Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: Nov. 5, 2009
Titans, Cyclones face each other again in 5A
playoffs Saturday
By Joe Pritchett
Chatham Editor
Let the hype begin (or continue for that matter). Let the rhetoric reach a fever pitch, and the let the fans
fight, bicker and go crazy.
Yes, it's Glenwood-SHG week (again), as for the fourth time in the last seven seasons, these two
fierce rivals will meet in the postseason, this time in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. Kickoff
is set for 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Springfield this Saturday.
The Cyclones, the defending Class 6A state champions, have won three state titles in the past five
seasons.
SHG (10-0) has owned the Titans (8-2), just as they have every other team in the area. Glenwood
stands at 5-28 all-time against SHG and Griffin High Schools, and the Titans have lost 11 games in
succession in the series, dating back to a 35-26 GHS victory in 2001.
However, there is no denying one simple fact. The Titans have played the Cyclones tough on a
number of occasions during the 11-game streak, and the teams' three recent playoff matchups (34-30 in
2003, 28-21 in 2005 and 35-21 in 2008) have shown that this could, and should, be a very good
ballgame.
Earlier this season, Glenwood lost 42-14 to SHG, in a game completely dominated by the Cyclones,
who own a huge size advantage. But the Titans have won six straight games since that defeat, and last
week GHS stepped up in class and handed a battle-tested Kankakee team a 14-0 defeat to claim their
first playoff victory since 2004.
SHG, meanwhile, blasted Carbondale 48-21 on the turf at ISU, with the score a bit misleading. The
Cyclones led 48-7 at halftime, and there was a running clock the entire second half. The winner of the
Glenwood-SHG game will face the Marion-Peoria Richwoods winner in the quarterfinals next weekend.
If the Titans pull off the upset, they would either host Marion or travel to Richwoods.
In the first matchup this season, SHG rushed for 321 yards, with 272 coming from running back Greg
Wilson on 44 carries. QB Eric Williamson completed all nine of his passes for 121 yards, and the
Titans trailed 28-0 into the third quarter before John Hagemann and the running game got untracked for
two long touchdown runs. It was, however, too late for a comeback at that point.
SHG's game plan was simple, straight forward and it pretty much was all Wilson, all the time behind
his massive offensive line. The Cyclones also overcame eight penalties and allowed Glenwood QB
Caleb Cox to complete only 5-of-20 passes with two interceptions.
"I think the key is we've gotta slow 'em down and make tem at least punt the ball occasionally,"
Glenwood head coach Dan Rourke stated. "We're not gonna shut SHG out. But we have to make them
work and when that ball gets dropped, we gotta be there to pick it up. When they make a mistake, we've
gotta take advantage of it."
Devin VonNordheim-Moore, the other half of the Titans' two-headed monster in the backfield, injured
his ankle against Kankakee. However, it is just a sprain, and he is expected to play Saturday, Rourke
said.
"We're gonna give 'em fits again on Saturday," Rourke said. "And I think that's why we're considered
their rival. We're the only team in this area who hasn't backed off of them. We haven't been successful,
but we don't back off.
"In week four, they were a superior team to us, across the board," he continued. "We really have
absolutely no chance to win this game. And the only thing we're taking out there is a bag of balls and
some courage. But I'm sure if you talk to our team, to a player, they're gonna tell you that we're gonna go
out there and win this ballgame.
"Go out, give 'em (heck), play football and have fun," Rourke continued. "We'll have a chance to win,
and somebody is gonna beat SHG. Why not us?"
Rourke is also hopeful his team can get off to a strong start, as playing catch-up against an opponent
as good as SHG is nearly impossible.
"One of the drawbacks of going out and getting the best players in the area to come to your school to
play is you rarely get yourself in a situation where you have to play with some adversity and play from
behind," he stated. "We'd love to get them in that situation. That's an experience they haven't had much
in the last several years."
Though things have dried out considerably lately, field conditions were obviously a huge issue last
week all over the state, with SHG and Rochester both playing on the turf at ISU. Rourke said he is
hopeful that the field at Memorial Stadium will be in good condition.
