WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.080 Schwiker, Gannison, Krizak Rundio proudly sponsors to Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike 2 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:07.240 Krazak. If you've been injured, we are ready to take on the insurance 3 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.480 company and get you to the end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of 4 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:23.519 dollars for our clients. Visit GA nassi n dot com. Hello and welcome 5 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:27.039 back to the Friday Night Drive podcast. I am Kyle Neighbors here along with 6 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:31.480 Steve Susy. Everyone. It is Monday afternoon. We are recording the podcast 7 00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:35.479 in SEUs. I'm looking at a one zero lead for the US right now. 8 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:38.840 I know you're not a big soccer guy. Do you get a little 9 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.039 excited for the World Cup? I know you. You do get into the 10 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.520 Olympics. Yeah, I pay a little bit more attention to it, But 11 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.079 it's not one of those situations where I'm like going, oh, you know 12 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:51.640 what, second by second and kind of following along. I do pay a 13 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.039 little bit more attention. I am aware of what's going on with today's games. 14 00:00:55.399 --> 00:01:00.200 That's about the extent of my of my experience with the World Cup US 15 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:03.560 far. Yeah, you know, I like, I don't mind professional soccer 16 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:06.480 It's just I didn't grow up with it, and I've never taken a time 17 00:01:06.519 --> 00:01:08.760 to like learn all the different European leagues, so it always it seemed foreign 18 00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:11.959 to me, except when we get to like World Cup or you know, 19 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:18.640 Olympic soccer. I'm not like a raw ra USA guy. But as Wales 20 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:23.599 ties it up here in the eighty first minute, there's something about the World 21 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:29.480 Cup and international soccer that I enjoy. Yeah, you know, I can 22 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:33.959 see that. I can understand the merit of enjoying that for what it is. 23 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:38.040 It's just something that just never really caught a real big foothold with me, 24 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:42.400 that's for sure. I do remember this was quite some time ago, 25 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:47.200 listening to a World Cup game on the radio on a baseball trip that I 26 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:52.439 took about a decade ago. That was It was interesting because I'm like going, 27 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:55.560 I can't believe I'm listening to soccer. I'm the radio, But the 28 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:59.719 rest of the guys in the group seemed to be interested enough to invoke me 29 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:01.560 into doing so. It might have even been longer than a decade, but 30 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:07.159 I do remember doing it, and that's that's about the highest exposure to World 31 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:10.759 Cup soccer I think I've had in a long time. Yeah, I mean, 32 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:15.159 it's funny you bring up the baseball trip. This is no one listening 33 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:17.919 to the podcast right now. We're getting into personal stuff here. But I 34 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:22.319 noticed last night Sus said it was a decade ago since I was on the 35 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:24.039 baseball trip with you, the East Coast baseball trip that we did to what 36 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:28.479 Philly, Baltimore, New York, Boston. I can't believe that's been a 37 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:30.680 decade ago. Yeah, that's been some time. It has been some time 38 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:35.000 since I've had one. I gotta I gotta rekindle those one of these summers. 39 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.199 Yeah, all right, Well, you know, I'm sure everyone here 40 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:40.439 like, are they gonna talk football or not? So we do get excited 41 00:02:40.439 --> 00:02:44.319 for football. I'm like, uh, you know soccer on most days, 42 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.080 do get plenty of excited for plenty of excited for football. And we're here 43 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:52.400 to recap the semi final weekend, and first off, before we dive into 44 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:54.599 the games, let's get the propers out of the way. Make sure you 45 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:59.439 go to Friday Night Drive dot com. Get all of your content there, 46 00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:01.560 all your sim following content that if you haven't caught up yet, go check 47 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:05.719 that out. We're gonna have a ton of preview content throughout the week before 48 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:09.319 you getting you set for all eight games this weekend in Champagne again. Friday 49 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:13.840 Night Drive dot com. Follow us on Twitter at fn drive. Follow us 50 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:16.199 on Facebook and Instagram by searching for Friday Night Drive and you can find sous 51 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:21.400 on Twitter at the SUS. You can find myself on Twitter at Kyle Neighbors 52 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.840 and SEUs. Before we dive into each specific game, I think we do, 53 00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:28.840 and we got to spend a minute at least talking about the weather, 54 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:30.599 which I know, of course me haha, we can make the joke of 55 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:35.199 me being the weather nerd, but I mean it had an impact on game. 56 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:39.800 I was over at Prairie Ridge and Saint Ignatious and Tyler Vacy you know, 57 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:45.120 well, I believe we talked about him to be having a pedestrian day 58 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:46.840 with like one hundred and eighty rushing yard, but he talked about like the 59 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:51.479 inability to get any grip. They play on a grass field over there. 60 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.520 It was a sheet of ice, like you could see where the moisture had 61 00:03:54.599 --> 00:03:59.840 kind of frozen on top of the grass and kids sliding around it was. 62 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.280 It was it was tough out there, man. Yeah, I mean I 63 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.639 saw two games this weekend. On Friday night, I was at the lone 64 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:13.479 Friday night game and it was really really cold, but the wind was not 65 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.519 as big as a factor on Friday night. It was barely there. And 66 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:18.600 I think if there would have been win like there was on Saturday, I 67 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:21.519 might not have made it to the Saturday game. That's how cold it was. 68 00:04:23.720 --> 00:04:28.439 It was. It was pretty brutal out there. Un Fortunately for both 69 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:31.879 of the games that I saw, I ice wasn't really a factor so much. 70 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:38.600 It was just bone chilling cold, especially on Saturday. And you know, 71 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:42.680 I'm talking after the game with you know, Lamont coach Brett Cooey, 72 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:46.839 and he was like, you know, you know, e Saint Louis wasn't 73 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:49.439 able to kind of materialize the balanced game plan that they liked to do. 74 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:56.079 But in reality, I think it hurt Lamont even more people that didn't know 75 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.399 how great of a season Peyton Solomon had. I mean, he was extremely 76 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:05.720 limited in his ability to throw the football in those conditions, and had Lamont 77 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:10.199 been able to kind of air it out like they had done before and he 78 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:14.560 still managed to throw two touchdown passes in that wind, I would have been 79 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:17.800 really interested to see what would have happened on a clear, normal day in 80 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:23.120 that type of situation, because granted, East Saint Louis certainly would have completed 81 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:28.120 more passes than they did because they didn't complete any passes, but with Lamont 82 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:31.040 having being able to have the full arsenal of their playbook available to them, 83 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:34.279 I don't know, things might have got pretty interesting. And they were already 84 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:38.959 pretty interesting, so you know, it was just one of those things where 85 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.600 you knew certain things were not going to be available to teams. We talked 86 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:46.160 about it a lot before. Some teams are just a little bit better playoff 87 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:51.439 built for situations that come up like that, and odds are at least once 88 00:05:51.639 --> 00:05:56.319 out of the five weeks of the playoff experience, you're gonna have one of 89 00:05:56.360 --> 00:05:59.639 those weekends. Yeah, and you know, if you're a winning team or 90 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.560 you're a team that wins, like, don't don't think we're trying to take 91 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:05.519 anything away from your team. Both teams had to play in those conditions. 92 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:13.839 But I don't think there's any doubt that the cold temperatures and the wind had 93 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:16.759 an impact on games this weekend. Sus. Yeah, you saw teams taking 94 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:20.360 time outs the end of quarters to protect wind direction. I mean, that's 95 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:25.720 just stuff that doesn't happen, you know, in ordinary circumstances their teams, 96 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.720 the teams are not going to burn time outs at the end of a quarter 97 00:06:29.079 --> 00:06:30.839 so they don't have to punt into the wind. I mean, that's and 98 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:34.920 that I saw that happen multiple times this weekend, so you know, it's 99 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.439 just it was it was just a variant that you had to deal with, 100 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:41.639 and like you said, both teams had to deal with it, but it 101 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:46.560 definitely made for it made for some chess match maneuvers in a lot of situations. 102 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:48.800 And on a personal note, I don't know about you, but I'm 103 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:53.920 pretty confident I was talking with Sean Hammond over the weekend about this because there 104 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.480 was a quarterfinal game probably twenty eighteen, I want to say, maybe twenty 105 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:00.720 nineteen. I can't remember the exact year, but Kerry Groven Philip played in 106 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.519 a quarterfinal game and it was really cold that day, and I thought that 107 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:08.480 was the coldest I had ever been. I'm I'm fairly certain this weekend takes 108 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.759 the cake as the coldest I've ever been at a football game. I learned 109 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:16.399 from personal experience this weekend that the brand of bit pen that I prefer to 110 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:21.639 use doesn't like that kind of weather. I had a lot of pen freezing 111 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:26.879 issues this weekend. I'm surprised as a veteran you didn't have a pencil. 