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N dot com. Welcome to the Friday Night Drive Podcast, the Imperial Valley
Edition. I'm the cal Daily Chronicle Sports Editor Eddie Carriffio. I am with
as always Shaw Sports Regional Editor. I don't think those were the right words.
It doesn't matter how whifted again, JT. Penalty. At least I
got your name right, JT. No man saw sports regional nitor. That
was great. That was probably It only took week ten. Yeah, we're
good. We're doing a media regional sports editor. Oh, it doesn't matter
what order the words are in. Don't you know how long have you been
a writer? How's it going? Man? Oh, it's going great because
you know what playoffs? Baby? Were talking playoffs, not practice. I'm
combining too famous press conferences there anyway, Yep, and Iver said practice.
We didn't talking to the game. We're talking practice. Yeah, this week,
well someone will be who we thought they were. Oh nice one,
Well you go into some Lenno Leis ones. But we'll just move on and
talk about the postseason. Lots of stuff to get to. We're gonna start,
actually, let's start last week. Let's start with some Sycamore Morris.
I was at that game. That was almost as advertised. I mean,
I don't think you would have thought six turnovers total in the game, but
that's very much a testament I think to those teams defenses, especially Sycamore is
forcing Morris into that because Morris don't turn the ball over. Morris did three
times. Moores ends up coming away with a twenty two to fourteen win.
They're the Kishwaukee River Slash Interstate eight White Champions type that in the final Keishwaukee
River Interstate eight White Champions. Yes, I guess they're gonna play for an
eight title next year. We'll see TVD put a pin in that. We'll
get back to it. There's about one hundred different things that could happen.
I was I was jealous of your cover in that game. That's a that
was a fantastic matchup, and uh, you know if this podcast, this
first season of this podcast had a had a game that was the game for
this podcast, I think that was it, Sycamore Morris. I think it
came up one way or another, uh, every single week, and I'm
glad it played out as advertised. I think we both thought Morris would be
a slight favorite and what had ended up an eight point ball game. Yeah,
and Moore's an episode. Morris jumped out to a fifteen to nothing lead.
It looked like it was gonna maybe not be as thatise, but that
Sycamore ended up getting back into it, and really they they their three turnovers
came on three consecutive possessions in the second half, so I mean, and
two of them were fumbles at the end of the long runs. One of
them was an interception in the end zone. So he definitely could have been
a game of commy either way. That that's one of those that you know,
you play that ten different times and two different sides alternate between more than
Sycamore. They're going five and five. Yeah, yeah, and there uh,
it's just a just a I guess I hate to make your point for
you. In our ongoing district conversations here and there, but that game is
everything that's right about high school football, and it also points out everything that's
wrong about high school football because of games like that between two great teams like
that, and nobody wants to be in a conference with them. So so
you know that, like a point like that is everything that's right about high
school football, and then it's everything that's wrong about high school football, all
in all in one beautiful package. But you know, a great football game
and just awesome that they get to experience that. And I know on your
note you put iron sharpens iron, and you know that leads us beautifully into
the Class five A bracket, because boy, there's a lot of iron in
there. Thank you for stealing my transition. It's okay. It's there to
share because the five especially in the five A, might as well start at
five day with both Sycamore and Morris. And you look at the north side
of Sycamore. I think Sycamore is set up for a nice little run here.
I mean, the get Evergreen Park probably should be a win. They've
already played them twice in the first round of the playoffs, one handily both
times. I know this is in twenty nineteen or twenty twenty one, but
you know, they still get it done. Then they get another Chicago school
in round two, they'll get out of the Corelers some work in park.
Then you know that sets him up. And then you look at the other
quadrant. I think there's a sixteen upset over a one. Sterling beats Peyton,
right I you would you would think so standing on pair, but I
you know, I don't. The Sterling team's kind of tough to figure this
year. You know, they have that loss to Princeton where they really weren't
competitive, which kind of knocked us all back on our heels. Princeton's a
great program, but you know, not a five A team by any stretch
of the imagination. So U but yeah, I mean, I would think
just from the pedigree, from the level of athletes we know they have and
everything, uh, you would think Sterling should do all right there. But
I really don't know much about Chicago Payton. I mean, if you go
nine to zero in high school football season, no matter who your opponents are
or what you're playing, you know you're doing something right. That's a very
good point. So I could be just a little pro Sterling here. And
I know the loss to Princeton was you know, unexpected. You can said
they were printed had something to prove too with their unexpected loss, So you
know they were out trying to make a statement and they most certainly did in
that game. So I think there are other factors that play. And then
you look the other part of that quadrant that would then play Sycamore in the
semis would be or Quarters would be well or Saint Francis. I think Sycamore
has got a nice road back to the semifinals if they take care of business.
And do I think the path is there now? Of course you look
at the other look, go go south from the five A brackets and see
what Morris has and it's a little different. Yeah, yeah it is.
And you know it's kind of like it's it's funny how that works out,
you know, because Morris won, and I know sometimes the geographical breaks happen,
but the records kind of help figure into those geographical breaks sometimes and and
you know, Morris gets the win over Sycamore, and here here's your prize.
