Need a game for Saturday?

How about Lindblom (6-1) at CICS/Longwood (4-3) at Stagg Stadium, above, at 9:30? (You can get the game in early and still come home in time to watch the Cubs.)

Now, I know what you're thinking: Stagg? That's on W. 74th Street in Englewood -- I could get KILLED!

No, you won't. I've been there; it's not that bad. And I'll be there again on Saturday morning.

Lindblom, you see, is the Cinderella team I've been quietly following all year. (You can read about them here, here and here.) First year head coach Justin Pressley has turned around the program with a bunch of (mostly) sophomores and has the Eagles in sole possession of first place in the Great Lakes Conference of the Chicago Public League. After dropping their opener to Curie (6-1), Lindblom is on track to finish 8-1 with a high seed in the 5A playoffs. How'd they get here? Check out their schedule so far (home team in CAPS):

Curie 60, LINDBLOM 14
Lindblom 22, ORR 16
LINDBLOM 32, Bowen 22
Lindblom 52, DOUGLASS 28
LINDBLOM 22, Agriculture Science 14
LINDBLOM 40, TEAM Englewood 0
Lindblom 20, CORLISS 0

After they play the Panthers on Saturday, Lindblom has only John Hope (0-7) to face in Week Nine. (And I won't make any jokes about Hope's hopes for that tilt.) While Longwood has a winning record, the Washington Heights (?) charter school hasn't beaten a winning team yet and has been shut out three times -- by Douglass, Ag Science and Corliss. (Lindblom defeated all three.) So don't expect some hard-fought contest Saturday. Rather, think of it as another opportunity to see the Eagles before the playoffs begin in two weeks. These guys may not be anyone's dark horse for the 5A title, but after a 2-7 season last year, the West Englewood squad may surprise a few people in November. If so, you can say you read it here first.

Can't make it? I'll be live-tweeting the game @BoringOldWhtGuy.