Bill Lidinsky Web Page
Plano Reapers at Amboy Clippers
Game Time: 1 p.m. Saturday
Records: Plano 11-0 (5-0, 1 st in I-8 Small); Amboy 9-2 (7-2, 3 rd in Big Rivers)
Last Week: Plano 44 Westmont 37, Amboy 50 Hampshire 20
Players To Watch: Plano Nick Nasti, running back, has 575 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns in the Reapers first two playoff games.
Amboy Daniel Saunders, running back, has over 1,700 yards rushing in 2006 for the Clippers.
Plano Hits The Road For 3A Quarterfinals
Reapers Hope To Mirror Success Of 05 In Week Three Playoffs
By Bill Lidinsky
In 2005, Plano football stormed into Elmhurst, IL. and pounded out a decisive 41-21 victory over Immaculate Conception in the quarterfinals of the IHSA Class 3A football playoffs after two initial home wins that opened the Reapers post season run.
This year the table is set for the same scenario to unfold as Reaper Nation prepares to invade the tiny town of Amboy, IL. to take on a very tough and talented Clippers team Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Plano won their opening two rounds at home in very similar fashion to 2005, while Amboy laid waste to their easily round foes averaging more than 40 points over the two game span.
“It seems eerily similar to last season for us. We hosted our first two games like we did last year and were similarly successful,” said Plano head football coach Jim Green. “Now for the quarterfinal we’re again heading on the road to Amboy and hoping for the same big result we had against IC in 2005. We can only hope that things can stay the same and we’ll be equally as fortunate with another win. But we know it won’t be easy because the Clippers have played some great football, especially in the first two weeks of the playoffs.”
Amboy’s latest triumph was a decisive 50-20 victory last Saturday at Hampshire, while the Reapers struggled against a ferocious Westmont team that hung in to the very end in a 44-37 Plano win.
It was one of Reaper Nation’s toughest defensive performances in two years. So this week Plano rededicated themselves to their usual ‘Doberman’ like attack when defending the ball.
“We worked on tackling, angles, and things like that. In essence, we went back to the basics on defense,” Green said. “Coach (defensive coordinator, Steve) Lucas has been working very hard on the defense. We just keep pumping into our guys heads that Amboy is averaging more than 40 points per game in the playoffs. Hopefully it’s enough to get them ticked off and take some pride in not letting someone else score 37 on us again. We know we can score points, but we just don’t want to get into a track meet like we did last week. I think we’ll be ready to go again defensively and bring our ‘A’ game to Amboy.”
The Reapers will have to be prepared this time to stop Clippers senior running back Daniel Saunders. The 5’10” 175 pound senior has been the heart and sole of the Amboy offense in 2006 rushing for more than 1,700 yards in 11 games. Add to that a solid passing attack with senior quarterback Derek Lovgren and giant 6’4” 235 lb. senior tight end Alex Jones along with 6’4” 205 lb. wideout Garrett Zinke, Plano must find a way to rebound defensively after a shaky effort last Saturday.
“We know Amboy is physical and has a very big squad, especially on offense. We’ve got to get some guys in who only play on one side of the ball to help contribute,” Green said. “Steve Eaves, Kirk Kabala, Colton Carlson, and Randy Niles have to step in and help some of the guys who play both ways and give them some rest defensively in order for us to be successful against the big offensive line of Amboy.”
But the Clippers know they have a bigger, if not equally as large a task at hand stopping the Reapers. Plano senior running back Nick Nasti has run wild in the first two playoffs games amassing 575 yards on the ground and 8 touchdowns. All this without regular running mate senior Jared Ferguson who returns to the Nation’s lineup after missing two weeks with mononucleosis. Ferguson is back at 100 percent and should only add to the Amboy challenge of stopping the relentless Plano running attack.
Not one team has found a way to do so in 2006, and the Clipper’s leader knows it will be a difficult task.
“Plano’s a very physical football team especially with number 44 Nasti. He runs over everybody especially last week against Westmont,” said Amboy head football coach Gary Jones. “For a big man he can fly and we know he’s going to be a load. But we can’t go in there saying we’re just going to stop him because now they have number 8 Ferguson back and he has some good speed. So does their quarterback (Brook) Bott. We’ve got to be disciplined enough to stay in our designed areas and hopefully make some tackles.”
Plano fans hope to continue the familiar trend of 2005 and grab a win in the 3A quarterfinals for the second straight season as their march for the championship continues.
“We hope things stay the same as last season for one more week with a win at Amboy. But then we’ll need to write another chapter in the semifinals, because we didn’t make it out of round four last year,” Green said. “First things first however, and I feel we’re very well prepared going on the road again this year in week number three. We all feel very confident traveling to Amboy on Saturday.”
Archive Stories
Westmont Playoff PreGame 11/2/06
Lisle Playoff PreGame 10/24/06
Seneca at Plano Preview- 9/14/06
"Reaper Nation Vs Tribe" - 8/30/06
Plano Hires New Bastkball Coach
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