That south half of the Class five A bracket is just you know,
in terms of name recognition, is just crazy. I mean, Morris opens
against Tinley Park High School, which is you know, you know, not
a powerhouse banning stretch of the imagination. But after that one, you know,
they get the winner of Thornton Fractional North and Sacred Heart Griffin also in
their part. Their quarter of the bracket is Peoria High School and Juliet Catholic
who have to play each other in the first freaking round. And also down
there you have Providence playing Morton in the first round. So the bottom half
of that, that five A bracket is is just absolutely crazy. Whoever comes
out of there, and I agree with you. I think Sycamore is set
up very nicely on their half. Prairie Ridge would be a be a tough
one. Glenn Bard South up there too, But but I think at the
end of the day, you know, you come out of there, whoever
comes out of that South one is definitely going to be, you know,
ready to play because they're going to have earned their way, boy, and
one of maybe the toughest half of a five A bracket I've seen in years.
Yeah. Now, all that said, I think Sycamore Praier Ridge becomes
an amazing semi final if that should come to pass. No, yeah,
I agree one hundred percent. And you don't know what's going to come out
of that other half of the bracket. I mean, you have Juliet Kathock
as a twelve seed playing you know, Peoria High School. I mean that
game could be now ninety five to eighty four, or I know Porre hasn't
a pile up points quite like they have in recent years, but but they
can still score it. Only a Catholic can score it. Just it's gonna
be uh, you know, Metamora is down there as a six seed.
Metamora is always a powerhouse, so it'll be uh, it'll be just really
that five A is just gonna be a uh, you know, walking on
Cole's and whoever can you know, get out there and survive it. It
should be just a heck of a heck of a playoff in five A.
Anything else jumping out at you. Uh, I know, the five A
bracket that's pretty well covered Seace, that was basically the two teams well and
Sterling, who probably should have given some more love to this year four and
five getting in that's uh. I think they're gonna make some noise. I
think they're gonna have the chip on their shoulder. I think they're gonna play
the no one believes in us, no one thinks we should be here card,
And I think I don't think it matters necessarily how good Peyton is is
not a slam on them necessarily here. I just think Sterling is going to
be incredibly motivated to come out and get this win. So that's why that's
why I'm thinking them. But so so that's the five A bracket. Anything
else jumping at you down your way probably not five or six, you know.
One of the things that just kind of came to mind, so it's
not on the notes. Going off script, warning, one of the things
that just jumped out of me when you mentioned Sterlin getting in at four and
five is, you know, uh, you know, every year about week
seven and week eight, Uh, our colleagues, Steve Sussie kind of puts
out there that, boy, it looks like a lot of four and five
teams still have a chance this year, and every year we kind of go,
yeah, right, you know, you say that every year and blah
blah. I don't say that to his face. I'm very scared of but
yeah, I'm just glad he doesn't listen else. But you know, this
year it happened. I think what we have did we have four? I
think it was six six four and five six? Yeah, I mean.
And one of the crazy things is one of the other recurring games in this
podcast all year was that oddwellp game that whoever won that should get in the
playoffs. And it almost happened, almost gotten at four and five. They
were like the first team on the chopping block of those four and fives that
didn't make it. They were in it. It all came down to a
Saturday afternoon game, and now there was a whole setup. If this team
wins and this team loses, then LP gets that spot. But yeah,
I think it's I think it adds a lot of interest. You know,
I'm not a fan of expanding the playoffs and adding wild cards and everything that's
been happening. I like wild cards to an extent, but you know,
the NFL, Major League Baseball, to me, it's kind of getting a
little old old man, get off my loan on Brant coming. But you
know, it adds excitement, It adds interest to a lot of cities.
But at the end of the day, kind of if it does water down
things, I don't feel like these four and five teams joining waters waters things
down too much. I think it adds a lot of interest to a lot
of teams. That made for a really fun playoff selection Saturday. Yeah.
No, absolutely. Now, I will say an expanded playoffs, I'd much
preferred districts. But if it's gonna be a compromise to do every team makes
the playoffs, and if someone could pick y're out of way to make that
work, then I'm for that because it's still better than the It accomplishes the
same thing. I mean, you lose, probably lose a week of the
regular season, but you know, now because an eight week regular season with
everybody gets a playoff game, I mean they are ugly first round games now
that that will never change. I'm for that. I mean, I'd much
rather have districts, but I mean, if it's gonna be a compromise,
and I'm for everybody gets it, I mean every other sport does it,
so why not why not football? But yeah, so that that was the
four and five teams. Yeah, I was reading as kind of a post
mortem on what happened, and it seemed like even in the Week nine,
he seemed to think that it was going to even out and there wouldn't be
that many four and five teams, and there was like you know that you
have to go to his marker board and his back and the port, that
know for sure. But it was it's it's a there are a lot of
teams that that that they thought were playing better teams that we're gonna lose up
winning, and you know, all that stuff going kind of against the green
and there were upsets when we didn't think they were gonna be and there weren't
when we were. So it kind of was that, like you said,
that that kind of shock ending that we maybe have been prepared for for the
last four or five years, but hasn't actually happened until this year with six
of the four and five teams ending up in Yeah, I think a lot
of teams had a chance to kind of punch their ticket and just failed to
do so at the end there, and that opened up you know, that
opens the door for other teams that have played tougher schedules. And you know,
I said LPSU Preu in recent years has always kind of scheduled a pretty
tough non conference you know schedule and and and that almost got him in the
playoffs at four and five this year. So so we were almost right all
season saying the winner of that oddwellp game was going to get in so the
way we thought, not the way we thought, but almost, yeah,
so the kind they couldn't punch their ticket into the playoffs, but a couple
of teams kicked their tickets into the playoffs with wooden Shoes see very nice one
A yeah, Morrison's a five seed, Fulton's of twelve, and kind of
reminds me of the NCAA tournament where you know, every time you fill out
a bracket, you always got to pick one twelve. It's like it's like
a law because one twelve is always going to upset a five at least if
I had to pick one, this might be it. And then I don't
know that Fulton's necessarily better than Morrison. But these two have a lot of
history, been playing since nineteen oh one, kind of you know, you
mentioned when you have a name for your rivalry that means your pretty fierce rivals.
