Hoffman Estates seems to have some talent on the offensive side of the ball and their two losses were to highly ranked Palatine and Barrington. Do they feature the firepower to take out PR? There has been no info on the board about Hoffman Estates' chances.
Hoffman Estates vs. PR
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Hoffman has great athletes. Speed everywhere with a big Jerome Bettis looking RB. Their qb is a very good high school qb who can scramble and gain yards on his own. Also very impressive playcalling by their head coach. I feel like he is tough to gameplan against and he puts his kids in great position to win. Defensively they're playing their best football right now. #2 is their best player on O and D.
That being said for them to win it will be an upset. Honestly I think what was huge for them was drawing triple option belvidere north in the quarters. They were able to practice against it for two weeks now. Granted it's nowhere near the same as pr but at least they've experienced it. They need big plays early to get a lead. Any turnovers, which they've been known to do at inopertune times, will doom them.
That being said for them to win it will be an upset. Honestly I think what was huge for them was drawing triple option belvidere north in the quarters. They were able to practice against it for two weeks now. Granted it's nowhere near the same as pr but at least they've experienced it. They need big plays early to get a lead. Any turnovers, which they've been known to do at inopertune times, will doom them.
If the hehs qb has a good night with his decision-making, hehs will score some points and keep this interesting.
I don't want to sound like Hinter, but I don't think anyone stops Superman except maybe Naz or Providence.
Hoffman's JV coach was an all-state triple option QB in high school and has been teaching them everything he knows on how to read/defend it. I'll grant you that Belvidere North in no way can be confused with Prairie Ridge, but they really did look like they knew what to expect...so you never know? As a Palatine guy seeing our team fall a game short in the 8A semi-finals in '15 & '16, I'd reeeally like to see Hoffman Estates upset and get an MSL West team in a state championship game for the first time in 15+ years.
Here's my short take....I have seen Hoffman 5 times, including both of their losses, which came to 8A teams. They really have played just one bad quarter, and that was against Barrington. Prairie Ridge has been there before and have been highly touted and rightfully so. But my concern with them is that they really haven't played anyone outside of the Fox Valley. For more, you can read my preview in Saturday's Daily Herald.
You're right that they haven't played much out of the Fox Valley but they manhandled a very good Willowbrook team. It's really not just Superman but it's the whole team. PR, like CG, runs the triple offense like a machine and they make very few mistakes. CG was the only team to figure out how to slow them down because they run pretty much the same offense and they've seen them numerous times. I'm sticking my neck out and going with PR 48 HE 21.
Unless you’re Cary Grove you’re not going to stop Samson,Gulbranson and the rest of the backs. So the question is can HE offense put up 45-50 points on PR’s D? No team other than Huntley has more than 2 scores against PR( CLC scoring against 2nd team is not relevant).
PR by 3 scores.
PR by 3 scores.
For me it comes down to HE line play on both sides of the football...saw a handful of two way linemen in the Barrington loss and that could be the biggest issue here.
Having seen them against DLS and some other games on the internet. Their weakness is their line, their skill on the other hand is ridiculous and I mean that in a good way. QB, WRs, RB arguably best I’ve seen in awhile. Secondary and LBs very very good. Should be a great game
Got to love it! Fox gets no respect. In the last 10 years, Cary & PR have played "no one outside the FOX" yet...
Year in, year out we preform better than most other than the CCL blue.
Last 10 years...
Cary alone....
State Champion in 2009 6A (beat PR in semi)
Runner up 7A 14 & 6A 12
Semi Finalist 7A 2015
QT 16,10,08
PR
State Champion 16, 11 -6A
Semi Finalist 15, 10, 09 (Lost to Cary in semi
) yet in past 15 years, not one team in the MLS West has made a final game.....
and good luck with that JV coach teaching the defense to stop the triple option in two weeks.....we prepare for it year round and you've seen our results this year.
Got to love it! Fox gets no respect. In the last 10 years, Cary & PR have played "no one outside the FOX" yet...
Year in, year out we preform better than most other than the CCL blue.
Last 10 years...
Cary alone....
State Champion in 2009 6A (beat PR in semi)
Runner up 7A 14 & 6A 12
Semi Finalist 7A 2015
QT 16,10,08
PR
State Champion 16, 11 -6A
Semi Finalist 15, 10, 09 (Lost to Cary in semi
yet in past 15 years, not one team in the MLS West has made a final game.....
and good luck with that JV coach teaching the defense to stop the triple option in two weeks.....we prepare for it year round and you've seen our results this year.
I think the knock on the Fox is that teams like Huntley (and Jacobs when they had that QB) underperformed. I kinda wonder what Cary Grove and Prairie Ridge would be like if they didn't run the triple option(sames goes Mt Carmel really). It seems that the choice is a competitive advantage because not alot of teams run it? I don't know.
