Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Triad excited about chance to play premier program in Joliet Catholic

Knights go on road for first-round game

JOLIET -- Triad coach Paul Bassler brought back members of the Knights' 2001 squad to talk about how they carved out their niche in the history of school's football program.

"We brought in our kids from the 2001 team that played against Morris, another significant game in our short history here of high school football," Bassler said of the Knights' 27-16 loss to Morris in the third round of the Class 5A playoffs in 2001.

"They came in and talked about the significance of their game, and how they changed the program and what it would mean to be finally able to get over the hump. We've played some good programs here in the playoffs, and we've progressively gotten better."

The Knights (7-2) will be playing the Joliet Catholic Academy Hilltoppers (7-2), arguably the premier football program in the state, at 3 p.m. today in Joliet.

It was the Hilltoppers who defeated Morris 27-20 in the Class 5A state championship game in 2001.

Bassler said the Hilltoppers, who have won 12 state titles, including six in the last 10 years, are one of the football programs he has tried to emulate.

"I record most of the championship games on TV," Bassler said. "I've seen them before. I constantly talk to our kids about Metamora and Joliet Catholic and New Lenox Providence and Mount Carmel and Bloomington. Any time they get a chance to watch them play, they should go see what they are trying to work so hard to become."

Bassler sees the game against the Hilltoppers as an opportunity, not a monumental task.

"The kids are excited, the coaching staff is excited," Bassler said. "It's a neat opportunity. I told the kids earlier in the week that there is going to be opportunities that come along in your lifetime that are going to be seize-the-moment type of opportunities, and this is one of them."

The Hilltoppers and the Knights have the same offensive philosophy -- run the ball.

The Hilltoppers have rushed for 2,738 yards -- an average of 295.2 rushing yards per game -- this season.

Josh Ferguson, a 5-foot-10, 171-pound junior, is the Hilltoppers' leading rusher with 107 carries for 930 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Malin Jones has rushed 88 times for 726 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Jordan Lyles has rushed 66 times for 561 yards and three touchdowns.

"It's like the teeth of our stuff, too," said Bassler, whose team has rushed for 2,987 yards this season, including 1,013 yards and 15 touchdowns by quarterback Kristian Moon.

Joliet Catholic quarterback Anthony Maddie has attempted 100 passes, completing 38 for 756 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Hilltoppers' defense has yielded only 118 rushing yards per game.

"They are very, very good at what they do," Bassler said. "They've been doing it for a long time, and we've got a chance to look at them on film. We know exactly what we are going up against. We're just going to play as hard as we can, and see where the chips fall."

The Hilltoppers' two losses were to Marist 24-17 and Providence Catholic 21-7.

Bassler said the Hilltoppers have a tendency toward turnovers.

"They do put the ball on the turf," Bassler said. "In the games we've watched, they've fumbled the ball several times. If that happens, we have to got to take advantage of it."

Bassler said his team will leave early in the morning for the 210-mile bus ride to Joliet. He wants to arrive about four hours prior to game time, so the team can go through their normal pregame meetings and warmup.

"We are going to do what we do four hours before the game, like it was a home game," Bassler said.

"Hopefully, there won't be any bus-lag or whatever you call. We're not dragging around after just getting off the bus."