ICE Week 5

[Wilmatucky]

Last week was yet another easy to pick slate, I think this week we could see 2 decent games.

Reed-Custer (0-4) @ Wilmington (4-0) - Easy choice. Clocked by half. Wish this rivalry held a little weight and was at least somewhat close. Wilmo as many as they want - RC 7

Manteno (4-0) @ Lisle (0-4) - same as above listed game Manteno 56 - Lisle 6

Streator (1-3) @ Herscher (2-2) - Honestly I do not know much about these two teams. Research tells me that Herscher's wins hold a little more weight and they did play Chicago Christian decently tough (score only). Streator has been waxed in a few losses. The only thing that concerns me is Herscher isn't appearing to score a ton of points, either way give me the home Tigers for their third win and a CHANCE to get in the playoffs with 4 wins (if that is a thing this year again). Herscher 21 Streator 14

GOTW!! Coal City (3-1) @ Peotone (3-1) - This is a huge game with post season implications. If Manteno is legit then that is not a guarantee win for either of these teams. I hear CC quarterback is healthy again and I'm sure they want him on the field. I also think Peotone may be looking ahead to Manteno whereas CC basically has a glorified practice against RC next week. I like CC to win in a close but comfortable game. CC 35 Peotone 27


ICE Power Rankings

1. Wilmington
2. CC
3. Manteno
4. Peotone
5. Herscher
6. Streator
7. RC
8. Lisle

 

[doctor_d]

Wilmington @ Reed-Custer
I read that R-C lost to Herscher last week 8-7 and it was due to a pick 6 in the 4th quarter. That’s a pretty tough way to lose. This week will be more decisive. 42-7

Streator @ Herscher
As mentioned above, the Tigers pulled one out of the fire to get a W last week, their second of the season. Streator got pounded the last two weeks by CC and Manteno. Both teams are in a rebuild. Herscher seems farther along though. Could be a close one… I’ll go with the Tigers at home, 20-12.

Manteno @ Lisle
Panthers are looking good, and Lisle is looking like they are ready for hoops season. 49-7

Game of the week:

Coal City @ Peotone
After taking one on the chin week 1 at Morris, the Coalers have been on a roll, out scoring their last 3 opponents 183-12.
I heard the senior QB has recovered from his hand injury, but the sophomore kid has apparently been holding down the fort rather well. The Coalers are big, and the main RB is a load.
The Blue Devils are licking their wounds after running into a buzz saw at Wilmo last week. The Devils double wing run game was stymied by the Cats. In the pass game, their first team did move the ball a bit when they went shotgun, but they also gave up two pick 6’s.

Peotone’s line was pretty well dominated last week by Wilmo, and while I expect coach Tolly to have his guys prepared, I think the Coalers will wear them down.
CC 38, Peotone 20

 

[Wilmatucky]

Streator @ Herscher
Both teams are in a rebuild.

Herscher may be in a rebuild, but Streator has only had a winning record 3x ......since 1990

 

[doctor_d]

Herscher may be in a rebuild, but Streator has only had a winning record 3x ......since 1990

Some things take a while

 

[McEvergreen]

Wilmington BIG over RC
Manteno BIG over Lisle
Herscher BARELY over Streator
GOTW - The big question is how does Peotone rebound after getting throttled by Wilmington??? I think they play better but CC wins comfortably 34-15.

 

[doctor_d]

In other news, just saw Wilmo ranked as the #38 program in the IHSA top 50.

https://www.ihsa.org/top50football

 

[IceConGuy]

Easy Picks. Wilmo and Manteno can name the score.
Tougher. CC over Peotone by 2-3 scores. May be close early, but CC has more depth. If you look at both teams' lone loss, one team fought for 4 quarters. The other didn't.
Who Knows. Streator over Herscher. This should be the GOTW. One team will either win like 35-32 in a wild game or a 7-6 snoozefest. Your guess is as good as mine. I'll take the bulldogs.

 

[SouthofI80FootballFan]

Looking like 4 clear playoff teams and 4 teams that are not close to being a playoff team.

Wilmington @ Reed-Custer - the Wildcats are firing on all cylinders and pretty much dominating opponents in all 3 phases. Reed-Custer lost a heartbreaker in a game where a win would help create some much needed momentum. Wilmington rolls on to another victory, again, and becomes playoff eligible, again. Wilmington 48 RC 13

Streator @ Herscher - the Tigers put together a very close victory and have a very outside shot at getting in the playoffs but they are still alive. Streator is struggling which I think everybody expected but they have shown improvement from game to game from what I have heard. This always seems to be a weird game but the Tigers prevail and stay alive for another week. Herscher 23 Streator 19

Manteno @ Lisle - Manteno has been on a roll but haven't really played a quality opponent, well maybe Sandwich, and they won't get tested this week. The Lions struggles continue. Manteno 56 Lisle 14

Coal City @ Peotone - the Coalers are in position for another playoff season and will have their toughest challenge since week 1. Probably won't put up 74 in this one. Peotone got throttled by Wilmington and this week we will find out if Peotone is a contender or pretender. Peotone 27 Coal City 20

For the ICE experts, I have a question...over the summer I went to a summer basketball tournament in Braidwood and I was blow away by the facilities On another thread there was a discussion about the importance of facilities and success, with all of the facilities that Reed-Custer has, how are they not more competitive in football?