Wooden Shoe Bowl they played forty four times, so kind of intermittently.
They haven't played since that, by the way, that seems really weird that
it's only forty four times years on average. Yeah, they played a lot
recently when they both were in the Three Rivers, but then Fulton left after
that COVID season to join the Northwest up state of Lina, and Morrison missed
them. So they're going to be heading that way too. As the Three
Rivers starts, it's emptying out more on conference conference is falling apart. So
but yeah, I think that's just a really interesting matchup. Sometimes the way
these brackets come together, you wonder, you know, like just like I
mentioned the NC double A, sometimes you wonder it's like, man, did
they put that together? So the old coach is playing this old team or
and I know with this it's all math and math and maps. It's all
math and maps. But but very interesting that Morrison is going to be playful
in the first round. Yeah. I also, you know, all this
talk about conferences everything and how people try to avoid like Sycamore and Morris and
whatnot. I do want to give credit to the teams that keep going into
the n U I CE knowing what that conference is, knowing you know,
your two picture, the winge of forest ins you know, are all in
there. And still yeah, Okay, then let's go, let's do this.
So that's uh, that's a credit to that conference, that region,
in that part of the state that they kind of bucked that trend that if
everyone in the state had that mindset, we wouldn't have a problem. Yeah.
Yeah, they've they've really drawn some teams and you've kind of seen the
Three Rivers, the Track three Verus at Letta Conference conference kind of you know,
like I said, starting to empty out, kind of Saint bete Is
has left for the Chicago Land Prairie and football and for the Tri County and
other sports. And now you know, we see you know, Fulton leaving
and now Morrison is going to be leaving. So you know, not good
for the Three Rivers, which used to be the Big Rivers conference and and
uh you know kind of split into these two and through a merger and and
kind of you know, looks like that's kind of starting to taper off now.
And you know, you hate to see conferences go, but I'm with
you, it's great that they're going to you know, they're joined, they're
joining, they're playing up, you know, they're they're gone, and they're
saying, yeah, let's let's test ourselves. Against those teams, so very
good. Another another interesting one a match up and this is a nine to
eight, so you figure it's a flip a coin game. You had Ottawa
Marquette visiting Forrest and no strangers to each other. This is the fourth time
they played in the playoffs in recent years. As this seems like a lot
better than a nine eight matchup. This seems like a you know, four
or five quarterfinals. Yeah, this should be this should be a good,
good game. Both of them running a lot, so it should also be
a quick game. But yeah, they're they're uh they uh, you know,
Marquette took them to overtime once in one of those playoff meetings. Other
than that, Forest's kind of controlled it, including in one of forrest In's
state championship seasons. But I think that's a really good one in one A
and uh, you know the other one that's interested interesting down for my region,
Saint Beide's a fourteen seed visiting number three Chicago Hope Academy. It's gonna
be a tough one for Saint Bede. Kind of if you look at the
opponents who played opponents who played opponents, and you kind of go down that
path yeah, you know, it looks like the matchups with you know,
Marquette played Aurora Christian and lost handily, and then Marquette beat Saint Bede by
couple of touchdowns and Hope Academy only lost by a few points to a Rowa
Christian. I think it was twenty seven to twenty two back in Week three.
So you know, it looks like a tough match up for Saint Beide,
long bus trip, everything, But you know, they got a quarterback,
Max Bray, who's you know, who's a transfer you know from Aurora,
who's a heck of a heck of a heck of a player and a
game changer. So Saint Bede kind of going on the road there, I
think I think could be you know, I don't want to say upset alert
necessarily, but I think they're gonna give Hope Academy everything they want. That
that is definitely a tough one for uh, for Saint Bede, but uh,
yeah, I know it's Chicago, Hope is. I think they've been
up the last couple of years, so that should be an interesting one and
it's certainly a strong start, a strong challenge to start the postseason. One
A two A, is your wheelhouse man down there? What anything else cooking
down there? That's where our better better teams kind of said, I uh
to A. You know, it's great to see uh Dwight Gardner South Wilmington
co op. But they kind of just go by Dwight to their friends.
You know, it's great seeing Dwight back in the playoffs and and you know,
first time since twenty eighteen and only fourth time you know in the in
the two thousands, kind of really trying to build a program there and seeing
them back in the playoffs and and even a lot of their losses were very
close ballgames. So so it's it's really great to see Dwipe back in.
