It definitely felt more like playoff weather this weekend - cold, windy, a little "wintry mix" thrown in at times depending on when you were playing. Have to say it was nice to be at two turf fields at Streamwood (Bartlett's home away from home) and Schaumburg (finally its home after spending most of the season at Conant).
Now we're down to the quarterfinals. One of the interesting debates since the expansion to 256 teams in 2001 is the merits of having 5-4 teams eligible for the field. Every year there are some who prove they don't belong. On the other hand, there are others who prove they were more than worthy of playing in the postseason.
A few of them still have the dream of following in Glenbard North's footsteps of last year and getting all the way to Champaign. Two of them in 8A - Schaumburg and Downers Grove North - are making quite an impression.
Schaumburg started off getting thumped by Maine South. It didn't play a home game until Week 8 because of delays and an accident with its field turf project. Head coach Mark Stilling told his team if they wanted to play more home games to do something about it - and the Saxons have in impressive fashion. After upsetting 8-1 Glenbrook South 20-16 in the opener, they returned home and produced an off-the-charts 55-21 win at home over 9-1 Warren. Anthony Iannotti continued to show he's a Division I QB who may not be in hiding much longer, WR Josh Spandiary bounced back from a rough playoff opener and sophomore Shepard Little ran wild again. The Saxons had 411 yards - at halftime!!!! - and finished with 641. And the defense has tightened up considerably, which has been the big difference. Next up is another home game Saturday - as Stilling has continued to say since Week 9, it beats the heck out of where we were 12 months ago - against unbeaten and solid Bartlett, which is making its first quarterfinal trip.
Downers Grove North got pounded in its opener by Prospect. But the Trojans recovered to avoid another down year and then stunned WW South 8-7 with a late TD and 2-point conversion in the first round. Last week they took out a talented Proviso East team and now get a shot at St. Rita.
Providence is another 5-4 that was tested in the Catholic League and still going after topping Joliet Catholic in OT. Richmond-Burton rallied to beat Reed-Custer and thumped Genoa-Kingston. And in 2A, Immaculate Conception showed the strength of its 5-4 and battles with Montini, Driscoll, St. Francis, etc... as it blasted Orion and Lena-Winslow (43-0 halftime lead).
Got a chuckle as I was watching Schaumburg and Warren run up and down the field and heard the Barrington-New Trier halftime score. PA announcer Tom Gallagher at Schaumburg even jokingly announced "second inning" 7-2. And it was as complete a defensive performance as the Broncos have produced in a long time by tying a school record with 5 interceptions to make that score hold up.
They'd take anything remotely close to those numbers again this Saturday when high-powered 8A title favorite Maine South and Vandy-bound QB Charlie Goro come to town. Two years ago Barrington beat the Hawks 42-34 in a second-round shootout as Goro was catching passes instead of throwing them. The Broncos probably wouldn't mind if Goro wanted to reprise that receiver role this week.
Congrats to two North Suburban Prairie teams from way up in the Northwest suburbs - Grant and Antioch move on with dramatic wins. Grant has been banged up all year but is in the quarters for the first time after slowing down and passing Huntley in the final minutes. Antioch and stud RB Cameron White have produced the school's best season in a quarter-century and topped Highland Park in OT.
And there is something different in communities like those compared to some of the fractured school-boundary towns the closer you get toward the big city. Went to Milwaukee with the family on Sunday and we drove through Antioch on our way back home - business marquees with "Go Sequoits" all over town and a bunch of businesses in downtown had school banners hanging and congratulatory messages written in their windows. Pretty cool.
Pretty strange not to have a DuPage Valley team still around after Naperville North literally got kicked out of its defense of its 8A title on an OT field goal against Marist. Real intriguing matchup in 4A where Driscoll puts it state record of seven consecutive titles on the line against Aurora Christian and record-setting QB Jordan Roberts.
Now it's down to 64. More playoff weather and heat expected this weekend (mostly on Saturday, probably). Bundle up and buckle up.