I recall going to NIU in the '80s and they had some success under Bill Mallory running a pro style offense. Then he leaves and a couple of forgettable coaches later Jerry Pettibone comes in from Nebraska as the new head coach and installs a wishbone offense. NIU went from 4-7 to 9-2 in two years with basically the same team.
Huntley, I believe, under preformed. But when you step back and look now, Edwardsville is in the semi's and beat Palatine and Minooka. Huntley had the game and gave it away. Give props to Edwardsville, they proved they good and not lucky.
Jacobs, I agree, I figured they had another round or two. But they lost to a tough LW team who was favored by everyone....by only 7.
As for "competitive advantage", that's funny. I wonder if teams use that excuse when they face teams that run the spread or the Mt Carmel veer.... If it was such an advantage, seems strange why more teams wouldn't run it with the success of Cary and PR.....wouldn't it?
Yeah, https://edgytim.forums.rivals.com/members/quags57.612/
So Quags57 just stating it was a concern they played no one outside the Fox, would be what? A joke?
Same sentiment has been made in many other threads about not "playing anyone" since the Fox Valley plays their own division and only 1 outside....until playoffs.
I would say PR is the prohibitive favorite both this week and next. However, the Hoffman story is one I have very much enjoyed following. Where this program was 5 years ago to where it is now is simply remarkable.
I agree with some of the posts that prepping for the triple is very tough. In just one week it’s even tougher. But I also think that the Fox this year is not what it’s been in the past. It’s not a knock it’s just that because it’s been so good a slight drop off can be expected.
Cary had a nice year but this wasn’t a dominant Cary team like we’ve seen in the past. Those that follow their youth program could see this coming.
It won’t be down for long as some very skilled kids in Forbes, Hissong, Ortega and Sheehan will be nice building blocks.
All this being said I still think PR wins this week but would not be surprised if Hoffman hung around for a while.
I agree with some of the posts that prepping for the triple is very tough. In just one week it’s even tougher. But I also think that the Fox this year is not what it’s been in the past. It’s not a knock it’s just that because it’s been so good a slight drop off can be expected.
Cary had a nice year but this wasn’t a dominant Cary team like we’ve seen in the past. Those that follow their youth program could see this coming.
It won’t be down for long as some very skilled kids in Forbes, Hissong, Ortega and Sheehan will be nice building blocks.
All this being said I still think PR wins this week but would not be surprised if Hoffman hung around for a while.
That's stunning you could say that. Our seniors in 12/13 were back to back runner's up in the top heavyweight division. 14, WE were the Champion. 15, we lost in the semi's to the PR team you beat in the final. Last year, we did beat PR in the regular season, who was the top TCYFL Varsity team. Can you clear something up for me? Evans and Gilbranson are related, I was told they coached that team PR team last year. Yet this year Evans coached a MW team during Samson's last year?
Yah
Yah was trying to figure out. There’s so many Evans I don’t know whose who.
The 12/13 teams were terrific. They have been good not Cary level great since. Just saw their varsity this past weekend. While they’re skilled in many spots, they don’t have the stud talent they have had in the past.
Don’t know if that’s attrition of football in general or what.
And that semi-final team was not one of their better ones. We were kinda hoping we would get a shot at them in the playoffs.
Yah was trying to figure out. There’s so many Evans I don’t know whose who.
The 12/13 teams were terrific. They have been good not Cary level great since. Just saw their varsity this past weekend. While they’re skilled in many spots, they don’t have the stud talent they have had in the past.
Don’t know if that’s attrition of football in general or what.
And that semi-final team was not one of their better ones. We were kinda hoping we would get a shot at them in the playoffs.
I think a lot of posters give props and total respect to the top portion of the Fox. Ie PR, CG etc and think they are power programs.
I think the two “complaints” are:
1. Conference is super top heavy. Other than the top 3 - most of the rest of the conference games are running clocks or near running clocks. Nothing CG or PR can do about that. They play who is on their schedule.
2. The one non conference game each team gets - that is something under the control of the teams and Conference leadership. Instead of a Conference crossover agreement with the Upstate - why not each team schedule who they want? I think that change has already been made? Would/will be really cool to see CG line up versus Neuqua or NC etc!!
So if accurate - CG and PR etc etc are doing everything they can that is under their control to “play people outside the Fox”. That should be recognized and commended!! And That should remove that “poke” from some of the posters out there!!
I wasn't joking. I said it was a concern on mine and it still is.
That doesn't mean that I think that Prairie Ridge is a not a very good team (I do) or that Cary-Grove is a solid squad (I do, but not a top 25 team). I just believe that the Fox is down a bit this year based upon their scores and results against non conference opponents. So yes, a concern.
I can see why the concern....
