lena Winslow Leroy is you know, really they've kind of dominated most most teams in their path this season. They're defense has been great, although I did notice in the story of the Erou that their defense has been you.
Know, kind of touched a little bit more into playoffs.
Now that being said, what do you think is can can they take care of Lena Winslow, or did Lena Winslow do what they do?
You know, I kind of think Lena Winslow does what they do. It was, you know, that that point that you just brought up in regards to LeRoy's defense, and if you kind of look at the level of competition that Leroy played during the regular season, none of them
did very well in the playoffs. I'm thinking maybe it wasn't the best year for that conference, So, you know, and if Leroy doesn't come in and give the kind of defensive effort that they did during the regular season where they were shutting people out, holding people to a touchdown or less, you know, I just can't see, especially with the way Lena Winslow recently has been playing offense, I can't see how Lee Roy is able to kind of get into a game where they're going to trade
punch for punch with Lena Winslow.
I just can't envision.
It could set up a Class one A championship game. If it's Belle Alina Winslow. I'm gonna brew some coffee and be nice and early for that one. I'll tell you that. But but we'll see what happens. First things first, uh, this weekend moving up to two A and and Sue's interesting in that I think I read that that what three of the four teams remaining have never been a
championship game. In fact, two of them who happen to play this weekend, Farmington and Chicago Christian, they're playing in the semi final for the first time and they play each other.
What do you what do you make of that?
Yeah?
I mean you, like you said, you look at this this situation. You've just got a lot of teams that are in rarefied air right now. You know it's Johnson City has made one semi final, Farmington's never gotten to this stage, neither his Chicago Christian. In fact, I don't think Chicago Christian has ever been pasted the second round. And then you've got Morolla, who obviously has a lot more playoff pedigree in this situation. But whatever happens here,
we're going to have an interesting looking final. It's just it's going to involve at least one team that has
never been there before. All of these teams that are left, maybe a lesser respect with chicag Christian because it's it's kind of more of a recent uprising from them, but Farmington, Johnston City, both of these programs have had a fair amount of success to the point where you think, you know, you know, they're a pretty solid program, but as far as going the distance that it really hasn't been a
conversation for them. So it's going to be really intriguing to end up seeing who the two representatives are in the state final game in Class two AA.
The other semifinal, Johnson City playing Morea Forsyth. Johnstity's had a great year. Their only loss of believe was to Dixon in that interesting non conference game that that materialized this season. Great year for them, but man, it's hard for me to go against Moreau Forsyth, especially after they able to you know, to get by Quincy Notre Dame. They put up some just massive numbers this year.
Yeah, I would agree with that. I think I think Morea Foresight is your favorite of these four. But there's always a little bit of a vested rooting interest in having, you know, one of these these are let's be honest, in terms of a state championship. All the other three are classic underdogs right now. They don't have any they don't have any you know, speculaue they've never been here, you know, they've never been to this situation before, you know,
Jos City's one semi finals. So I think it could have the potential of being a really intriguing experience for at least one team and maybe two teams come State Final day.
Yeah, moving up to three A. You know, I'll start with the matchup, a really fun matchup, Montini playing Wilmington. Montini already beat the defending three A stage champion Byron. Now they get the defending Class two A stage champion Wilmington, who's moved up Montina. I tell you they were there is a time for about a decade that they were you know, pretty much pencil them in final week end of the year on Thanksgiving weekend. It's been a while
for them though. It's been seventy eight years since they've Bennett State. But Michael, you know, this is a tough one for them, but I know they're quite motivated get back there.
Yeah, it feels like if there is gonna be a year that they were going to get back, it doesn't.
It feel like it's this year, just based on what they've been bringing back this year with the defense that they have, their running attack is fairly strong with the good offensive line, and you got a young quarterback that doesn't know any better, right Like, he hasn't been through the experiences of you know, playing in tough playoff pressure and situations and that sort of stuff, and you know, maybe that ends up being a big, you know, negative,
but sometimes, you know, sometimes the hot team is when they don't know what to do better and they just decide to keep playing. And that's what the young kid Abrams is for for Montini. So I'm really curious to see whether he's able to keep by intensity that he's
been playing with since he took over midway through. And if Montini can get the passing game going here, I think that could really be the big difference in this game between two teams that you know, historically are really good at, you know, running the ball.