But you know, unfortunately they get to go to Seneca for Round one,
which has just been steamrolling everyone they played, including Dwight a couple of weeks
ago. So and you know, you look at Seneca, I mean that's
a three A team year after year after year. They haven't been in Class
two A since nineteen ninety four. So you know, for Seneca, which
made the second round in three A last year, ran into I can't remember
who they ran into in the second round. Oh, it'll come to me.
But anyway, uh, Seneca, you know that that's going to be.
You know, them going to two A is just a big opportunity for
them. It's a Byron. Seneca played Byron second round last time. Yeah,
so that was that was bad news, but it's gonna be. Uh.
You know, senecon that two A bracket is a team I don't think
anyone wants to come across. You know, they run that power te offense.
They just take the air out of the ball and they just played just
punishing defense, just hard hitting, flying all over the field. You know.
Their whole thing is just you know, you might get five or six
possessions the whole football game, you know, unless you're giving up big plays
to them. And that's kind of the way they play, you know,
if you look down the road, I mean for them, you know,
Try Valley is always tough. They could get Try Valley in the and I
think the quarterfinals got morea for Site knocking around on their half of the bracket.
But in that north half, I mean Seneca in Class two A.
I wouldn't want to be in two way with them. Also, Yeah,
you point out the challenges even there's nine teams with eight or nine wins on
the top half of that two A bracket, and I'm just looking at so
that a right, you know, records especially, and you're a little further
south. Even if you the things get a little spotty, you know,
in terms of level of competition, but you still, like you said,
you win nine games, win eight games, that's still impressive. And there's
a lot of eight nine one teams. They're gonna get one in the second
round with either rock Ridge or Westville, so that I think you're right.
I think Senec is probably the favorite, but there's there there's some team,
good looking teams with good looking records, and in that area. Yeah,
I mean you look at you know geez, I mean you know when Bloomington
Central Catholic goes nine and oh when they're a three seed, you know that
that gives you that idea of the strength of that of that bracket. When
you have a program like that who has an undefeated season and and you know
still is a number three seed. Four Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's
really just a you know, you could have four nine and os playing in
the quarterfinals there. That's that's just you know, just in that half of
that two A bracket. It's just crazy. And the other thing that stuck
out to me in two A and just mention it because I got to see
the team last week because Wilmington will be host to Mercer County. Wilmington,
boy, they impressed the heck out of me against Streeter. Just you know,
they come out and you think, Wilmington, what do you think running
the ball, running the ball defense? They came out and went play action
first play for about fifty yards against Street here, and it just you know,
I was on the side. I was on the Wilmington sideline. I
have some friends on the Streeter chain crew, and I just kind of turned
around in one of them and I said, well, this isn't fair.
You know, you get all geeked up all week. It's we're playing Wilmington.
We got to stop the run and they go play action on your first
play. But they can throw it a little if they find themselves behind it.
And sometimes with these you know, wing teams, sometimes that's kind of
you know, their bugaboo is they if they get behind in the playoffs playing
a good team, you know they're in a really tough spot. Wilmington can
throw it. They got a great defense, and they can obviously run it,
you know, no doubt about that. Wilmington, you know, a
five seed because of that first week loss to uh Wilmington played Seneca aforementioned Seneca.
But but but so they are five seeds instead of one. Boy,
they're they're gonna be a tough team. And you could see them and and
Seneca meeting up in the quarterfinals too. It wouldn't surprise me a bit.
But that would involve them getting past try Valley, right, So yeah,
they would have try Valley the first round. Yeah, well as everyone else
we're talking about. That's why that bracket is, like I said, at
least record wise, one of the toughest. So yeah, and and and
and the thing is is, you know, like I mentioned when we were
talking about five A, that you know a lot of those are name teams,
you know, but you know, maybe not having their greatest seasons in
recent history, such as you know a Julia Catholic or or you know Sacred
Heart Griffin. You know, there's still very good football teams, but maybe
not at the peak of their powers this season. That is not the case
in two A from what I've seen here. I mean, you know,
you talk about Try Valley. You talk about Wilmington, Seneca, Morella,
Forsyth. Uh, you know, these aren't teams that are kind of well
yeah, but this year are they? These teams are are all very good
and very good this year. So I think you're gonna see some amazing games
in Class two A. I think we're gonna pause here for a second,
pay some bills. We'll come back three or four E rackets. And although
we talked big schools, Caitlin, I definitely want to get into some Caitlan
talk because it looks like some stuff I've said all here might actually be right.
So well, we'll take a break here and we'll get into all that.
On the other side. This is State Representative Steve Reich, and I'm
happy to sponsor this year's Friday Night Drive. There will be plenty of time
for politics down the road, but for now, let's enjoy some high school
football. Whichever school you follow, give them your support. We're gonna jump
right into the three A bracket now that we're back. You know, not
a lot of three A teams that we've covered, but obviously once we have
the familiarity with and man, I was looking at that three A bracket.
