Are you excited?

I know I am.

Nothing better than a holiday that is focused on food and watching football, right?

Oh yeah, I'm also excited form this weekend's state football final games.

Here's my take on who your favorite team's key performers will be to watch in the Class 8A thru Class 5A state final games.

Class 8A

Glenbard North? QB Evan Watkins- The Panthers no question will need it's big and talented junior signal caller to have a much better performance this time around against the Huskies. In the first matchup back in Week 5, Watkins threw for just 65 yards and two interceptions in the Naperville North 37-7 win. Watkins has been on a serious roll since this last game against North and was a key in the Panthers win last Saturday against Mount Carmel. Watkins, along with senior standout RB Tyler Doll gives the Panthers great balance on offense and the Panthers will need that balance on offense to keep the Huskies defense off balanced.

Naperville North? The Huskies offensive line-the Huskies are another team that possesses great balance on offense. Yet for North, being able to block a quick and very athletic defensive front from Glenbard North I feel will be a serious key to victory on Saturday. If the Huskies offensive line, who will have a definite size advantage on Saturday, can get a consistent push upfront, the Huskies offense will be very tough to get off the field on Saturday.

Class 7A

Lake Zurich? QB Bobby DeLeo-The Bears will generally be able to gain yards on the ground, yet I have a feeling that Lake Zurich will need to be able to throw the ball just enough against a very quick Wheaton South defense to help open things up offensively for the Bears. DeLeo does a great job of running the Bears attack, and look for DeLeo to be asked to manage the game as well as completing at least a handful of play action passes on Saturday. If DeLeo can get a handful of passes under his belt early, then game on.

Wheaton South? LB Mark LaBelle- LaBelle might be the most underrated linebacker in the state this fall. LaBelle, who currently is planning to bypass playing football in college to study Pre-Med, will be given the task of trying to slow down the Bears inside running game on Saturday. If LaBelle, along with the rest of the Tigers defense can slow down the Bears running attack, it could be a long day for Lake Zurich on Saturday.

Class 6A

Lemont? The Lemont defensive front seven- Joliet Catholic might have it's best overall offensive unit in many many years this fall, with a very effective play action passing game and three runners who have gained over 1,000 yards each this fall. If the Indians are going to be able to beat the Hilltoppers on Saturday, the Lemont front seven on defense will need to play a huge role. Lemont will need to find the ball carrier in the Hilltoppers power running game, deal with a strong and very physical JCA offensive line, and Lemont can't get confused by the many different fakes and counters from the JCA attack.

Joliet Catholic? Junior FB Brandon Geiss-In the Joliet Catholic double wing attack, the offense all begins with the fullback. Geiss, who is back from a late season injury, is a tough and hard nosed inside runner who also has exceptional speed and balance. If the Hilltoppers can establish Geiss early in the offense, the rest of the field opens up for the remaining JCA backfield and makes the opposing defense honor the inside run from the fullback along with making the opposing defense defend the entire field.

Class 5A

Morris? RB Adam Tondini- Morris head coach George Dergo decided early during the regular season to move Adam Tondini to the tailback position, and the Redskins have never looked back, posting 11 straight wins after starting the year 0-2. Morris on Saturday against Metamora will need to find a way to keep the powerful Redbirds offense off the field, and the Morris offense might just be it's best defense on Saturday. Tondini is just a hard nosed no-nonsense runner who will need to get plenty of carries on Saturday for the Redskins. The more positive yards that Tondini can get, the better for Morris on Saturday.

Metamora? QB Caleb Terbush- Terbush, who literally came out of nowhere this fall for the Redbirds, has given Purdue his verbal commitment. Terbush is a big kid (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) who has given the Redbirds a serious passing threat this fall. Metamora will again look to run the ball, and the Redbirds power running game has been impressive all season. However, if the Morris defense can slow down the running Redbirds on Saturday, Caleb Terbush could be called upon more in this game than any game all year for Metamora to open things up with the passing game.

My State Final winners you ask?

Class 1A- Galena 17 Tuscola 14
Class 2A- Westville 21 Dakota 19
Class 3A- Plano 24 Columbia 21
Class 4A- Driscoll 34 Bloomington CC 14
Class 5A- Metamora 17 Morris 16
Class 6A- Joliet Catholic 35 Lemont 16
Class 7A- Wheaton South 21 Lake Zurich 14
Class 8A- Naperville North 24 Glenbard North 14

2008?