And both of these teams have really strong defense.
I mean, Mantini, we talked about their quarterback and their running back, but their their defense has been since week one, the strength of this team. And on the same side, you know, I don't as soon as you know, a heck of a lot more about Wilmington football than I do, and I think that's one of their strengths too.
You know, what do you make about this matchup?
You know, it's interesting. I think obviously one of the big components for Wilmington heading into this game is that they lost Kyle Ferrell on the first play of the
game against dram Pecatonica last week. And obviously when you get into smaller classification sometimes you have one of those kids that's intricral to them on both sides of the football, and he is, I mean, he's kind of the captain of their defense at a line from a linebacker position, is, if not their leading rusher, very close to their leading rusher. He's got well over a thousand yards on the season rushing and it's part of a one two, one two
combination with Ketman in their backfield. So when you look at what Wilmington does, a lot of it goes around him, and his status is pretty much up in the air for this one. It's it's almost extremely unlikely that he'll If he does play, he'll be at one hundred percent after that injury, and if he doesn't, it's gonna do something to Wilmington that I that I think is an interesting factoid. That that coach Reine's pointed out after that game against Iran Pakatonica. They got a really good running
game out of Sean James off the bench. He did very well and their defense didn't really seem to miss a beat without Farrell.
Uh.
Obviously a bigger challenge with Montini on the other side. But the one thing about this Wilmington program is those kids have been in this system since they were almost since they climbed out of the crib. I mean, that's that's what we're talking about here. They understand it. So they've got kids on the bench that they can put
into games. Granted, they're gonna lose a little bit without Ferrell in there, and maybe a lot in some circumstances, but those kids are not going to be clueless about what the expectation is for them if they do end up having to fill in for Farrell. So they'll they'll up and they'll do the best they can. They're not going to be not knowledgeable about what the expectation is of them.
It's interesting.
I mean, I think I bet Wilmington is probably doesn't go into many games where they're the team that people don't expect to win. The game and this is probably that weekend. So I'm interested to see how they they kind of handle that dynamic that you know, now they're going on the road. They're the littler school, you know, you know what I mean, they're in two another three A.
You know, I bet they relish this opportunity. I'm not saying they're gonna win this game, but I'm and now you know, they're down potentially down one of their better players. So you know, we'll see what happens. I mean, it should be a really great game in a three A semifinal.
Yeah, I'll guarantee one thing. They will not back down there. There will not be an ounce of there will be nothing left on the field with that. With that football team. However, the outcome ends up being they're They're not going They're not gonna wilt from this challenge. There's no there's no doubt in my mind about that.
Yeah. No, it should be fun. I'm really looking for it.
That's one of the matchups of other day for for me on Saturday is that that Montini Wimington game. The other semifinal three A Tolna Unity against is it Monoicello?
I'm sorry, uh Tolna Unity.
So it seems like in three A it's like, oh, they're back in the three championship game. They've been such a staple over the last several years and and they're really coming in this game on quite a role where Monoceello, you know, a little bit more of a novice among these the three A semi finalists.
Yeah, I think it's six title game appearances for to Lona Unity. They haven't won any of them, which I'm sure there's something that just kind of sticks in their crawl a little bit. But longtime coach with Scott Hamilton down there, there's been rumors down in that area that this might be his last ride at it. And their kids have really really played really good football over the
second half of the year especially. I think they started one in three on the year, but over the course of the second half they just went into another gear, including a two touchdown win over Monticello in Week nine. So as far as who's playing the best at the right time, it very well might be Tolna Unity. So that's that's kind of the interesting thing that goes in there.
You know.
Monicello has also got a pretty good track record in the postseason of pulling out wins like this. So I think this is kind of an interesting game to look at to see if Manicella can flip the script a little bit, or does Tolono just keep on crushing everything in its path like it has been over the last six to seven weeks.
You know.
Moving up to four A a really fascinating matchup De Paul Prepp playing at Cole City.
It is see cul City cred.
You know De Paul Prep quite a story in the publicly in the Catholic lade this year. I think they had not won a playoff games since twenty fifteen, and they had not been in a playoff since twenty fifteen.
