Momentum is everything in sports, especially football. When you’ve got momentum, it usually carries over into the next series, the next quarter … and the next game.
Fenwick’s 28-7 blowout of Carmel on Friday in Week 9 provided the momentum for a fun Saturday night at the school’s Priory Campus, where the Friars and their coaches watched the IHSA Football Playoff Pairings Show on the big screen.
Well before the Class 6A field was announced, sophomore defensive back Corey Griffin was all smiles. Not a bundle of nerves.
“Ending the season like that, we’ve got a lot to build on going into the playoffs,” Griffin said. “I’m excited to see what we do. I’m happy.”
About a half-hour later, the pick was in. Sixth-seeded Fenwick, the defending Class 6A champions, drew a bye in next weekend’s opening round and will play the winner of 11th-seeded Highland Park vs. 22-seed Streamwood in the first round, Oct. 30-31, likely at Triton College.
The IHSA expanded the playoff field to 48 teams in each class this year, so normally Fenwick would be playing next weekend. But the addition of 16 teams in Class 6A means there is an opening round, sort of a play-in round, with the first round coming after that.
But that minutiae didn’t matter much to Fenwick’s players and head coach Matt Battaglia Saturday. A 6-3 regular-season record earned them an extra week together as a team. That means more work, but also more laughs – and memories.
“It feels great,” senior safety Tommy Quinn said as the crowd started to thin out after the show ended. “Another two weeks to be with our brothers to prepare for this game.”
But there is a practical reason a bye week is a good thing, too, according to junior defensive end Hank Holland. Football is a tough sport, after all.
“We get to rest up,” Holland said. “We’ll get to keep working and prepare for that game in the second week of the playoffs.”
Don’t expect Battaglia to let his charges rest on their laurels with that bye week. Quinn said hard work is ahead over the coming days.
“I bet we’ll do a lot of competition between the team to stay competitive and keep our energy up and get ready to play in two weeks,” he said.
Battaglia confirmed as much in his address to the team as Saturday night’s festivities came to an end.
“It’s not about winning a championship,” he said. “At the end of the day, that trophy you want to hold up? It’s only going to happen if we do what?”
Cue the players:
“Be a champion,” they responded in unison.
“Everything we do, every day, from here on out has to be about being the best version of ourselves,” Battaglia said. “Being a champion. Making championship-level decisions. Going down the road we want to takes what it takes.
“Be locked in.”
Battaglia was already locked in Saturday, planning to acquire film on both Highland Park and Streamwood. That means he and his assistants will be busy, busy, busy.
Junior quarterback Myles Hill, who has led a powerful offense this season, punctuated by guys like senior running back Jake Thies, he of the four touchdowns last Friday, is ready for whatever’s next.
“I think I’ve gotten better each week,” Hill said, “taking coaching, knowing my personnel and getting more familiar with my teammates, and getting better every day.”
But don’t forget that game last Friday, Senior Night no less, and Thies left no doubt that Fenwick deserved that first-round bye, scoring three of his four touchdowns in the first quarter.
“I think the best thing about us was playing complementary football,” senior cornerback Cormac Monahan said.
“It’s exciting,” added running back Rocco Nero. “It’s our last confirmed home game with your brothers, your teammates, and the [Senior Night] energy and atmosphere is great. There’s nothing better than playing on a Friday night with your senior brothers and the rest of your teammates.”
You can say the same about the playoffs. And like Griffin, Nero had no nerves Saturday.
“Whoever we’ve got, they’re going to have to give us their all because we’re going to be coming,” he said.
“We’re coming for all.”