Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Flyers are set to host Minooka

East Side isn't sure if it'll have Molton for second-round game

After spending most of the last five weeks grinding out hard-fought wins in rain and slippery, muddy playing conditions, the Minooka Indians will compete today on the field turf of Clyde Jordan Stadium in East St. Louis.

But as Minooka coach Bert Kooi sees it, playing the defending Class 7A state champions on a dry surface isn't necessarily a good thing.

"We've played in mud the last five weeks and with our luck the one time where we maybe wouldn't mind playing in those conditions, we're going to play on turf against the defending state champions," Kooi said. "With their athletes and speed, the surface is a definite advantage for them.

"But we're going to show up and give it our best shot."

Coming off a first round 44-25 thumping of Edwardsville a week ago, the Minooka will face the Flyers (8-2) beginning at 3 p.m.

The Minooka-ESTL winner will advance into a quarterfinal game next week against O'Fallon.

O'Fallon defeated Lincoln-Way East in a second-round game on Friday.

While the Indians face a five-hour trip to play the Flyers on their home field, East St. Louis also has some question marks -- more specifically the health of senior all-state running back Courtney Molton.

Molton. who has rushed for 1,988 yards and 25 touchdowns, suffered an injury to his left ankle late in the first quarter of the Flyers' 50-43 win over Bradley-Bourbonnais last week.

Molton did not return to the game and has undergone therapy this week, but his playing status was still unknown late Thursday.

"Courtney is coming along. We'll see how he progresses the next couple of days," Flyers coach Darren Sunkett said. "We have two excellent backups in Jeremy Nicholson and Duke Robinson that we have all the confidence in the world in."

Nicholson rushed for 174 yards and scored on runs of 77 and 2 yards after Molton's injury. Robinson added a 68-yard scoring run.

Sunkett said Minooka is a big, solid football team that likes to run the football.

The Indians are led by running back Kyle Banks and quarterback Mitchell Brozovich. Banks has rushed for 890 yards and nine touchdowns while Brozovich has 827 yards and nine TDs.

Brozovich also has thrown for 477 yards and five touchdowns.

"They're big up front on both sides of the football, but we've seen big teams before. We're big as well," Sunkett said. "They have a nice running back in the Banks kid and the quarterback does a good job of running their option offense and getting the ball where it needs to be."

Kooi, who has the Indians in the playoffs for the first time in six years following a 3-6 campaign a year ago, saw East St. Louis in its first-round win and was impressed despite the close score.

"Bradley threw a everything at them, onside kicks, flea-flickers and a lot of it worked. But they (East St. Louis) have the total package. They have Molton and quarterback (Detchauz) Wray, two excellent wide receivers and as you saw last week, depth in the backfield with Nicholson and Robinson.

"They're not only big on both sides of the football, but they're big and athletic. Defensively, they are young, but they are aggressive and they love to hit. They're very physical."