Let's go get 'em both
You can listen to Scott Slocum and his WJOL Radio crew. Or, you can watch the live telecast on WPWR-TV Channel 50, with our own Dave Bernhard on the play-by-play.
Or, if you can handle the chill, you can get in the on the excitement firsthand when Providence Catholic High School entertains St. Rita at 7 tonight in the semifinals of the Class 7A state football playoffs.
Then at the same time Saturday night, you will have the same options (WJOL, WPWR or attending) as Mount Carmel visits Lincoln-Way East in an 8A semifinal.
It does not get any better than this. How could it?
All season I have been touting the Chicago Catholic Blue as the best league in the state in terms of quality and quantity. You go through that schedule and you can't help but be prepared for the playoffs.
Well, guess what. In our two big games, three of the four participants are members of the Catholic Blue. The other, Lincoln-Way East, has been ranked No. 1 in Class 8A — No. 1 regardless of class by most — virtually all season.
What that means is we have two matchups worthy of being state championship games. The finals are scheduled next weekend at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
The opponents there naturally will be good football teams. But the way it looks from this vantage point, the Providence vs. St. Rita and Lincoln-Way East vs. Mount Carmel winners will be state champions next Saturday.
They say there is no greater pressure in sports than in the semifinals. That's the game where you qualify for the big dance, or you go home feeling like putting your fist through the wall because you came so close to achieving your goal, but failed.
In our predictions in Thursday's GRIDIRON section, I picked Providence and Lincoln-Way East. Is that being a homer? If you insist. Yes, I am among those who believe our teams will oust the two teams that shared the title with 5-1 records in that mighty Chicago Catholic Blue.
If it happens, it will happen in each instance because of defense. Providence's defense has been overlooked but stepped up big-time in the second half of last week's 35-13 win at East St. Louis.
Lincoln-Way East's defense, on the other hand, has been magnificent all season, and I see no reason for that to change now, even against an offense as potent as the Carter Kopach-led Caravan.
Let's add a score with these predicted winners.
How about a dose of turnabout is fair play? Providence's Mike Sodic boots a field goal and the Celtics beat St. Rita 17-14. A last-second field goal in Week 5 gave the Mustangs a 17-14 win over the Celtics. Then, I'll go East 17, Mount Carmel 13, with kicker Tom Lynch in a key role.
And, we will meet again in Champaign.
- Dick Goss can be reached at dgoss@scn1.com
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