112 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.360 Yeah. See, that's the thing. I hate using pencils in that type 113 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:33.680 of situation, especially if it's like wet and kind of slushy. I just 114 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:36.920 I don't risk it. I don't even I don't even carry one. So 115 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:41.040 it's like, I just I can't do it. But but I had to 116 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:46.040 actually go over to the handwarmers and put the pens about ten feet away from 117 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:48.839 the handwarmers to get the ink back going against that. That was a little 118 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:51.920 bit of a new experience for me. I think you had a little bit 119 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:56.480 more snow deer in your game on Saturday. It kind of it got sunny 120 00:07:56.600 --> 00:08:00.639 up here in the Crystal Lake area by There was a few but for the 121 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.399 most part it was it was done with the snow by kickoff at two o'clock. 122 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:09.279 I had I'd got a I got a little bit of snow at my 123 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:13.360 game at Lamont on Saturday afternoon. It was not that bad. The wind 124 00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:16.399 was just absolutely brutal Lamont's field is kind of up on a hill. There's 125 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:20.560 a little bit of a wind block, but it was so bad that prior 126 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:24.560 to the game, I walked down and hid behind an equipment shed because it 127 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.560 was giving me a little bit of a windshield. As I was doing that, 128 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:31.399 a guy came out that was living in a house that was next to 129 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:37.120 the field in shorts. Mind you to chat me up and find out why 130 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:39.440 I was hiding behind the equipment shed, and so I found that to be 131 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.240 pretty interesting. He did invite me over to the halftime bonfire that they were 132 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:46.240 planning on having by the fence. I didn't go to check to see if 133 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:50.240 he was still wearing shorts at that point. There were there were two kids 134 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:54.360 at Prairie Ridge at one point during the game that had their shirts off on 135 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.320 the sidelines, and I was like, there's just now any amount of money 136 00:08:56.360 --> 00:09:00.919 you could get me to do that. I saw a kid without a shirt 137 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:03.320 in the first quarter of the Lamont game, and then I looked back up 138 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:09.159 in the bleachers in the second quarter and I can't I couldn't find him anymore. 139 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:11.279 So I don't know. I don't know if he's okay. I hope 140 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:13.600 he's okay. I hope he didn't, you know, you know, die 141 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:18.879 of hypothermia or anything. But he definitely disappeared. I don't know where he 142 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.600 went. All Right, we're gonna go ahead and dive into the semifinal game. 143 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:24.879 We'll stick to the usual format, working our way from one through eight 144 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.039 A. Taking a quick break for a commercial after Class four A. Sus 145 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.600 And were stellar in an end Class one A with Lena Winslow in that rematch 146 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:37.120 against an n UYC rival, Forrest and Lena Winslow heading back to the state 147 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.360 title game thirty eight sixteen, the Panthers dominated this one pretty much throughout. 148 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.240 It kind of went to script. I think for what we expected SEUs Yeah, 149 00:09:46.519 --> 00:09:52.240 early early advantage claimed it seemed like they had complete control of that game 150 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:54.840 really quickly in it, you know, Forrest and kept it a little bit 151 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:58.799 of closer than you know most have in this postseason. It might have been 152 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.759 a little bit of mercy shown to their conference FOW. I don't know, 153 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.759 but it's hard to find, you know, It's hard to make an argument 154 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:09.000 right now for a team that's playing better in their respective class right now than 155 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:13.120 Lena Winslow is. Yeah, I mean you come into this game, into 156 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:16.559 the state title game. We're gonna talk about it more on on Wednesday when 157 00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:22.559 we dropped that podcast Wednesday afternoon. But they're gonna be the Lena Winslow Winslow 158 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:26.080 packlers will be heading to the state title as a favorite once again. I'd 159 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:30.759 say, SEUs. Yeah, I mean, I can't see anyway right now 160 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:35.080 that it makes logical sense to pick against the whoever the NUIC representative is in 161 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:39.759 the state championship game. I want to make this clear because I got some 162 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:46.279 grief last year for being positive about the other team in this matchup. I 163 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.000 want to make it clear. Lena Winslow is the team that I am picking 164 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:52.960 as the favorite in this game. So we can time state stamp that for 165 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:58.399 you and let you know I believe Lena Winslow is the favorite in the Class 166 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:05.039 one A state championship game. Yeah. So yeah, the Paths will be 167 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:09.399 playing camp Point Central this coming Friday for the state title. Campoint Central a 168 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:16.279 forty four eight winner over Ridge View. I'm not shocked to see Camp Points 169 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:20.279 Central in the title game, sues. I didn't expect to see this margin 170 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:24.320 of victory though. Well. I was talking with someone on Friday night in 171 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:28.320 transit to Sacred Heart, Griffin that had cluded me and had a little bit 172 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:33.720 of insight on what Ridgeview was thinking into this game, and he told me 173 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:39.200 they were extremely concerned about camp Point Central speed and made a compelling argument for 174 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:43.840 why ridge View should be a little worried going into that semi final game. 175 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:46.559 And after talking to him about it, I was like, boy, I 176 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:48.320 kind of wish I could maybe have that pickback. I don't know if I 177 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:54.919 feel as confident as I did heading into that game after that conversation, and 178 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:58.240 it really turned to I mean, that was absolutely accurate. Campoint Central got 179 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:03.960 out really fast in that game, use their speed to their advantage. It's 180 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:07.360 a program that over the past few years, if you've watched, if you 181 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:13.320 I mean Campoint Central coach Brad Dixon is a big speed advocate, track and 182 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:16.960 field coach, one of those guys that uses a lot of, you know, 183 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:22.480 somewhat innovative speed training techniques to try to enhance that speed across as entire 184 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:30.159 roster. And it really looks like those methods paid a big dividend on Saturday. 185 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.240 Yeah. There, I can't remember who it was. There was someone 186 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.320 I saw on Twitter a first air head coach for a football program who was 187 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:39.440 soliciting advice essentially through it out there, like, all right, I'm going 188 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.639 into my second year, how do we improve the team? I need to 189 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:46.080 get more kids out And I think the first two responses I saw from other 190 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:48.799 football coaches was get into hallways and find every track kid that you can. 191 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:54.919 So, yeah, Brad, Brad Dixon obviously on that bandwagon. Speed kills 192 00:12:54.919 --> 00:13:01.440 man when when team particularly if I feel like this is certainly the case when 193 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:05.440 you get into those smaller schools too, where you don't see as much speed 194 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:07.080 as you do in the upper levels, and if you can find a couple 195 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:11.720 of those track kids, a couple of burners that are able to translate to 196 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.519 the football field, it can make a huge difference in your program. Yeah. 197 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:18.080 I mean, you get into a situation with Ridge View, who you 198 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:20.840 know kind of likes to hammer the ball and run it Camp Point Central. 199 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:24.320 Defensively, they use that speed to just kind of fly to the football and 200 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:28.360 make plays. And then on the other side of the ball, it makes 201 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:30.759 it a little bit easier to get to that edge. I mean, you 202 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:35.679 get you get a you know, a step on somebody turn that corner and 203 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:37.879 then all of a sudden, you've made a couple of big plays in a 204 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:43.000 row. So it definitely came into play here. I don't even I mean, 205 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:46.320 we've seen these kinds of matchups before, We've seen how the NUC teams 206 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:50.799 tend to handle that, and they haven't had a lot of problem with it. 207 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:54.720 But it still gives you that element of maybe that's an advantage that Camp 208 00:13:54.720 --> 00:14:00.200 Point Central has that they can leverage a little bit. All right, let's 209 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.440 go ahead and go over to class to A and then the end to A. 210 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:09.279 I gotta start out. I mean, this is why SEUs you know, 211 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:13.799 um, this is why SEUs is considered the top mind in high school 212 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:18.879 football in Illinois. Because we were doing the preview podcast last week and I 213 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:24.200 was kind of already getting ahead of myself and looking forward to a Saint Theresa 214 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:28.799 Moreau Foresight two way state championship matchup, and SEUs, very much to his 215 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.639 credit, was like, Hey, slow your role. This Try Valley team 216 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:33.000 is playing well. I like some things they're doing. You want it far 217 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:37.320 you you pick Try Valley to win that game. They go out win that 218 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:41.120 game by twenty points. Really played strong throughout it though, Yeah, it 219 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:45.399 was. It was just kind of an instinct that I had after watching what 220 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:48.480 they had done. You know, in that second round game that I was 221 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:54.960 at where they knocked out defending state champion Wilmington, they did it in a 222 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:58.759 way that was, I guess counterintuitive to what they usually do. And I 223 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:03.519 apped hearing all these stories about how good their lead running back was and Wilmington 224 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:07.840 basically took him out of the game. But try Valley found