"They're rolling it and mowing it, and we'll see. It's something that's out of our control. I would hope
they would get it in as good a shape as they can, and I think they will, because they know a lot of people
will be paying attention to it."
playoffs Saturday
By Joe Pritchett
Chatham Editor
Let the hype begin (or continue for that matter). Let the rhetoric reach a fever pitch, and the let the fans
fight, bicker and go crazy.
Yes, it's Glenwood-SHG week (again), as for the fourth time in the last seven seasons, these two
fierce rivals will meet in the postseason, this time in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. Kickoff
is set for 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Springfield this Saturday.
The Cyclones, the defending Class 6A state champions, have won three state titles in the past five
seasons.
SHG (10-0) has owned the Titans (8-2), just as they have every other team in the area. Glenwood
stands at 5-28 all-time against SHG and Griffin High Schools, and the Titans have lost 11 games in
succession in the series, dating back to a 35-26 GHS victory in 2001.
However, there is no denying one simple fact. The Titans have played the Cyclones tough on a
number of occasions during the 11-game streak, and the teams' three recent playoff matchups (34-30 in
2003, 28-21 in 2005 and 35-21 in 2008) have shown that this could, and should, be a very good
ballgame.
Earlier this season, Glenwood lost 42-14 to SHG, in a game completely dominated by the Cyclones,
who own a huge size advantage. But the Titans have won six straight games since that defeat, and last
week GHS stepped up in class and handed a battle-tested Kankakee team a 14-0 defeat to claim their
first playoff victory since 2004.
SHG, meanwhile, blasted Carbondale 48-21 on the turf at ISU, with the score a bit misleading. The
Cyclones led 48-7 at halftime, and there was a running clock the entire second half. The winner of the
Glenwood-SHG game will face the Marion-Peoria Richwoods winner in the quarterfinals next weekend.
If the Titans pull off the upset, they would either host Marion or travel to Richwoods.
In the first matchup this season, SHG rushed for 321 yards, with 272 coming from running back Greg
Wilson on 44 carries. QB Eric Williamson completed all nine of his passes for 121 yards, and the
Titans trailed 28-0 into the third quarter before John Hagemann and the running game got untracked for
two long touchdown runs. It was, however, too late for a comeback at that point.
SHG's game plan was simple, straight forward and it pretty much was all Wilson, all the time behind
his massive offensive line. The Cyclones also overcame eight penalties and allowed Glenwood QB
Caleb Cox to complete only 5-of-20 passes with two interceptions.
"I think the key is we've gotta slow 'em down and make tem at least punt the ball occasionally,"
Glenwood head coach Dan Rourke stated. "We're not gonna shut SHG out. But we have to make them
work and when that ball gets dropped, we gotta be there to pick it up. When they make a mistake, we've
gotta take advantage of it."
Devin VonNordheim-Moore, the other half of the Titans' two-headed monster in the backfield, injured
his ankle against Kankakee. However, it is just a sprain, and he is expected to play Saturday, Rourke
said.
"We're gonna give 'em fits again on Saturday," Rourke said. "And I think that's why we're considered
their rival. We're the only team in this area who hasn't backed off of them. We haven't been successful,
but we don't back off.
"In week four, they were a superior team to us, across the board," he continued. "We really have
absolutely no chance to win this game. And the only thing we're taking out there is a bag of balls and
some courage. But I'm sure if you talk to our team, to a player, they're gonna tell you that we're gonna go
out there and win this ballgame.
"Go out, give 'em (heck), play football and have fun," Rourke continued. "We'll have a chance to win,
and somebody is gonna beat SHG. Why not us?"
Rourke is also hopeful his team can get off to a strong start, as playing catch-up against an opponent
as good as SHG is nearly impossible.
"One of the drawbacks of going out and getting the best players in the area to come to your school to
play is you rarely get yourself in a situation where you have to play with some adversity and play from
behind," he stated. "We'd love to get them in that situation. That's an experience they haven't had much
in the last several years."
Though things have dried out considerably lately, field conditions were obviously a huge issue last
week all over the state, with SHG and Rochester both playing on the turf at ISU. Rourke said he is
hopeful that the field at Memorial Stadium will be in good condition.
"They're rolling it and mowing it, and we'll see. It's something that's out of our control. I would hope
they would get it in as good a shape as they can, and I think they will, because they know a lot of people
will be paying attention to it."