Batavia @ Nazareth 7a Semifinals
- Thread starter Leggo24
- Start date
Be less lazy. It's on page one
https://edgytim.forums.rivals.com/threads/batavia—nazareth.16469/
https://edgytim.forums.rivals.com/threads/batavia—nazareth.16469/
Leggo,
Naz will be slight underdogs in this game even playing at home.
Naz will be slight underdogs in this game even playing at home.
Agreed, Batavia won 7a last year, returned a ton, are undefeated, ranked higher etc. Not sandbagging, Batavia slight favs.
I’ll take Naz.
neutral field
[2018] Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, IL) 31, [2018] Batavia (IL) 26
neutral field
[2018] Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, IL) 31, [2018] Batavia (IL) 26
I believe I read they only returned 2 from offense and 5 on defense.
But if they weigh enuf I guess that could add up to a ton?!
They are more complete Naz has a better passing game but Batavia can really throw the ball when they want and the may run the ball better then anyone in the state. They have great skill positions but the OL is really what makes them go. Batavia wins games at the LOS.
I think to start the game Naz will pack the box gearing up to stop the run and Batavia will pass them to death. It should be interesting.
Your opinions are appreciated, you very well may be right but I don’t see anyway you can say with a straight face their offense is better than Naz’s. That’s why this board is great however all the differing opinions. I’m wrong often so I’m sitting here right now thinking “am I completely missing something right now?”.
In any event it’ll be a fun matchup and while I’ll pick Naz I’m also biased, not too biased to see a scenario where Batavia wins however, that’s an excellent football team.
Batavia averages 37ppg and 410 (155pas, 255rush) yards per game on the year I think they play in a deeper conference and were tested weekly making those number even more impressive. They aren’t flashy like Naz but their offense is outstanding. Like I said Naz has a better passing game but overall Batavia’s offense is better they just do it in a different way. The great thing is the get to play so we will see what happens.
Side note Naz averages 38.5ppg on the year so slightly better but very close.
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“A deeper conference” it’s an upstate 8 reboot...what am I missing? 4 teams from the ESCC are still playing in the quarters.
As they should since they have 10 schools spread across 4 classes. You can call an Upstate 8 reboot or what ever you want It won't change my opinion that Batavia played in a deeper conference and putting up 37ppg and 410 yards a game is significant.
Also weather on Saturday is calling for rain/ snow and wind, if that holds which teams offense will play better in those conditions?
Yep your right clown, that 0-9, 2-7, 3-6, and 4-5 team make for a much deeper conference. Batavia is a very good, maybe even elite team, but to hear you describe Naz they are an average team in the DuKane...guess we will all see on Saturday. By the way 8 of 12 of Batavia’s opponents had records of .500 or less Naz on the otherhand with 1 loss, 8 had records of better than .500. I’d love to get more granularity of the game stats but alas that’s hardly ever documented in Illinois.
I never said anything about Naz being average in the Dukane them and Batavia would have been the two best teams. I just think that over the course of the year playing in a conference with 7A and 8A schools and dominating gives you advantage.
4 of 8 teams in Dukane made the playoffs. 3 of the 8 were in the 7a quarterfinals. 2 made it to the semifinals in the conference’s first year. And that 4-5 Wheaton North team was actually pretty good and better than some of the teams that did make the playoffs in 7a. You catholic school guys have very sensitive nipples. Be ready for Batavia to give Naz all they can handle and then some. They can pound the ball for 4 or 5 yards up the gut with a couple of 200+ pounders and then run outside with a very quick tailback. When you walk up your linebackers and DBs to crowd the box, they are quite capable of throwing it on you.
I’ll take the defending champs in a close game.
I know it was a lifetime ago,.. but I’m still having some trouble digesting the Dukane performances in their non con schedule. Most of the teams didn’t schedule anyone and of those that did - Batavia steped up and showed up. STCN lost 34-24 to a one and done quality 8A team in Bolingbrook and Wheaton North lost to 8A qualifier Evanston.
None of the other Dukane playoff qualifiers played any non con teams that actually finished 500 or better that I can recollect. STCE played two sub 500 teams and WWS played 1-8 Lockport and Metea. Given that - I would say Naz had a far more metal testing schedule.
In terms of the game Naz/Batavia - Batavia is the defending 7A champ and undefeated but they have been in dogfights against STCN and recently willowbrook. Both those games could have gone either way so they are defiantly beatable (also I think CG would make an argument they may be the best running team in the state over Batavia). Naz was in a dogfight with Simeon and got handled by Marist in the regular season so they are also beatable. Will be a good game. My bracket had Naz/ESL in the title game so I am rooting for Naz in the semis and if they make the finals.