another way, 225 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:11.480 and I'm like, hold on a second, how is this team doing this? 226 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.080 And then they went right back to him. Over the last two weeks, 227 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:18.559 he had enormous games. It was just like when they when they were 228 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:22.720 able to play to their strength, I felt like this team was a really, 229 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.720 really good football team. So I don't know if if other teams were 230 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:30.600 not able to do what Wilmington did to take him out of the game, 231 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:33.840 or they said, we got to take away these other things and you know, 232 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:37.039 and let him do his thing. Obviously not the not the smartest plan 233 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:41.559 of attack to try to take out try Valley is to let him do his 234 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:45.919 thing, because he's been doing his things. Set a Class two A playoff 235 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:50.879 record for rushing yardage in the quarterfinal round, had another monster game with five 236 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:54.639 touchdowns on Saturday. Um it is it's a It was a really really nice 237 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.879 performance by him and the Try Valley Vikings to to take out him. A 238 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.799 forsythe team that, to be honest, it was one of those teams that 239 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:06.399 I think was heard a little bit by the conditions. They tend to like 240 00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:10.279 to spread it out and make things happen if they can through the air as 241 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:12.720 well as on the ground. It probably limited them a little bit, but 242 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:18.279 once again, both teams had to play in it. Yeah, and so 243 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.399 Try Valley is getting a match up here in the state final against Saint Teresa. 244 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:27.039 Saint Teresa a thirty nine fifteen winner over Johnson City on Saturday to Saint 245 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:33.600 Teresa, a program I think both of us all year long expected to be 246 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:37.080 in this game. Yeah, I thought so too, And it was definitely 247 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:41.120 one of those situations when I was trying to figure out exactly if Johnston City 248 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:45.399 could give them a really good run. It just seems like Saint Teresa right 249 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:51.000 now, especially on the offensive side of the football, is a really really 250 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:53.200 difficult opponent for it. Almost any two way school to try to rain in 251 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:57.840 and keep at a reasonable scoring total, and in doing that, that means 252 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:03.240 the only way you're going to get them is to be capable of matching them 253 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:07.640 point for point. I'm not sure Try Valley can do it, but I 254 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:11.240 think they're better equipped to do it than many of the opponents that they've run 255 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:17.759 into so far. But Saint Theresa, unlike last year when they kind of 256 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:21.640 got into one of those games where you know, everyone was kind of anticipating 257 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:22.799 that they were going to make the two A final and they got ousted in 258 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:26.119 the semifinals by Nashville, they were able to finish the job and finish it 259 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:30.799 pretty convincingly here. Yep, absolutely all right. Going on to Clash three 260 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:36.759 A, we had I see Catholic a thirty five zero winner over Byron and 261 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:40.519 this was, at least on my in one of the more surprising scores. 262 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.480 I expected Icee Catholic to win the game, but you looked at it going 263 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:49.519 in and it was interesting because we had something to base this off of, 264 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.799 right, because the quarterfinals matchup in twenty twenty one were the same that they 265 00:17:53.799 --> 00:17:59.720 were last year, and they played out this year and a pretty similar pretty 266 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:03.640 their manor to set up a repeat matchup between Icy Catholic and Byron. Byron 267 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:08.160 won a close game against Ice Catholic in the semifinals last year, so although 268 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:11.920 I thought it would be flipped this year, I did think I See Catholic 269 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:15.079 would win the game. I thought it was gonna be close, particularly with 270 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.000 the weather conditions. You look at the fact that I see Catholic, you 271 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:25.319 know love wide receiver kJ Parker, Dennis Mendala or Mandala which having the soccer 272 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:29.119 on in the background, almost said Nelson Mandela, thinking the international sporting events 273 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:36.799 apparently, But you know, Joey Gliati and I'm sure Josh Welgey and Jake 274 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:40.400 Barlston will hit on this in their Western Suburbs edition of the Friday Night Drive 275 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:42.240 podcast. So I don't want to spend a ton of time here and rehash 276 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:47.960 everything that they're going to hit about or hit on. But Joey Gliada did 277 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:52.240 not really have a role in this offense until last weekend's quarterfinals, had a 278 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:56.079 huge game against Byron. Comes out again this week. Runs the ball extremely 279 00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:00.799 well. One hundred and ninety two yards four touchdowns. Dominate performance by ICEE 280 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:04.119 Catholic against Byron here and like I said, with the weather conditions. I 281 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:07.960 thought it was going to benefit Byron. Yeah, I mean I was having 282 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:12.480 phone difficulties on Saturday. Maybe my phone was freezing, I don't know, 283 00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:15.920 So it was making it really hard for me to kind of keep track of 284 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:22.119 what was going on in real time. This game solved itself for me pretty 285 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.319 quickly because I saw what was going on, and I'm like, oh my 286 00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:30.400 gosh. I was surprised by it. But it also allowed me not to 287 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:33.640 be really you know, I mean engaged in what was going on, play 288 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:37.839 to play because because I See Catholic took a hold of it so quickly and 289 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.880 by such a substantial margin. Did not expect that at all. I mean, 290 00:19:42.039 --> 00:19:45.400 I know, I See Catholic was itching for this game, this one 291 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:52.319 that the game last year stung them particularly hard. But I didn't expect a 292 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.480 runaway freight train like we got in this one. I really didn't. I 293 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:00.920 too expected I See Catholic to win the game, but it was just a 294 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:06.759 combination of things just really surprised me there. You know, with the conditions 295 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:11.119 being as they were, it was probably gonna limit the opportunities for Ice Catholics, 296 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:15.200 you know, kJ Parker to get you know, a whole bunch of 297 00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:18.079 touches on the football to do what he does unless they got really creative with 298 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:23.519 it. But like you mentioned, Joey Gliada, this is a fascinating story 299 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:26.480 to me because you know, I mean, obviously I'm a huge numbers guy, 300 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:32.319 and to see what he's done over the last two weeks after doing let's 301 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:36.279 be honest, basically nothing for the first eleven weeks of the season. These 302 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:40.319 things just don't happen very often unless there's you know, you don't like to 303 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:44.079 talk about these things unless there's some sort of catastrophic injury involved, and there's 304 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:47.599 not here. I mean, it was just it's just a personnel decision that 305 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:49.559 they made, and obviously it was the right one. I mean, that 306 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:52.640 has been really impressive to watch what he's been able to do. Yeah, 307 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.559 and so I see Catholic is going to get a matchup in the three A 308 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:03.599 state championship game against Williamsville. Williamsville a twelve seven winner over Tolono Unity. 309 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:07.319 And when it became really apparent that weather it was going to have an impact 310 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:11.799 on these games. So this was actually the I think the number one game 311 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:17.400 to me that I felt was going to be impacted because I just thought like 312 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:22.960 that it played so much into what Tolono Unity likes to do. They like 313 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.759 to control the clock when they get into these playoff matchups that are going to 314 00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:29.519 be close. I just thought it would be a low score and affair. 315 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:33.519 Williamsville was able to pull it out, though, well, I mean early 316 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:36.799 on and for a while there that game was seven nothing, and I started 317 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:38.400 to get the feeling that maybe it was gonna end seven nothing for a while. 