Sports
Bailey: 'This is Going to Be a Great Showdown'
High flying offenses and strong defenses take center stage when Bolingbrook hosts Downers Grove South.
At this point, the Bolingbrook High School football team's playoff schedule looks more like a revenge hit-list.
Less than a week removed from —the team that ousted the Raiders in last year's playoffs—in the IHSA Class 8A playoffs, Bolingbrook is now preparing to play , a team that bounced the Raiders from the postseason two seasons ago.
For Bolingbrook head coach John Ivlow, there's no use focusing on anything other than the game at hand. So when asked about looking ahead to the Mustangs, Ivlow kept it rather simplistic.
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“You have to play everybody to get where you want to go. Mount Carmel in round two … whoever is out there," he said. "You have to play them all, it doesn't matter what order."
The , to earn a spot in the quarterfinals opposite the Raiders.
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Downers Grove South enters the game with a 10-1 record, an impressive offense that has averaged 37.5 points per game this season and a stingy defense that has limited opponents to just 9.7 points per contest.
, who has rushed for 426 yards and five touchdowns in the team's two postseason games, said he is looking forward to the quarterfinal matchup.
The Raiders enter the game with equally impressive numbers.
Bolingbrook boasts 10-1 record, thanks in part to a potent offense that averages 37.3 points per game. Its defense, meanwhile, has held opposing offense's to 12.3 points per game.
Through eight postseason quarters, Bolingbrook opponents have scored a total of three touchdowns. DGS, on the other hand, has plowed through opponents scoring nearly 40 points per game.
Needless to say, the winner has a tremendous chance at landing a state championship.
“This is going to be a great showdown and we've got them at home," Bailey said after Saturday's win. "It should be fun. That's all I'll say, it should be fun.”
The Raiders and Mustangs will square off Saturday at 6 p.m. at . Gates open at 5 p.m. to the public. Tickets are $6 per person.
For more news and notes on the Bolingbrook Raider football team, check out our Bolingbrook Raider Football Guide.
And be sure to follow Bolingbrook Patch on Facebook and Twitter for live, in-game updates from Saturday's playoff game.