Do the playoffs count as non conference games? Why would you use games from the first two weeks to determine conference strength when you could just use the playoffs?
Yes I think they would count as non conference games. It all depends on what ones perception is of the 7A classification. I think quarters and on is tough and legit in 7A the past couple years. Not so sure about the first and possibly second round.
I think 7A used to be a lot tougher in years past in the earlier rounds when bubble teams like Glenbard West and Eville slipped into 7A. When those type teams get bumped into 8A as has happened in the last few years,..it severely weakens/waters down 7A in my humble opinion.
Or you just take your lumps on filling out a ****** bracket
Normal killed me in my bracket. I had them making quarters or semis I think. Shows what I know (not much!). But I did get most of the rest of 7A correct except I missed on the ESL/MC Winner.
Sounds like you could have given Naz the kiss of death the second you wrote their name in the title game spot on your bracket. ESL is already circulating a petition to ban you from doing IHSA brackets.
Guess it’s good they had an advantage, otherwise the score would have been far worse. Like I said Upstate 8 reboot. So does this appearance in the final now force Naz to 8A next year...God knows that’s the only fair thing to do right Bones, LWEdad, WIU, etc...
Bones,
Chop busting aside, did I hear correctly that there will be a new Head Coach at Da Brook either next year or the following?
Chop busting aside, did I hear correctly that there will be a new Head Coach at Da Brook either next year or the following?
No offense but the Dukane is hardly an upstate eight reboot. Much more competitive conference overall with 8 teams that have better than average pedigrees over the last 15 years. But hey, don’t let that stop your ball busting.
Just came home from the game. A good, exciting game with many momentum swings. My first time seeing Nazareth quarterback J.J. McCarthy in person, color me impressed. He displayed uncanny poise and discipline in the cold, snowy conditions. And to think he's only a sophomore - he's still got room to grow.
Also gotta give credit to Batavia. The Bulldogs could've easily folded when they fell behind 28-7, but they showed the heart of a champion by pulling within one score twice. It's just that Nazareth had an answer each time today; the 85-yard kickoff return TD by the Roadrunners' Derek Strong, Jr late in the 3rd when the score was 35-28 was an absolute backbreaker for Batavia. Michael Love also had another big day with three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing).
Congratulations to both schools today - Batavia for its determination and never-say-die attitude, and to Nazareth for advancing to the state final for a second consecutive year.
Also gotta give credit to Batavia. The Bulldogs could've easily folded when they fell behind 28-7, but they showed the heart of a champion by pulling within one score twice. It's just that Nazareth had an answer each time today; the 85-yard kickoff return TD by the Roadrunners' Derek Strong, Jr late in the 3rd when the score was 35-28 was an absolute backbreaker for Batavia. Michael Love also had another big day with three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing).
Congratulations to both schools today - Batavia for its determination and never-say-die attitude, and to Nazareth for advancing to the state final for a second consecutive year.
Definitely interested in hearing @Tain33 and @BataviaDogs1 perspective of the game after the appropriate mourning period. Obviously a defensive let down from a very strong defensive team. How did the weather play into things?
Props to Naz for taking care of business at home.
Props to Naz for taking care of business at home.
Well I skipped the Montini game due to the drive and really wanted to see the Naz/Batavia game to see Naz the first time this year.
Both teams were great but Naz is the most explosive team I have seen this year. They can score on you in 30 seconds once they get the ball. If there is a negative for Naz is I think they blew a couple opportunities to put the game away earlier.
Both teams were great but Naz is the most explosive team I have seen this year. They can score on you in 30 seconds once they get the ball. If there is a negative for Naz is I think they blew a couple opportunities to put the game away earlier.
I said earlier this year that Naz was the team to beat this year in 7A after their performance last year and them being a young team. Great offense and solid defense. A lot of credit goes to their coaches who get the most out of their players.
Here’s my postgame analysis.....First off Naz is very, very good. QB was poised in the pocket, reasonably accurate, and a strong arm. The few times the Dogs got pressure on him he slipped a tackle or bounced off of them. He also has weapons (#20 Love was awesome) that were just too much for a young BHS secondary. Tackling was an issue all day as Naz had several long runs after catch from short passes that broke Batavias back. Three critical special teams snafus (two botched punts and a kickoff return) and a long run called back due to a procedure penalty ultimately doomed Batavia. After a disastrous first half Batavia was in the game until late as they got their running game going (mostly Quinn Urwiler) but their defense couldn’t get critical stops on third and long. Batavia is a running team at its core and when forced to pass at the end it was all over.