318 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:44.000 It just, like you said, it definitely was a situation where the 319 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:47.200 weather was going to play a factor in this one. You know, Williamsville 320 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:51.119 is a program that that I would put on a short list of teams that 321 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:53.759 just seems to figure it out. Yep. I might not have a you 322 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:59.079 might not have a real clear reason for why it happened, but at the 323 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:02.680 end of the day, when when it comes right down to it, they 324 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.960 seem to figure it out. And I and that must have been what happened 325 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.119 here. M I've read some brief accounts of this game, but it just 326 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:11.799 kind of feels like, you know, when they needed to make a big 327 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:14.960 play, they made it. And it's it's just, uh, it's kind 328 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:18.279 of been a hallmark of this program for a while. Um. I was 329 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:22.759 looking at it the state matchups a little bit yesterday and just kind of thinking 330 00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:26.839 about them from a historical context. With Williamsville for me, it's like for 331 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.920 Aaron Khons and that's that staff. I'm like, if they get in a 332 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.720 close game with IC Catholic and late in the fourth quarter, UM, I 333 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:38.000 wonder if they can they can handle it emotionally. I mean, they've been 334 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:42.720 They've made two state championship appearances. They lost one in the final seconds of 335 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:48.519 the game in twenty fourteen to Wilmington. Flashback to last year they won one 336 00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:52.400 in the last thirty seconds of the game against Byron. It's been you know 337 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:56.640 that They've kind of been the cardiac kids of state finals over the last decade 338 00:22:56.680 --> 00:22:59.440 or so. So, um, it'll be interesting to see if this is 339 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:03.880 a competitive game again and what happens if that comes into fruition. Yeah, 340 00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:07.559 they always provide us with some fireworks at state football, so that'd be a 341 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:11.480 good one on Friday afternoon, scheduled kickoff at four pm there. So moving 342 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:18.720 on to Class four A here, starting in the north bracket, we had 343 00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:22.799 Providence A seventeen fourteen winner over Weed in Saint Francis. This game really came 344 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:27.920 down to the wire, was close throughout Providence, the thirteen seed. Just 345 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:32.119 you know, we we've talked about that, they've been on the role. 346 00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:37.200 You had a feeling that they would be able to get here, and they 347 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:40.359 pulled out the close win. Suits Yeah, And like I said before, 348 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:45.279 I was having trouble tracking game results, and I was planning on watching my 349 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:49.519 game while trying to listen to the radio broadcast of that game while it was 350 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:55.359 going on. I do this quite often when I can, but my headphones 351 00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:57.920 froze up on me, so I couldn't use those either. So I was 352 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:03.519 having trouble. I was having trouble of tracking that game and finding out exactly 353 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.519 what was going on. I had a friend tell me shortly after the Lamont 354 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:11.000 game had concluded, Oh yeah, Providence. Providence won. They scored late 355 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:14.559 and won the game. And you can't see me right now, but my 356 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:18.599 reaction to it was completely unshocked. Face. It was just like, oh, 357 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.640 really they pulled the one out at the end of the game, big 358 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.880 surprise, you know. It's like, that's just that's kind of the vibe 359 00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:32.079 that I have with this team right now is close game, no figure it 360 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:33.960 out. I mean, that's just kind of where I'm at with Providence right 361 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:38.279 now, really really riding that mojo train right now. They are doing a 362 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:44.200 lot of things well and and it if you would have asked me five weeks 363 00:24:44.200 --> 00:24:48.000 ago to rank the teams in the North bracket as to how they were going 364 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:52.720 to get whether they would get into the championship game, Providence might have been 365 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:55.599 in the upper half of that group, but it certainly wouldn't have been near 366 00:24:55.640 --> 00:24:57.720 the top of the list. I'll say that much. Yeah. No, 367 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:04.640 just an incredible season here for the Celtics and Lucas proudfoot hitting Kayden Nickel there 368 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:07.960 and the final minutes of that game to put the Celtics out in front and 369 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:11.839 get them down to Champagne where they're going to face Sacred Heart Griffin in the 370 00:25:11.880 --> 00:25:17.400 state title game. So many intriguing things to talk about in this game. 371 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:22.160 First off, let's start with the game itself. I'm talking about the semifinal 372 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:29.079 game. Sacred Heart Griffin winning the final Leonard Bowl here fifty six forty two 373 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:33.880 over Rockchester Loan game lone semifinal game in the state that was played on Friday 374 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.119 evening, SEUs, you were down there for the game. I was following 375 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:44.319 along and Rockchester gets out to a twenty one zero lead in the game, 376 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:48.200 and I just all I thought, I think at that point, well, 377 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.519 the first thought was what the hell is happening? And I guess the second 378 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:55.720 thought was, Oh, that shouldn't surprise me. Derek Leonard is a madman. 379 00:25:55.880 --> 00:25:57.880 He figured it out. I don't know why I'm surprised to see them 380 00:25:57.880 --> 00:26:03.079 doing this. Well, let me preface this by saying, you know, 381 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:07.839 when I was watching the game at the beginning, I was like, this 382 00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:12.799 is interesting because, and I say this in a complimentary way, Rochester's quarterback 383 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:18.559 Keaton Reese is a husky boy. He is not exactly the prototypical form of 384 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:23.559 what you would expect from a Rochester quarterback. He's got a little punch behind 385 00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:29.200 him, so they were using him almost as a running back out of the 386 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:34.599 backfield, and they didn't really attempt any passes for a long time in that 387 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:38.880 game. It was it was available to do that. It wasn't a situation, 388 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:42.200 like I said before, where the wind was was hacking them down. 389 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:47.359 They were just like, we're gonna We're just gonna take our quarterback here and 390 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:52.200 and bully around and see what happens, and Sacred Heart Griffin couldn't really stop 391 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:56.279 him. And it was It was one of those things where you mentioned it 392 00:26:56.519 --> 00:27:02.119 with coach Leonard. Coach Derek Leonard, you know, he goes mad scientists 393 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:06.000 sometimes, so apparently he thought this was an avenue that might work for his 394 00:27:06.039 --> 00:27:10.680 team, and it did for a long time. It ended up not being 395 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:14.240 as effective in the second half when they kind of needed to rebound from some 396 00:27:14.759 --> 00:27:19.400 miscus, but it got them in a position where I felt like they might 397 00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:25.440 be in control of that football game. But there were a couple of small 398 00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:29.799 instances where it was like, if Rochester can gets to stop here, maybe 399 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:34.039 this is over. But somehow Sacred Heart Griffin found a play in their bag. 400 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:37.240 Found I mean, right before halftime, they scored a touchdown with less 401 00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:41.160 than thirty seconds left. They kind of sliced into that lead and made it 402 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:45.319 feel like Sacred Heart Griffin was very much still in the game. And then 403 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:51.519 in the second half they showed why they'd been able to do all the impressive 404 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:56.599 things that they've done. Scored a pair of touchdowns in about a minute span 405 00:27:56.119 --> 00:28:03.240 to finally take the lead in the game. It was and I mean both 406 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:07.279 of these coaches obviously, you know, have a lot that they've achieved already 407 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:11.480 in their careers, but I mean it was a weird situation for both of 408 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:15.039 them. I mean, Derek Leonard obviously wants to win and bring his team 409 00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:18.359 to the state finals, but I don't think he relished really being the guy 410 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:22.480 who ended his father's coaching career. So it was a really tough spot for 411 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:26.000 him to be in it. And I kind of felt that in the post 412 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:30.440 game after the fact, not that he ever, hey I'm gonna I'm gonna 413 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:33.720 roll over here and let Pops go to the final. That was not That 414 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:37.599 was not part of the equation. Well that's what That's what I wanted to 415 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:38.559 bring up, because early in the game, I want to say it was 416 00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:45.160 after the first touchdown, Rochester did an on side kick and recovered it and 417 00:28:45.160 --> 00:28:48.279 went down and scored again. And I when I saw that, I was 418 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:49.920 like, well, Derek's not going to take it easy on his dad to 419 00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:53.200 make sure his dad gets to a state championship one last time. Like I 420 00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:56.400 wonder there, I wonder if they had a conversation about that after the game. 421 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:59.599 Where Keno was like, really, yeah, you had to go with 422 00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:03.000 the ons I kicked there. Huh yeah, I mean I talked to Derek 423 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:06.359 briefly before the game. He came over when he saw me, and we 424 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:10.000 spoke briefly before the game, and I kind of hinted at him, I'm 425 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:12.279 like, what we're gonna do here, and he just he just kind of 426 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:15.359 shrugged his shoulders and like, well, let's go see. And you know, 427 00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:19.599 it was. It was and so they definitely, you know, he 428 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.799 like I told him after the game, I said, you threw the kitchen 429 00:29:22.839 --> 00:29:26.400 sink, you threw everything in the kitchen sink at him, and then went 430 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:30.240 looking for a second kitchen sink and he's like, yeah, we couldn't find 431 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:32.960 it. I mean, so, I mean he was he was invested. 432 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:36.200 There was there was no doubt about that. And and uh and he put 433 00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:40.480 it all out there to try to get his kids into that state championship game. 434 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:45.000 It's just this Sacred Heart Griffin team is really, really, really talented. 