ICE Week 4

Wilmatucky

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The first third of the season is over and I am jacked for the remaining games to be played and questions to be answered. The middle tier teams should provide lots of entertainment and talking points. 16-3 on the season so far.


Manteno (0-3) @ Reed-Custer (3-0) - No challenge here for the Vomits. This is the Lock of the Week if you're a money line better. Spread bet.......the line should be RC -50 and judging off their cartoon scores so far I bet they'd cover it. Like I have said 100 other times, I hope they don't get salty when they are at the bottom again and they get it ran up on them. RC in a landslide. 63-7

Herscher (1-2) @ Coal City (1-2) - Coal City impressed me against Wilmo. I think they are back on track and have a tough battle ahead to get to 6-3, but at least it's not out of reach like we thought at beginning of season. I think this will be a good tune-up week for the Coalers and this gives them momentum for next week as well. CC 35-13

Lisle (1-2) @ Streator (2-1) - People seem to be on Streator lately, but remember they were 3-0 last year to start and then lost 6 straight. I do not see the improvement here. Maybe they beat Manteno, but that will be about it for their success. Lisle has not looked good, but they still have the potential. They want a playoff spot bad and they need this one. Lisle but not easily. 21-10

Wilmington (3-0) @ Peotone (3-0) - GOTW!! I swear I'm not being biased when choosing them. Wilmo seems to just have a lot of huge match-ups. The battle of the unbeaten. This will answer a HUGE question for the season. How good each of these two are. Wilmo looked good so far and I do not know what to expect with the 'Tone. I think a slugfest is in the making. Hopefully it's rainy too. That will be fun! Wilmo in a heavyweight punch-ya-in-da-mouf match. 21-17
 

Doctor_D

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I agree with the above picks.

Wilmo/Tone game should be a good one. Wilmo first road game. Game might only take about 90 minutes from kickoff to buzzer with the two ground and pound teams going at it.

CC looked pretty sturdy and I think will wear out Herscher. A big week 1 loss to a really really good Morris team is no reason to hang your head, and apparently the Coalers didn’t.

Lisle because Streator confounds me. Got them wrong the last two weeks. Maybe this will be the first game Lisle’s been involved in that doesn’t end with somebody getting blanked.

Reed-Custer by however much they want. Not only have they been putting up over 60 a game, they’ve only allowed one TD. Curious as to how good their defense actually is.
 
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Comet4Life

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Sep 26, 2017
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RC Big over Manteno. Don’t think Manteno can come close to matching the athletes for the Comets.

Streator beats Lisle. Lisle looks to be low on numbers and dealing with some injuries. Streator has momentum after the win vs Herscher.

Coal City beats Herscher. If CC can enter the game with the same focus as last week they got a shot to run away and hide in this game. Herscher could be ready to slide in the standings. They needed that win last week.

Wilmington outlasts Peotone. Coach Tolly will have the boys ready to go but I believe the Blue Devils issues with turnovers will come back to haunt them in this game.
 
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Coalertown44

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Manteno (0-3) @ Reed-Custer (3-0) Braidwood keeps rolling. Manteno played a tough first half but then was totally dominated in the second half. Manteno won't hang. Braidwood 50 Manteno 6

Herscher (1-2) @ Coal City (1-2) - Coalers looked much better against Wilmo but got hurt by a few big plays. Herscher lost a key game last week but they are competitive. Coalers grind out a win. CC 30 Herscher 13

Lisle (1-2) @ Streator (2-1) - Huge game for both teams. Lisle still has CC, Wilmo and Tone on their schedule and Streator has Tone, CC, Braidwood and Wilmo left. Wins will be hard to come by. Lisle skid starts here. Streator 28 Lisle 14

Wilmington (3-0) @ Peotone (3-0) - GOTW Wilmington had a long TD run and a QB scramble on a third and long that really hurt CC last week. WIlmo was well balanced in the run game and played good defense. Tone coming off some sloppy play of late. Will need to clean things up here. This game will be won up front. Tone with a late score and the upset win. Tone 20 Wilmo 17
 
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McEvergreen

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It's HOME teams all the way until the Wildcats arrive in Peotone and take care of business. The Blue Devils score late to make the score look respectable.