They had a one one since they were Gordon Tech.
And Michael, you wrote about in your notebook this week about you know, them bringing a lot of the Gordon Tech guys back for their playoff game last week. You know, what do you make about their run so far? And really it is it is quite a story.
Yeah, it's a really fun story just to kind of watch the way that they've kind of grown the program. Head coach Mike Pasarella has been there for a little bit now. But like you said, they made the playoffs for the first time since twenty fifteen. They won their first ever playoff game as the Paul this year, and now they're obviously in their first ever semi final game, and they did it in pretty dramatic fashion. I mean, they scored twenty six unanswered points against a good Saint
Lawrence team in the second half in the quarterfinals. And it's just interesting just to kind of see how the community is kind of coming together behind this team. They're really into it. The pans, the stands were packed on Saturday. Just a really cool, you know environment to be a part of when you got these you know, kind of this story last year when they were kind of coming into their own and they eventually went to the four
A state championship game. So it's always fun when we have one of those teams just you know, kind of having a good historical year.
But it'll be interesting to see how they kind of, you.
Know, deal with having to go to Cole City, you know, going into an environment like that, and can they not start slow. I think that's gonna be the big thing where, you know, that offense, you know, I don't think they changed anything dramatically in the second half to score twenty six points unanswered points.
It was pretty much just execution and if you.
Know Juju Rodriguez, their quarterback, can really get things going, especially off the scramble. I'll be really interesting to see if if Cole City can kind of keep up with that pass attack. But it really will be down to can this team start out fast and avoid a cold start like they've had in the playoffs and a lot of these games, because you know it worked one time, you know, coming back from fourteen down nothing, But I don't know if you can do that in the semi finals.
You got to start out hot and you've got to make sure that you're firing on all cylinders if you want to go to the state championship game.
I was gonna say it was interesting last week there was a couple of CCL teams that had to go on a road in five ays, Saint France and Nazareth. But there's situations where I was like, I just I can't bet against those teams even.
Though they're on road.
Sus I feel a little bit differently about this with DePaul Prepp with with respect to them going on a road at Cole City, it's a tough matchup I mean, I think it's a game to go either way. But man, at Cole City pretty tough at home.
Yeah, they're tough at home. And really when you look at kind of what they've done over the course of the season, They've had a couple of close calls here in the playoffs, but for the most part, what Cole City does so well, and I think that goes back to Michael's point about them being at Paul has to start well here because Cole City is the kind of team that, seriously, if they taken advantage on you, they will they will, they will finish you. They will do
it whatever way that they have to do it. They will clamp down on defense, they will, they will put together a punishing drive that kind of squeezes the life out of you. That's the kind of football team Cole City is. And they did it to almost everybody other than their two regular season losses, which of course are to two teams that are still playing in the playoffs. They they lost in Week one to Morris, they lost
mid season to Wilmington. So I mean in every other game this year, barring last week's close call against Dixon, they have imposed their will and in a serious fashion. They have really basically said we're gonna score forty five points in the first half and end this I mean just and and go about doing it in a quick, efficient manner. So, like I said, Michael's talking about De Paul's starting well because they have to because if they don't, Cole City will take advantage of that.
Other for a semifinal. Mountain Zion and Normal University suits. A thought on that Mount Zion I believe, I think I saw you wrote they were three and three at one point. They've recovered, but Normal it seems to be, you know, kind of rolling right now.
Well.
Mount Zion was a team that I had high hopes for at the beginning of the season, and then some of the results were really kind of throwing me. I didn't really know what was going on. I did a little bit of digging and found out there were some key injuries that they really they had trouble getting those things fixed. Because the thing about Mount Zion is they have two excellent weapons on the outside. Brayden Trimbles committed
to Illinois at the wide receiver position. He's a very talented player.
J C.
Anderson is a junior tight end that is literally being recruited by every power program in the nation. So those two guys alone make Mount Zion extremely dangerous. And I think now they're finally they finally have all their pieces in place, they're healthy, and that now they're showing what they're capable of as what they've done through here in the playoffs. As far as normal university goes, I think they were one of the one of the biggest fly under the radar stories of the season at this point
in time. Played in a difficult conference with schools you know that were larger than them, put up a bunch of points, played very very well even in their losses to some pretty good teams. I think this is a really good football team capable of scoring a lot of points. I really expect this game to be an interesting little shootout.