The Princeton's actually in the top part of it there, and there are we
were talking about some good teams having good years. Man, Okay, you
got Byron is a one seed. They're nine at a Princeton a two seed,
eight and one. You also look at it in there, you've got
Stillman Valley working five and four is a thirteen seed. They've kind of gotten
strong late in the year, but you know, man Man alive. And
then on the other half you got Montini lurking as a sixth seed. What
was the other thing I was interested in on that one on the north side
there, and I'm scanning my notes frantically, and I mentioned Princeton. J
T. What do you think of this three a bracket? It's you know
what if we say every bracket's loaded, I guess we're just saying high school
football is fun. But uh, you know, one of the teams that
stood out to every team you mentioned is one that jumped out at me.
And and I'll add another one to that list. Look in the top half
at number nine potone, you know there's six and three Poton's three losses are
all the playoff teams, and one of them is Sandwich, a four A
playoff team very early in the season when I don't think Potone had quite hit
their group. The other two are the Wilmington and Cole City. You know,
Poton's won four in a row, and other than they're closeman Over Street
or none of them are close. They open with Chicago Crane, you know,
and then and then then they get Byron second round almost certainly if they
win. But but uh, you know, I wouldn't count p Atone out,
uh you know in terms of you know, not only just getting that
second round, but maybe kind of trying to making things interesting and throwing a
monkey wrench and kind of how everyone thinks it's gonna play out because uh,
you know, I got to see a Paton this year and they're there are
a solid football team, they really are. But yeah, I think three
A is is just another one where you kind of look at the bracket you
go through. You know, you have Princeton opening with a PBL Paxton,
Buckley, Loda. You know, a nice little path for Princeton there.
You know, North Boone and Monmouth Roseville would be kind of who they get
in the second round, so a nice little path until kind of you get
down to you know, you get in that third round, you have you
know, Montini sitting there at six and three, and uh, you know
Eureka, even Eureka plays Mantini that first game, five and four. Eureka
is a very good, you know, middle size school program. I don't
know much about North Londale, they went eight and one. I know Prairie
Central's got a strong program. Always have great athletes in Fairbury, disproportionate number
of D one athletes coming out of a little town, but probably best known
for its races and it's and it's awesome grocery store. I was leaving Peck
out. I knew I was scrambling to find the team in that top part
that I had left out, so that that was the one I was leaving
out of it on the top part there. Yeah. So so three just
another one where if you if you find yourself in the uh you know,
in the quarterfinals, getting to the semi finals, you know you earned it.
Yeah that's good for three A right, although I really think you know
that Byron Princeton or Byron Dupek is almost guaranteed to be a quarter and it's
probably gonna go to Byron but that still should be an excellent game. I
mean, Dupek has tested, you know, having played the win, having
played Forrest, and I think they dropped both of those. That's why they've
been playing Byron as early as they would be that that that could really be
a game down the line, and then one of them facing Princeton or Montini
in a semi Yeah. And you know, I think the North, whoever
comes out of the North, I think is is set up very well.
I mean, no offense like the Kwoyne or Greenville or whatever. But I
think you know, you you get through that dauntlet Byron, Princeton, Montini,
du bet whoever comes out of it, they're gonna be really good.
Yeah. No, I agree, one hundred percent. And you know kind
of well, we talk about two A and three A and look at all
these nine and o's and eight and ones. Well you got to make up
for that somewhere, and that trans ust us to Class four A, where
there's only one nine and O team that ended up in Class four A this
year. That's Rochester. You know, everyone else has at least one loss.
Brackets full of five and fours and six and threes, and you know
it's just kind of the way the system works. But still in that bracket,
you end up with a seven and two against seven and two first round
matchup with you know, Coal City and normal U High that I think will
be a really good game. It's at coal City. I like coal City's
chances in that one, but you know, you High usually pretty good.
You also have another eight nine on the northern half is Sandwich the field goods.
I think between Josh Welgi and myself, I think we've written Sandwich the
feel good story of the twenty twenty three football season about seventy four times between
two of us, four times. So yeah, I keep trying to find
different ways of word it. But you talk about a program that went,
you know, oh to nine a couple of years ago, forfeited of most
of its games, that that shortened spring COVID season, didn't even play vartsity
football last year due to low numbers in the program, and here they are
six and three, not just in the playoffs, but hosting a playoff game.
So that's, uh, that's outstanding, and uh, you know kind
of kind of that four a bracket maybe doesn't have the powerhouses that were used
to seeing. I mean you do have a first round Icy Catholic Geneseo showdown.
That should be really something. Dixon Plano in the first round is an
interesting one. But you know, you don't see a lot of a lot
of those powerhouse teams in four A, at least in terms of what they
did this season, as you as we have in the other brackets we've talked
about. Yeah, no, but there's still a lot of blue bloods and
a lot of like I'm looking at that uh kind of in the north that
that the quadrant with the the two and the three, I mean Boiling Catholic
Phillips is a is a first round matchup there. I see Catholic gets the
winner of that one or Geneseeho gets the winner of that one. Like you
mentioned the Dixon Plano game, I mean, obviously that's probably when prediction.
