Bartlett High: October 2008 Archives

It's playoff time for Hampshire, Genoa-Kingston, Bartlett, St. Charles North, St. Charles East and Huntley.

BY. R.J. GERBER
AND BRANDON MANGIA
Staff Writers

Hampshire and Genoa-Kingston don't need any introductions.

The two schools are separated by only nine miles and have a long history on the football field. And the two programs will renew their rivalry this weekend when the 11th-seeded Whip-Purs (6-3) and sixth-seeded Cogs (7-2) hook up in Genoa in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

An in-depth look at week 9's Upstate Eight Conference games in the area.

Bartlett quarterback Josh Hasenberg was voted the top player of week 8 by the Sun-Times after he helped lead the undefeated Hawks to a 28-14 victory over previously-unbeaten Thornton.

Bartlett's Tom Meaney was named the Chicago Bears High School "Coach of the Week" for Week 8.

Larkin football passed its first must-win test of the season last week, defeating Elgin in the Town Jug game.

The job gets more difficult tonight when the Royals visit Waubonsie Valley. Larkin sits at 4-4 and needs a victory to become playoff eligible.

With the 2008 regular season about to end, what better time to take a look ahead to what we might expect in 2009.

Although a number of area teams are dominated by talented seniors this year, there are a plenty of underclassmen making a big impact.

Look no further than Bartlett and Huntley, the two unbeaten teams in the area, to find some of the best young talent around.

The conference title scenarios are pretty cut and dry going into the final week of the season. Here's a look at what's on the line this weekend.

With each passing week, talk of a perfect regular season continues to build for Bartlett.

The Hawks took a big step toward achieving that goal last Friday by going on the road and knocking off Neuqua Valley 31-28. It proved to be the toughest test of the year for Bartlett, which needed a 42-yard touchdown pass with 1:14 left to take the lead and an interception in the end zone as time expired to improve to 7-0.

There's no rest for the weary this week as the Hawks welcome undefeated Thornton in a non-conference showdown on Saturday at Millennium Field, so it's no surprise that talk of a perfect season remain tempered for the moment.

St. Charles East coach Ted Monken is never one to shy away from a shootout.

Then again, that should come as no surprise when he's got a gunslinger like senior running back Wes Allen, who ran for six touchdowns each of the past two weeks.

Despite those heroics, the Saints could only earn a spit in those two games, beating Lake Park 42-41 in double overtime in Week 5 before dropping a 49-42, four-overtime affair against Neuqua Valley last week.

Could East be in for another wild affair this week?

It's Week 6 of the high school football season, and every team in the area is dealing with bumps and bruises.

For teams with 3-2 records like Dundee-Crown, St. Edward and St. Charles North, this week is critical as they look to give their playoff hopes a boost. However, the Chargers, Green Wave and North Stars could all be without key offensive playmakers when they take the field this weekend.