 

[McEvergreen]

Looking like 4 clear playoff teams and 4 teams that are not close to being a playoff team.

Wilmington @ Reed-Custer - the Wildcats are firing on all cylinders and pretty much dominating opponents in all 3 phases. Reed-Custer lost a heartbreaker in a game where a win would help create some much needed momentum. Wilmington rolls on to another victory, again, and becomes playoff eligible, again. Wilmington 48 RC 13

Streator @ Herscher - the Tigers put together a very close victory and have a very outside shot at getting in the playoffs but they are still alive. Streator is struggling which I think everybody expected but they have shown improvement from game to game from what I have heard. This always seems to be a weird game but the Tigers prevail and stay alive for another week. Herscher 23 Streator 19

Manteno @ Lisle - Manteno has been on a roll but haven't really played a quality opponent, well maybe Sandwich, and they won't get tested this week. The Lions struggles continue. Manteno 56 Lisle 14

Coal City @ Peotone - the Coalers are in position for another playoff season and will have their toughest challenge since week 1.The Probably won't put up 74 in this one. Peotone got throttled by Wilmington and this week we will find out if Peotone is a contender or pretender. Peotone 27 Coal City 20

For the ICE experts, I have a question...over the summer I went to a summer basketball tournament in Braidwood and I was blow away by the facilities On another thread there was a discussion about the importance of facilities and success, with all of the facilities that Reed-Custer has, how are they not more competitive in football?

They've had outstanding facilities since the early 90s thanks to the nuke plant. Football has always stunk because of their culture and loser mentality. I think Cappel had one good year. Johnson 2 good years. Put a silk hat on a pig and it's still a pig.

 

[doctor_d]

For the ICE experts, I have a question...over the summer I went to a summer basketball tournament in Braidwood and I was blow away by the facilities On another thread there was a discussion about the importance of facilities and success, with all of the facilities that Reed-Custer has, how are they not more competitive in football?

I’m surprised that they fell so fast. When they had those really good teams a couple years ago, not only did they have good skill kids, they were outstanding up front.
They weren’t bad last year, but they dropped a couple really close ones and kinda gave up at the end, losing to Lisle.
I’ve said it before, but I felt fairly confident that the success of those ‘21 and ‘22 teams would have launched a new era over there, but clearly that isn’t the case.

 

[McEvergreen]

Because once they lose the "here we go again" mentality takes over. Kinda of like Sox fans these days

 

[SouthofI80FootballFan]

They've had outstanding facilities since the early 90s thanks to the nuke plant. Football has always stunk because of their culture and loser mentality. I think Cappel had one good year. Johnson 2 good years. Put a silk hat on a pig and it's still a pig.

They have had success in baseball and basketball a few years ago so you know there are athletes there.

Usually two quarterfinal seasons in which being champs didn't seem far fetched, you would expect that to parlay into more success in the future but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[McEvergreen]

They have had success in baseball and basketball a few years ago so you know there are athletes there.

Usually two quarterfinal seasons in which being champs didn't seem far fetched, you would expect that to parlay into more success in the future but that doesn't seem to be the case.

That group was a once every two or three decades kinda group. Even Marc Trestman couldn't screw those guys up.

 

[doctor_d]

That group was a once every two or three decades kinda group. Even Marc Trestman couldn't screw those guys up.

Yeah what’s weird is that they had a once per generation basketball/baseball group with the Shoonover/Headrick group that went to 3 sectional finals in hoops and won state in baseball. Hedrick is still in the Twins organization. That was like grad class of 2016.
Then 5 years later they had perhaps the most talented group of football players to come through the conference in at least 15 years if not more with the ‘21-‘22 group.
None of this has resulted in any sustained success, although they usually are pretty good at baseball over there.

 

[CCfan]

When you go to a game, look to see how many 4th graders are there wearing the school's colors and actually watching the game. That's where the success in 8 years comes from. If there aren't many, there won't be success except in rare cases. That's what culture does and is.

 

[doctor_d]

When you go to a game, look to see how many 4th graders are there wearing the school's colors and actually watching the game. That's where the success in 8 years comes from. If there aren't many, there won't be success except in rare cases. That's what culture does and is.

I agree with this, but will also say that during their run, the Vomets had amazing turn out and youths in their black and gold were evident everywhere.

 

[doctor_d]

Week 5 results

Wilmo 41, R-C 7
Manteno 49, Lisle 7
Coalers 27, Peotone 13
Herscher 31, Streator 30

Coaler game sounded like CC pulled away late, which is what I think people generally expected.

Herscher with back to back weeks of pulling a game out of the fire. This week they apparently hit a FG to win as time expired.

 

[McEvergreen]

It's good to see that Peotone is off life support. That sets up next weeks gotw at Manteno.