We've talked about Dixon a ton and then you know they're probably set up to
play. I would assume Saint Lawrence knocks off Vocation Chicago Vocational, but Dixon
St. Lawrence is going to be a hell of a game. Like that
quadrant is really just sticking out to me. I also think Sandwich is set
up for a run man, I mean, again, not knowing much about
the Chicago schools, just historically that you know, they tend to falter in
the playoffs. Chicago Diet eight one diet. I'm not even sure how to
pronounce that. That's how you know. I know, I was just going
to say the team Science is playing. Yeah, quality research. Job on
my faults. But yeah, no, Hey, this is a corn corn
Field Old podcast. Okay, we're sorry, that's what we are. But
yeah, I know, I think Sandwiches is set up pretty nice for for
a little run to start. Could be I see kind of Richmond Burton lurking
in there, which yeah, well that would Yeah, I didn't say three
winnable games the second round game. Yeah, but I but I I do
think I agree with you. I like Sandwich's chances in this first one.
Kind of Ridgewood's a member of that Chicago Land Prairie that we talked about with
kind of Seneate and everyone, and they're kind of the one team that's not
from you know, the Illinois Valley that kind of won their way through the
playoffs. They did play some of the teams from down here like Marquette,
Saint Bete and and then you know tough. I think they you know,
got gotta win over Saint Bede to play Dwight tough, played Marquette tough,
nobody played Seneca tough, you know, since week one Wilmington. But you
know that you kind of think Ridgewood, you know, might be ah might
be a result of kind of you know, they play in a conference where
you know, they played a schedule of small schools, with the exception of
their two openers against public league schools and uh, you know, and then
and then their one conference game. Other than that, they played all schools
that are significantly smaller than them. So on this four A bracket, you
know, Sandwich Sandwiches played tougher competition, you know, which is part of
the reason why Sandwich is at home in this first round game over Ridgewood.
And and I I like Sandwiches. I like the Indians' chances of getting to
that second round against the Chicago school and you know that maybe that very much
can propel you to the quarterfinals. Yeah, so that's gonna be an interesting
one to keep an eye on. But of course, then you know,
in that quarterfinal, that other little half of the half of the half of
the bracket is, uh, you got Wheaton, Wheaton Academy, Saint Fider
and uh Richmond Burke. So that's something. The good news is you only
got to play one of them because they played each other first round. You
know, that's so so the good news is you don't have to worry about
going through both of them to get somewhere. But yeah, boys, just
so many And I guess maybe I I always kind of have mixed feelings about
playoffs first round because so many of the games are such mismatches, and you
know, you see your you know, your nine and O teams playing the
five and four teams, and and you know it's a running clock right at
the start of the second half, and and you know, I've covered so
many of those games in Week ten over the years, but boy, this
year it just really feels to me that you know, and and you know,
just a feeling, but so many interesting first round games that I think
really will be good games at the lower you know, you're used to that
in Class you know, seven, A, Class eight A. Yeah,
you know, all these teams are good if they make the playoffs, and
you know you're going to get a lot of great first round games. But
I feel that these lower classes there are a lot of very interesting first round
matchups, and I think we're going to see some really good games more than
I'm used to seeing. Yeah, I definitely think there's some good games working
there. I still think you'll see close it'll become close to the average and
blowouts, and I disagree with you a little bit there. But anyway,
because again it's like the four and five four in five teen thing. Every
year you think it's you know, although this year the four and five thing
did happen, so maybe the close first round games of the lower classes increases
as well. So you think that'd be counterintuitive, but who knows. If
we've learned anything from doing this for ten weeks, it's that you know,
anything can happen. I'm very bad at guessing it. So one thing though,
I think it's so close to coming to fruition. I'm I'm actually pumped
at something you know I spouted is is coming true. And that's going all
the way up to six eight. I can spend a ton of time there.
But camelin Devin, they are literally in a foreign field, so they
get they get some shout outs on here. They're in the six a bracket.
They open with Riverside Brookfield. We've been talking about them all year.
They have three losses this year. The three teams they lost to are twenty
five and two. And by the way, that two both of those teams
are undefeated Morris beating Sycamore, Kankakee beating Washington. So Kaitlin's lost to More
Sycamore and More Sycamore and Washington, and they were leading in the fourth quarter
in all three of those games. So I've been saying that this is this
is a good team taking care of business in the other games. I know
for LP kept it a little interesting last week. Scored first if I'm not
mistaken against Kaitlyn, but Kaitlyn then I think answered with an eighty yard touchdown
pass with a return Troy or Carlson, who's back from an injury to I
want to say that one went to Eric Johnson. It might have been Donald
to Blasio, though don't remember hundred percent it was Kevin Colomb was at that
game? Correct, LP? Caitlin last week? I think yes, yes,
yes, but no, reading his excellent coverage on Friday Night Drive dot
Com, pretty sure that it was Eric Johnson. Troy's back. So this
this team I've been saying is gonna make some noise. They're gonna shock someone
in the first round, And from talking to SEUs to getting a sense,
I don't think I went over Riverfield, Riverside, Brookfield. It qualifies as
like a shock. You know, you know it's I know the Seeds say
it's an upset, but it seems like one that not like a major surprise.
Not that there's one hundred percent chance I wouldn't go bett in the house
on anything in the postseason, let alone this one. But and then you
look at it in the second round. This is an eight and nine matchup
in the second round either Crystal Lake Central or Lake zero eight and one Lake
Zurich number one seed Zerich, I really hit that. You heard Zerk laid
it lay in wait. I think that's where Kaitlin proves me right. By
the way, I don't think like Zerch necessarily beats Crystal Lake Central. Crystal
Lake Central comes out of a tough conference, they play something, they pay
very demanding schedule, So I don't think that's a gimme by by any chance.
