Nov. 13--The game Chicagoland has pined for all season is upon us.
That's right, sports fans, it's just the quarterfinals, but don't let that temper your enthusiasm for Washington-Champaign Central. I know Washington and Champaign Central aren't.
The sometimes-weekly Friday picks blog is buckling down for the event, offering a rare guarantee. There are a total of 28 playoff games left in Class 5A-8A, and we are going to pick the winner of at least 90 percent of them.
OK, 85. Maybe 80. We're going to be right a lot, is the point.
So without further ado, here's a look at Washington-Champaign Central and the rest of the 5A and 6A quarterfinals.
Class 5A
No. 8 Tinley Park (9-2) at No. 5 St. Laurence (9-2): A South Suburban special featuring a couple of fresh quarterfinal faces. St. Laurence has scored touchdowns in bunches throughout its best regular season since 1987, and the Vikings have hitt the 70 mark twice with a 63 spot for good measure. The Vikings' losses came to Brother Rice, 10-1 and a Class 8A quarterfinalist, and Benet, a 7A first-round winner. Tinley Park has had some recent success, winning first-round games in 2010, 11 and 12, but St. Laurence looks like the more battle-tested team here. St. Laurence 45-23
No. 3 Joliet Catholic (10-1) at No. 7 Nazareth (9-2): Joliet Catholic beat Nazareth head-to-head, has a better overall record and finished ahead of the Roadrunners in the East Suburban Catholic race. Naturally, Nazareth gets to host the playoff rematch of JCA's 38-35 victory on Oct. 9. Life ain't fair, I tells ya. JCA finally gets away from Montini, and now Nazareth looks like the next dynastic power. I figure Nazareth lured Tim Racki away from Driscoll several years back to turn Nazareth into Driscoll. I think they identified the right coach. Nazareth 34-30
No. 4 Champaign Central (10-1) at No. 1 Washington (11-0): I don't know what to make of Washington's 11-0 record. Washington didn't play Sacred Heart-Griffin or Rochester or anyone who played Sacred Heart-Griffin or Rochester. Champaign Central didn't either. If you don't know what any of this means, you're probably not alone. Champaign Central 40-30
No. 3 Peoria (10-1) at No. 7 Lincoln-Way West (9-2): This could be be one of the better matchups of the weekend. Peoria has victories over 10-, nine- and eight-win teams, including a 41-21 triumph against Normal, which is a 7A quarterfinalist after beating Maine South last week. Like Peoria, Lincoln-Way West plays in a conference with three quarterfinalists, though it did not win the Southwest Suburban Red the way Peoria won the Big Twelve. I tend to doubt Peoria has seen an offensive line like West's, which could keep a Peoria offense that's scored 518 points on the sideline for long stretches. Lincoln-Way West 35-28
Class 6A
No. 1 Montini (11-0) at No. 5 DeKalb (9-2): Montini hasn't lost a quarterfinal game since 2008. Same with the semifinals. An important addition to those facts is that the Broncos have played a quarterfinal and semifinal game every year since. I don't know whether it's significant that none of Montini's five state-championship teams went undefeated. I do know that six straight appearance in the state finals is. Montini 41-13
No. 3 Riverside-Brookfield (10-1) at No. 2 Prairie Ridge (10-1): If a Montini-Sacred Heart-Griffin threematch is a foregone conclusion, nobody told Prairie Ridge. The Wolves are on an absolute roll, and when option teams get it going like this, they're tough to beat. Their 40-13 victory over Lake Forest last week was their lowest point total since the season opener. By comparison, No. 3 Libertyville beat Lake Forest 42-7 and Stevenson beat the Scouts 35-10. Prairie Ridge 50-14
No. 13 Hinsdale South (8-3) at No. 1 Lincoln-Way North (11-0): Both teams have been seasoned by good schedules complete with overtime games against quality teams. Hinsdale South is probably known best for having the state's top recruit, defensive end Josh King, but the Hornets offense has taken top billing. They scored 31 on Glenbard West, more than anyone else this season, 38 on Hinsdale Central, 34 on Thornton in the first round of the playoffs and are coming off perhaps their most impressive victory of the season, 47-7 against Oak Forest. Lincoln-Way North has this refuse-to-lose thing going on, and I'm not prepared to rule out karma as a factor for a group that will see its school close at the end of the year. Lincoln-Way North 23-21
No. 2 Sacred Heart-Griffin (11-0) at No. 6 Crete-Monee (9-2): Don't you wonder how the great championship teams Sacred Heart-Griffin fielded the last two years would fare against our biggest and best? Doesn't Sacred Heart-Griffin wonder? It has to be tired of the best 8A, and sometimes 7A, teams being referred to as the best in the state as a matter of fact. We will be left to wonder, because there are 10 teams in the Central State Eight Conference, and their regular season consists wholly of playing one another. That may sound lame, but having a full schedule laid out for them is the envy of numerous area teams. Sacred Heart-Griffin 42-21