In five A man, a couple couple games between teams that know each other really well. Saint Francis now Nazareth, Joliet Kathleen Morris, I'll start with the Saint Francis Nazareth game, and man, the storyline just kind of right themselves. I mean, you know, last year they played in Week nine, they played again in the Semis Montini or not Mantini, Nazareth beat him. They went on to repeat the state champs.
They played again this year, you know, late late in the year, I believe, with the Week nine as well, very high scoring, memorable game. Brady Palmer had a great game. But now they got to do it again. They got to go to Nazareth again. Nazareth has all that experience, all those seniors that have played in a lot of big games.
Saint Francis is a little bit more junior dominant with some of their guys.
You know, what do you make about that matchup, Michael, just a what a fascinating matchup?
Yeah, really interesting.
Obviously Saint France has survived in the thirty nine to thirty six shootout in Week nine, and based on you know what I saw and kind of read from Eddie's story against Sycamore, it seems like Saint Francis has kind of heard here. Offensively, Gavin Mueller, their tight end, who who's getting a lot of you know, Division one power for looks. He's out for the rest of the regular
season with the torn labram. He had surgery last week, so that's obviously a major target that you're missing here, and it seems like offensively that you know, this has been something Saint Francis has dealt with pretty much since they played Loyola in Week three. They've just had to overcome different injuries and that sort of stuff. So I'm curious to see whether they can do that keep this
train going because Nazareth, you know, they've ever since. You know, it's not like they look bad and that lost to Saint Francis by any means. I mean, they scored thirty six points. Then they've kept it going here in the playoffs. But I'm interesting to see, you know, if it's the same certain you know, same type of matchup as we saw in week nine, Does you know Saint Francis have enough to keep up because they're injured and they've got a lot of different things going on.
Obviously, they've got a lot.
Of talent, you know, their quarterback is still there, and they've got a lot of playmakers there. But I'm curious to see how much familiarity and how much experience kind
of helps in the big matchup like this. Obviously they know each other, playing each other couple of weeks, but you know, nas has won two state championships, has you know, found different ways to win those state championships, and I'm curious to see, you know, whether it's coaching, whether it's schematics or anything like that, whether something changes Saturday for two teams that know each other fairly well.
It's a little bit hard for me to imagine Nazareth, after winning two state titles to lose in a semi final on their home field to a team that they lost to by three points in the Week nine. But that being said, Saint Francis has a ton of experience. They're a junior, a lot of juniors, but they've been
in the semis the last couple of years. They've been in a couple of close games the last two years, So you know, I can make a case probably for either one of them, a very good game on that one semifinal the other one.
SU's joyed Kathlic Morris.
A ton of history there between those two programs over several years.
You know, what do you make about that matchup?
This is the eleventh time these two programs have been in the postseason, which I think says something about the situation. But the rival rivalry, at least, you know, in recent vintage, has been dominated by Joliet Catholic, including a win last year. I believe it was in the second round over Morris where they won comfortably. You know, I have a hard time seeing a situation where Juliet Catholic doesn't continue to impose its will on its opponents as it has been
the first three rounds of playoffs. They've been as dominant as any team in the state right now. Granted, I don't think the opponent. I think they caught a few breaks in the bracket too. I think they they really haven't seen a really quality opponent like I think that the team that comes out of the north side of this bracket's obviously seen a few more challenges than Joliott Catholic.
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That's to this point.
So but in saying that, you know, I've really been impressed with what Morris has done since the calendar has turned to the postseason as well. I frankly didn't give them very much of a chance to beat Morgan Park last week, and they they pretty much handled and did what they needed to do in that game. I think they'll they'll slow joel At Catholic down a little bit better than the opponents that Joey Catholic has faced so far, but I'm not sure if that's going to be enough.
It's interesting both of these teams were teams that earlier in the year I had a few questions about. I mean, when Joey Katholic lost to uswego seventeen and nothing, I was kind of like, huh, are they maybe what they have been last you know whatever many years?