He could end up at running Flock and I could look really, really
dumb, But I not that I'm guaranteed and upset. But don't sleep on
that one as a one sixteen. Don't go to bed on that one necessarily.
Yeah, and six A is another one we just talked about for a
B and like this, there's only one undefeated team on the entire six A
bracket that's Kanka Key and they're on the south half of the bracket. So
you know, things could line up nice for Caitland to be one of those
six and three teams that kind of everyone's writing it's a big surprise when they're
you know, playing in the state semi finals. But you know, yeah,
I would not be surprised a bit. You know, you talk about
the teams they've lost to and the way they've played against those teams. You
know, we've we've we've said it all year. You know, Caitland is
a team that is you know that that is not only better than their record.
You know, you I guess at this point you are what your record
is. But the teams they have lost to and how they lost to them
tells me that Caitland's a team nobody you know, on this Class six A
bracket once run into you know, the later the better. Yeah, that's
why, you know, and you look at the other half, where if
it did get to the quarters, I mean, I mean Belvede or Norris
Lurking as the four seed will who Caitlan is beat this year. Wakanda finished
at seven and two. Caitlin's one of those losses. Wikonda got the five
seed because obviously the better record how it works. So I mean it's it's
looking, man, Caitlan can can do some things if they just you know,
do what they've been doing all year. Take care of business, get
that offense going. The defense, I mean, it hasn't been usually talking
about some many lockdown defenses this time of year. Their defense is good,
but you know it's not like on that Morris Sycamore Boom level. The flip
side of that is, they scored what thirty something points against Morris, They
scored twenty one against Sycamore, so they could put up a good amount of
points against those I just call like top level defenses. So I'm I'm pumped
to see what this Caitlan team can do. I think they're they're in store
for for some very good things and to possibly surprise a lot of people that
haven't been paying attention to uh enough Bill more listening to this podcast. Yeah,
and you know that first game, you know, depending on how Caitlan's
defense forms, and you know, Richmond Burton is perfectly happy to get in
a shootout with you. It's it seems from their scorer. So so you
know that one could be a really fun first round matchup. And I think
Kaitland does have the fireworks too, you know, hold the more than hold
their own in that and and kind of move on. Yeah wrong, RB
river I want to I can't even I want to say Riverfield brooks Side,
but it's Oh I said Richmond Burton didn't. I am sorry, I met.
I've got RB on well, and then I'll go to Row and Ronald
Benson. Let's not forget them. Well they don't play football, but there
do seem to be an inordinate amount of RBS. Wow. So like a
sponsor somehow roast beef sale. Yeah, So that pretty much covers up here
for me. We we touched on everything down there. I think we I
think we covered it pretty well. Who you got? Uh? Who you
got? Week ten? Here, Eddie, I am doing the Sycamore game
against Evergreen Park up in Sycamore. That's Friday at seven, and then I
might be doing an eight man game Saturday. We're still trying to see how
some things shake out. That is a game that would amboy Hiawatha, would
touch on about five different markets for us, but uh uh uh not like
not like Sycamore or Ottawa or the cal Or, but but still touches out
a lot of So we got to figure out that. So there's some sausage
making for you as now this is turning into a staff meeting. Yeah,
that the plan. The plan for now is I'll be at an eight man
game day. We spent all this time on the other the brackets. Then
we're both both talking about possibly doing eight man games. Yeah, yeah,
I'm planning to be in Flannagan Friday night. They got South Beloit, which
Flannagan beat during the regular season a few weeks ago, but the last time
they played South Beloit and eight man playoffs, they also beat them in the
regular season, and South Beloit came to Woodland and about five miles from my
house and just totally dominated them. So open open for a good game.
There was there is there a football field five miles from your house or that
just like did they randomly meeted at Pigley Wigley? Yes, yes, they
met at four Corners restaurant, and no at Woodland. Woodland High School is
about five miles south from my house. So oh, now I'm telling people
where I live, but they also have. But interestingly enough, you talk
about Amboy kitting a lot of things. I believe if I remember the eight
man bracket correctly off the top of my head, I believe if Amboy wins
and finding in Cornell Woodland win, I believe they meet up in the second
round of those eight man playoffs, and FCW is really the only team that's
given undefeated Saint Thomas More a good game. I think that was back in
week two, maybe week three, So so I'm interested. I think Amboys
would have to be your favorite in that. But I think that could be
a really good ball game and probably uh up that way. So yeah,
I was gonna say we should do some analysis and so Amboys winning it all,
but you think they might run into a little hiccup with FC Dubs.
I think they'd give them a good game. But yeah, I think Amboys
definitely definitely your favorite in that one. The way they've performed and gone.
But FCW very very good, uh, very good team. They've built something
really solid this year, just you know, big line and they got that
old that old school lightning and thunder kind of you know, they have it.
