Emotions are high in Week 9 - just as they should be
By Marty Maciaszek
Special to the Daily Herald
A few weeks ago during a postgame interview with a high school football player, it became evident he was starting to cry.
The kid laughed and admitted he had always been a bit of a crybaby. But he wasn't embarrassed, nor should he have been, as he explained the reason for his emotions.
As a senior, he could see the reality if his team didn't win its final two games. His high school career would be ending tonight and there would be no trip to the postseason this year.
A lot of tears will be shed this weekend and in the ones that follow through Thanksgiving. Some from the joy of missions accomplished and others from the sadness of journeys ending.
High school football in Illinois is almost designed to bring out so much emotion. Unlike all other sports, there is no guarantee of competing in the postseason. A lot of teams that have 4 and 5 wins know they need another victory this weekend to make the field of 256 teams that will still be practicing and preparing for another game next week.
Having only nine regular-season games each season is another factor. Much more preparation goes into a limited number of chances to experience the excitement of winning and the disappointment of losing. Football does not come with the AAU or travel mentality of so many sports where often times you win and lose multiple times in the same weekend.
And while you might be able to play a lot of sports for many years to come the likelihood of playing tackle football 10 years from now - much less into your 50s - is very minimal. Many kids know when they will be taking their equipment off for the last time very soon.
Add it all up and the result is a lot of emotion. You are going to see a lot of it on football fields the next few weeks. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
Hawks soar back into the postseason: Hoffman Estates celebrated the end of a 22-year playoff drought last week when it improved to 6-2 with a 35-7 win over Schaumburg. A first-round home game is a good possibility with a win tonight at Fremd.
So, how long has it been - using high school football to put it in perspective - since the Hawks made the last of five consecutive postseason trips?
Fourth-year head coach Mike Donatucci was in his second of 19 years in charge at Fremd - which included a Mid-Suburban League record 16 straight playoff trips from 1995-2010.
In 1994, the state playoffs had only six classes and 6 wins were needed for an at-large berth into the 192-team field. The field expanded to eight classes and 256 teams in 2001.
The state championship games were held at Illinois State University's Hancock Stadium, where Palatine lost in the 5A championship to Providence.
The starting quarterback when Hoffman lost its 1994 first-round game to Downers Grove South 31-13 was current Rolling Meadows head coach Matt Mishler. His head coach, Jim Rucks, is now on his coaching staff.
In 1993 Hoffman beat Lake Park 22-6 in a Wednesday first-round game and then lost 14-0 to Conant in a second-round Saturday game. That was the last year the IHSA used the format that had some teams playing three games in eight days if they finished their regular season on a Saturday.
Other playoff bits: Former Buffalo Grove standout Matt Erlenbaugh, in his first year as head coach at Solorio Academy, led the school on Chicago's South Side to its third consecutive state playoff berth. Solorio is 6-2 going into tonight's Public League playoff game with Lane Tech.
Former Elk Grove coach and Prospect and Rolling Meadows assistant Bruce Bazsali has Rockford Lutheran in the playoffs for the fifth straight season. The Crusaders, who made the quarterfinals the last two years and the semifinals in 2013, have won six straight after season-opening losses to unbeatens Genoa-Kingston and Byron.
Huntley is 5-3 but currently has 42 playoff points so it is headed to the postseason under first-year head coach and former Fremd assistant Matt Zimolzak. The Red Raiders finish their season at home against 6-2 McHenry, which is playoff-bound for the first time since 2007.
Playoff football show: The state playoff pairings will be unveiled on the IHSA's Football Pairings Show from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday on CSN Chicago. Kevin Schmit, one of the Daily Herald's prep gurus, will help break down the field once again this year.
marty.maciaszek@gmail.com