And Morris too.
They they took a couple of hits as well, but obviously they've responded.
You know, gang festers, you know, Michael Joycatholic.
What have you seen out of them that they've been able to you know, kind of turn it on.
I feel like I've used this line a lot with Benwick throughout the year, and now I get I'll give it to Julia Katholick. Now I feel like they're probably the best team, like a lot of people aren't talking about just based on the path that.
They've kind of had.
But you know that their losses have been good losses, right, Like, I mean they lost to NAS and then that was a tight battle, and they lost to Mount Carmel, Like those aren't anything to sneeze at or anything like that.
And obviously I agree with SEUs.
I think that the matchups are a little bit easier here in the South bracket for them, and maybe they've got some favorable matchups, but you know, I don't think that should really take away from how talented this team is, how well they're coach, how good the defense is, how well they can run the ball.
You know, they can take shots passing the balls sometimes as well.
So I'm really interested to see, you know, do we get that Nas, you know, Juliet Catholick rematch that we had from last season, and how much, you know, do both teams kind of look from what happened last year, and how much do you kind of change for a potential matchup with nas if you're Juliet Katholic moving up.
To six A.
Obviously, a lot of people since the practice come out, Okay, where's Carry Grove, where's he St?
Louis?
And and will we get another matchup in the six A Championship. Carry Grove in particular has got a tricky little six A semifinal this weekend, going to Geneva. Carry Grove handled them pretty good last year, but it was forty one to seven something like that. But Geneva is just impressed all year long. I mean they beat Batavia for the first time in a decade or so, just rolled through the regular season, rolled through the playoffs. Obviously a ton of talent, talent Taylor one of the best
players in the state of receiver. But Carry Grove, I mean serious, they lost their all state fullback Logan Abrams, and it's like, yeah, we'll just plug other guys and we'll continue to roll.
Yeah, there are some parallels I think between what we were talking about a little bit with Wilmington and with Carrie Grove. You know, these kids know that program, they know what the expectation is so the when they have basically what i'd classify as a pretty catastrophic injury to their roster, it's not something that they're gonna go, oh,
no problem, we got it fixed. But they do have at least some, you know, some sympathy in the fact that they can go to their bench and find a player that is probably pretty prepared for what's going to
be asked of them. And I think that's what's happening here, is that those kids have such a good understanding of what the expectations are in their program and what's what they are expected to do if they're put in that situation that the transition to replacing an injury may not be as significant in that program as it is a lot of others.
No, no, I would agree with the way their system is. And again, Geneva, I mean, great year. I just wonder it's one of those things that they lost rather handling last year in the semifinals. How much has that gap closed that they can beat them. I think this is definitely a better Geneva team. Well, I know this is the better Geneva team the last year. It's just how much better for this particular matchup.
Yeah, and I think one of the things about that is that that's pretty important is that Geneva has been pretty dominant in getting to this game, and that probably gives them a little bit more confidence heading into it that yes, we have bridged the gap. Maybe they haven't bridged it all all the way, but maybe they bridged it enough where if they catch a break or two that there's the belief starts going, the momentum starts rolling,
and then you never know what can happen. But if they hadn't, if they had gone into the gone into this game with a couple of squeakers and games where they barely got through them, I don't necessarily think they'd be in a good place to play this game. But that has not happened, and they are in a good place.
They have a lot of confidence. Like I said, an early break or two could go a long way, and making sure that that chasm between the two teams from last year has closed up almost to the point where they're almost in the same place.
The other semifinal and six A. I thought we were gonna be talking about's East St. Louis against Kikoki.
We are not.
We are talking about East Saint Louis and Richards. You know, Richards was a.
Great win for them last week beating Kankakee, but this could be a pretty tall mountain decline for them, you know.
Yeah, And on top of it, going down to a Saint Louis and I think it's either three out of the last four years or or three out of the last five years Richards has met East Saint Louis in the playoffs in various rounds. In those three matchups, they've
been outscored one hundred and forty five to nothing. So that, I mean, I know these are different teams, but that just kind of shows you the gap that we're talking about between these two programs that, to be honest, maybe it's closed a little bit, but I'm not sure it's closed anywhere near enough to where this will be a competitive game, right.