Manteno 0 @ RC 61

Herscher 14 @ CC 31

Lisle 6 @ Streator 27

Wilmington 24 @ Peotone 13
 

SouthofI80Fan

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Reed-Custer vs. Manteno - this one wont be close and the Comets are relentless in their scoring and I hope it doesn’t come back to haunt them. Manteno is by far the youngest and most inexperienced team in the ICE and have shown some improvement offensively but defense is definitely lacking. Reed-Custer 68 Manteno 6

Coal City vs. Herscher - the Coalers proved last week that they are physical and have a solid defense. Herscher is in rebuilding mode and will challenge teams for a quarter or two but the Tigers won’t be able to handle the physical style that Coal City plays. Coal City 24 Herscher 13

Lisle vs. Streator - Lisle has finished the toughest part of their schedule and the Lions are licking their wounds. Streator has some momentum and I still think they can be dangerous with some confidence. Streator 36 Lisle 23

Wilmington vs. Peotone - the battle of the undefeateds 1/3 of the way through the season. The Blue Devils have not played the toughest schedule but we’re challenged in Indiana and showed some mettle in a comeback victory. The Wildcats have taken care of business against a tougher schedule and come out with another close game. Wilmington 27 Peotone 21
 
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Doctor_D

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Wilmo stops Peotone and then scores on their first possession to go up 7-0.
Wilmo another score 14-0.
Peotone goes on a long drive aided by some Wilmington penalties to cut the lead to 14-7.
Halftime.

Reed-Custer up 32-6 with 2:07 in the 1Q

Wilmo one of their patented long time-consuming drives, now up 21-7.

R-C hits the 40 mark in the 1Q. (they don't trust their kicker)
R-C up 47-6 at the end of the 1st. They let the kicker kick PAT.

long TD drive for Peotone, now 21-13. Then James breaks a 50+ yard run for a score. Wilmo up 28-13 pretty late.
 
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Doctor_D

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Wilmington 28, Peotone 13 final, game took a bit longer than 90 minutes but definitely under 2 hours.
 
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Doctor_D

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Watching NFHS...Even R-C 2nd unit has good team speed. This is a mismatch for sure, but R-C is good.

69-6 final.
 
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Comet4Life

Freshman
Sep 26, 2017
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Wilmington dominated the LOS all night. Took the Blue Devils out of their game early. The James kid is a stud. We had no answer for him. Proud of the Blue Devils for fighting to the last whistle.
 

Coalertown44

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There are several kids out there that had never played football until this year

And its going to take the freshmen class and below to get back to 5 win caliber
They have a few athletes. The QB and the 85 kid can play. They just can’t tackle anyone. Made our offense look like the KC Chiefs
 

Wilmatucky

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About what we expected this week. Key matchups for the rest of the season IMO (in no order importance or time on the schedule) are:

Wilmo vs. RC - Pretty obvious this one is for the whole sha-bang

Peotone vs CC - Will be huge for playoffs. Should be the difference between 2 or 3 losses for Peotone and 3 or 4 losses for CC

Lisle vs CC and Lisle vs Peotone- This is more so for Lisle. Need to find a way to win one if they want to get in the playoffs. From what I have seen so far I'm not sure that happens. This is that dreaded middle class of the ICE that we love to discuss. Is it impossible.....no. Just not likely IMO.

Manteno vs. Herscher - This is Manteno's lone chance to get in the Win column. Could be Herscher's last chance another win as well.
 

Coalertown44

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I see only the 4 ICE teams getting in. (Braidwood, Wilmo, CC and Peotone)
If Wilmo goes 2A they can make a run, if Braidwood can avoid IC until the Semi Finals then that’s as far as they go. If CC can go 6-3 and go south they can win a game. Peotone at 6-3 or 7-2 will be a dangerous draw for anyone. I think the four teams can all get past the first round. The rest of the conference won’t get in
 
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McEvergreen

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There are several kids out there that had never played football until this year

And its going to take the freshmen class and below to get back to 5 win caliber
Sounds like a tough road ahead. Can the current head coach ride it out for another 3 or 4 years or does Herscher make a move for new leadership?
 

McEvergreen

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Wilmington dominated the LOS all night. Took the Blue Devils out of their game early. The James kid is a stud. We had no answer for him. Proud of the Blue Devils for fighting to the last whistle.
And that's what the Wildcats do. Scrum right, scrum left... they patiently break your spirit and eat clock. If the Comets D can force Wilmington to punt, RC wins conference.

The way it's looking right now, Wilmington, RC, CC, and Peotone all get in. I agree with Coalertown, all 4 have a great chance of moving on to the second round.
 

FCHS2019

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Sounds like a tough road ahead. Can the current head coach ride it out for another 3 or 4 years or does Herscher make a move for new leadership?
They need to get Mosier more help with assistant coaches, and I am sure admin can look in the hallways and see the athletic talent is below average right now
 
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SouthofI80Fan

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After 4 weeks we are starting to see the separation in the ICE.

Playoff teams:
RC keeps running up the score but their opponents thus far only have 4 wins. They have yet to be challenged and that is partially because of their skill and lack of competition.

Wilmington is Wilmington. They keep grinding out wins. They seem to improve week to week and the week 6 game against Reed-Custer should be a good one.
Coal City's offense woke up last night but Herscher is struggling and a loss like that is demoralizing for a rebuilding program.

Peotone can hang with anyone and according to the Daily Journal, they relied on the pass last night and that adds an element that will help against an uncommon opponent.

Playoff Hopefuls
Lisle squeeked out a victory vs Streator and saved their season but with 3 of the aforementioned opponents still on their schedule, it's a tough row to hoe for the Lions.

