Playoffs are here: Now what?
Central eyes Caravan after meeting goal
Naperville Central's directive has been clear and simple: Make it to Week 10. To do so, it would first have to go through three DuPage Valley Conference programs that made it to state championship games in 2007. Then the dividends would be paid out, and anything could happen.
So when the IHSA released the Class 8A playoff pairings Saturday night, the sixth-seeded Redhawks (6-3) were rewarded with - wait for it - a team from the state's other power conference. Somehow No. 11 Mount Carmel (7-2) of the Chicago Catholic Blue might even be a hybrid of the DVC teams that beat them in 2008.
(Jon Cunningham/Special to The Sun)
Brad Engel: Mt. Carmel 28, Central 17
Sean Fuchs: Central 23, Mt. Carmel 20
Paul LaTour: Mt. Carmel 26, Central 15
Patrick Mooney: Mt. Carmel 28, Central 14
D.J. Wanberg: Central 42, Mt. Carmel 35
"They're a combination of all three teams from our conference," Central coach Mike Stine said. "They got kind of the toughness mentality that a Glenbard North team traditionally has. They got the sound discipline on defense that Wheaton South (has). It's hard to get them out of position. They're just fundamentally sound.
"And offensively they're a machine (just) like Naperville North. Every year you know what they're gonna run - can you stop them?"
This isn't the typical coach speech hyping an opponent. The Chicago Sun-Times ranked Mount Carmel first in its preseason poll. At that point, senior quarterback Jordan Lynch had already committed to Northern Illinois, and two defenders were projecting to Big Ten programs - lineman Anthony Battle (Northwestern) and linebacker Dimitrius Carr (Indiana).
It was a ranking based in part on past performance. The Caravan has won 10 state titles and has now made the playoffs in 23 consecutive seasons. Tonight's first-round game at Gately Stadium in Chicago should be an interesting study in contrasts: public and private; suburb and city; the DVC and Catholic Blue.
"They're a solid team. They're good each year, and this year is no different," said Central senior defensive lineman Clint Woods. "Both teams should be right where they are."
The Caravan enters the postseason on a five-game winning streak and is averaging 38.6 points per game. That figure includes a 6-3 loss to Providence Catholic played in conditions comparable to last Friday's mud pit at Harshbarger-Welzel Field. Mount Carmel primarily relies on the option, but is also willing to spread the field, run trips and throw the ball.
"They're (so) precise with what they do," said Central senior defensive lineman Jordan Poll. "And they don't change their game plan for anything. They just got straight-up stuff, their core plays."
Mount Carmel is giving up only 10.8 points per game. Outside of a 35-21 loss at St. Rita, it hasn't allowed more than 14 points in a single game. In that game, Stine said, St. Rita hit on a few big plays.
It might be unrealistic for Central to bank on stringing together 10- or 12-play drives. But its offense should receive a spark from Riley O'Toole, the kind of big-play wide receiver who can stretch a defense. O'Toole (20.6 yards per catch, five touchdowns) is expected to return after missing last week's Glenbard East game with a quadriceps injury.
The last time Central faced Mount Carmel was in the 2006 Class 8A quarterfinals. The Redhawks started that year 0-3 and then went on an eight-game winning streak. The Caravan ended that improbable season with a 28-7 victory at Memorial Stadium. Central is hoping to catch fire again.
"Our season wasn't what we wanted it to be, but, yeah, the playoffs is a whole (new) season," Woods said. "We'll definitely just go hard and make a good run into it."