Looking for a real team to watch out for in 2008? Look no further than the East St. Louis Flyers. Head coach Darren Sunkett will welcome back his entire offensive backfield next fall, including some serious D-1 talent in junior WR/S Kraig Appleton (6-foot-3, 200 pounds), junior WR/S Terry Hawthorne (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) along with sophomore QB Detchauz Wray (6-foot-0, 180 pounds) and sophmore RB Courtney Molton (5-foot-10, 175 pounds).

Posted by Edgy Tim at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's get into this.

With the state association's state football semifinals on the horizon, let's take a look at the matchups in and around Chicagoland this weekend.

Class 8A

#14 Carol Stream (Glenbard North) (8-4) vs. #1 Chicago (Mt. Carmel) (12-0), Sat. 12 p.m at Gately Stadium- Cinderella Part 1. Glenbard North and head coach Ryan Wilkins has his Panthers into the semifinals behind a hard hitting defense and an offense that last week proved it can mix things up very well. QB Evan Watkins had a huge game in leading the Panthers over Fremd, and Watkins has proven that he's a threat with the run and the pass this season. Senior RB Tyler Doll has been a mainstay for the Panthers offense all season long. The Caravan and veteran head coach Frank Lenti was able to get his defense to slow down the high flying passing attack from Maine South last Saturday, as the Caravan posted a 21-14 win to advance. The defense for the Caravan is very quick and athletic, and keep an eye out for senior DE Glenn Foster (Illinois verbal commit) along with senior ILB Steven Filer (Notre Dame verbal commit). The offense for the Caravan has also been very solid all year. Junior QB Jordan Lynch has run the vaunted Belly Option attack exceptionally well all year. The backfield is also a real strength for MC behind RB Edwin Williams and RB Tim Brown.

#2 Naperville (North) (11-1) at #16 Flossmoor (Homewood-F.) (8-4), Fri. 7 p.m- Cinderella Part 2. Homewood Floosmoor entered the state playoffs as a lowly 16 seed and wasn't exactly on a roll going to the post-season. The Vikings had lost to Bradley and Andrew in it's last two regular season games and was expected to be roadkill in the rugged 8A field. So what happened? The Vikings under first year head coach Kenneth Smith decided to start playing team football and the Vikes have yet to look back. H-F has been playing smart and mistake free football in the post-season, an important and often overlooked factor in advancing in the state playoffs. Senior QB Russell Ellington (Iowa) has taken over the offense and has plenty of weapons including junior RB Aaron Phillips and senior WR-S Supo Sanni (Illinois). The defense has aklso been very solid for the Vikings in the post-season and watch out for senior LB Stephan Sewell. H-F senior kicker Andrej Skiba has been a real strength all season for the Vikes. Naperville North? The Huskies and veteran head coach Larry McKeon might have his best team in many years this fall. The offense is led by Player of the Year candidate Jordan Tassio. Tassio can pass, run and kick all equally as well for the Huskies. The backfield is very solid behind junior Nick Mlady and senior RB Tom Constantino. Defensively, the Huskies are also very strong and keep an eye out for Western Michigan verbal commit senior LB Kyle Lackner.

Class 7A

#4 Lake Zurich (11-1) at #7 Mundelein (Carmel) (10-2), Sat. 7 p.m- both the Bears from Lake Zurich and the Corsairs from Carmel love to run the ball, and unless this one goes a few overtimes, expect a very fast moving clock and game. Lake Zurich and second year head coach Brian Stortz will try to get his Bears back to the Class 7A state championship for the second straight year. The Bears run it's military style running offense and speed on both sides of the ball is a key for the Bears. Senior RB Jon Janus and senior RB Adam Simpson are keys for Lake Zurich. Carmel? Veteran head coach Andy Bitto will also run his Shell Game option attack on offense, with a mix of several backs and talent including senior QB David Venegoni and a very solid offensive line. The Corsairs defense has also been a big key for Carmel this fall. The team that can establish the run and the team that can hold onto the ball will be your winner.

