Sterling Williams is glad to be back.
Now the East Aurora senior would like to take the next step.
“We know what we want,” Williams said. “We’ve had a goal since day one to make the playoffs. Here we are.”
It’s been a long time since the Tomcats last made the playoffs in 1982. For the second time in three seasons, however, East Aurora heads into its final regular-season game needing one win to secure a playoff spot.
The Tomcats (4-4) will play at Bartlett (4-4) on Friday. A number of teams with four wins are expected to make the playoff field of 256 that will be announced Saturday night, but the two Upstate Eight teams enter the final week with 36 playoff points (opponents’ wins) and are expected to fall short of the number needed by four-win teams.
In 2019, East Aurora faced the same scenario, playing Elgin with both teams at 4-4 and a likely playoff berth on the line. Williams was a sophomore starting at safety for the Tomcats, who lost 32-26.
The Tomcats then went 0-5 last season, which was postponed to the spring, was shortened to six weeks and did not have playoffs.
They’ve bounced back this season.
“I have a bigger role as a leader,” said Williams, the only 2019 starter still around.
Williams shares duties at quarterback with senior Anthony Gonzales and plays multiple positions on offense, moving to running back or wide receiver when Gonzales is at QB.
“I’m getting more confident and more used to it,” Williams said. “I have more of the legs, and (Gonzales) has more of the arm.”
That was evident Friday, when Williams had nine carries for 192 yards and TDs of 39, 81 and 25 yards. He caught a pass for 14 yards, completed another for 11 yards and returned a kickoff 30 yards. Williams also starts at safety.
“He’s definitely one of the key guys for us,” East Aurora coach Nick Kukuc said. “Sterling has worked his tail off. He’s been a Mr. Do-It-All for us in some respects.”
Kukuc thinks the Tomcats are making progress.
“It’s nice for the kids to understand we’re building a culture where these opportunities are becoming expectations — expectations that we can be good and we will be good,” he said. “Bartlett has a talented group, but it’s going to be a great opportunity.”
Bubble prospects: Four other area teams — Yorkville, St. Charles North, Geneva and Kaneland — are sitting at 4-4.
Of those, the North Stars and Foxes, with 41 and 40 playoff points, respectively, likely have the best chance of qualifying with four wins. Both face tough opponents this week. St. Charles North will play Batavia (8-0), and Yorkville will play Oswego (6-2).
Geneva, with 39 points, will play Lake Park (1-7), and Kaneland, with 38 points, will play LaSalle-Peru (5-3).
“I’m not even entertaining the four-win possibilities,” Yorkville coach Dan McGuire said. “I’m working under the assumption we have to win to get in. I’m not going to play the shoulda, coulda, woulda game.”
Yorkville, led by a young defense that features seven juniors among the front eight, has been in three one-score games, winning one and losing two.
In a 20-17 overtime loss to Minooka last week, the Foxes’ defensive line was outstanding, with ends Andrew Laurich and Jake Davies making nine tackles each and tackles Andrew Zook and Amani Kortie making eight each.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of a defensive line being able to make tackles like that,” McGuire said. “What those kids have done, against very good competition, has been amazing.”
A good Knight: Kaneland sophomore quarterback Troyer Carlson completed 19 of 30 passes for career highs of 387 yards and six TDs in a 52-26 win against Ottawa last week.
“It helps having three kids at wide receiver that are pretty capable of big things,” Kaneland coach Pat Ryan said.
Sam Gagne has 51 receptions for 901 yards, Aric Johnson has 33 catches for 627 yards and Dom DeBlasio has 35 catches for 412 yards.
Ryan has utilized 6-foot-2 speedster Johnny Spallasso more on offense lately too. Spallasso had TD receptions of 67 and 15 yards last week.