435 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:49.440 And for all that Rochester did pretty well in the first half to stop 436 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:55.359 them defensively, Sacred Heart Griffin just made some plays, especially in the last 437 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:57.839 ten or eleven minutes of that game, and that's what you do when you 438 00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:03.440 have the weapon that they do have. So really it was it was really 439 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:07.720 a fun environment. Um. It actually got a little heated at the end 440 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:11.279 of the game because Sacred Guard Griffin had the win in in their pocket and 441 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:17.880 didn't take a knee on first down and uh and let's just say Derek wasn't 442 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:22.599 very happy about that fact, so they both maybe had some conversations. They 443 00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:26.279 obviously they patched it up quite quickly at the end of the game, but 444 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:30.519 they're competitors. I'm sure the second the whistle ended, they it was it 445 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.519 was all good. Yeah. And like I said, when you know, 446 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:37.920 when I look at heading into the State final game, uh, I'm sure 447 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:42.799 that now uh, Sacred Gard Griffin has an unofficial assistant coach on staff now 448 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:49.319 that is kind of help them plot against Providence. So uh yeah, it's 449 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:53.640 it was. It was definitely. It was definitely something that I was glad 450 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:56.039 that I was able to see, even though this is the last one that 451 00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:00.680 it is going to happen, because it's definitely a different environment in a situation 452 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:04.119 like that, and something that I think we'll go a long time before we 453 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:08.759 see anything like it. Again. Yeah, and a quick note, a 454 00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:14.160 really cool note that so Ken Leonard advancing to the state championship game will be 455 00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:18.200 his final game as a head coach of Sacred Heart Griffin retiring at the end 456 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:22.640 of this season, and it will be his five hundred career game as head 457 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:23.960 coach. I thought that was kind of a cool, cool way to go 458 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:27.359 out at an even five hundred SEUs. We were talking in some of the 459 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:33.519 coaches conferences today and someone asked Providence coach Tyler Plants, who will be coaching 460 00:31:33.559 --> 00:31:38.279 in his fourteenth career game as a high school of varsity game, if he 461 00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:41.319 had four hundred and eighty six more in him to try to catch up to 462 00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:47.039 coach Leonard. So he just he laughed that one off. But yeah, 463 00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:52.440 obviously an incredible career that that coach Ken Leonard has put together. And one 464 00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:56.319 more shout out before we do a quick commercial break here and then come back 465 00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:59.440 for five A through eight A. I I gave him a shout out on 466 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:01.599 Twitter, but I want to do it again on here because not everyone is 467 00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:07.119 on Twitter. Uh. Derek Paris, who is the director of sports director 468 00:32:07.160 --> 00:32:14.000 down at Channel fourteen fifty down Stay does a fantastic job of covering that area 469 00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:19.720 and getting highlights online. And it's it's great UM for our purposes, I 470 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:22.480 know, because it's it's being able to see highlight from games or we're not 471 00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:24.079 at gives you a lot better feeling. He does a great job though, 472 00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:29.680 did a great job given those highlights online Friday night, and just wanted to 473 00:32:29.720 --> 00:32:31.880 give a shout out to Derek uh There. If you are a high school 474 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:37.279 football fan and you want some more information for Central Illinois teams, make sure 475 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:40.759 you follow him on Twitter. It's at Derek d R E. K Paris 476 00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:45.000 with two RS suits. I know, you know Derek does a great job. 477 00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:49.240 Yeah, he really does. I mean he's a real advocate for for 478 00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:53.039 high school sports in that area. You know. I hope there's as many 479 00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:55.880 of those people out there as we can get. Obviously it's something that we're 480 00:32:55.880 --> 00:33:02.039 all passionate about UM. But Derek always always goes the extra mile. I 481 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:06.720 mean there are times when when I asked Derek what he was up to today 482 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:10.079 and he tells me four or five different things. So it's I mean endless 483 00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:15.920 motor and just really really really does the community in that area great service. 484 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:20.400 Well, we're already past the thirty minute mark as we go to a commercial 485 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:23.680 break here. Hopefully everyone's enjoying it. Not two upset with us rambling here, 486 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:27.359 but we're gonna, like I said, take a quick commercial break and 487 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:31.759 then we'll come back to break down Classes five A through eight A. Schweiker 488 00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:37.160 Gannison Krizak Rundio proudly sponsors the Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike Krizak. If 489 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:39.240 you've been injured, we are ready to take on the insurance company and get 490 00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:43.440 you to the end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our 491 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:49.279 clients. Visit GA N A, SSI, N dots Common. All right, 492 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:52.720 thank you once again to sgk R for sponsoring the Friday Night Drive podcast 493 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.559 and everything we do at Friday Night Drive again this season. It's great to 494 00:33:55.559 --> 00:34:00.039 have them on board. Moving on to Class five A. Here, a 495 00:34:00.559 --> 00:34:05.160 really low scoring game, another game where I mean I expected to be low 496 00:34:05.160 --> 00:34:08.920 scoring to begin with, but definitely think the weather kept those scores down even 497 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:15.480 more. Nazareth pulling out a ten seven win over Sycamore, and first off, 498 00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:21.599 congrats to naz a team that has gotten better throughout the season. A 499 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:24.960 young roster that took its lumps last year during the twenty twenty one season, 500 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.559 and he just got better and better. But before we kind of dive into 501 00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:32.880 that, I feel a bit bad for Sycamore because this is two years in 502 00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:38.280 a row against a really good private school. They've led led a game. 503 00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:43.039 Last year they lost to Fenwick in the final minute, this year losing a 504 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:46.719 late lead, Nazareth getting a touchdown winning that game ten seven suits tough break 505 00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:51.599 for the Spartans. Yeah, I mean it was definitely one of those games 506 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:53.079 and I think we even mentioned it that we kind of felt like was going 507 00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:59.079 to be a low scoring kind of slug fest, and that's what it turned 508 00:34:59.079 --> 00:35:00.840 out to be. I'm sure the weather had a little bit to do with 509 00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:05.800 keeping it down, but I think this game might have been this way had 510 00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:09.880 it been perfectly clear and great conditions as well. So, you know, 511 00:35:10.199 --> 00:35:13.920 tip of the captain Nazareth. I mean, two and four. At one 512 00:35:13.960 --> 00:35:19.239 point this season looked like the playoffs were in jeopardy even getting into the field, 513 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:22.639 and now that now they're you know, they've obviously caught a huge role 514 00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:27.039 and winning seven in a row with their backs against the wall. But but 515 00:35:27.159 --> 00:35:30.639 like you said, still feel bad for Sycamore in this situation. Proved that 516 00:35:30.679 --> 00:35:36.360 they are, you know, at the very least just a tiny little sliver 517 00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:40.280 behind Nazareth, but that was enough to keep them out of the state championship 518 00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:45.280 games. So, you know, tough way to go for the Spartans, 519 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:50.880 but know that they were beaten by an opponent that that has a lot of 520 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:54.480 battle scars of their own and certainly earned its place. Yeah, how impressed 521 00:35:54.519 --> 00:35:58.480 are you with this nath team? To lay it's the belop throughout the course 522 00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:00.559 of the season. You know, it was one of those things when I 523 00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:05.079 looked at them from an evaluation standpoint, when I'm trying to put them together 524 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:12.519 for playoff projections and state ranking purposes and stuff like that, I never really 525 00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:15.679 had what I felt like was an accurate read on what they were, especially 526 00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:21.480 early in the year. But you started to notice it around like week seven 527 00:36:21.559 --> 00:36:25.320 or week eight that they were they were not only winning what looked like on 528 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:29.840 paper to be toss up games, they were kind of putting the hammer down. 529 00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:34.320 So they found something. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but 530 00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:37.800 I knew as soon as they got to win number five, and obviously it 531 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:42.400 took until week nine to secure that that whoever got them wasn't going to be 532 00:36:42.440 --> 00:36:45.920 real happy about it. When in terms of the playoff bracket where they were 533 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:50.280 seated, you knew they were going to be a double digit seed, but 534 00:36:50.679 --> 00:36:53.920 they were just screaming dangerous as soon as the bracket was put together. So 535 00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:58.880 it has been a very very nice run for them, you know, a 536 00:36:59.000 --> 00:37:02.039 run that I think they could potentially finish, you know, in that five 537 00:37:02.119 --> 00:37:06.639 A finals. So, uh, you know, kudos to them because it 538 00:37:06.679 --> 00:37:10.320 would have been real easy to to fold up and worry about the remaining schedule 539 00:37:10.320 --> 00:37:14.320 when they were sitting there at two and four going, I don't even know, 540 00:37:14.360 --> 00:37:15.719 I don't know if we can run the table and get ourselves into the 541 00:37:15.719 --> 00:37:20.199 playoffs, let alone do something once we get there. So, you know, 542 00:37:20.760 --> 00:37:23.199 great on them for keeping that focus and being able to do what they've 543 00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:27.880 been able to do. Yeah, they They're gonna have to score some more 544 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:30.119 points in the state title game though, because they're gonna get a match up 545 00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:37.280 on Saturday morning against Peoria. Peoria a seventy six fifty six winner over Morris, 546 00:37:37.320 --> 00:37:40.519 and once again we talk about weather conditions, you know, Like I 547 00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:45.559 know, Peoria it's no stranger to put it up points on the board, 548 00:37:46.039 --> 00:37:51.920 but seventy six points, seventy six fifty six this weekend is not what I 549 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:54.280 expected. Like I expected, you know, probably both teams to make it 550 00:37:54.320 --> 00:38:00.559 into the thirties, but this really, this wasn't super competitive. Peoria got 551 00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:04.440 out to a big lead and like fifty six point for Morris, but a 552 00:38:04.440 --> 00:38:07.639 lot of that was just catch up down multiple touchdowns in the second half. 553 00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:15.280 You know, when I turned my phone notifications off on the weekends because I 554 00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:19.280 get a lot of them, So if I would have had them on and 555 00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:23.519 just had them set to indicate the words Malachi and Washington, my phone would 556 00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:30.280 have probably exploded. That kid has been an absolute workhorse for a different look 557 00:38:30.360 --> 00:38:35.320 Peoria offense than we're used to. It felt like when my phone was working 558 00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:37.679 properly, he was scoring a touchdown about every thirty seconds. I know that's 559 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:44.079 not exactly what happened, but it certainly felt like that was what was happening. 