Video Highlights: September 2008 Archives

Saturday's Upstate Eight Conference tilt between Bartlett and St. Charles North certainly proved wild. A seven-turnover third quarter had the momentum swinging back and forth between both teams before the Hawks were able to put together a lenghty drive and open the fourth quarter with a touchdown to go up 21-7.

It's always a treat to see a couple of squads airing it out like South Elgin and Elgin did on Friday night, but it does make my job as Courier Sports videographer a little harder. It's tough to keep track off all those in-flight balls with the ol' camera.

That being said, what a win for South Elgin. Check out the video highlights here.

With both teams coming in at 0-3, one would have the opportunity to breathe some life into its season. With monster efforts from Josh Smith, Pat Rae, Trevor Hansley and the offensive line in the second half, the Storm was able to inject some hope into its season.

For a while, Elgin was able to hang in the game. Tom Roth, Tim Newcombe and Jamal Cook were among the Maroons who excelled in the first half and had the game knotted up at 21 midway through the third. But the Storm simply had too many weapons and it was clear in the second half that some of Elgin's best were running out of gas from playing on both sides of the ball.

Also of note; you don't hear it often but late in the game Elgin's coaching staff was shouting at its defense to "Let them score!" And it was probably the right call. A South Elgin touchdown seemed likely and Elgin needed as much time as it could get on the clock to score...even if it was two touchdowns.

Stay tuned for next week's "Game of the Week." It should be a good one, as UEC powers Bartlett and St. Charles North lock horns.

As the videographer for Courier Prep Football Weekly's "Game of the Week," I'm privileged to see some things on the sidelines that you won't see in the box score.

Check out the highlight-package here.

After the Hawks' 35-6 win over Larkin on Friday, many of Bartlett's coaches implored their players to keep working hard and to "keep their eyes on the prize." That "prize" being the Class 8A state title. Bartlett's first team on both sides of the ball played outstanding in the first half and quickly erased any doubt that Larkin would be able to beat them for the third time in a row.

For its part, Larkin continues to be a diligent group. Rather than hang their heads after being down 35-0 in the second quarter, the Royals hung with it and scrapped out a late touchdown. After seeing both the players and coaches in practice and at games the last two weeks, I find myself pulling for Larkin. The coaches stay positive and the players listen to the coaches and refrain from negativity on the sidelines.

On that note, something also has to be said about Bartlett. With the score lopsided early, the coaches were preaching "sportsmanship" and continued respect for their opponent. I didn't see any of the Hawks clowning around on the sidelines and they seemed to appreciate that Larkin had beaten them the last two years.

Stay tuned for next week's "Game of the Week."

Each week during the high school football season, I joined my co-worker Andy Rohr in producing a webcast looking ahead at the weekend's games. We'd interview players and coaches and offer analysis of what to expect as a supplement to the content I'd provide in the paper.

Follow this link to watch one of our shows: CPFW Week 3

Follow this link for a catalog of all of our football webcasts: CPFW 2008