As the cold drizzle fell on the Bolingbrook Raiders outside their lockeroom on the way to the bus on Friday night, a group of Hinsdale Central students walked by talking about what they were going to do on Saturday.
"Do you know how far away Belleville is?" was the response of one when the other proposed going to scout the matchup of Brother Rice and Belleville East, which will play for the right to face Hinsdale Central in the quarterfinals now that the Red Devils have knocked top-seeded Bolingbrook out of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs.
While it is 285 miles each way between Hinsdale and Belleville, the Bolingbrook team that showed up on Friday night in Hinsdale seemed leagues apart from the one that brought an undefeated record and state title aspirations into the second-round game.
Bolingbrook coach John Ivlow said that besides being "a little more physical than we thought," Hinsdale Central didn't run anything on offense or defense that the Raiders hadn't seen on film.
So how did a team that had held its 10 previous opponents to 104 total points give up 35 on Friday?
This is the same kind of whooping that the Red Devils (9-2) put on Downers Grove South in the first round. This is the same kind of loss (same score actually) that evenual state champion Naperville North handed to the Raiders in the second round last year.
"There are so many weapons all the way around," Ivlow said of Hinsdale Central. "They reminded us of some of the other teams we've faced over the years, like Naperville last year. Same shades of the same type of things we saw. This is a team that could do some damage, I really think."
Quarterback Brad Geever, offensive lineman Robert Fife and wide receiver Alfonzo Sylvester all said the result had a lot to do with their state of mind. As hard as it could be for some of us to believe, the Raiders overlooked a playoff opponent.
With tears welling in his eyes, Geever struggled to talk about his first loss as a varsity quarterback. The junior filled up the stat sheet on Friday night, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He also lost a fumble and threw an interception.
He said he didn't expect Hinsdale Central to be that good.
"And that's probably why it happened like this," Geever said. "because we went in overconfident."
Fife, a senior guard, helped Bolingbrook average more than six yards per carry this season. On Friday night vs. the Red Devils, Bolingbrook could only muster 24 rushing yards in the first half as Hinsdale Central built leads of 21-0 and 28-7.
"I think people weren't ready for it yet, the momentum and everything like that," Fife said. "But we kept our heads up for most of the game. We played them tough. They're a good team. They're a strong team. I think we underestimated them a little bit."
Sylvester said his team "came out like it was going to be an easy win," and didn't know what to do when they got hit in the face first. Bolingbrook had trailed in games this season, but not like this, not this early.
"After that everybody started doubting themselves and putting they head down," said Sylvester, who made an amazing catch to convert a fourth down late in the game when there was still a shot of a comeback. "All you got to do is stay in the game. That's all there is to it, but I guess people's heart ain't like mine."
Remembering this team
The Raiders posted the third undefeated regular season in school history this year and won their second Southwestern Suburban Conference title in a row.
After falling short in the second round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, by the same score as last year no less, how should Bolingbrook fans remember this team?
"It's the same score from last year," Sylvester said. "That's what's so crazy. I was looking at the scoreboad feeling the same way I did at Naperville North. It's hard, but they should just think that we're a great team. We just, man, we just lost one. We lost a big one, too."
Waiting for X-rays
Senior safety Alex McNulty spent the final three quarters of his high school career watching from the sidelines after getting hurt in the first quarter.
McNulty collided with Hinsdale Central fullback Jake Knowles on the second play of the second series and that was it for McNulty's right shoulder.
"I lost all feeling in my arm," McNulty said. "I wanted to go back in, but they said it was too bad of a broken bone and I can't come back in."
The extent of the injury, possibly a fractured collarbone, but maybe a dislocation would be determined after McNulty got X-rays back in Bolingbrook on Friday night.
"We think it's a dislocation somewhere in his arm," Ivlow said. "I'm not even sure which bones can dislocate in there."
While his shoulder is healing, McNulty will be weighing his scholarship offers he has recently picked up from Akron and Eastern Illinois to go with his previous offer from Colorado State.
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