Streator still has a shot but like Lisle, with Wilmington, Reed-Custer, Coal City, and Peotone left on the their schedules, it's difficult to see them getting to 5 wins. They needed they W last night.

Manteno and Herscher need to get that air compressors out for basketball a f get those wrestling mats rolled out. Hearing Manteno used 6 QBs last night, that does not bode well for the rest of the season.
 

Wilmatucky

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I agree with the 4 mentioned as playoff teams. Going into the season I thought maybe Lisle could sneak in to make it 5 teams in the playoffs, but seeing the way the teams are all looking I doubt that they get in. Mad props to them for playing Wilmington twice too. If they waited it out and picked up somebody else in week 2 that could have been their 5th win. I don't see them picking up 5 the way it looks. The middle ground with Lisle, Peotone, and CC could still have an upset or two in the works, but I doubt it.
 

Olivia21?

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Jul 24, 2022
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After 4 weeks we are starting to see the separation in the ICE.

Playoff teams:
RC keeps running up the score but their opponents thus far only have 4 wins. They have yet to be challenged and that is partially because of their skill and lack of competition.

Wilmington is Wilmington. They keep grinding out wins. They seem to improve week to week and the week 6 game against Reed-Custer should be a good one.
Coal City's offense woke up last night but Herscher is struggling and a loss like that is demoralizing for a rebuilding program.

Peotone can hang with anyone and according to the Daily Journal, they relied on the pass last night and that adds an element that will help against an uncommon opponent.

Playoff Hopefuls
Lisle squeeked out a victory vs Streator and saved their season but with 3 of the aforementioned opponents still on their schedule, it's a tough row to hoe for the Lions.

Streator still has a shot but like Lisle, with Wilmington, Reed-Custer, Coal City, and Peotone left on the their schedules, it's difficult to see them getting to 5 wins. They needed they W last night.

Manteno and Herscher need to get that air compressors out for basketball a f get those wrestling mats rolled out. Hearing Manteno used 6 QBs last night, that does not bode well for the rest of the season.
Reed-Custer hasn't been running up the score.....maybe Lisle game they kept starters in a bit long. I think it's been a bit unfair saying they run scores up.
 

Wilmatucky

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Reed-Custer hasn't been running up the score.....maybe Lisle game they kept starters in a bit long. I think it's been a bit unfair saying they run scores up.
It's not unfair to say that at all. The people saying they are running it up were not at the games. The only piece of evidence we have before us is the score of the games. Which is 60+ points in 3/4 games. Scoring 60 in a game is not easy to do. There's unwritten rules of a thrashing in football just like there is in baseball. Not everybody agrees on the unwritten rules because they are subjective.

And I do get it, you want to get the starters as many reps as possible. And you want to get your younger guys experience too.
 

Olivia21?

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It's not unfair to say that at all. The people saying they are running it up were not at the games. The only piece of evidence we have before us is the score of the games. Which is 60+ points in 3/4 games. Scoring 60 in a game is not easy to do. There's unwritten rules of a thrashing in football just like there is in baseball. Not everybody agrees on the unwritten rules because they are subjective.

And I do get it, you want to get the starters as many reps as possible. And you want to get your younger guys experience too.
Good deal my friend. Has been weird watching them through 4 games. Are they that good? Opponents have been bad.? I think they matchup good against IC.
 
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McEvergreen

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Reed-Custer hasn't been running up the score.....maybe Lisle game they kept starters in a bit long. I think it's been a bit unfair saying they run scores up.
Yes they do, but it might be because the coaching staff is so green. If they don't know how to handle these types of games, look at what Z does over at L-W East when they play the Staggs and Sandburgs. Nobody handles such games better.
 
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Olivia21?

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Yes they do, but it might be because the coaching staff is so green. If they don't know how to handle these types of games, look at what Z does over at L-W East when they play the Staggs and Sandburgs. Nobody handles such games better.
Lisle game maybe. You can't say they ran up score rest
 

Wilmatucky

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Good deal my friend. Has been weird watching them through 4 games. Are they that good? Opponents have been bad.? I think they matchup good against IC.
Yes. They are good.

Yes. Their opponents have been bad. Very bad.

Will get a better gauge when they play Tone, Wilmo, and CC.
 

Olivia21?

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They are "green" compared to conference
I'll be the first. Reed-Custer biggest problem is penalties. That's gonna be there down fall. Lots of penalties = coaching = not wi
Yes. They are good.

Yes. Their opponents have been bad. Very bad.

Will get a better gauge when they play Tone, Wilmo,

Yes. They are good.

Yes. Their opponents have been bad. Very bad.

Will get a better gauge when they play Tone, Wilmo,

Yes. They are good.

Yes. Their opponents have been bad. Very bad.

Will get a better gauge when they play Tone, Wilmo, and CC.
You know and I know Peotone is not gonna be a gague of where they are. Two weeks tells alot of stories!