Oct. 30--Change of venue
Glenbard West's Duchon Field is a unique setting which lends itself to some cool traditions and a sizable homefield advantage, but heavy rain turns the grass surface into a mud bath. The Hilltoppers will as a result host Moline at nearby Glenbard South. "I love Duchon for a lot of reasons," Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said. "Any chance of us playing there in future rounds would be completely destroyed. And it wouldn't be fair for Moline. As much as I hate it, moving it to a turf field is the best thing for the kids. I never used to feel that way. I believed you've got to play on whatever field. But if you can avoid it you avoid it."
Phillips will be tested
Phillips has been as impressive as any Chicago-area Class 4A team since classes were expanded from six to eight in 2001, but becoming the Public League's first state champion will likely require winning a pair of rematches with teams that have played championship-caliber ball all season. Rockford Lutheran and James Robinson, the state's all-time leading rusher, are 9-0 and positioned to face Phillips in the semifinals. Phillips slipped past Lutheran 14-13 in last year's quarterfinals. Rochester appears as strong as ever a season after defeating Phillips 49-28 to win its fifth straight 4A title.
Foxy contenders
Fox Valley teams sometimes go under the radar because there usually aren't many games against or opponents in common with top teams from other conferences, and perhaps Huntley, Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge are not being given their due as legitimate championship contenders in 8A, 7A and 6A, respectively. Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge combined for four state-finals appearances the last six years, and Huntley's 9-0 regular season included a convincing victory over Cary-Grove.
Niles North primed
Niles North (5-4) slipped into the playoffs as the 31st seed in the Class 7A bracket with a victory over Highland Park in Week 9, and the Vikings appear to have a significant strength-of-schedule advantage against No. 2-seeded Young. The Dolphins (9-0) overwhelmed the Public League's Big Shoulder Division while outscoring their nine opponents 381-33, but all nine were Public League teams. Niles North, meanwhile, got a lot out of losses to Lake Forest, Maine South and Glenbrook North.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
