In the NFL, it's the conference championship games.
At the Final Four, it's the Saturday national semifinals.
In the major league baseball playoffs, it's the league championship series.
Many contend the semifinal, the game/series that you must win in order to play for the championship, is the most pressure packed of all. Once you earn passage to the title game, you can relax, give it your all and at least to some degree, enjoy the experience.
What occurs on the local front today is something we see every November. Namely, one or more of our high school football teams -- usually more -- playing for a berth in state championship games the following weekend at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
This time, Providence Catholic and Lemont carry the area banner. Both are in Class 6A, and if they win today, they will meet one week from now in the 6A final in Champaign.
But first, there is a major hurdle to clear for each.
Providence (8-4) entertains Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (11-1) at 1 p.m. today, while Lemont (12-0) hosts Antioch (12-0) at 6 p.m.
The records would seem to indicate Providence is an underdog. But most observers feel it's the opposite. The Celtics played a difficult schedule, certainly tougher than anyone else that began the 6A tournament, and held up well against that high level of competition.
Sacred Heart-Griffin moves the ball up and down the field, both with the pass and the run, from its spread offense. But the Cyclones probably have not faced a defense to match what Providence will put on the field.
One thing to note about the Celtics, though, is that only half their starters are seniors. The underclassmen have played a full season and then some, but they still are not seniors. They must deliver in the pressure cooker.
One of the juniors is quarterback Mike Hoffmeister, who has improved tremendously in the second half of the season.
Sacred Heart-Griffin quarterback Tim Dondanville has built statistics this season that blow Hoffmeister's numbers out of the water. However, Hoffmeister has done exactly what he has needed to do during the Celtics' current six-game winning streak, adding the ideal complement to go with junior tailback Tim Hanrahan.
A near certainty today is that Sacred Heart-Griffin will finish with more passing yardage than Providence. But if Hoffmeister plays as he has been of late, that can go a long way toward swaying the outcome in the Celtics' favor.
Similary, Lemont has dominated its opposition thanks in no small part to the play of senior quarterback Nick Lawrence. His season has been similar to Hoffmeister's in that he has operated outside the spotlight -- junior tailback Danny Hayes has posted the big numbers. But Lawrence has done a remarkable job of running an offense that is consistently productive. More of the same tonight, and Antioch's trek through the playoffs is likely to end.
We began this column with a mention of the semifinals being the ultimate in pressure. But from my brief conversations with them, and from what their coaches have said about them, Hoffmeister and Lawrence possess the even-keeled disposition that can take them and their teams a long way.
I don't expect spectacular from either one today.
Very good and very consistent will work fine.
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