The road to Champaign begins tonight for the Bolingbrook Raiders as they welcome Lyons Township for a Class 8A first-round playoff game.
Bolingbrook (8-1) comes in as the second seed in the upper bracket and it takes on the Lions (5-4), a No. 15 seed.
While that would indicate that the Raiders come in heavily favored, the team will not be taking anything for granted.
"For us coming in as the second seed, I think if we execute our plays I think we can win the game," Raiders senior quarterback Brad Geever said. "As seniors we are never going to forget the loss (against Hinsdale Central), but we also remember the Lockport game which is a more recent in our minds."
The Raiders' 2008 season came to a halt with a 35-14 loss in the second round to Hinsdale Central. This season, Bolingbrook was hammered by Lockport 41-14 in Week 3 and that was an effective wake-up call as the team won six straight after it.
The Raiders' 26-13 win Oct. 23 over Lincoln-Way Central clinched a share of the Southwest Suburban Blue championship with they and Lincoln-Way East each 6-1 in league play.
"I hope we execute our offense and hope that our defense can slow down their offense because they have a very good offense," Raiders coach John Ivlow said.
The Lions scored just over 28 points per game this season and mainly the offense rides on the shoulders of Ryan Mitchell, a strong and accurate quarterback.
Last week, he executed an opening drive for a touchdown which gave the Lions a 7-0 lead over undefeated Glenbard West, ranked No. 2 by the Chicago Sun-Times. The Hilltoppers went on to win 28-7.
Also, Lyons Township also put up 42 points against Hinsdale Central in a 56-42 loss earlier in the season.
"Before practice I saw the film of the Lyons versus Hinsdale Central game and I know they have the ability to score points," Raiders defensive coordinator Bob Corra said. "The running back runs hard and the quarterback can run and throw well. The offensive line has got us outsized and I think the kids know that they are in for a tough game."
Lyons Township was 3-6 last year, but Lions first-year coach Kurt Weinberg worked quickly to get the squad back into the postseason.
The former Highland Park coach implemented an offensive system that is very passer-friendly. Look for the Lions to run a zone-read offense that also features a lot of quick screens.
Nic Brown is one of the primary weapons in the Lions offensive system as he can both catch and run for touchdowns. In Lyons Township's win over Proviso West, Brown ran for two touchdowns and had five catches for 95 yards.
"We are going to make some adjustments this week in practice. There will be some different looks and different alignments. Everything is not going to be the same has it has been in the past," Ivlow said.
The Lions' Achilles' heel this season has been their defense as they have given up just over 23 points per game which is one of the highest amounts allowed among the 8A playoff teams. Lyons Township has allowed 21 or more points in four out of its nine games this season.
Lyons plays a base 4-4 defense, something that the Raiders have also seen during the season.
"Winning Friday is our number goal and if we do that, we will welcome whomever to our field," Ivlow said.
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