Sterling at Sycamore - 5A Quarterfinal

[Golden Warrior]

Sterling travels to Sycamore on Saturday in the 5A quarterfinals. On paper and from what I've seen on video, Sycamore is the best team Sterling has faced this season, which is how it should be as you move along the tournament trail. Hoping for warmer temps than what the current forecast is predicting. At least it is supposed to be dry.

 

[Sterling Warrior]

I think they will be similar to Moline, and personally I think Sterling is the best team Sycamore has seen all season.

 

[4Anorth]

DeKalb wasn't to shabby...guess we'll see how playing a weak schedule will affect Sycamore.

 

[Irish LB]

Sycamore wins easily imo

 

[DMurph11]

I think they will be similar to Moline, and personally I think Sterling is the best team Sycamore has seen all season.

Having watched Sterling, Sycamore and Moline this season…atleast on video Sycamore appears, in my opinion, about 10 points better than Moline. Sycamore’s defense is top notch.

Athletic QB’s like Sterling has can cause nightmares for teams though, it’ll be a great game.

 

[Gene K.]

From years past rooting for Montini, one thing I really know is that both teams will be very physical throughout the game. Good luck to both teams I really respect.

 

[Golden Warrior]

DeKalb wasn't to shabby...guess we'll see how playing a weak schedule will affect Sycamore.

I missed the part about someone saying Sycamore played a weak schedule.

 

[Irish LB]

Having watched Sterling, Sycamore and Moline this season…atleast on video Sycamore appears, in my opinion, about 10 points better than Moline. Sycamore’s defense is top notch.

Athletic QB’s like Sterling has can cause nightmares for teams though, it’ll be a great game.

Didn’t Benet beat Moline?

 

[Sterling Warrior]

Didn’t Benet beat Moline?

Yes, Benet beat Moline by 3 pts in the regular season, Moline beat Burbank St Laurence in a non conf game and beat Dekalb in week 1 of playoffs then just lost to Yorkville in a close game in round 2 of 7A playoffs. Sterling lost to Moline in our conference regular season by a TD. Don’t look too much into the comparison.

 

[Golden Warrior]

For the record, Moline lost to YorkVILLE in the second round, not York. Big difference.

 

[14decoys]

A Sterling win would certainly be an upset, but I've heard those happen once in a while. Just ask Highland

 

[Wassup13]

I think this will be a great game. I don't mean to look forward but Naz vs Sycamore over the past 5 years would be a dream match up for me.

Likely won't happen. Both games to get to the semis will be close games.

 

[McEvergreen]

No disrespect to Sterling, but Sycamore is one of the best teams in the state this year.

 

[Sterling Warrior]

For the record, Moline lost to YorkVILLE in the second round, not York. Big difference.

I knew that, I forgot the “ville” on York

No disrespect to Sterling, but Sycamore is one of the best teams in the state this year.

why would that disrespect Sterling? It’s a true statement

 

[CCHS-Fan]

I missed the part about someone saying Sycamore played a weak schedule.

I don’t hide in corners, and it was me who called out Sycamore’s schedule. I still think it’s a weak overall schedule, but that’s just my opinion. I’ve been conditioned to watching the entire CCL/ESCC (not just the divisional teams), so I’m fully saturated following some really exceptional football teams. Sycamore is an exceptional football team.

I’m here to debate and share some good back-and-forth football banter. That’s all. It’s HS football, not life, but some people here hang-onto every mention of an opinion.

Now I switch to being a Niles ND and Naz fan. Naz/Sycamore is going to be a great game, AGAIN IMO. Carmel Catholic went right at Sycamore (pounding the ball between the tackles) and had little to no success.
Naz has much better athletes, is equally better at both getting to the edge AND using open space to their advantage. Naz’s QB can run too, Carmel’s QB cannot.

Just my opinion as I’ve seen Carmel Catholic, Nazareth and now Sycamore play ‘live’. Please don’t let my opinion get you all twisted today after reading this.

Very much looking forward to a Roadrunner/Spartan clash.

 

[Sterling Warrior]

I don’t hide in corners, and it was me who called out Sycamore’s schedule. I still think it’s a weak overall schedule, but that’s just my opinion. I’ve been conditioned to watching the entire CCL/ESCC (not just the divisional teams), so I’m fully saturated with following some really exceptional football teams. Sycamore is an exceptional football team.