560 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.159 You know, just a really, really incredible effort from that Peoria team. 561 00:38:50.679 --> 00:38:53.840 They're fun. It's just like, I don't know how many people know 562 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:58.840 him or have experienced him before they made a state run a few a few 563 00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:01.639 years back as well. But coach Tim Thornton is just kind of one of 564 00:39:01.679 --> 00:39:06.719 those guys that just says, let's see what happens, Let's throw it out 565 00:39:06.760 --> 00:39:08.679 there and let it make and and you know, let the big dogs eat 566 00:39:08.679 --> 00:39:13.360 and see what goes on. Um just kind of I mean, not not 567 00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:16.960 reckless in any way, but not real worried about taking too much caution to 568 00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:21.880 things. They'll take some chances, they'll do some creative things, and they'll 569 00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:24.519 let their athletes make plays. And it just they seem to be having a 570 00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:29.800 lot of fun doing what they're doing like they I mean, granted, they're 571 00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:31.840 in a state championship, it's got to be fun, but there just seems 572 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:36.440 to be a different level of fun to when when Peoria is clicking on all 573 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:40.320 cylinders. Yeah, you know, we're used to seeing a high flying offense 574 00:39:40.360 --> 00:39:44.320 that was even above and beyond. Particularly Morris came into that game, their 575 00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:47.840 defense was averaging, having had allowed twelve point seven points per game, and 576 00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:52.880 just and in the story from Randy Wayland that that covered the game for US, 577 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:55.000 Randy Rowe, uh you know, I mentioned that, but he also 578 00:39:55.159 --> 00:40:00.559 talked about the fact that the Hyans that game was twenty four fourt with just 579 00:40:00.639 --> 00:40:05.280 over three minutes left in the first half, and by halftime it was forty 580 00:40:05.320 --> 00:40:08.559 six to fourteen. Yeah. I mean, and that's that's the kind of 581 00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:13.119 thing that Morris has done to other people. I mean, it was definitely 582 00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:15.719 a you know, shoe on the other foot, this type of situation for 583 00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:22.199 Morris in that game. I thought there was definitely a possibility that Peoria would 584 00:40:22.199 --> 00:40:24.039 win this football game. I did not think it would be in this fashion 585 00:40:24.559 --> 00:40:29.760 where like Morris simply could not stop them. Like if if we would have 586 00:40:29.800 --> 00:40:31.239 had, you know, if we would have had to gone farther in this 587 00:40:31.280 --> 00:40:35.960 game, I would have felt like Peoria, you know, was closing it 588 00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:38.920 on triple digits. I mean, that's that's just that was just kind of 589 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:44.360 what I did not see that as a possible scenario. To be completely honest 590 00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:47.320 with you, I didn't either. But okay, let's go ahead and move 591 00:40:47.400 --> 00:40:52.760 on to Class six A and the first game. I've both of these games. 592 00:40:53.159 --> 00:40:57.639 Um, you saw the East Saint Louis Lamont game. I saw the 593 00:40:57.639 --> 00:41:00.079 Prairie reach seeing ignatious game. And to be frank, this is going to 594 00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:04.000 take a minute to get through because there's a lot to impact in both of 595 00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:07.800 these games. So we're gonna start with Prayer Fridge versus saying Ignatius, a 596 00:41:07.960 --> 00:41:09.639 back and forth game. I mentioned at the beginning of the podcast, this 597 00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:15.360 was certainly a game that was impacted by the weather. Pr plays on a 598 00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:20.039 grass field. It's down kind of. It's the field is sunk down a 599 00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:24.280 little bit. And because of that, the snow and the ice that we 600 00:41:24.320 --> 00:41:29.639 had had during the week didn't completely get off the field as much like they 601 00:41:29.719 --> 00:41:31.320 you would see you could tell like they had cleared it the best they could, 602 00:41:31.360 --> 00:41:35.800 but like the ground was just frozen. It was hard for both teams. 603 00:41:35.840 --> 00:41:42.239 Like you're so used to seeing Tyler Vasey get to the edge and plant 604 00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:45.880 that foot, that that back foot and just cut up field. And there 605 00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:47.760 was a couple of times he broke a long touchdown eventually in that game, 606 00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:52.840 but everyone just looked like they were trying not to slip. Everyone was kind 607 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:57.599 of ginger. Everything looked slow. It was so odd. It was everything 608 00:41:57.639 --> 00:42:00.159 was in slow moostion. They jump off the snap of the ball, and 609 00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:01.880 it felt like everyone would stop first split, you know, just a split 610 00:42:01.960 --> 00:42:05.760 second so they could reset their feet, so they didn't fall down and then 611 00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:09.079 make that push forward. It was so odd zeus. Yeah, I mean 612 00:42:09.280 --> 00:42:13.599 it was, Oh, first of all, told you, told you this 613 00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:15.960 was going to be a better game than you thought, you know, And 614 00:42:16.159 --> 00:42:21.079 it's definitely like, as I was kind of picking up and piecing together what 615 00:42:21.199 --> 00:42:23.639 was going on in this game, I'm like, oh boy, this is 616 00:42:24.639 --> 00:42:28.800 this is gonna be something. This is gonna come down to the wire here 617 00:42:28.840 --> 00:42:32.800 in some capacity. And then the way that it finished after I found out 618 00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:37.920 the details and the backstory and all the other stuff about it, I just 619 00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:43.679 kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, prayer Ridge just doesn't lose games like 620 00:42:43.719 --> 00:42:46.800 this, even if it's even if it's a weird situation that you wouldn't have 621 00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:52.079 thought like benefited them or put them in a role of being the favorite. 622 00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:57.360 And I certainly wouldn't have thought that heading into that situation to decide to kick 623 00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:01.840 the field goal in the way that they did. Um, But I've I've 624 00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:07.719 learned over time that I don't question Chris Shremp and the prayer Ridge coaching staff 625 00:43:07.760 --> 00:43:10.119 because what they're doing usually works. Yeah, I mean, so let's get 626 00:43:10.119 --> 00:43:14.599 into that. I haven't didn't really break that down yet so this was a 627 00:43:14.679 --> 00:43:20.440 game where it's it's pretty low scoring throughout right. You get to the end 628 00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:24.760 of the third quarter. Um, it's twelve seven Prairie Ridge, Vinny Rue 629 00:43:24.760 --> 00:43:31.320 Guy uh goes down field and uh with five minutes left in the game. 630 00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:36.559 They they uh, they get the touchdown, take the lead thirteen to twelve. 631 00:43:36.639 --> 00:43:42.760 PR counts back, puts together a drive, faces a long conversion Tyler 632 00:43:42.840 --> 00:43:46.559 Vasey with a touchdown pass from twenty two yards out. Uh to to get 633 00:43:46.679 --> 00:43:51.239 PR back in front. You're thinking, okay at that point, like Saint 634 00:43:51.480 --> 00:43:53.199 Saint Ignatius isn't going to go right back on the field. Well they do 635 00:43:53.320 --> 00:43:59.360 within forty five seconds, Guy back into the end zone on a thirty four 636 00:43:59.760 --> 00:44:02.400 yr run, say ignitions take the lead. And then I'm like, all 637 00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:06.000 right, so what p are gonna do? They work down the field. 638 00:44:06.199 --> 00:44:09.360 It's taking longer than I expect, honestly, Like it's it's Chris coach, 639 00:44:09.440 --> 00:44:13.760 Chris Strump's holy non to his timeouts. I believe all three timeouts. It's 640 00:44:13.800 --> 00:44:15.760 down to a minute. At this point, they're at like the forty yard 641 00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:20.360 line of saying ignations, I'm kind of like they're they're moving honestly slow. 642 00:44:20.480 --> 00:44:22.199 Like I was like, you guys, I'm like, you guys, gotta 643 00:44:22.199 --> 00:44:24.480 go, you gotta go, you gotta go, and they just it just 644 00:44:24.639 --> 00:44:29.480 everything seemed to be developing slow. It gets to the point pr is down 645 00:44:29.480 --> 00:44:35.559 into about twenty six seconds left, facing a fourth and seventeen. They run 646 00:44:35.719 --> 00:44:37.360 the same I'm pretty sure, the same play that they had scored the touchdown 647 00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:40.920 in the past. Play ends up getting a past interference call, and it 648 00:44:40.960 --> 00:44:45.519 was past interference, but it sets up a fourth and two. They get 649 00:44:45.519 --> 00:44:49.800 the first down. At this point, there's nine point seven seconds left. 650 00:44:50.199 --> 00:44:55.000 They're at a point of the field where the field goal is certainly makable, 651 00:44:55.800 --> 00:45:01.159 but the conditions are bad to begin with, Brogan am hurt as we're as 652 00:45:01.199 --> 00:45:05.119 we're about to get into here, had missed the first extra point of the 653 00:45:05.119 --> 00:45:08.239 game and as it turns out, had never kicked a field goal in high 654 00:45:08.280 --> 00:45:12.119 school football before. And I'm going, I'm going, in my head, 655 00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:15.800 like nine point seven seconds, okay, can they get two plays in here 656 00:45:15.960 --> 00:45:17.320 to have you know, like, do you do you throw it short of 657 00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:20.800 the end zone, try and get out of bound. You take two shots 658 00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:24.559 to the end zone and then Chris remp sends sends Brogan out there, and 659 00:45:24.599 --> 00:45:30.000 I was shocked. I didn't see it coming and Brogan he pounds the ball 660 00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:35.639 through the uprights. Uh, I mean the kick was good by ten yards. 661 00:45:35.679 --> 00:45:39.480 I was completely shocked. I mean just I mean that is true. 662 00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:44.719 Guts to send him out there, and just all the credit into the world 663 00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:49.800 for him nailing the kick and he so Apparently Alex Kentucky Joe Stevenson covered the 664 00:45:49.840 --> 00:45:52.559 game. Uh, talked Brogan after the game. Brogan and Tyler Vacy are 665 00:45:52.599 --> 00:45:58.280 best friends, and apparently Tyler Brogan had told Tyler during the week, or 666 00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:00.440 Brogan had told Tyler during the week he was going to make the game winning 667 00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:04.440 field goal, and Tyler laughed and said, you know, like I hope 668 00:46:04.440 --> 00:46:07.639 it doesn't come down to that, and then bam, and you know, 669 00:46:07.840 --> 00:46:12.079 great pictures you know at Friday Night Drive dot Com and in the Northwest Herald 670 00:46:12.079 --> 00:46:15.679 of those two hugging each other after the game. Just one of the craziest 671 00:46:15.719 --> 00:46:21.239 finishes I've seen in a high school football game. Yeah, and from a 672 00:46:21.320 --> 00:46:23.239 distance, it was just kind of like when you when you picked up all 673 00:46:23.239 --> 00:46:27.920 of that information, it was just like, oh my gosh, what had 674 00:46:27.960 --> 00:46:31.320 to go into the decision making, the thought process. I mean, I 675 00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:36.400 would immediately kind of flashback to and we mentioned it earlier in this podcast, 676 00:46:36.760 --> 00:46:42.960 the Wilmington Williamsville State championship game of back in twenty fourteen, where I was 677 00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:46.880 fully expecting Wilmington to try to march down the field and score a game winning 678 00:46:46.880 --> 00:46:52.960 touchdown because I didn't think there was really any alternative to that. And then 679 00:46:52.199 --> 00:46:57.519 what ended up happening was they were just kind of nonchalantly moving around and they 680 00:46:57.519 --> 00:47:00.599 weren't moving any big rush, and then they sent the kicker out there, 681 00:47:00.599 --> 00:47:04.639 and I'm like, what's going on? And then it was like forty two 682 00:47:04.719 --> 00:47:07.760 yarder. He absolutely drilled the field goal and won the state championship for them. 683 00:47:07.760 --> 00:47:13.199 So I'm like, sometimes sometimes these coaching staffs and stuff know a lot 684 00:47:13.239 --> 00:47:16.480 better than we do what their kids are actually capable of in the clutch. 685 00:47:16.559 --> 00:47:22.559 But still all those other factors coming into play, extremely gutsy call in that 686 00:47:22.599 --> 00:47:29.239 situation to go that way with all all the marbles on the line. And 687 00:47:29.760 --> 00:47:32.239 it was such an odd game throughout, like we get there or I get 688 00:47:32.239 --> 00:47:35.840 there, actually got there a little bit late, the game had just started. 