Lincoln-Way East tore through the first seven games of the season. Quarterback Jonas Williams led the offense, and defensive lineman Jacob Alexander spearheaded the defense.
Williams (ankle) and Alexander (concussion) have missed the last two games, and the Griffins have looked very ordinary without the two stars.
“Right now we are who we are,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said after losing to Sandburg on Thursday. “We are a 7-2 football team, and we are fading a little bit. There is no doubt about it. Reinforcements are coming, and we will see if we can get it fixed.”
The Griffins host Stevenson in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs on Friday. With Williams and Alexander back, Lincoln-Way East are heavy favorites. Without them it is anyone’s game.
Williams, who set the state record for career passing touchdowns earlier this season, was a shoe-in for Sun-Times Player of the Year honors two weeks ago. But if he doesn’t return from the injury things will open up.
The northern star
Carmel was 3-6 last season after receiving a significant amount of preseason hype centered on quarterback Trae Taylor. The Corsairs lost the final four games of the season, and no one was sure what to expect this year.
Taylor, a 6-3 junior, committed to Nebraska in May and has turned in a sensational season. He’s thrown 33 TDs and passed for nearly 3,000 yards with just three interceptions.
And most importantly, he’s won. Carmel is 7-2 after knocking off Fenwick in Week 9.
Taylor, who picked up his first college scholarship offer in seventh grade, was 26-for-39 for 302 yards with two TDs and one interception against the Friars. He also scored a rushing TD and had 10 carries for 50 yards.
Taylor repeatedly refused to slide or even head out of bounds on runs.
“That’s what I felt I had to do,” Taylor said. “You are going to get punched in the mouth or you are going to punch someone in the mouth.”
Carmel hosts Normal in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs. The Corsairs are a legitimate state championship contender and Taylor has a shot at Player of the Year honors…especially if Williams doesn’t return for Lincoln-Way East.
A step forward in Joliet
Joliet West and Joliet Central faced off on Friday night at Joliet West. The Tigers won 60-12. Neither team is heading to the playoffs, and the football attention in Joliet is focused on Joliet Catholic and Providence.
But it’s a tremendous step in the right direction that Joliet’s public schools played under the lights on a Friday. It’s the first time that’s occurred since the early 1990s. The schools were combined as one team for 18 years. Since splitting back into two teams 14 years ago, the game has been played on Saturday afternoons because of safety concerns.
I’m thrilled that my hometown finally figured out a way to get the game back on Friday night. Kudos to the coaches and administrators for making it happen.
Up next
The Illinois High School Association will release the dates and times for all the first-round state playoff games on Monday afternoon.
Expect a decent number of Friday games. Fremd, Downers Grove North, Batavia, Prairie Ridge, Barrington and Lincoln-Way East have already announced Friday games.
The big Loyola at Mount Carmel matchup in Class 8A is at 4:30 pm on Saturday.
Most games will take place on Saturday after the first round, with one or two Friday games possibly popping up.