Stateline Preps: Who will survive?
There are three Stateline teams left in the playoffs and that’s not really a surprise.
Considering that Hononegah, Big Foot and Brodhead-Juda were the early season favorites to make it to Novemeber, it doesn’t come as a shock that they’re still here.
Hononegah seems to have the toughest task in Saturday’s 7A matchup against top-seeded Glenbard West. The Hilltoppers boast one of the best quarterbacks in Illinois (maybe in Chicago, sorry Jay Cutler) and look as formidable as their 10-0 record suggests.
Hononegah will have to rely on its defense to come up big like last weekend’s 26-7 win over St. Charles East. If Hononegah can force turnovers and keep West’s offense off the field, the Indians have a decent shot. If not, the clock could be running soon than the Indians wanted. What does Hononegah have to do to pull out the victory?
Big Foot plays a Friday game 2 1/2 hours away in Ripon. So much for regionalizing in the playoffs, huh? For a team to get the top seed in the WIAA Division 4 region and to have to travel that far seems absurd, but it happened. Mike Walker may be the most impressive player in Wisconsin. The stuff he does for the Chiefs goes beyond statistics, which he also has to back him up. I’m not sure if Big Foot is as good as last year, but they’re close.
Brodhead-Juda has turned up its defense, limiting its last three opponents to 3 points. All season long, the Cardinals talked about their defensive prowess and now they’re showing it. It would be something if the Cardinals and Chiefs won, setting up an all-RVC South matchup in the Division 4 semifinals. Usually, those matches are too goo to be true.
So, what do you think about the teams left in the playoffs? Who has the best chance to make it to the title game?
Hononegah linebacker Coop Lewis
