Storm's Ohlson pulling double duty between football and basketball

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Storm football coach Jeff Ohlson practices with the football team after school preparing the Storm for their next playoff opponent. Then he heads off to the gymnasium to coach the varsity girls’ basketball team. Just another day in the life of a two-sport coach whose seasons tend to overlap.

He’s been doing double duty for most of his tenure as basketball coach, but this year, it comes as the first time as the head coach in football rather than as an assistant.

“I’m used to it. I’ve done it before, we get things done,” he said. “I’ve got great football assistants, and I’ve got great basketball assistants, I lean on them. My basketball assistants have to do a lot of work for me when I’m not at practice or until I get to practice.

“It’s just a matter of organization and making sure its structured ... things are the way they’re supposed to be.

Ohlson said the basketball practice will practice in the evening, unless there’s a reason they can’t, then they go in the morning.

“It makes for some long days for me, but it’s not about me. It’s for the kids,” he said. “My basketball players mean as much as my football players, I’ve got to make sure I get work done with both of them.”

• Tailgating in Elm-hurst: The Bureau Valley Storm are taking their pregame tailgate party with them to Elmhurst. Storm mom Vicki Sanden will be setting up a tent on the parking lot at the Billy Graham Center across the Street from Wheaton College’s McCully Football Stadium. It’s a “BYO everything,” and you’re asked to bring extra to share.

• How to get there: From Manlius, take Route 40 to Interstate 88 at Sterling, turn right (East) on I-88, exit at Naperville Road and go north about 6 miles to Roosevelt Road (Illinois 38). Turn right at Roosevelt and turn left at Chase Street (no signal or stop sign) which comes before the next signal light (President Street). Chase Street brings you to the campus (just beyond railroad tracks). The football stadium is on the right and the Billy Graham Center on the left. Park in the Billy Graham Center parking lot.

• Racking up the yardage: Hall came up short in the playoffs, but still had a winning season at 6-4, in Gary Vicini’s 25th and final season. Vicini said the Red Devils’ offense became more efficient as the year went on, evident by these telling stats.

They had two running backs with more than 1,000 yards each in Nate Tucker (1153) and Austin Pozzi (1037), and quarterback Michael Swingel threw for more than 700 yards.

• Geneseo still going: At 8-3, it may be considered a down year around Geneseo, but the Maple Leafs are the last NCIC team standing in the playoffs. Geneseo returns home after Saturday’s 16-14 win at Kankakee McNamara to host Richmond-Burton in the 4A quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Sterling, Mendota and Streator all were knocked out in second-round play. Mendota gave seven-year reigning state champ Addison Driscoll its closest call since its 2007 opening round 12-7 winner over Morton. The Highlanders had beat their 37 playoff foes by an average margin of 21 points dating back to the start of the state run in 2001.

Driscoll meets undefeated Aurora Christian in Aurora Saturday.

Bureau Valley is the lone Big Rivers team in the quarterfinals, after Morrison and Sterling Newman lost last week.

The only other area team outside of Bureau Valley and Geneseo still playing is Stark County, which hosts Polo at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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