Moving up to seven A and obviously, Michael, the matchup that stands out to me Mount Carmel playing Saint Rita, a rematch up I believe it was week two.
Mount Carmel beat him twenty eight to nothing.
Sat Reata, it seems like they've really come on as a very good win over Quincy last week. Unfortunately for them, I think Mount Carmel is coming on it and playing well as well, with with Jack Elliott healthy and doing what he does.
You know, what do you make of the matchup that you're going to be on Saturday?
You know, it's another fun you know, sau said, rivalry matchup the second time they're meeting each other in the semi finals in the past three season postseasons. And yeah, it's tough because you know, this could be a championship caliber game just based on what we've seen. I feel like we've kind of seen throughout the year, we've kind of been like, well, you know, how good is seeing Rita? Right Like we're kind of be like, well, is the
defense really that good? Is they're running attack that good? Can they throw it? And I feel like every single time you know, I've questioned or you know, anyone who's questioned seeing Rita, they just have consistently shown us that they're a very good team.
I mean, they've dominated so far in the playoffs.
They picked the good win against Willibrook in the second round, and now your reward is you have to play Mount Carmel, a team that they've lost to five straight times, including that semi final.
Matchup a couple of years ago.
I don't think it'll be a twenty eight to nothing blowout like it was last time. I think both these teams are different.
I just don't know.
You know, Saint Rita's defense is physical and it's very good. Can they kind of look at what Loyola did against Malt Carmel and kind of get after, you know, take away the passing lanes for Jack Elliott, or and can they kind of force them to kind of run the ball, because that's something that you know, they've done a really good job of Mount Carmel being you know, throwing the ball.
They've been averaging fifty one points a game. The passing attack has really, you know, done well since Elliott has kind of gone into a better rapport with his top three wide receivers. But can that continue if Saint Rita is able to kind of take that away and the passing lanes are able to take that away. So that's gonna be the biggest thing. I'm sure, you know, Martin Hopkins,
that Saint Rita has watched all the Loyola tape. I'm sure he's trying to look at every single thing that Loyola did and then matchup and try to replicate it as best as he can with the talent that he has on his team, because that's gonna be the recipe if he wants to pull off, you know, a moderate upset here to go to the stagechampionship game.
The other semifinal on seven eight, Patavia Lincolnway Central and Suits. And the last week you and I were joking, you know, even though I think we picked against Patavio, we were like, we don't like betty against Batavia and they proved us wide what they were able to do last week against down as Go North, and this week.
I will not bet against them. Uh what do you what do you make about this matchup?
I love the way Batavia is taking shape as the playoffs, well, they won that they had to pull that one out of the rabbit at their head in second round, but they seem like they've pick an up steam now.
I think the interesting thing about these two teams in this particular game is I think both of them do a really excellent job of what I call, you know, metamorphosizing themselves into what they need to be at that time. They're not going to sit here and try to say, Okay, the only way we can win this game is we're going to run the ball and then go out there and get stopped three times, three drives in a row,
and there aren't going to make any adjustments. Both of these two teams great at a settling into a situation where it's like, Hey, this is how I think we're going to give ourselves the best opportunity to win, and this is how we're going to use the personnel that we have to do it. We're not going to go outside of what we do, but we're going to accent and highlight the things that we do the best that is going to work the best against our opponent. So
one one week, both of these teams. One week, this team might not throw at all. The next week they might end up saying, well, this is an opportunity where we might be able to use the passing game a little bit more or in a different way. And I think both of these coaching staffs do an excellent job of recognizing what their team will do well against the
opponent and utilizing it inside of their game plans. And I think that's it's going to be a really interesting chess match to see how these two teams counter each other when maybe something they thought was going to work doesn't, and and how often they go to the things that are really going to kind of keeping them afloat.
Moving up to Class eight A, the first one will talk about York in Napril Central York Man, this is their third straight semifinal appearance. It's pretty oppressive for a program that they were a pretty middle in program for a long time and now they're in their third straight semifinal.
Of course they lost the last two years to the Loyola but the way they're playing right now, and not to take anything away from Naprile Central, but to York has just as much as anybody flipped the switch once the playoffs has start.
