But who the heck is Prairie Ridge? Or Jacobs, for that matter? And where on earth is Algonquin?
The answer to the first question is: the Wolves of Prairie Ridge are an undefeated, well-coached, well-oiled machine that could very well take the 6A crown this year. (They lost in the semis last year, 14-7, to the eventual champions, Rockford Boylan.)
Prairie Ridge High School is in far northwest suburban Crystal Lake and has only been around since 1997. (No wonder its only famous alum is a professional women's soccer player I've never heard of.) The school has fewer than 1700 students and merits only a stub in Wikipedia.
Harry D. Jacobs High School, on the other hand, opened its doors in 1975 (when I was a junior in high school). It's much larger than Prairie Ridge, with over 2500 students this year, vaulting it into Class 8A. The rock group Smoking Popes, whoever they are, attended Jacobs, as did Evan Jager, one of the best long-distance runners I've ever seen.
Okay, so where's this hick town, Algonquin? A quick glance at mapquest revealed it's almost 32 miles from my house, a 54 minute drive. And I'm going there in Friday rush hour traffic! Better leave now.
Mapquest was right; I drove and drove and drove. But it was a beautiful, unseasonably warm October afternoon and I had the top down on my convertible. It turned out to be a very pleasant drive and my destination was anything but a hick town -- Algonquin is a megalopolis. (There is every retail outlet imaginable on Randall Road.)
Jacobs is a typical enough high school but its football stadium is one of the nicest places I've been all year. The home team bleachers are on the side of a hill, behind the concessions and the press box, and face west over the Fox Valley. I arrived in time for the second half of the sophomore game, munched on a couple of hot dogs and watched the sunset. It was beautiful!
The stands gradually filled up for the varsity game with some of the most spirited fans I've seen this season. Coach Bill Mitz, formerly of Stevenson, really has these people pumped. It was electric. And that unmistakable scent of Big Upset was in the air.
But as I watched the pregame drills, I thought to myself, this Prairie Ridge team looks sharp. The backfield, consisting of quarterback Nick Nissen and running backs Connor Greenwald, Steve Bashor and Jordan Getzelman (number 25, above) run a very efficient option offense. They just look like an undefeated team.
But then the game began and Prairie Ridge looked like anything but an undefeated team. Jacobs running back Caz Zyks scored two quick touchdowns on the Eagles' first two possessions (the second one after a Prairie Ridge fumble following an onside kick). Then, after a fake punt from their own 27-yard line, the Eagles marched down the field to the Wolves' 15.
I thought, Is Prairie Ridge the same team that has allowed only four touchdowns all year? Am I at the right game?
Turns out I was at the right game after all. Prairie Ridge stopped the Jacobs drive on fourth-and-one and went on to score 35 unanswered points to win the game, 35-14.
Besides their potent running game, Nissen can also pass to 6'3", 174-pound wide receiver Sean Valentine and tight end Nick Margiotta. The Wolves have a well-balanced attack on offense and a stingy defense (once they settle down). Head Coach Chris Schremp has built an impressive squad that reminds me of the other top programs in the area. In fact, I'm beginning to see a pattern.
I've seen four other favored teams come from behind this year: Maine South (at New Trier), Lincoln-Way East (at Bolingbrook), Loyola (against Mt. Carmel) and Lake Zurich (at Stevenson). Three of those teams were on the road and only Lake Zurich ended up losing (in the final seconds). (But the Patriots seem to have the Bears' number; they've won the last four contests.)
The moral of the story seems to be that good teams don't get rattled when they're down; they remain calm and stick to their game plan -- and win.
In other Friday games (home team in CAPS):
No. 2 Glenbard West 14, ADDISON TRAIL 0
No. 3 Loyola 47, FENWICK 7
No. 4 Lincoln-Way East 42, LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL 7
No. 5 Mt. Carmel 51, ST. LAURENCE 6
No. 8 Bolingbrook 27, SANDBURG 3
No. 9 St. Rita 28, BISHOP McNAMARA 24
No. 14 CARMEL 51, St. Viator 24
Brother Rice 42, DE LA SALLE 14
Montini 59, ST. EDWARD 14
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