I’m here to debate and share some good back-and-forth football banter. That’s all. It’s HS football, not life, but some people here hang onto every mention of an opinion.

Now I switch to being a Niles ND and Naz fan. Sycamore/Naz is going to be a great game, AGAIN IMO. Carmel Catholic went right at Sycamore (pounding the ball between the tackles) and had little to no success.
Naz has much better athletes, is better getting to the edge and using open space to their advantage. Their QB can run too, Carmel’s QB cannot.

Just my opinion as I’ve seen Carmel Catholic, Nazareth and now Sycamore play ‘live’. Please don’t let my opinion get you all twisted today after reading this.

Very much looking forward to a Roadrunner/Spartan clash.

So I take it you’ve counted out Sterling and Morgan Park already?
I think Sterling’s 2 Mobil passing quarterbacks have at least a chance against Sycamores stingy defense if they spread it out and not try running up the middle every play, and they have shown they can do that very well with two athletic quarterbacks of their own.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

I have. Again, just my opinion.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

I ‘laid-low’ over the weekend.
My only posts here were to congratulate some winning teams. My first was to Sycamore and the game they played against Carmel Catholic.

Just a brief recap: Carmel Catholic lost Saturday’s match-up with Sycamore before the game even started.
They (Corsairs) lost in two areas: experience and confidence.
That will happen when you play a combination of ten (10) Soph/Frosh.

That’s a lot of underclassmen in a big game for a program that has been dormant since 2016. My upset pick was wishful thinking and I was just hoping they would compete.
Didn’t happen.

 

[jwarigaku]

CCHS fan, I’m curious if sycamore showed up as all dyed bleach blondes or with the friar cut as they did to Naz in 2013 and 2015

 

[Swansa01]

I think Sycamore is clearly the favorite going into this. A big, strong, sound, well coached football team. Have been that way year in and year out. Im not sure Sterling will be about to just get away with running Zone reads and Power over and over. If they can, GREAT! But I think they will also have to get creative. They have the athletes to do it, they just need to execute.

 

[Oddy]

I ‘laid-low’ over the weekend.
My only posts here were to congratulate some winning teams. My first was to Sycamore and the game they played against Carmel Catholic.

Just a brief recap: Carmel Catholic lost Saturday’s match-up with Sycamore before the game even started.
They (Corsairs) lost in two areas: experience and confidence.
That will happen when you play a combination of ten (10) Soph/Frosh.

That’s a lot of underclassmen in a big game for a program that has been dormant since 2016. My upset pick was wishful thinking and I was just hoping they would compete.
Didn’t happen.

And the wind was so bad that for half the game Carmel couldn't run their "normal" offense, and played right into Sycamore's strength. No excuses, Sycamore would win vs Carmel 10 times out of 10, this year. They are big and fast. Good luck to Sterling, I know nothing about them but expect a competitive game.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

Jwar - all dyed and ready to rumble.

I know very little about Sycamore’s FB past, but I have to think this might be their year IF they get through the Semifinal.

Sorry Sterling fans.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

Oddy, agree, but like you I can’t use anything as an excuse for Saturday.

I’d say emphatically that Carmel needed better wind conditions than Sycamore,
for sure.
But Carmel had the wind at their backs when they drove to the Sycamore 33yd. line and threw a pick (still early in the 2nd Qtr). Killed any momentum Carmel was building on offense.
The Sycamore DE made an incredible play.
Kudos to him!

 

[jwarigaku]

Jwar - all dyed and ready to rumble.

Seemed then to be an odd message, but now seems even a bit more out of touch with todays world. But as our Pope says “who am I to judge”

 

[Sparty_8]

Seemed then to be an odd message, but now seems even a bit more out of touch with todays world. But as our Pope says “who am I to judge”

It’s just a fun tradition started over a decade ago for their teams that make it to the playoffs.

 

[stl705]

Sterling just doesn’t go away. Year after year they are right here in the same spot, ie multi-round playoff games. Kudos to the most consistent program in 5A in the entire state.

From seeing scores and what I’ve read, this isn’t Sterlings best team. Seems they have some weaknesses as evident by the couple losses in the reg season. Sycamore on the other hand seems to have the best team they’ve had in a while from what I interpret.

I do like Sycamore to win by a score or 2 but anything can happen.