It's been a pretty incredible postseason for them. And not that I thought that they were gonna go and get you know, routed when they got into the postseason, but you just kind of looked at it. After the regular season. They had two losses some pretty good teams, granted, but you know, I did I see you know, a potential semi final running the cards for them. I really didn't. I was kind of like, well, you know, I think
they're good. I think they'll be competitive in whatever's thrown in front of them, But can they make this run where I'm thinking seriously that they might end up in a title game. I wouldn't have put that on my big go card to start at the postseason. But it's credit to them they've done. Not only have they won these games, they've done in the dominant fashion. So it's it's been really impressive to see what they've been able to do.
Kudos to them.
Tip the cap.
Yeah, you know, I don't know if this is their best team last three years, but I do think that this is mean Again, this is not to go in through from April Central. This is their best chance to get through the finals, you know, to play in April Central not having to face Loyola in the semi finals. And that being said, this April Central team is complete. They have a great defense, they have a very good running back and then their quarterback, Sebastian Hayes two torny
ACL has come back, had a great year. I mean, this is one of the toughest games of the weekend for me to pick.
Oh, I'd agree, And I mean I really like what Naperville Central has done, and I you know, I keep going back to the fact that you know, their lone loss of the year to the day, just to Lincoln Way East. They were okay in that game, but the outcome was never really in doubt. But the fact that they were okay in that game, I think says so thing about how good this football team is because nobody else has managed to be in my classification okay against them.
Everyone else has looked pretty much overwhelmed. So that's that's a sign to Naperville Central and what they've been able to do. And they and they really have also done it. And going back to what we were talking about in seven eight, they've done a really nice job of recognizing what it's going to take to get them a W, and that's all they're concerned with. They don't care if it's a three point victory or a twenty three point victory,
especially this time of the year. That's a that's a good function to have do what you have to to get the W. And I don't think very few teams have been as good at that as Naperville Central has this year.
Last matchup, we'll talk about the marquee matchup the week and I would say, uh, Loyola playing at Lincoln Wa East again. A ton of familiarity here. Believe it's the fifth Is it the fifth time in the last six post seasons. Yes, they've pat each other. Loyola's sort of had the upper hand this uh throughout that rivalry, winning all but one of them. But Lincoln Way East, I don't know. They're They're gonna be pretty tough to beat too. It's the way they're playing. Jonas Williams good at football.
Yeah, I mean that's an understatement. It was last week was I knew he was capable of some of these things that he was doing last week week, I just didn't know that it was he was that capable. If you're understanding what I'm saying, it's like ends up running for three touchdowns the last year and you're thinking to yourself, oh, yeah, they're probably short touchdown runs. When when the when things broke down? No, the first one, the first one was
eleven yards, Okay, I get it. The second one was sixty, the last one was eighty four. And he just weaved and bobbed and ran around people and broke tackles and and basically you know, I was laughing as I was walking out of Lincoln Way East after their winning the quarterfinal round against Stevenson. I was walking past a couple of kids in one of them was Jonas Williams, and a fan that, obviously Jonas Williams knew, raised his head
up and goes, hey, Mike Vick, how you doing. And I just I and I knew that's what he was referring to, and I just kind of laughed because it was very It was very mike vic esque in performance. It was one of those things where I mean, he's just He's incredible. That's really what it comes down to. He's just so good. And the thing that everybody talks about is all this passing game. He didn't throw a touchdown pass until the third quarter in that game, and
they were winning thirty five to nothing when he did it. So, I mean, there's just there's so many things about this football team to like. And we talk about Jonas a lot and deservedly so. The other thing that has been an absolute nightmare for the opponents is, gosh, this is a really good defensive unit on all levels. The defensive line is outstanding. They're led by Caden Rourke, the Northwestern commit. Jacob Alexander's also very very good. The linebacking group is
what Lincoln Way East linebacking group always is. They make every single play that they can, and the secondary is tremendous, and I just teams just do not have a lot of luck out of them, and you're thinking to yourself, Hey, you know, how do I move the football on these guys? And then sometimes it becomes how do I avoid a three and out? Because it feels like that's happening so often with Lincoln Way East right now, where teams get three cracks at him and then they're putting the ball away.
