It's playoff time. No designated GOW (even though OPRF-NT is most intriguing match up here).
GW @ Bartlett: I haven't seen Bartlett or any of the teams Bartlett played this year, but I am confident that the Hitters are a couple notches better here. GW rolls in round 1 and travels back to Lake Ellyn to await the arrival of that dark cobalt phenomena that the people refer to as Lincoln Way East.
GW 42 Bartlett 7.
Conant @ HC: I have been a believer in Coach Stortz since LZ beat the 2011 GW team at Duchon in round 2. At that time I simply could not believe that a defense without at least three power 5 players upfront shut down the Johnny Caspars-Tommy Schutt led GW rush attack. Now Stortz is in his first year at Conant and they have gone from 1-8 in 2017 to 6-3 and a share of the MSW conference title. That is remarkable, to put it mildly.
But he faces a stout HC head coach that has quietly began to put HC back on track to return to WSC and 8A prominence. Hartman has compiled a current record of 39-12 since taking over in 2014 and has now won at least a share of the WSS title two out of the past three years. Close followers of IHSA ball also remember what he was able to do at Evergreen Park before arriving at HC. So this one is actually a pretty interesting match up as far as head coaches go.
I've seen Conant and it is exactly what you'd expect from a turnaround team with a great head coach. They are undersized and not the fastest looking team but you can see kids giving it their all. Stortz is getting the best out of them. But HC is hungry and gunning for a run this post season. The o-line has been good from the start and have gotten better as the season has gone on. They are healthy and they are some hogs. I don't think Conant will have an answer for the HC run game (although as I type that I think back again to the LZ defensive schemes of the past and my heart rate rises). And I don't think the Conant offense will be able to consistently move the ball:
Conant 7 HC 33
New Trier @ OPRF: Great match up and I'll say it right off the bat I don't think New Trier is gonna be able to run the ball in this one. OPRF defense is disciplined, the d-line is big and athletic, the LBs take great angles to the ball and all their DBs look like they could be playing LB because of their size but they are faster and more agile. The Huskie offense can score on any given play but their success will be a matter of consistency and McGill staying confident in the pocket on 3rd down situations. Some of us have been saying all year that if McGill comes around then this OPRF team is a serious 8A threat. I'm calling for just that in this round 1 showdown with the Trevians and am going with OPRF by 2 scores:
New Trier 7 OPRF 21
Happy playoffs everybody. Go Devils, go Hitters and go Huskies.
GW @ Bartlett: I haven't seen Bartlett or any of the teams Bartlett played this year, but I am confident that the Hitters are a couple notches better here. GW rolls in round 1 and travels back to Lake Ellyn to await the arrival of that dark cobalt phenomena that the people refer to as Lincoln Way East.
GW 42 Bartlett 7.
Conant @ HC: I have been a believer in Coach Stortz since LZ beat the 2011 GW team at Duchon in round 2. At that time I simply could not believe that a defense without at least three power 5 players upfront shut down the Johnny Caspars-Tommy Schutt led GW rush attack. Now Stortz is in his first year at Conant and they have gone from 1-8 in 2017 to 6-3 and a share of the MSW conference title. That is remarkable, to put it mildly.
But he faces a stout HC head coach that has quietly began to put HC back on track to return to WSC and 8A prominence. Hartman has compiled a current record of 39-12 since taking over in 2014 and has now won at least a share of the WSS title two out of the past three years. Close followers of IHSA ball also remember what he was able to do at Evergreen Park before arriving at HC. So this one is actually a pretty interesting match up as far as head coaches go.
I've seen Conant and it is exactly what you'd expect from a turnaround team with a great head coach. They are undersized and not the fastest looking team but you can see kids giving it their all. Stortz is getting the best out of them. But HC is hungry and gunning for a run this post season. The o-line has been good from the start and have gotten better as the season has gone on. They are healthy and they are some hogs. I don't think Conant will have an answer for the HC run game (although as I type that I think back again to the LZ defensive schemes of the past and my heart rate rises). And I don't think the Conant offense will be able to consistently move the ball:
Conant 7 HC 33
New Trier @ OPRF: Great match up and I'll say it right off the bat I don't think New Trier is gonna be able to run the ball in this one. OPRF defense is disciplined, the d-line is big and athletic, the LBs take great angles to the ball and all their DBs look like they could be playing LB because of their size but they are faster and more agile. The Huskie offense can score on any given play but their success will be a matter of consistency and McGill staying confident in the pocket on 3rd down situations. Some of us have been saying all year that if McGill comes around then this OPRF team is a serious 8A threat. I'm calling for just that in this round 1 showdown with the Trevians and am going with OPRF by 2 scores:
New Trier 7 OPRF 21
Happy playoffs everybody. Go Devils, go Hitters and go Huskies.
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