Vernon Hills hones in on automatic playoff berth

The slimmest of margins last year separated Vernon Hills from a football playoff spot and a spot on the postseason couch.

The Cougars finished the 2014 season with a 5-4 record and needed enough points (based on opponent wins) to make the playoffs. They came up 3 points shy of the cutoff set by the IHSA.

"We remember that feeling from last year and we don't want that to happen again," Vernon Hills coach Bill Bellecomo said. "One of our first goals this season is to guarantee ourselves a playoff spot."

The Cougars can do that tonight. At 5-0, Vernon Hills can get to the six-win minimum for a guaranteed playoff spot by beating visiting Wauconda (1-4).

To give the current players some perspective on how special it is to participate on a playoff team, Bellecomo brought a special guest into practice this week.

DaVaris Daniels, who starred as a wide receiver at Vernon Hills about five years ago before moving on to Notre Dame, spoke to the Cougars about his experiences in the postseason. Daniels played on the last Vernon Hills team to make the playoffs, in 2010.

"DaVaris talked about that 2010 team and what a fun season that was," said Bellecomo, who is assisted by DaVaris's father Phil, a former Chicago Bear who is a volunteer coach for the Cougars. "He happened to be in town and it was really fun to bring him in to talk with the kids.

"After last year, to get into the playoffs in Week 6 would be huge for us."

Grey day:

It will be grey socks again for Wauconda in tonight's game at Vernon Hills.

The grey is not a school color for the Bulldogs, instead it's their tribute to the father of teammate Jake Senese, a defensive back.

Senese lost his father Chris this summer to brain cancer. Grey is the color of brain cancer awareness.

Ironically, the Bulldogs first wore grey socks in honor of Chris Senese the last time they were at Vernon Hills, two years ago. That's when Chris Senese was first diagnosed with brain cancer.

Senese had been a police officer in the area for 30 years.

"Jake is of course struggling with it," Wauconda coach Dave Mills said. "There are times when he really needs to lean on his teammates. They went to the wake for Jake's dad. It was a growing-up moment for all of them.

"They decided that they wanted to wear grey socks all season as a little tribute to Chris Senese, so that's what we've done."