BOYS FEATURE ARTICLE

#1 vs #2 and Sectional Final Questions

By Aaron Brown

When the top two teams face each other in the playoffs, one would expect the game to take place in state finals or at least at the state tournament. Unfortunately in 2010, the top two teams in the state, Fenwick and Oak Park, were placed in the same sectional and must battle it out just for the chance to advance to the next week's state tournament along with seven other teams from around the state.

There are two arguments to bring up. The first argument is that it doesn't matter when the top two teams face each other in the playoffs; only one team can win the state title anyways and they would have to play each other at some point to get to that final destination.

On the flip side, when the top two teams in any sport must  face each other in a win-and-move-on, lose-and-go-home playoff format, one would hope that the two teams get to play on the biggest stage in front of the biggest possible crowd. Both teams have, after all, shown that they are highly deserving of playing in next week's state tournament, but only one team can advance in 2010 when they play each other at 12:00pm at York High School in Elmhurst.

All eyes should be focused on the result from the matchup between #1 Fenwick and #2 Oak Park tomorrow, especially if you are not fortunate enough to witness two high-quality teams play each other with their seasons hanging in the balance.

Questions to ponder concerning tomorrow's boys' games:

Can McHenry get back to state for the second straight year, or will Palatine be able to shut down the Warriors offense and score enough to qualify for state?

Will Loyola be able to beat New Trier for the third straight time this season, or will the Trevians continue to ride their late season momentum to win the GBS Sectional?

H-F survived a semifinal scare from Lincoln-Way North, but do they have enough left in the tank to fend off a vastly improved Lincoln-Way East side that earned a solid win over Lincoln-Way Central on Friday?

Can Brother Rice and Lyons avoid extra time again when they face off for a state berth tomorrow afternoon? The teams have gone to sudden death overtime the past two years.

Does Naperville Central continue their perfect mark against the other area teams when they meet up with Waubonsie Valley tomorrow at 12:00pm? The Redhawks won the first meeting 19-6 back in Week 1.

Who will emerge from the UIC Sectional with a state berth when St Ignatius and Latin square off at Lyons in the latest sectional final on the schedule?

Can Stevenson repeat their performance from three weeks ago when they knocked off Mundelein at their own tourney? Once again in 2010, the Patriots and Mustangs meet for a chance at a state tournament berth.

GOOD LUCK to everyone involved in the sectional finals on Saturday. Check the site for live scores, game recaps, and much more once the dust settles on the 2010 Sectional playoffs.

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