Need a game for Saturday?

How about Belleville West at Buffalo Grove?

Belleville West High School was founded in 1917, and while I didn't recognize the names of any of its alumni, the downstate town was the birthplace of Buddy Ebsen, above.

The visiting Maroons are 6-3 and seeded No. 23 in 7A. They finished 5-5 the last two years and haven't had a losing season since 2011, when they were 2-7. Belleville West is ranked No. 73 in MaxPreps, its opponents were 39-39 this year and they outscored them, 264-155. The Maroons split with the four schools that qualified for the postseason, although they played a fifth winning team from New Jersey. Their defense recorded two shutouts. Here's their 2017 schedule so far, with home team in CAPS.

Belleville West 48, QUINCY (6-3) 24  
Timber Creek Regional (NJ) (6-0) 35, Belleville West 21
Belleville West 27, O'FALLON (3-6) 6  
BELLEVILLE WEST 20, Alton (5-4) 6  
Belleville West 41, GRANITE CITY (2-7) 0  
East St. Louis (8-1) 32, BELLEVILLE WEST 26
Belleville West 46, COLLINSVILLE (1-8) 0  
Edwardsville (6-3) 45, BELLEVILLE WEST 14
Belleville West 21, BELLEVILLE EAST (2-7) 7  

Buffalo Grove, which opened in 1973, is one of my Fab Five and hasn't appeared in the playoffs since 2003 when today's seniors were -- maybe -- in preschool. Currently 8-1 and ranked No. 66 in MaxPreps, the No. 10-seed Bison were 3-6 last year and 1-8 as recently as 2015. In fact, in the last 18 years, Buffalo Grove has only had one winning season, in 2014 (5-4). (Although MaxPreps, strangely, has them finishing 6-3 in 2009. But then they would have gone to the playoffs, wouldn't they?)* Oh, well, how can you not be pulling for these guys?

As for Buffalo Grove's alumni, I didn't recognize any of them either. But Vince Vaughn, above, lived in the northern suburb before attending Lake Forest High School.

Buffalo Grove's opponents were only 29-52 this year, and the Bison went 2-1 against the three programs that made the playoffs. They outscored their opposition, 261-105, with one shutout, but only allowed an average of six points in their first six games. Here's their full 2017 schedule.

BUFFALO GROVE 40, Niles West (1-8) 7
Buffalo Grove 14, CONANT (1-8) 8
Buffalo Grove 30, MAINE WEST (7-2) 7
BUFFALO GROVE 49, Maine East (1-8) 0
BUFFALO GROVE 21, Prospect (3-6) 7
BUFFALO GROVE 44, Elk Grove (0-9) 7
HERSEY (8-1) 33, Buffalo Grove 14
BUFFALO GROVE 27, Wheeling (2-7) 20
Buffalo Grove 22, ROLLING MEADOWS (6-3) 16

Again, while I have nothing against Belleville West, how can you not root for the Bison in this one?

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

* Update: A reader writes, "BG was 5-4 in '09. Maxpreps has BG-Barrington result wrong B14 BG 13."