#3 East St. Louis (Sr.) (11-1) at #1 Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) (12-0), Sat. 1 p.m- The Flyers and head coach Darren Sunkett will look to get past the Tigers at Red Grange Field on Saturday behind a young but very talented team. East St. Louis sophomore QB Detchauz Wray has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards this fall for the Flyers, and watch out for three standout receivers in Terry Hawthorne, Kraig Appleton and Vincent Arterbridge. The running game is also a strength behind sophomore RB Courtney Molton, who has gained 1,288 yards this fall for the Flyers. The offensive and defensive lines are a strength again for the Flyers this fall. and keep an eye out for senior D-1 prospect OL-DL Brandon Harold (6-foot-5, 230 pounds). The Tigers and veteran head coach Ron Muhitch have been on quite a roll and will look to make a return trip to Champaign behind a well rounded attack. Senior QB Michael Piatkowski has been a big key for the Tigers offensive attack all season and the offensive line features Indiana verbal commit Will Matte. Defensively, the Tigers are as quick to the ball as any team left in the semifinal field. Senior kicker Dan Conroy is also a very solid performer for the Tigers.

Class 6A

#6 Lemont (H.S.) (10-2) at #4 Oak Forest (11-1), Sat. 7 p.m- This game will be a rematch from the Week 8 South Suburban Blue conference title game, which was won by Oak Forest 14-7 in Lemont. The Indians and head coach Eric Michaelsen have been racking up the points so far in the off season. Senior D-1 prospect QB Brett Nagel has been a big time performer who has added over 1,900 yards of total offense so far this season. Senior RB-DB Bobby Earnest has also added 1.619 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns for the Indians. The line play is a real strength and is led by senior OL-DL Graham Pocic, who has given the University of Illinois his verbal commitment. Oak Forest? The offense was young and inexperienced heading into the 2007 season, but that same offense has improved leaps and bounds from week to week. Senior QB Ron Czarnecki has been very steady all year for the Bengals attack. The Bengals real strength this season has been on the defensive side of the ball. Senior OL-DL Mike Johns (Miami of Ohio) is a player to watch along with senior LB Chad Sprayberry and senior LB Chori Bryant.

#2 Joliet (Catholic Academy) (11-1) at #1 Normal (Community) (12-0), Sat. 1 p.m- Normal Community and veteran head coach Hud Venerable is looking to defend the Ironmen's 2006 Class 6A state title this fall behind a very solid core of senior returning starters. The Ironmen are well coached and are just a very solid team on both sides of the ball. Keep an eye out for senior D-1 prospect RB-LB Austin Davis. Davis was moved to tailback after senior RB Dan Moore suffered an injury and Davis gained 92 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Ironmen's 29-0 win over Providence Catholic. Joliet Catholic and head coach Dan Sharp got out of the gates slow but finished strong in beating Rock Island 33-7 last Saturday to advance. The Hilltoppers backfield has been outstanding all season. Senior QB John Reuttiger has thrown for nearly 1,400 yards passing in an offensive attack not known for posting big passing numbers. The backfield for the Hilltoppers features two backs who have rushed for over 1,000 yards this season in junior WB Tyler Hudetz (1,461 yards) and junior FB Brandon Geiss (1,073 yards) and senior WB Connor Krisch (894 yards) is closing in on the 1,000 yard club.

Class 5A

#7 Woodstock (Marian) (10-2) at #5 Morris (10-2), Sat. 6 p.m- Did anyone around Week 8 outside of Woodstock think that the Hurricanes had much of a chance to get back into the Class 5A state title game after dropping late regular season games to Montini and Driscoll? Well, here come the Hurricanes. Junior QB Jon Budmayr has been on fire this post-season and is healthy again after suffering a hamstring injury that kept him out four weeks during the regular season. The line play is also a real strength for veteran head coach Ed Brucker again this fall and keep an eye out for senior Notre Dame verbal commit Sean Cwynar along with junior OL-DL Cody O'Neill. Morris? The Redskins started the season with an 0-2 record after losing games to Pontiac and Joliet Catholic, then the Redskins and head coach George Dergo have been on a roll posting 10 straight wins. The offense for Morris is diverse behind senior QB Drew Hanson, who has thrown for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns along with senior RB Adam Tondini. Tondini has gained 1,220 yards and has scored 12 touchdowns this fall for the Redskins. On defense, keep an eye out for senior OL-DL Ben Olson (Eastern Illinois) along with senior LB Drew Tondini.