That's that's where this team is at right now, and when they're playing at their best, and I'm not even sure we've gotten there yet, that is that's something to behold because I think I've seen him get pretty close. I still don't think they've met their their max potential. And if there's anything that's going to bring that game out of them, I think it's Loyola.
Good to say.
And if anybody hasn't seen an eighty four yard touchdown run, I'd see just that you google it or whatever you want to do to check out. It's pretty pretty darn impressive for a high school quarterback to do that. But Michael Loyola the two time defending state champions. It's not too often you go and imagine me.
You're like, you know, how is Loyola gonna beat Lincoln Lee East? But Loyola's got a lot of talent to you know what, what do you make about this man? From their perspective?
Yeah, I think you know, it's interesting just because obviously you look at the two losses and you're like, O, loyal must they had a bad year or something like that. But I think that the biggest thing you can kind of say about this Loyola team is that they're this is a team that's been battle tested, right. I mean they got like they they i mean they got clowned in Week one against eat Saint Louis.
Obviously it wasn't the way they wanted it to go. They got upset without Ryan.
Fitzgerald in Week three against Saint Francis, And you know this, this is a team that I've I've heard a couple of times now, whether it's coaches or players saying it throughout the games that I've covered this week this year. But you know a lot of players said that that was a good punch in the mouth and just to be like, listen, like, teams aren't going to roll over for you because you're Loyola.
Like.
I think that was something that this group really needed to understand, and clearly they've understood it. I mean that they blew out Mount Carmelton in the regular season, they found ways to survive against Marist, a really good team. In the second round, they be May South after it being tied with them at halftime, and made it look pretty easy in the second half of the thirty five or fourteen wins. So listen, I know, you know, this is definitely the most talented team that Loyal has played.
You know, Lincoln Way East Jonas Williams is obviously going to Oregon, is a very talented quarterback. That's a very big understatement. But I do think that with the experiences that Loyal has kind of gone through, I think those are experiences that maybe Lincoln We East hasn't had through this year.
You know, with them blowing out everyone every single game this year.
You know, that's not to say that they haven't been anyone good, but I think Loyal has been battle tested. Their offensive line has been battle tests that their defensive line has been forced to make changes without their top player after you know, the first snap of the season. So I think that it's going to be a really fun game. I don't think that it's going to be a blowout one way or another. And I'm really interested
to see. You know, there are a lot of fun matchups in this game, but I am really curious to see can the defense that Loyally used against Mount Carmel to take Jack Elliott away and that defense that kind of turned away Jack Jacob Rider from Maris in Week two and obviously turned down the hot main South quarterback in the quarterfinals, does that defense work against Jonas Williams or is Jonas Williams?
That could should be a lot of fun.
I mean one thing, I will say, these metrics are never blowout, at least a traditionally not been, so we'll see how transpor.
And I can say another thing about about this one. In general, Lincoln Way East couldn't be more thrilled about one factor of this game the fact that the game is being played in Frankfurt, because there have been some real horror stories for Lincoln Way East when they've made that trip up to Loyola. I'll be honest, quite possibly the best high school kicker that I've seen in my life went up there and clanked a potential game time field goal off and upright, and I I like had
to look and I taped it on my phone. I had to look at it like three different times because I couldn't believe that that actually happened. I mean, tremendous kicker for Lincoln Way East. I thought it was absolute money, it was well within his range and clanks it off the upright and Lincoln Way East goes home disappointed. So every time that they've gone up there and played at
that place, something has gone horribly wrong for them. So I think that in fairness, it's it's fair to the Lincoln Way East if they finally get a chance to play them on their turf, because that has never happened. There have been two of them that have been at the State finals. The other ones have all been up there at Loyola. So I mean it's actually it's three
and two, three state finals and two at Loyola. So for them, I'm sure they they're delighted that the bracket broke down in a way that the Ramblers have to make a trip down to Frankfort instead of going back up to will Met.
It's gonna be a lot of fun both of those A day games with Saturday night it's kind of cool as well under the white, so it should be a lot of fun. Got a great weekend, of course, follow everything at Friday Night Drive everything covered on Saturday for Steve Susie and Michael du Wojack. I'm Josh Welby. Thanks again for everybody for joining us.
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