2017 Fox Valley non conference...
7-2 regular season.
9-4, including playoffs
Cary
L South Elgin 21-6 (we were missing 1/2 our backfield)
St Iggy (CCL White Champs) 7-2 42-14
PR-
Bartlett 63-7
Willowbrook 42-7
Jacobs
Glenbard East 34-7
L- New Lenox 14-7
Dundee
Aurora East 48-20
Central
Fox Lake 37-21
South
West Chicago 35-8
Hampshire
L- Burlington Central
Huntley
W-Aurora West 42-14
L- Edwardsville 42-38
McHenry
W Elgin 43-13
As for Cary being a "solid" but not top 25 team. When PR beats Hoffman, I'll bet you it will be over the 5 total points they beat us in two games.
* The Evans that coached last years varsity team and this years MW team is not related to Samson and Carter Evans.
* Gulbransen & Grapenthin coached the 2013 Tcyfl team - Gulbransen also helped out with the 2016 Tcyfl team that won the SB.
* Gulbransen & Evans (Samson / Carter & Zach are cousins)
"Us" means you play on the team now. Right? Or an alum or hanger-onner?
My point exactly. Here are the non conference games
Elgin 2-7
Bartett 2-7
Burlington Central 5-4 (5A team)
West Chicago (2-7)
Fox Lake (we actually call them Grant) 2-7
East Aurora 1-8
South Elgin 8-2 Missing 1/2 the backfield...only counts for 1/2 a loss
West Aurora 7-3
Edwardsville 9-3 solid team
Willowbrook 10-2 in a bad conference
LW West 9-3
Glenbard East 3-6 (with wins over Bartlett, West Chicago and East Aurora.
St. Ignatius 8-3 playing in a weak Catholic League division with just 4 teams
So, other than Edwardsville, LW West, South Elgin (although Palatine handled them) and possibly West Aurora and Iggy, really not much of a nonconference schedule.
And even if Hoffman loses by more than 5, Cary is still not a top 25 team. 4 losses is too many.
@Quags57 how do you feel about donatucci not coaching this team? I feel like he's the guy who turned the program around and yet he is still without a semifinal appearance. Nothing against heyse because he is great but donatucci was the perfect guy to turn them around. Might be the best coach never to win a title.
I am so grateful that you are here to tell me if I can use "us" when I refer to my team.
You don't know if I am or was a coach at the HS or our Jr program. You don't know if I have/had kid(s) who play for the program. You don't know if I played on Cary...yet YOU know what to call a "hanger-onner".. I'm glad you have that power since the things that concern you show you lack of football knowledge. If you really get paid to write, I see why the papers are dying.
But, let's have some fun. I'll flip it..and show you real concern.
Other than last year's Palatine team, when was the last MS-W team in the semi's?
When was the last time a Mid-Suburban West team won a state title? I mean, your teams play such a great schedule.....
. It's not like the MS-West has produced football champions or contenders.... Cause minus Hoffman, which maybe the case Saturday, MSL-West fans will have another football free weekend after Thanksgiving.
Also, wasn't Barrington the #1 seed in 8A? Yet talk about Huntley under preforming...Beth Long's Palatine pick this year fit her usual dementia pattern of picking teams based on last years results...
Maybe, you should be concerned about that.
I don't have a team. I cover the area teams in NW Cook. If that makes them my teams, so be it. I like the coaches and the players give their all, so it makes it quite interesting to cover.
You are right, I don't know if you have coached or are a parent of a player. I have been fortunate to have done both, coaching for 40 years and having a son who had his career end with a massive knee injury. Add in 40 years of covering high school sports and yeah, I know a little about football.
I have concerns about Hoffman. You can read about them and the rest of my take on the game on Saturday. I'll even send you the $1.50 so you can buy the paper.
Also, just to make sure we have our facts straight, Barrington was the 2-seed.
I’m gonna trust @Hinterland here and say Hoffman struggles this weekend....unless @Trojan Fox is sharing the secret sauce playbook on Defense!
But has any team besides PR or CG been there? I think that's the point being made. Top heavy and nothing else.
I think if Huntley got past Edwardsville, they would have had a great chance to go to state.
Woodstock of the FVC won titles in 83 and 98. I know that’s not what The discussion is really about but I just couldn’t let it go. Yes I know Woodstock is no longer in the FVC.
Relax. I didn’t say that. But they would have had just as good of a chance as Edwardsville in my opinion. I know you must think LA is untouchable but crazier things have happened.
Since Trojan Fox didn't take me up on my offer to buy him a paper on Saturday, I'll save him the buck and half.
http://football.dailyherald.com/spo...6a-semifinal-prairie-ridge-at-hoffman-estates
http://football.dailyherald.com/spo...6a-semifinal-prairie-ridge-at-hoffman-estates