They have a huge kid who runs the ball between the tackles, and
a fast kid who runs the ball outside the tackles, and a big,
you know, big fullback who runs in front of both of them. So
I think I think they'll be you know, I think that they can hang
with that anybody. But yeah, I look forward to seeing that in round
two. But you know, amboy, I think you know, it's tough
seeing anyone in that bracket stopping them. Yeah, say Thomas Moore technically the
one seed and boy is at two. That FCW game should give a little
insight because then you have at least common opponents to go off of at that
point when that lines up. So uh no, Aman, braggets should be
interesting. Of course, you mentioned about forty percent of the offensive players when
you were talking about scub Yeah, exactly thirty point five to be precise.
Yeah, eight man is always fun because you know, I have people ask
me all the time, oh, I haven't seen one of those eight man
games, how are they? You know, it's been pretty prevalent for about
five years now, and I still have people ask me, you know,
oh, and I always tell them at first your shock that how open the
field is. And every once in a while you'll have a big play break
where you're like, where's the safety and it's like, oh, yeah,
there is, you know. And but for the most part, ninety eight
percent of the game, you totally forget you're watching eight man. It just
feels like you're watching football. So yeah, definitely definitely not getting down on
eight man. You won't see that. For me. I think it's great
that it keeps teams playing competitive football, and I enjoy covering it. Yeah,
No, I wish I could get out more often to see Hiawatha play.
So I'm kind of hoping Saturday lines up. Even though it's a trip
down the Amboy, which I think it's only about forty five minutes from,
I don't think it's actually like that bad. It's been longer ago in than
Aperville, So no, it definitely, like you said, like, there
are times when you know you're watching it and you just forget it's an eight
man game and anything and I'm just repeating your talking points here, but anything
that keeps these small schools playing. Honestly, I kind of thought, and
it hasn't happened. I thought maybe if that once i HSA starts sponsoring it,
this will happen. But I'm surprised like schools that don't have football,
I haven't tried picking it up. I've talked to a couple like Indian Creek
and Big Rock. I know one of the concerns is it would pretty much
end their soccer teams, so because you don't have enough kids draw from to
do both soccer and obviously even eight man football at the same time. But
I'm still kind of surprised they haven't. You haven't seen more schools actually pick
up football because eight man almost exclusively now with scenes that had football, and
they just don't have the numbers to continue at eleven man. So yeah,
you've seen a couple of teams that had that were part of co ops that
have decided to build their own I think Danville Schlarman was one of those that
you know, had been co oping for years and went ahead and made their
own team, although I think they had a tough time finishing the season this
year. If I remember right, if I'm thinking of the right, I
believe they don't have RB. Yeah, their initials aren't RB, so I
think I can keep them straight Ranville Larman, But yeah, I don't.
I think, uh, you know, I think we've seen some of that,
but more of that than teams just saying hey, let's start football.
I remember a few years ago, I believe Somonok member of the Little Ten
Conference. Everything with Indian Creek and Kirkland Hiawatha, Somonoc had there was a
big ground swell that was just a group of dads who had some talented kids
who'd come up through youth football and they were trying to get a Samanok football
program off the ground. And I believe the main point of resistance they met,
in addition to some financial things, although I think a lot of those
boosters and whatever were saying they'd take care of that, was what's this going
to do to our other programs? You know? And then you know,
we have we have an established program here and and you know what would having
football draw away from it? So you know it's it's it's a copyit issue.
You'd love to see it where all these schools have the opportunity for kids
to play whatever sport they want, and you know, but that's just not
realistic. When I was in high school at Streeter High School, you know,
we had one kid who wanted to swim and he just went to meet
independently qualified for state. He was a great swimmer. His name was Brett
Stone, a story I'll tell another day, maybe if we'd bring this podcast
back next year. But he's actually the reason you see find defibrillators in gyms
and airplanes and everything everywhere. But he was a great swimmer at Streeter High
School. Also taught me how to play the try Time's in band. Good
dude, But you know, Streeter High School didn't have the thing for a
swim team. They found a way to go out there without co oping and
kind of get them out there. That doesn't work so much in football,
you can't have. Hey, we have five kids who really want to play
football and they're good at it. Let's get a team. But like you
said, eight man maybe offers that opportunity because now all of a sudden,
maybe if you have twenty kids, Yeah, we could maybe try and get
through an eight man schedule with twenty kids. And that's just not an option
at the eleven man game. So I hope you're right. I hope when
it becomes an ISHSA sport, which you know, we were so sure it
was trending in that direction. And I believe there's one or two fewer eight
man teams this year than there have been years past, Like it sounded twenty
eight this year, So that's kind of interesting. But I think if it
does get that ISSA sponsorship, I think we will see some a lot more
schools exploring that possibility. Yeah, because there are some things you can do
to try to encourage that if you were so inclined to one of those things,
moving boys soccer season, although that creates about a million other problems to
solve half a problem that's not even really a problem. So yeah, but
at every rate, I think that puts bow on things. Yeah. So
so you're at FCW is the point you've got some eight man action on Friday?
Yeah, indeed, just looking forward for a great playoff run. I'm
not sure if we'll be back next week. I think we're kind of thinking
maybe we wouldn't be, but maybe see how our teams do around here and
talk around there. That's why I paused there. I was gonna leave it
open, leave it there, man. So so if you see one next
week, it means we have some interesting things to say about our our Cornfield
football teams. On that note, he was JT penalty. I'm Eddie Carrifio.
Thank you for listening. Take care, Schwiker, Gannison, Krizek Rundio
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