689 00:47:35.880 --> 00:47:37.760 I'm coming down the stairs to get onto the field, and as I'm 690 00:47:37.800 --> 00:47:40.119 doing it, prs about to what it looks like a score of touchdown. 691 00:47:42.159 --> 00:47:45.159 I can't remember who was running the ball, I apologize, but someone would 692 00:47:45.239 --> 00:47:47.119 tackle shore of the goal line. You could see both his knee and elbow 693 00:47:47.159 --> 00:47:50.920 with that when his elbow hit the ground the ball popped out. They actually 694 00:47:51.000 --> 00:47:53.920 ruled it a fumble. Say Ignatius took the ball, and then there was 695 00:47:53.960 --> 00:47:58.440 a I believe yeah, the first PR touchdown, it was pretty clear Alex 696 00:47:58.519 --> 00:48:00.559 Kentecki at the video that that the runner was down short. So there was 697 00:48:00.679 --> 00:48:05.280 these odd instances in the games, like everything was just kind of weird and 698 00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:07.960 how it developed. It was a great football game overall, though a lot 699 00:48:07.960 --> 00:48:13.960 of fun. It's gonna make a good state title game. And we'll get 700 00:48:14.000 --> 00:48:16.599 into this more on SATOR on Wednesday when we record. But we get a 701 00:48:16.639 --> 00:48:21.519 rematch here from a few years ago with Prairie Ridge playing East Saint Louis in 702 00:48:21.519 --> 00:48:25.480 the title game. East Saint Louis a winner thirty two twenty nine over Lamont. 703 00:48:25.559 --> 00:48:28.880 But quickly before we get into that, I want to recall back. 704 00:48:29.000 --> 00:48:31.000 We'll have a story about this later in the week. M p R. 705 00:48:31.559 --> 00:48:36.079 East Saint Louis lost to Carry Grove in the six A state title game and 706 00:48:36.079 --> 00:48:38.320 what a lot of people consider the best six or the best title game state 707 00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:43.280 history last year. And coach Darren sunk it after that game, uh, 708 00:48:43.599 --> 00:48:46.800 talking about the triple option, a joke about someone in the North bracket needing 709 00:48:46.800 --> 00:48:51.880 to not carry Grove out, not carry Grove out, so they didn't have 710 00:48:51.880 --> 00:48:52.840 to deal with the triple option again. Well, they don't have to worry 711 00:48:52.840 --> 00:48:57.840 about carry Grove, but they're gonna see Prairie Ridge's triple option again. Yeah, 712 00:48:57.880 --> 00:49:00.440 and I and I can't imagine they're all that excited about doing it again. 713 00:49:00.679 --> 00:49:05.719 No, that's not only because of what happened in that state title game. 714 00:49:06.840 --> 00:49:08.079 That ain't. That's not fun for East Saint Louis. They're not. 715 00:49:08.119 --> 00:49:13.920 They don't enjoy that. No, no, so, but it's I don't 716 00:49:13.920 --> 00:49:16.159 want to say a miracle because that would be overstated it. But they had 717 00:49:16.199 --> 00:49:21.840 to work to get here because that game Lamont was up fourteen zero early in 718 00:49:21.880 --> 00:49:25.679 that game AGAINSTEE Saint Louis. Eas Saint Louis ends up pulling out that game 719 00:49:25.760 --> 00:49:29.239 thirty two, twenty nine. It started to go It was funny, so 720 00:49:29.320 --> 00:49:30.960 I'm watching that game, like you, I know you're there. I'm seeing 721 00:49:31.000 --> 00:49:35.599 the updates and it was fourteen zero and then Lamont stopped scoring, and my 722 00:49:35.639 --> 00:49:38.039 immediate reaction was, well, they didn't score enough. Here it goes and 723 00:49:38.119 --> 00:49:42.159 East Saint Louis come back and takes the lead, right, but then Lamont 724 00:49:42.360 --> 00:49:45.079 starts answering. It's going back and forth, and I'm like, okay, 725 00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:47.360 I you know, shoot out here. But for the second year in a 726 00:49:47.440 --> 00:49:51.199 row, East Saint Louis able to edge out Lamont. It was a hell 727 00:49:51.239 --> 00:49:53.119 of a game, SEUs. Yeah, it really was. I mean, 728 00:49:53.519 --> 00:49:58.760 when Lamont got out to that fourteen nothing lead, it kind of felt funny, 729 00:49:58.880 --> 00:50:02.599 like it was. It was pretty surprising to everybody who was there, 730 00:50:02.639 --> 00:50:07.360 I think a little bit, and even some of I mean, it was 731 00:50:07.400 --> 00:50:12.840 probably the most electric I've ever seen a sideline of a team in the first 732 00:50:12.920 --> 00:50:17.159 quarter. I mean, Lamont was juiced and deservingly so they were really fired 733 00:50:17.239 --> 00:50:23.320 up, and East St. Louis just looked irritated, like just like we're 734 00:50:23.360 --> 00:50:29.119 like, we can't do what we really want to do today. We still 735 00:50:29.159 --> 00:50:32.320 think we're gonna win the game, but we're gonna try some things because we 736 00:50:32.400 --> 00:50:37.119 want to see if the work and they didn't. I mean it was like, 737 00:50:37.519 --> 00:50:40.079 like, like I mentioned before, eastt. Louis didn't complete a pass 738 00:50:40.119 --> 00:50:45.440 in the entire game. That's not very East St. Louis like. But 739 00:50:45.559 --> 00:50:50.039 finally around the middle part of the second quarter, it was like, not 740 00:50:50.079 --> 00:50:53.079 that they didn't already know this, but oh yeah, we've got the one 741 00:50:53.119 --> 00:50:59.360 of the top offensive lineman recruit in the nation at one tackle position. Two 742 00:50:59.400 --> 00:51:06.000 other honor will mention all staters on the offensive line also up there. Let's 743 00:51:06.039 --> 00:51:10.320 just give the ball to our sophomore running back who's very talented and let him 744 00:51:10.320 --> 00:51:15.639 do work until he passes out. And I think he almost did pass out 745 00:51:15.639 --> 00:51:20.159 at the end of the game. Heavy workload for tay Ryan Martin ended up 746 00:51:20.159 --> 00:51:22.280 with thirty six carries in the game in three hundred and seventy five yards rushing. 747 00:51:22.679 --> 00:51:25.960 So because that's basically all the St. Louis offense was for the rest 748 00:51:25.960 --> 00:51:30.000 of the game. It's not the way the Flyers usually play, but the 749 00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:34.039 Flyers ultimately what they were concerned with was getting a W and moving on to 750 00:51:34.159 --> 00:51:37.159 Champagne Like. However, they had to do it. It wasn't as enjoyable 751 00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:43.159 as it usually is for them because if you've never seen a Saint Louis before, 752 00:51:43.400 --> 00:51:45.960 they like to chat a little bit with their opponents and with people around 753 00:51:46.039 --> 00:51:50.519 him. So there's just kind of a certain energy about East Saint Louis that 754 00:51:51.840 --> 00:51:55.280 sometimes ruffels some people the wrong way, but they usually back that up, 755 00:51:55.679 --> 00:52:00.800 and so it's it's definitely one of those situations. But you know, I 756 00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:02.719 have to give a lot of credit to Lamont, and I know they're probably 757 00:52:02.719 --> 00:52:06.880 still stinging from this after the fact, and I know they felt like this 758 00:52:06.960 --> 00:52:08.800 was a game that they could have won, and I agree with them. 759 00:52:08.840 --> 00:52:14.920 It was a game that they could have won. Peyton Solomon an outstanding senior 760 00:52:15.039 --> 00:52:20.039 year for Lamont at the quarterback position. Finally, in the second half, 761 00:52:20.079 --> 00:52:23.559 it was almost like Lamont said, it's not ideal to pass in this situation, 762 00:52:23.599 --> 00:52:27.960 but it's what we're going to have to do, and he threw two 763 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:32.079 touchdown passes in the second half, drew a critical pass interference penalty on another 764 00:52:32.119 --> 00:52:37.679 play that probably wasn't It probably wasn't a pass that he'll look back on and 765 00:52:37.679 --> 00:52:39.400 say, boy, that was a that's a past that I'm putting on my 766 00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:45.920 highlight reel, But just a gritty effort from him and that team, and 767 00:52:45.360 --> 00:52:50.519 they had the ball with a minute left in the game and an opportunity to 768 00:52:50.599 --> 00:52:53.199 potentially win the game. And if you would have told me before the game 769 00:52:53.199 --> 00:52:55.559 that that was going to be a scenario that would have played out, I 770 00:52:55.599 --> 00:52:59.760 would I would have said, no, there's no chance of this. So, 771 00:53:00.519 --> 00:53:02.079 you know, it gives me a little bit of pause for East Saint 772 00:53:02.159 --> 00:53:07.559 Louis moving into the final um. There was there was, I'll put it 773 00:53:07.599 --> 00:53:10.400 honestly, there was some lethargicness in the defensive on the defensive side of the 774 00:53:10.400 --> 00:53:15.320 ball from from East Saint Louis. They have some very talented secondary players. 775 00:53:15.920 --> 00:53:19.119 I don't think they played up to their potential out there in that situation. 776 00:53:19.280 --> 00:53:22.239 So I don't know if that's something that Prairie Ridge can exploit. But there 777 00:53:22.239 --> 00:53:25.760 were some things that I just found weird. It's like East Saint Louis came 778 00:53:25.800 --> 00:53:31.840 out at halftime about half of their team were in full length winner jackets, 779 00:53:32.760 --> 00:53:37.400 like they were not digging the environment and they didn't care if you didn't know 780 00:53:37.519 --> 00:53:42.519 if you knew it just I mean, just things that like that were just 781 00:53:42.719 --> 00:53:47.199 a little bit like off center about them. So you know, I'm sure 782 00:53:47.280 --> 00:53:52.199 they they they think and feel that they're the most talented team in this class, 783 00:53:52.199 --> 00:53:55.199 and they're they're they're going to ultimately figure out a way to win football 784 00:53:55.239 --> 00:54:00.840 games. But they had to scrap a lot harder than I think they expected 785 00:54:00.880 --> 00:54:02.760 that they were going to have to against lamonth Yeah, we're gonna definitely get 786 00:54:02.760 --> 00:54:07.400 into the p R E. Saint Louis matchup on Wednesday. A nice little 787 00:54:07.400 --> 00:54:09.400 tease that because I'm I'm on board, we'll get into that on Wednesday. 788 00:54:09.440 --> 00:54:15.039 With thinking that this is gonna be a game in the sixth say title game. 789 00:54:15.079 --> 00:54:16.440 I want to go quickly back to PR because there's someone else I forgot 790 00:54:16.480 --> 00:54:22.559 to mention when you talk about offensive linemen and stuff, Justin Scott, the 791 00:54:22.840 --> 00:54:29.199 very very talented, saying ignatious offensive and defensive lineman being recruited by just about 792 00:54:29.239 --> 00:54:31.199 everyone across the nation. I just want to bring this up because it was 793 00:54:31.199 --> 00:54:34.840 really funny. So he plays both ways. I think, you know, 794 00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:38.480 we think a lot about him on a recruiting aspect about being an offensive tackle 795 00:54:38.559 --> 00:54:42.039 right, but has a big impact on the defensive side of the ball. 796 00:54:42.039 --> 00:54:45.800 Sus So the play where I talked about them drawing the past interference play. 797 00:54:45.960 --> 00:54:49.000 That's fourth thound and seventeen. They come out of the time out, Justin 798 00:54:49.079 --> 00:54:52.519 Scott is in the middle of the defensive line. It does not drop down 799 00:54:52.519 --> 00:54:55.039 into the stance, and I immediately like, oh, he's just They just 800 00:54:55.079 --> 00:55:00.199 told him a barrel straight towards Tyler Baci and he did. He came right 801 00:55:00.280 --> 00:55:02.480 through the light just ye know, he's a giant kid. Yeah, and 802 00:55:02.519 --> 00:55:06.360 he just came right through. And I was like, Oh, this is 803 00:55:06.400 --> 00:55:10.199 gonna end with poor Tyler Bassy getting flattened by Justin Scott. And Tyler was 804 00:55:10.239 --> 00:55:15.400 able to avoid flush out to the right and miss it. But it was 805 00:55:15.400 --> 00:55:20.960 just it was one of those things you don't see high school kids that size 806 00:55:21.599 --> 00:55:24.079 very often, and it looks very weird when they're standing in the middle of 807 00:55:24.079 --> 00:55:28.880 the defensive line, standing straight up already, just the bull right through the 808 00:55:28.880 --> 00:55:30.920 middle. Don't see that every day, No, you don't. I mean, 809 00:55:30.960 --> 00:55:35.320 like I said, it was definitely he's a definite talent. And it's 810 00:55:35.400 --> 00:55:37.920 just one of those things where when we were breaking this game down last week, 811 00:55:37.960 --> 00:55:42.679 I'm like, there's probably gonna be some situations where somebody gonna feel some 812 00:55:42.719 --> 00:55:45.480 pain. Oh he made an impact in that game on both side the ball. 813 00:55:45.519 --> 00:55:47.800 He was terrific throughout. Yeah, all right, let's get over to 814 00:55:47.800 --> 00:55:52.400 class seven eight here. We're running really long, a lot to talk about 815 00:55:52.519 --> 00:55:55.599 having a good time. Mount Carmel a twenty to nine winner over Saint Rita 816 00:55:55.679 --> 00:56:00.719 in that rivalry match up here. It was Rita did a really good job 817 00:56:00.760 --> 00:56:06.119 defensively against Mount Carmel for a lot of that game. The Caravan able to 818 00:56:06.159 --> 00:56:09.280 get the lead and then put it away with a pick six. You know, 819 00:56:09.519 --> 00:56:15.320 it's maybe a little bit more trouble than I expected for the Caravan, 820 00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:19.760 but Saint Rita got one. St Rita got better as the season went on. 821 00:56:20.119 --> 00:56:22.119 It's a rematch, it's a rivalry, and again the weather condition, 822 00:56:22.239 --> 00:56:27.599 so I guess I shouldn't have been completely surprised with the way that game developed. 