Class 4A

#2 Coal City (12-0) at #1 Addison (Driscoll) (12-0), Sat. 1 p.m- the Coalers and head coach Lenny Onsen will try to derail the Highlanders state title winning streak this Saturday in Addison. Coal City has posted a perfect 12-0 record behind a very balanced offensive attack and a strong defense. Senior QB JT Blaine has been solid all season and is a threat with the pass or the run for the Coalers. RB Noah Roseland has also been very solid all season and is a threat to break open the long run at any time. The Coalers defense has allowed just 80 points in 12 games so far this fall. Driscoll Catholic?: The amazing run for the Highlanders and head coach Mike "Buzz" Burzawa doesn't look to be slowed down anytime soon, as the Highlanders are looking to capture it's 7th straight football state title this fall. Senior QB David Schwabe hadn't played quarterback until this fall, but Schwabe has been great all year for the Highlanders spread offensive attack. Also keep an eye out for senior RB Tim Franken and senior TE/LB Kevin Palermo.

Posted by Edgy Tim at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I heard about them from others.

I heard from good and trusted sources, including my senior photographer Kevin Smith more than once.

"You have to check out the student cheering section at Fremd. They are just nuts."

Nuts? A student cheering section? Geez, when was the last time any school had more than a handful of kids show up to any high school sporting events who weren't involved in either the team, the cheerleaders or the band?

Your run of the mill "regular" students just don't really care anymore, right? The stands are filled with parents and older fans and alumni, yet the so-called "regular" student? When was the last time you saw more than say 30 high school aged kids together at any event unless they were on the field?

This is the generation of the Ipod, the generation of kids who just don't really care anymore. Or at least that's been my observations over these many years.

After my "experience" with the Fremd cheering section last Saturday night, called the Darkside, I'm happy to report that the kids are alright.

So what makes the Darkside so different? So special?

In this day and age of political correctness, certainly the administration at Fremd High School must be out of it's mind to encourage this type of behavior from it's students?

How dare they, allowing kids to have some real school spirit and some real fun.

The kids in the Darkside at Fremd are different, real different.

The Darkside, roughly anywhere from 300 to 500 in strength, fill one entire section of the bleachers at Fremd. Dressed in all black and many more in face paint, they arrive early and they stay until the very end of the game.

And from the moment the PA system at Fremd plays a mix of electronica, dance, rock and everything in between, the Darkside just never stops cheering, jumping up and down and having some serious fun. Then the Darkside is rooted on by the demonic sounding PA voice-overs. Hey, it's not the generation of the Hair Metal bands anymore kids. It's all done in good fun.

It's the Fremd version of a rave, a very safe and very controlled rave.

Just picture 500 kids all dressed in black, swaying and dancing in the stands to "Shout".

Folks, that just doesn't happen very often anymore.

Now, I also know what your thinking here.

No, the Darkside doesn't taunt. They don't shout out any negatives towards opposing players or fans, unless you consider "We can't hear you" a negative. They cheer, they root for their Vikings and they have a blast all at the same time. The Darkside doesn't get out of control in the stands. They listen to the yellow jacketed security personnel. They jump up and down but not all over each other. Again, it's controlled chaos.

Intimidating? You betcha. The Darkside remains the best 12th man in this state I've seen hands down.

I just can't imagine what the opposing players, coaches and fans think when they see the Darkside for the first time at Fremd.

It's an experience, and the Darkside is almost as entertaining to watch as the game.

Also, it's a great feeling to see that our game of high school football still belongs to the kids.

Sure, the older fans and parents certainly have a role. Yet when everyone including the kids are involved like the kids from the Darkside are involved, well, then your talking about taking the game of high school football to a new and even more enjoyable level.

Also give credit to the Fremd administrators, for allowing the Darkside to even exist let alone having the you know what's to support those kids.

Thanks to the Darkside for bringing some good old fashioned, All American fun back to our sport.

Posted by Edgy Tim at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)