This will be an interesting Round 1 for the NSC as I can see all 4 teams winning their games though only 3 can advance with Stevenson and Warren battling.
Lake Zurich has to be pleased with their 1st round game and overall bracket. Elgin Larkin should be a dress rehearsal for around 2 against a tough Wheaton North. WN has played some solid teams and beat Batavia but I would rather face them in R2 than Prospect or have a rematch with SCN. I like LZ to win their first 2 games. If they can win those they would play their 3rd game against a smaller town school. I won’t pretend to know much of those possible schools but I tend to believe LZ will be able to hang. LZ’s defense is good enough to keep them in every game. LZ’s offense is too vanilla to guarantee a win after the 1st round but I can see them making a run if they can get by Wheaton North in R2.
Libertyville will have Yorkville in Round 1. Knowing that LB was 5-4 and would have to play a 9-0 or 8-1 team, if I could pick which of those teams to play I would pick Yorkville or Collinsville. Considering the ride to Collinsville, Yorkville would have been my preferred opponent. After watching LB on Friday night I’m not sure they have improved over the course of the season as they looked confused and unprepared against Stevenson. The wind played a role but LB didn’t look like they were ready to play. I don’t have a great deal of confidence in LB advancing but I do believe they came away with the best draw possible.
Stevenson and Warren. This matchup will be interesting. Their 1st game was tight for the first half with the score 14-10. Stevenson didn’t back down but Warren pulled away in the 2nd half. That game was Week 4 and neither of these teams are the same. LZ exposed some of Warren’s warts which I’m sure Stevenson noted and will try to exploit. Stevenson hasn’t lost since they played Warren.
Stevenson’s starting defense hasn’t given up a point since playing Warren. The respective strengths of these teams matchup with each other’s strengths. Warren’s strengths are their secondary and power run game. Stevenson’s strengths are their run defense and passing game. Something has to give.
This one will come down to coaching adjustments from Week 4 and individuals. Will Warren rely on Duffie and Reeves to play man coverage while blitzing Stevenson? Will Projansky be able to pick apart the blitzes as he did against Libertyville? Warren’s blitz package will cause far more urgency than LB’s did but Projansky threw underneath to multiple receivers on the blitzes which could cause some problems for Warren. Will Snider be able to exploit man coverage as he did a couple times in Week 4? Will Warren pound Thompson against Stevenson’s DL? Will it work as it did in Week 4? Schultz and Aghakhan are 2 of the best DL in the conference and the entire D is playing with confidence. Will Warren try to have Behrens to pass? That’s not their MO but Behrens is talented.
The winner will likely face Huntley and then, should they get by Huntley, a really tough ballgame against LWE or possibly Neuqua Valley who will be without their injured QB. The playoff math certainly didn’t do Warren (or Stevenson) any favors with this bracket as their won’t be any freebies for the winner of this Round 1 game.
Lake Zurich has to be pleased with their 1st round game and overall bracket. Elgin Larkin should be a dress rehearsal for around 2 against a tough Wheaton North. WN has played some solid teams and beat Batavia but I would rather face them in R2 than Prospect or have a rematch with SCN. I like LZ to win their first 2 games. If they can win those they would play their 3rd game against a smaller town school. I won’t pretend to know much of those possible schools but I tend to believe LZ will be able to hang. LZ’s defense is good enough to keep them in every game. LZ’s offense is too vanilla to guarantee a win after the 1st round but I can see them making a run if they can get by Wheaton North in R2.
Libertyville will have Yorkville in Round 1. Knowing that LB was 5-4 and would have to play a 9-0 or 8-1 team, if I could pick which of those teams to play I would pick Yorkville or Collinsville. Considering the ride to Collinsville, Yorkville would have been my preferred opponent. After watching LB on Friday night I’m not sure they have improved over the course of the season as they looked confused and unprepared against Stevenson. The wind played a role but LB didn’t look like they were ready to play. I don’t have a great deal of confidence in LB advancing but I do believe they came away with the best draw possible.
Stevenson and Warren. This matchup will be interesting. Their 1st game was tight for the first half with the score 14-10. Stevenson didn’t back down but Warren pulled away in the 2nd half. That game was Week 4 and neither of these teams are the same. LZ exposed some of Warren’s warts which I’m sure Stevenson noted and will try to exploit. Stevenson hasn’t lost since they played Warren.
Stevenson’s starting defense hasn’t given up a point since playing Warren. The respective strengths of these teams matchup with each other’s strengths. Warren’s strengths are their secondary and power run game. Stevenson’s strengths are their run defense and passing game. Something has to give.
This one will come down to coaching adjustments from Week 4 and individuals. Will Warren rely on Duffie and Reeves to play man coverage while blitzing Stevenson? Will Projansky be able to pick apart the blitzes as he did against Libertyville? Warren’s blitz package will cause far more urgency than LB’s did but Projansky threw underneath to multiple receivers on the blitzes which could cause some problems for Warren. Will Snider be able to exploit man coverage as he did a couple times in Week 4? Will Warren pound Thompson against Stevenson’s DL? Will it work as it did in Week 4? Schultz and Aghakhan are 2 of the best DL in the conference and the entire D is playing with confidence. Will Warren try to have Behrens to pass? That’s not their MO but Behrens is talented.
The winner will likely face Huntley and then, should they get by Huntley, a really tough ballgame against LWE or possibly Neuqua Valley who will be without their injured QB. The playoff math certainly didn’t do Warren (or Stevenson) any favors with this bracket as their won’t be any freebies for the winner of this Round 1 game.