 

[SGW08]

Sterling just doesn’t go away. Year after year they are right here in the same spot, ie multi-round playoff games. Kudos to the most consistent program in 5A in the entire state.

From seeing scores and what I’ve read, this isn’t Sterlings best team. Seems they have some weaknesses as evident by the couple losses in the reg season. Sycamore on the other hand seems to have the best team they’ve had in a while from what I interpret.

I do like Sycamore to win by a score or 2 but anything can happen.

So your sayin there’s a chance lol

 

[Sterling Warrior]

Has anyone noticed the old NIB 12 teams are still alive? 4 teams that were in the old conference are in the quarters. Sycamore Sterling Morris and Rochelle,

 

[Sterling Warrior]

Sterling just doesn’t go away. Year after year they are right here in the same spot, ie multi-round playoff games. Kudos to the most consistent program in 5A in the entire state.

From seeing scores and what I’ve read, this isn’t Sterlings best team. Seems they have some weaknesses as evident by the couple losses in the reg season. Sycamore on the other hand seems to have the best team they’ve had in a while from what I interpret.

I do like Sycamore to win by a score or 2 but anything can happen.

That’s a fair synopsis of Sterling but I would say you can’t judge by records at this point, ask
NAZ if 5-4 matters. Sterling could be 11-0 but chose to play tough non conf games to prepare where they’re at now. What I want to know is has Sycamores starting defense even given up a point this year? I see most of the scoring on them came in the playoffs when up big so I assume the scoring was on the back ups? Where are the Sycamore fans??

 

[Swansa01]

Has anyone noticed the old NIB 12 teams are still alive? 4 teams that were in the old conference are in the quarters. Sycamore Sterling Morris and Rochelle,

That was a good, tough conference. Wish it was still around.

 

[tincup1215]

What I want to know is has Sycamores starting defense even given up a point this year? I see most of the scoring on them came in the playoffs when up big so I assume the scoring was on the back ups? Where are the Sycamore fans??

I believe their starters have only been scored on by Dekalb in week 1 and week 6 by Kaneland. A better question is, has Sycamore's D been driven on for a score yet this year? I don't think they have.

Kaneland connected early on a long pass and had some success moving the ball up the field, but Sycamore's D buckled down hard when we crossed into Syco territory. Their LBs are fantastic and they have a really good D-lineman who really stands out.

Offensively they'll run either Wing-T (Retired Rochelle HC Crandall is a Syco assistant) or Spread and stick with whatever is working. Their QB runs both effectively and is a 3 year starter.

They're solid, fundamentally sound, and well coached, just like Sterling.

This game will not be a blowout. Sterling will need to connect on some big plays and/or finish drives to pull off the minor upset.

 

[Sterling Warrior]

Let’s hear some score predictions!
Ive noticed in the regular season that Sycamore averaged about 28 points against good teams but gave up very few points if any. That said, I think if Sterling can get 28 on the board they have a chance. Im optimistically going with 28-24 Sterling. Reality probably 28-7 Sycamore

 

[Golden Warrior]

I will go with:

Sterling 29
Sycamore 22

 

[SGW08]

I will go with:

Sterling 29
Sycamore 22

I like it!

 

[stl705]

Pains me to pick against former NCIC brethren, but Sycamore 23 - Sterling 16

 

[Swansa01]

20-19 Sterling

 

[Oddy]

Let’s hear some score predictions!
Ive noticed in the regular season that Sycamore averaged about 28 points against good teams but gave up very few points if any. That said, I think if Sterling can get 28 on the board they have a chance. Im optimistically going with 28-24 Sterling. Reality probably 28-7 Sycamore

JMO but I think your 28-7 Sycamore is probably accurate. Does Sterling pass the ball? From what I've seen they will need to. I think the Sycamore O feeds off the D, you know, short fields, turnovers. O looked solid to me, but nothing a decent D couldn't slow down at least.

 

[McEvergreen]

I will be surprised if Sterling scores on Sycamore's first team D.

 

[Golden Warrior]

Does Sterling pass the ball? From what I've seen they will need to.

The Sterling QBs have combined to complete 71 out of 128 passes for 962 yards, 10 TDs and 1 interception.

 

[Oddy]

The Sterling QBs have combined to complete 71 out of 128 passes for 962 yards, 10 TDs and 1 interception.

That's good, and it would help if the QB's can run. (Says the expert who saw Sycamore once)