Olsen gives WW South a leg up
Football warmups generally aren’t very exciting. There’s a lot of stretching and some drills. But that’s not the case with WheatonWarrenville South.
Junior kicker Jack Olsen puts the ball on a tee just short of the 50-yard line and next to the sideline. Then he starts blasting loud, powerful field-goal attempts.
Olsen is a weapon. It’s not a stretch to say he is one of the most valuable players in the area. Olsen made eight field goals in Week 1 against Metea Valley to break the state record for field goals in a game. He missed a 52-yarder that would have tied the national record of nine.
Olsen recently made visits to Michigan State, Northwestern and Wisconsin. He regularly makes field goals of 40 yards or longer and made a 31-yard field goal to beat St. Charles North in Week 9.
‘‘I told him to just strike the heck out of the ball,’’ Tigers coach Ron Muhitch said. ‘‘It’s in the wind, just go for it. Those kickers and quarterbacks carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. We scream at them way too much, and we expect a lot out of them.’’
Wheaton-Warrenville South (8-1) received a favorable draw in the Class 7A playoff bracket. The Tigers are a No. 14 seed. They will face Belleville East in the first round and, if they win, the winner of Hononegah-Buffalo Grove in the second. A possible rematch against the North Stars looms in the quarterfinals.
Redhawks’ road
Naperville Central quarterback Payton Thorne is a player capable of dominating a game and leading a charge through a playoff bracket. Thorne has a strong, accurate arm and an excellent feel for the game.
The Redhawks (6-3) have played a brutal schedule. Their 38-19 loss to No. 1 Lincoln-Way East was the closest game the Griffins played all season. That’s an impressive résumé entry heading into the Class 8A playoffs. Naperville Central’s other losses were to CaryGrove and Hinsdale Central.
Things don’t get any easier for the Redhawks in the playoffs, though. The 21st-seeded Redhawks will have to play at 12th-seeded Plainfield South in the first round. The winner of that matchup likely will face Marist.
More Suburban Prairie
Minooka began the season ranked No. 16 in the Super 25. The Indians had reached the Class 8A quarterfinals last season but lost most of their team to graduation, so that opened some eyes.
The preseason ranking is looking pretty good now. Minooka lost to Plainfield South and Oswego to start the season but now has ripped off seven victories in a row, including an impressive 24-7 triumph against Oswego East in Week 9.
Public League qualifiers
It was quite a Saturday all around the city, with 23 Public League teams earning state playoff bids. Phoenix and Von Steuben, two rather new programs, are in the playoffs for the first time. Amundsen and Clemente broke long playoff droughts.