Storm fans getting game faces on

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Storm fans are getting their game faces on for the 2009 postseason.

A tailgate party is being planned for all Bureau Valley football fans at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the park pavilion next to the football field in Aledo. 

Everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass or just join them. Table service will be provided

The game marks the Storm’s second straight playoff appearance in 2A after 17 over five seasons in 3A. The Storm made its initial playoff appearance in 2A in 2001.

Bureau Valley has a 17-6 career record in the playoffs, including a state crown in 2005, a runner-up finish in 2004 and a semifinal appearance in 2006.

Mercer County is the newly consolidated school taking in the former Aledo and Joy Westmer districts, which co-oped last year. Aledo won threes state titles (’98, ‘01, ‘02) and placed second three times (’88, ’05, ’06).

The teams come in ranked sixth (AMC) and seventh (BV) in the final 2A rankings of the year. The Storm had previously been ranked as high as No. 1 before falling to Amboy/LaMoille, which is now No. 4.

As seeds go, BV is a 10 and AMC a 7 in the 2A playoffs.

• Directions to Aledo: Take 80 to 74, take the Kewanee exit, Lynn Center 150 to Alpha - then go 17 miles all the way to Aledo.  (Approximate travel time, 75 minutes).

• Other area games on tap for Saturday include Oneida ROWVA at Amboy/LaMoille (2A) and Elgin St. Edward at Mendota (4A) at 1 p.m. and Clifton Central at Annawan/Wethersfield (2A) at 2 p.m.

The winners of the Amboy/LaMoille and Annawan/Wethersfield games will meet next week in a match-up that would be hosted by Amboy.