823 00:56:28.039 --> 00:56:30.880 Yeah, it took a while for Mount Carmel to get into kind of 824 00:56:30.880 --> 00:56:35.960 a groove offensively in that game. Finally, I guess recognizing that maybe they 825 00:56:35.960 --> 00:56:38.440 couldn't go down field as much as they wanted to and kind of started to 826 00:56:38.480 --> 00:56:44.039 settle a little bit more for some intermediate passing to move the football. And 827 00:56:44.159 --> 00:56:46.719 once they did that, it's things seemed to get a little bit easier for 828 00:56:46.800 --> 00:56:51.320 them. You know, it felt like in that first half that st Rita 829 00:56:51.480 --> 00:56:54.519 was controlling that game and doing exactly what they wanted to do. The most 830 00:56:54.519 --> 00:56:59.159 pivotal thing for them when they had those sustainable drives in the first half that 831 00:56:59.199 --> 00:57:01.840 allowed them to get to that six nothing lead, they could have punched one 832 00:57:01.880 --> 00:57:06.679 of those in for a touchdown. I think we might have been talking about 833 00:57:06.719 --> 00:57:10.360 a lot different storyline right now than we are. They just weren't able to 834 00:57:10.400 --> 00:57:14.679 do that, and that's a that's a tip of the Captain Mount Carmel's defense, 835 00:57:14.719 --> 00:57:16.519 which is a really really good unit, that they were able to force 836 00:57:16.599 --> 00:57:22.239 them into field goal situations. St Rita probably as the best kicker in the 837 00:57:22.280 --> 00:57:27.079 state as well at their disposal, so they don't necessarily have to get into 838 00:57:27.159 --> 00:57:30.199 perfect field position for him to take advantage of that leg. So, you 839 00:57:30.239 --> 00:57:32.599 know, when you look at the grand scheme of things, you know, 840 00:57:32.719 --> 00:57:37.360 Saint Rita threw a much heavier punch in this game than I thought they might. 841 00:57:37.280 --> 00:57:42.079 But Mount Carmel, once again, from from top to bottom, just 842 00:57:42.199 --> 00:57:49.119 a deeper a superior overall team in that situation, and eventually that weight out 843 00:57:49.119 --> 00:57:53.719 in the second half and Mount Carmel is going to get a matchup against Batavia. 844 00:57:53.960 --> 00:57:59.039 A lot to unpack with this matchup on Wednesday, a rematch of a 845 00:57:59.159 --> 00:58:05.639 controversial game from last year's playoffs. I'm sure Batavia ready to play one U. 846 00:58:06.440 --> 00:58:07.760 It's interesting, um, you know, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna, 847 00:58:07.800 --> 00:58:10.960 I'm gonna tease that and just leave that to Wednesday sees because we're running 848 00:58:10.960 --> 00:58:14.760 along and I want to get into this game. But that is a top 849 00:58:14.760 --> 00:58:19.159 of mind already. But yeah, Batavia a twenty four seventh winner over Lake 850 00:58:19.239 --> 00:58:22.360 Zurich, and we talked about on the preview podcast last week about Lake Zurich 851 00:58:22.480 --> 00:58:24.960 maybe showing a little bit more on offense than they had in the past. 852 00:58:25.239 --> 00:58:30.119 They took the seven zero lead in this game and Mahia reaction was quote, 853 00:58:30.400 --> 00:58:34.079 maybe I was onto something there. And then really after that point it was 854 00:58:34.119 --> 00:58:38.079 all Batavia. They get the league going into halftime at ten seven, and 855 00:58:38.119 --> 00:58:42.039 then really early in the second half, Tyler jan Zy, who finished with 856 00:58:42.119 --> 00:58:45.360 the right around one hundred and fifty rushing yards, broke off a long touchdown 857 00:58:45.440 --> 00:58:51.039 run. It was pretty much all Bulldogs from that point forward. SEUs Batavia 858 00:58:51.119 --> 00:58:54.440 taking care of business. Yeah, Batavia doing what they have done a lot 859 00:58:55.199 --> 00:59:00.639 in playoff games in the situation, just kind of gradually inching away from the 860 00:59:00.679 --> 00:59:04.559 opponent to the point where then it becomes a gap that the other team can't 861 00:59:04.599 --> 00:59:07.800 overcome. A lot of that is a credit to their defense, especially in 862 00:59:07.840 --> 00:59:15.360 this situation. They've been really holding some pretty potentially potent offenses in check to 863 00:59:15.519 --> 00:59:21.159 this point. I don't think lake Zurich had, you know, an offense 864 00:59:21.159 --> 00:59:22.960 that was going to be able to put up a bunch of points. So 865 00:59:23.119 --> 00:59:27.599 it had to be a situation where maybe they eked out of you know, 866 00:59:27.960 --> 00:59:32.000 fourteen ten or a seventeen fourteen win. Batavia was able to get more points 867 00:59:32.000 --> 00:59:36.119 than that on the board like Zike wasn't able to answer it, like you 868 00:59:36.159 --> 00:59:37.519 said, got it on the board early. So you're thinking, well, 869 00:59:37.559 --> 00:59:42.559 maybe, but if you look at Batavia's track record in these playoffs so far, 870 00:59:43.280 --> 00:59:46.719 they have not given up a bunch of points and they've they've they've held 871 00:59:46.760 --> 00:59:52.760 in check offenses that are a lot more potent than lake Zurich's. So you 872 00:59:52.760 --> 00:59:54.360 know, if something was going to have to happen for lake Zurich and this 873 00:59:54.400 --> 01:00:00.280 one, maybe a turnover for a score or some sort of situation where you 874 01:00:00.320 --> 01:00:01.239 know, because I didn't. I didn't think they were going to get it 875 01:00:01.239 --> 01:00:06.199 through traditional means, and when that didn't come, it was pretty easy to 876 01:00:06.199 --> 01:00:08.920 see how Batavia ended up winning this game. All right, one class left 877 01:00:08.960 --> 01:00:13.760 to go, and honestly, we can spend we can We can probably save 878 01:00:13.800 --> 01:00:16.559 a bit of time here in Class eight day because you had Lincoln Way East 879 01:00:16.679 --> 01:00:22.800 a thirty to three winner over Glenbard West, and then Loyola a thirty one 880 01:00:22.039 --> 01:00:30.719 seven winner over York, and so you know, first off, I think 881 01:00:30.719 --> 01:00:35.320 we both expected, really all season long, these were the two teams if 882 01:00:35.320 --> 01:00:38.760 the brackets shaped up where they were on opposite sides, we expected that they 883 01:00:38.840 --> 01:00:43.320 had the highest chances. Now a day is a tough field, I completely 884 01:00:43.400 --> 01:00:46.920 understand that, but these were two really good teams, and no disrespect to 885 01:00:46.960 --> 01:00:51.320 Glenbard West or York, I think we both felt that there were two clear 886 01:00:51.360 --> 01:00:54.960 favorites, and both Glenbard West and York were definitely good enough in the right 887 01:00:55.039 --> 01:00:59.920 situation to win this game. But they needed a lot to go right, 888 01:01:00.119 --> 01:01:05.079 I felt, and that didn't materialize in either of the game. Both Lincoln 889 01:01:05.119 --> 01:01:09.119 Way East and Loyola control them throughout. It just it just kind of played 890 01:01:09.159 --> 01:01:13.320 out, you know how we thought it would sue, you know, like 891 01:01:13.519 --> 01:01:17.679 you I mean, I definitely felt like Lincoln Way East and Loyola was likely 892 01:01:17.719 --> 01:01:22.360 to be the state the Class A state championship matchup coming out of this game. 893 01:01:24.000 --> 01:01:30.119 What I did not expect was that both of these teams would would really 894 01:01:30.159 --> 01:01:32.440 kind of take a part the other team in winning these games. I thought 895 01:01:32.480 --> 01:01:37.800 they would be relatively competitive on both sides of that bracket. But you know, 896 01:01:37.000 --> 01:01:42.440 for Lincoln Way East, it was just another example of how they're just 897 01:01:42.599 --> 01:01:45.440 able to take advantage of everything that has thrown their way. I mean, 898 01:01:45.840 --> 01:01:51.519 I laughed when I saw that quarterback Brandon Tissue had a ninety nine yard quarterback 899 01:01:51.559 --> 01:01:54.559 sneak for a touchdown. Yeah, I think I've seen the video. It 900 01:01:54.679 --> 01:01:59.159 was a quarterback sneak that we're trying to get out of the shadow of their 901 01:01:59.159 --> 01:02:01.599 own goal line. Was happy to take a couple of yards, and then 902 01:02:01.679 --> 01:02:06.760 all the sudden, Brady Titcher sneaks out of the pile and is gone. 903 01:02:07.079 --> 01:02:09.679 Just I mean, like, I don't see ninety nine yard plays very often. 904 01:02:09.719 --> 01:02:14.960 I definitely don't see them materializing like that. But that is what Lincoln 905 01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:19.880 Ways does. That small window of opportunity, Let's just crash right through there 906 01:02:19.880 --> 01:02:23.480 and make it happen. So just typifies what they're doing. And then on 907 01:02:23.519 --> 01:02:29.000 the other side, Loyola. I mean, I thought that that York would 908 01:02:29.039 --> 01:02:34.199 need a herculean effort to get by them. Not impossible, but boy, 909 01:02:34.280 --> 01:02:38.320 that defense for Loyola is really cranking it up as we go through the postseason 910 01:02:38.400 --> 01:02:44.760 here that they're set in the tone and Loyola, as they always do, 911 01:02:45.079 --> 01:02:50.599 despite the fact that they've had some injuries in their backfield, continue to do 912 01:02:50.639 --> 01:02:52.719 what you know, put the pieces in the right places. And when you 913 01:02:52.840 --> 01:02:58.519 have a quarterback that is as savvy and as experienced as Jake Stourney, the 914 01:02:58.559 --> 01:03:01.960 combination of those things make Loyola a very very difficult team to try to beat 915 01:03:02.039 --> 01:03:06.719 right now, and it will create what I think is the eight A matchup 916 01:03:06.760 --> 01:03:08.719 that I think if you were to say what's going to give us the best 917 01:03:08.800 --> 01:03:12.880 eight A state championship at the beginning of these brackets, these would have been 918 01:03:12.880 --> 01:03:15.039 the two teams that I think you should have picked. And now we have 919 01:03:15.119 --> 01:03:17.400 it. Okay, well, let's go ahead and get out of here too. 920 01:03:17.519 --> 01:03:20.719 Before I throw it over to you to give us a final thought, 921 01:03:20.719 --> 01:03:24.280 though, are you know what you shall are? What we learned in week 922 01:03:24.320 --> 01:03:28.760 thirteen or the state semifinals from seu's posted it up on Friday Night Drive this 923 01:03:28.800 --> 01:03:32.519 morning, And something I hadn't even realized and didn't think of that all sixteen 924 01:03:34.000 --> 01:03:37.119 teams that are at state going to Champagne, every single one of them has 925 01:03:37.159 --> 01:03:42.880 made at least one appearance in a state championship game since the twenty fourteen season. 926 01:03:43.159 --> 01:03:45.760 As you said, there are no Cinderellas here, you know, even 927 01:03:45.880 --> 01:03:49.599 even Nazareth that five and four, even Providence at five and four. These 928 01:03:49.599 --> 01:03:53.199 are programs that are used to playing deep into playoff rounds. So, you 929 01:03:53.239 --> 01:03:59.239 know, surprising, yes, but makes sense. Yeah, We've talked a 930 01:03:59.239 --> 01:04:03.559 lot about it being kind of a you know, the favorites have materialized in 931 01:04:03.679 --> 01:04:08.760 one. I think there's no better case study to prove that theory correct than 932 01:04:08.800 --> 01:04:11.880 what we have right here. Is that. I mean, every one of 933 01:04:11.880 --> 01:04:15.599 these matchups has a team that is pretty familiar with the experience of playing for 934 01:04:15.639 --> 01:04:18.480 a state championship game right now. There's, like I said, there are 935 01:04:18.480 --> 01:04:21.119 a few of them that has been a little bit longer, but I mean 936 01:04:21.159 --> 01:04:26.440 the longest one out is Providence, and I mean they've been to this will 937 01:04:26.480 --> 01:04:29.880 be their fourteenth state championship game, so I mean, it's not like that's 938 01:04:29.880 --> 01:04:33.840 a drought or anything. So it really kind of speaks to the fact that 939 01:04:33.920 --> 01:04:38.639 this year has been a year where the teams that we thought were going to 940 01:04:38.679 --> 01:04:43.480 be in this mix largely ended up being in this mix. All right, 941 01:04:43.559 --> 01:04:45.480 let's go ahead and get out of here. South. Thank you everyone who 942 01:04:45.599 --> 01:04:49.599 joined for this super salized episode of the Friday Night Drive podcast. Make sure 943 01:04:49.679 --> 01:04:55.000 you stick to Friday Night Drive all week long, get ready for the state 944 01:04:55.079 --> 01:04:57.719 championship, and follow us throughout the weekend. Of course, on Friday and 945 01:04:57.719 --> 01:05:00.679 Saturday, we got an entire crew going down to stay. We even got 946 01:05:00.719 --> 01:05:03.239 the Friday Night Drive House, the Airbnb ready to go. We're gonna have 947 01:05:03.239 --> 01:05:06.039 a fun time down there, the group of us bringing you wall to wall 948 01:05:06.119 --> 01:05:10.400 coverage, suits, anything else before we get out of here. You know, 949 01:05:10.840 --> 01:05:14.199 Semi final week rarely disappoints, and it certainly didn't this year. There 950 01:05:14.199 --> 01:05:16.559 were a lot of intriguing stories. There were some games that did get out 951 01:05:16.599 --> 01:05:19.360 of hand, but you know, for the most part, when I sat 952 01:05:19.400 --> 01:05:25.039 down and I looked at Hey, what State final matchups would I like to 953 01:05:25.079 --> 01:05:29.760 see? Just from an intriguing standpoint, Almost all of them materialized the way 954 01:05:29.800 --> 01:05:33.440 that I kind of hoped that they would from a competitive standpoint. So that's 955 01:05:33.440 --> 01:05:36.119 all you can ask for in this situation, and it should be a very 956 01:05:36.239 --> 01:05:41.440 entertaining weekend in Champaign. Stick around. Josh Wellgee and Jake Marlston will be 957 01:05:41.480 --> 01:05:45.559 by to fill you in on their Western with the Western Suburbs podcast. Sus 958 01:05:45.639 --> 01:05:48.039 and I'll be back. We'll drop it on Wednesday afternoon. We'll have the 959 01:05:48.159 --> 01:05:51.440 state preview or State Final preview for you. We're gonna go ahead and sign 960 01:05:51.440 --> 01:05:57.639 off for now for Steve Susy. I am Kyle Niaghbors. Everyone enjoy the 961 01:05:57.679 --> 01:06:01.400 week. We'll talk to you on Wednesday. Schweiker, Gannison, Krizak RUNDEO 962 01:06:01.480 --> 01:06:05.280 proudly sponsors the Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike Krizak. If you've been injured, 963 01:06:05.320 --> 01:06:09.039 we are ready to take on the insurance company and get you to the 964 01:06:09.119 --> 01:06:12.719 end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. Visit 965 01:06:12.920 --> 01:06:15.840 GA nassi n dot com.