Speed thrills
Simeon’s stingy defense against Neuqua’s high-flying offense will be the story line Saturday in Naperville, and perhaps the best individual matchup of the weekend will take place in that game. If anyone has the speed to stay with Illinois-bound receiver Mikey Dudek of Neuqua Valley, maybe it’s Simeon’s Darnell Cockrell, who is a threat to score on offense, defense and special teams. He is one of the most unheralded players in the area.
Class 8A steps up
There was a lot of talk about Class 7A having more outstanding teams than 8A this season, and while that may be true, the best second-round matchups on paper are in 8A. Perhaps that’s because the higher seeded team won in 14 of the 16 first-round games. Only Notre Dame and Warren broke form.
Leo’s time
Leo is the great unknown in the Class 1A field. The other 15 second-round teams are from well out of the area, and perhaps that can work to the Lions’ advantage. They have a wealth of speed and had the benefit of toughening up against Bishop McNamara and Mount Carmel the final two weeks of the regular season. Leo will host Toulon Stark County at St. Rita on Saturday afternoon.
Proposal a bust
The Iroquois West proposal to expand the playoffs to 64 teams per class and create a new system for playoff points is a joke. If the system, which would give a team two points for every win and one point for every opponent win, were in place this season, some 0-9 and 1-8 teams would have made the small-school playoffs and some 7-2 teams would not have made the cut in the larger classes.
