Sunday, October 29, 2017

My Fab Five is now...

The Game of the Week?
...only a Dynamic Duo after Glenbrook South, Crystal Lake Central and Maine West all went down to defeat this weekend. Only Hersey (9-1) and Buffalo Grove (9-1) remain from my original Magnificent Seven. And both face tough opponents this week, Lincoln-Way Central (9-1) and East St. Louis (9-1), respectively. At least the Huskies will be at home in Arlington Heights; the Bison have to travel all the way downstate. Will either one make it out alive? We'll see.

A few other observations from Round One:

* No. 21-seed Warren (6-3) upset No. 12 Bolingbrook, 28-14. Did the Brook leave it all on the field last week against No. 1 Lincoln-Way East (10-0)? Or are the Griffins maybe not as good as we all thought?

* No. 23 Palatine (7-3) will host No. 26 Edwardsville (7-3) in the battle of the underdogs. The Pirates defeated No. 10 South Elgin, 24-3, while the Tigers edged No. 7 Huntley, 42-38.

* No. 3 Marist (10-0) and No. 6 Loyola (9-1) could be on a collision course for Round Three after the Ramblers shut out the RedHawks in the 8A final two years ago.

* In 6A, No. 9 Cary-Grove (7-3) gets another bite at the apple with No. 1 Prairie Ridge (10-0). In Week One the Wolves beat the Trojans by one measly point, 7-6. The rematch will be in Cary this time.

* No.5 DeKalb (8-2) defeated No. 12 Montini, 38-28. When was the last time the Broncos were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs?

* Also in 6A, a No.1-seed, a No. 2, two No. 3s and a No. 4 -- Crete-Monee, Riverside-Brookfield, Rockford (Auburn), Shepard and Richards -- were all upset in the first round. You don't see that too often!

On to Round Two.

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