October 20, 2001 11:47 PM
Rocky third seed in 6A
By Steve Tappa, staff sports writers A lot of wishes came true Saturday as 14 local
football teams were included in the first eight-class playoff pairings announced by the
IHSA.
However, none had more of their hopes happen than Rock Island and coach Vic Boblett.
Heaped into a loaded Class 6A field at the start of the season, the Rocks got
everything they could have asked for when the pairings were released on live, statewide
television.
First, longtime nemesis Chicago Mount Carmel got booted up a class to become the
smallest school in the 7A field. Next, the Rocks remained in 6A to become the largest
school in that 32-school grouping. Then, placed on the other side of the 6A bracket was
New Lenox Providence -- the five-time state champ that recently took over 6A's top-ranking
from Mount Carmel.
And, finally, falling to 5A to become the largest school in that class was Joliet
Catholic -- 6A's preseason No. 1 before a loss to fellow nine-time state champ Mount
Carmel.
``Other than five more wins, there's not much more we could wish for,'' Boblett joked,
alluding to the postseason victory number necessary to claim a state title.
Indeed, the only break that didn't go Rocky's way was in a tiebreaker for the
second-seed with fellow 9-0 Oak Lawn Richards. The fifth-criteria -- random selection by
computer -- broke that knot.
Thus, the third-seeded Rocks host 30th-seeded Batavia (5-4) in the first round. Game
time is 7 p.m. Friday, Rocky athletic director Bob Swanson said.
United Township (8-1) was seeded 12th in 7A, and will host No. 21 Rockford East (6-3).
Game time is 7 p.m. Friday, UT coach and athletic director Mike Tracey said.
Three losses in its last four games will force Geneseo (6-3) to travel to Olympia
Fields to face No. 8 Rich Central (7-2). The Leafs are seeded 10th in a split bracket --
where seeds 1-16 are awarded to teams on the top and bottom half of the draw.
Also earning top eight seeds in split brackets were Fulton (No. 2 in 3A), Sherrard (No.
3 in 3A), Riverdale (No. 4 in 3A), Cambridge (No. 5 in 1A), Kewanee Wethersfield (No. 6 in
1A) and Monmouth Yorkwood-Roseville (No. 7 in 1A).
Also in split brackets from the area are Rockridge (No. 13 in 3A), Aledo (No. 10 in
2A), Westmer (No. 10 in 1A), ROWVA (No. 23 in 1A) and Monmouth Warren (No. 25 in 1A).
Unless already noted, game times will be announced Monday.
``We're pleasantly surprised we jumped up to No. 12. We were sitting No. 15 in the
playoff points,'' Tracey said during a pairings party for the Panthers at his home.
``Rockford East was one of the eight teams we thought we might play. We don't know much
about them, but we're starting a crash course on them as soon as we trade film with them
(today).''
All three of East's losses came to fellow playoff qualifiers from the NIC-9 -- Rockford
Boylan (34-13), Freeport (24-18) and Belvidere (42-26).
Rockford Auburn is the only common opponent shared by UT (27 playoff points) and the
E-Rabs (38). UT beat Auburn 47-0; East topped Auburn 54-6.
``Knowing the conference they come from, I'm sure they will be a lot like a Big 6 team
-- they'll have some speed and size and run the football,'' said Tracey, whose club feeds
into a second-rounder with No. 5 Pekin if the seeds hold. Big 6 rival Moline was a 21-14
victim of Pekin's earlier this season.
``We feel real good about where we're at. Most of all, we feel good about the way we're
playing right now. We're heading into the playoffs with a lot of confidence and a lot of
momentum.''
Ditto for the Rocks.
``What I might be happiest about is that our final regular-season game was great
preparation for our playoff first-rounder,'' said Boblett, whose club capped their
school's third perfect regular-season in five years Friday by beating playoff-qualifying
Arlington Heights St. Viator, 55-20.
``We saw Batavia on film last year when we were preparing for (a second-round loss to)
Rockford Boylan. And, I thought, `Wow, they're going to be a powerhouse.' Their
quarterback was a junior last year and threw the ball all over the place like St. Viator.
``I don't know what happened to them this year, but they're wide open offensively --
one-back, no-back and shotgun formations, all the things we saw against St. Viator.''
Three of Batavia's four losses were to fellow playoff teams in the Suburban Prairie Red
-- Plainfield (14-9), Minooka (20-17) and Morris (17-10). The Bucs' biggest slip was a
non-conference, 26-6 setback to 3-6 West Chicago.
If the Rocks (39 playoff points) can get by Batavia (38), Rocky's second-round foe
could be No. 14 Normal (7-2). A possible quarterfinal foe could be No. 11 Boylan (7-2) or
No. 6 Mundelein Carmel (8-1). Richards would be the semifinal foe if the seeds hold.
``We don't want to look too far ahead,'' Boblett said, ``but we feel good where we're
at.''
Geneseo's challenge appears a bit tougher. In Rich Central, the Leafs draw a foe that's
won four straight since losing to playoff-bound SICA Green foes Bremen (18-13) and Rich
East (14-13). The Olympians (40 playoff points) have beaten two other playoff qualifiers.
If Geneseo gets past Rich Central, No. 1 Riverside-Brookfield (8-1) will likely await
the Leafs, who finished with a whopping 47 playoff points.
After that, opponents on the same side of the bracket include No. 4 Joliet Catholic
(8-1) and a pair of NCIC rivals that already have wins over the Leafs -- No. 2 Rochelle
(9-0) and No. 7 Dixon (7-2).
``The question now is what kind of resolve do we have and can we bounce back for a
third time?'' Geneseo coach Denny Diericx said after Friday's 19-14 loss at Rochelle. ``If
we play as we did (against Rochelle), I believe we can do some damage in the playoffs. I
would hope a coach that draws us with our 6-3 record will be fearing that first-round
game.''
Geneseo's slide corresponds to the loss of starting quarterback Nick Eberhardt. That's
been the most significant of several injuries that have the Leafs hobbling into the
postseason.
``If the kids come back mentally and leave the pity at the Rochelle city limits, we'll
be just fine,'' Diericx said. ``We've done a great job of piecing things back together
with all the injuries, and now we have people in their places and have played a few games
with what we have.
``We want some fresh meat. We don't want any rematches just yet. It's easier to get the
kids revived and excited when you get to prepare for something totally new.''
The state's largest-ever playoff field -- 256 teams -- all but assured 5-4 teams of
qualifying for the postseason. Only four such teams failed to make the field --
Willowbrook, Edwards County, Chicago Manley and Salem.
Moline, which suffered through a star-crossed 4-5 season to miss the playoffs for the
first time since 1994, had the dubious distinction of having a field-high six foes reach
the playoffs.
Copyright 2001, Moline Dispatch
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