The long and winding road
Most area pigskinners will kick off season on the road
Turn on the Friday Night Lights. The 2009 prep football season will be underway this week.
The road to the season openers will be a long and winding one for most of the Bureau County teams as only Bureau Valley plays in all of the comforts of home against Port Byron Riverdale.
Road trips will find Princeton traveling to Edgington to face Rockridge, Hall heading north to Stillman Valley, St. Bede traveling to Morrison and Amboy/LaMoille going south to Varna to face River Valley.
All told, the locals will be logging in 550 miles to reach their destinations, the longest being Princeton’s 154-mile round trip venture.
In the first week of the season, all the games are the Games of the Week. Here’s the lineup with teams shown with 2008 records.
Riverdale (3-6) at Bureau Valley (10-2)
Where: Manlius.
Last year: Bureau Valley 23-0.
All-time series: Bureau Valley 9-3.
BCR insider: The Storm enter the 2009 opener with high hopes coming off a 10-2 campaign and a trip to the 3A quarterfinals. Coach Jeff Ohlson returns 12 lettermen with five starters back on both sides of the ball, including senior QB John King for his third year behind center. King will have twin ends Ryan Hix and Austin Peterson to throw to and bruising fullback Michael Weidner to hand off to.
Ohlson said a new year brings new challenges, especially with season openers.
“Week 1 makes it difficult because you have no opportunities to scout, and week 1 last year was a long time ago,” he said. “We saw some areas on offense and defense that we need to execute better, stay on blocks better, or get off blocks and minor fundamental issues that can be corrected in practice this week. Film sees everything and makes players better.”
The Rams will bring a team that was young a year ago and looking to improve. They return some good skill kids and some good lineman, the Storm coach said.
Ohlson said the Rams will look to make a statement early in the season and “we will have to play well to have a shot at winning.”
Next: At River Valley.
Game 2: Princeton (2-7) at Rockridge (1-8)
Where: Edgington
How to get there: Take Interstate 80 west to Interstate 280, take the Andulusia/Route 92 west exit, turn south and go to the first stop light, turn right on Route 92, about a half mile, turn left on Turkey Hollow Road, go four miles to a ‘T’ and turn right onto Route 192 at Taylor Ridge, go 4 miles to Edgington, the school will be on the left.
Last year’s game: Rockridge 21-20
All-time series: Princeton 10-6.
BCR insider: The Tigers will have payback on their mind for the 21-20 loss to the Rockets one year at Bryant Field. The Tigers haven’t forgotten that one nor have the Rockets, who reminded their counterparts when their two schools met in postseason volleyball play.
“We had a couple touchdowns called back that hurt us. By the same boat, they moved the ball on us quite a bit. Our defense is going to have to play a lot better than last year,” second-year PHS coach Dave Moore said.
Senior quarterback Brik Wedekind, who threw for more than 1,700 yards a year ago, will return behind center, having sat out last week’s Blue-White scrimmage with a sore knee.
“He’s fine, definitely good to go,” Moore said. “We’ll throw the ball, run the ball. Hopefully, do all of it equally well.”
Wedekind will have two explosive weapons in the backfield with him in senior Drew Compton and junior Dylan Olson.
The Rockets run a pistol offense, Moore said. with different formations, counters, traps and sweeps. They will also run play action passes, which burned the Tigers last years for two scores.
“We have to make sure we’re covering those type of things. They did run the ball effective against us last year. We have to make sure we got adjust for that,” Moore said.
Like his team, Moore said the Rockets don’t have a lot of numbers, but will “hit you for four quarters.”
After beating PHS in the 2008 opener, the Rockets did not win again, losing by an average margin of 33-11.5 the rest of the way.
The schools are scheduled to play again next year, though Rockridge wants out of its contract, Moore said. The long-distance rivals played for the first time in 12 years when they met a year ago.
Next: At Peoria Manual.
Game 3: Hall (6-4) at Stillman Valley (9-2)
How to get there: Take Interstate 80 east to Interstate 39, go north on I-39, go west at Route 72 exit, go 8.3 miles to Stillman Valley.
Last year: Stillman Valley 37-12.
All-time series: Hall 2-1.
BCR insider: The Cardinals snapped the Red Devils’ 21-win streak a year ago and the Red Devils would like nothing better to start up another. They will have to go through a tough Stillman squad to get there.
The game will mark the debut of new Hall head coach Jason Bland. He succeeds longtime coach Gary Vicini, who retired after 25 years. Bland helped keep Vicini’s opening week win streak going as a member of his 1991 3A semifinalists which started out 12-0.
Bland said the Cardinals have been doing the same thing ever since Mike Lalor took over at the Big Northern Red school.
“You just got to go out and be physical and play hard, and be disciplined against them,” he said. “You’re not going to get anything to trick you or surprise you, but you can’t fall asleep against them. They’re going to come at you, and come at you and come at you.
“It looks like they’re running the same plays over and over, and they are, but there’s variations of the same play, and if you’re not watching close, something is a little different.”
The Red Devils boast the experience of returning QB Michael Swingel and FB Nathan Tucker behind Steve Smith’s Hog Soldiers up front. They will be short-handed early in the season with five players serving a nine-quarter suspension.
Hall beat the Cardinals in 13-7 in the 2001 3A semifinals.
Next: At Rockridge.
Game 4: St. Bede (5-5) at Morrison (8-3)
Last year: Morrison 6-0.
All-time series: Morrison 6-3.
How to get there: Take Intetstate 80 East to Route 40, go north on 40 to Route 88 west, take Route 30 west off of Route 88 into Morrison.
BCR insider: The Mustangs averaged 30 points in its final seven victories during last year’s 8-3 playoff run, but mustered just six in victory over the Bruins to kick off the 2008 season. Second-year coach Cory Bielema knows his Mustangs can expect another defensive stand from John Bellino’s Bruins, who back off from no one.
Seven starters from St. Bede’s stingy defense return, including linemen Kyle Current and Dan Rucinski and DBs Paul Perona, Kevin King and Nick Hueneberg.
Morrison, which has gone 38-11 since 2005, outscored the Bruins 74-14 in two meetings in 2007.
Game 5: Amboy/LaMoille (8-3) at River Valley (0-9)
Where: Varna.
Last year: Amboy 42-6.
How to get there: Take Route 89 south out of LaMoille to Varna.
BCR insider: The Falcons kick off their final season in the Big Rivers Conference riding a 30-game losing streak. Having to face another strong Clippers’ team won’t likely be the recipe for the Falcons to end their skid.
River Valley will have to find an answer for the Clippers’ attack featuring Cody Richardson (1,925 yards rushing) and handle the defensive charge led by LaMoille twins Johny and William Longmire.
Next: Home vs. St. Bede.
