By Greg Halbleib
The final meeting between two Intercity rivals plus another Intercity match-up highlight Week 2 of the high school football scene for Friday night.
The featured game on the WJBC Friday Night Extravaganza is U-High visiting Central Catholic in their last meeting on the gridiron. Both schools are moving into different conferences next year. The final Pioneers-Saints battle has the rare twist of both schools searching for their first win after Central Catholic fell to Tri-Valley 28-6 and U-High lost at Washington 49-13.
Central Catholic coach Mike Moews has developed a game plan for a rebound win.
“I told our kids right after the game that our focus is on us and we’ve got to make ourselves better,” said Moews. “We were disappointed in our first game. We didn’t play well they way I hoped we would and knew we could.”
U-High coach Trevor Von Bruenchenhein is well aware of the rivalry’s history.
“Parents have made sure to let me know how much importance is on the line and how much value is on the line for them as well and all the families and surrounding communities,” said the first-year Pioneers boss. “I’m ready for it and I think the guys are ready for it, and I think it’ll be a great game for the last conference crosstown rivalry game.”
The other Intercity match-up is at Fred Carlton Field in Bloomington as the Purple Raiders host Normal Community. Both are coming in 1-0 after NCHS blasted Urbana 61-0 and Bloomington pulled away from Manual in Peoria 35-14.
Bloomington coach Joe Walters is new to the rivalry but is well aware of it.
“It might the biggest game in the state this week,” said Walters. “I think it’s pretty big for everybody. The only thing worse would be playing them in Week 1 and having to do it right off the bat, but we’ve got to play them and we’re excited about the opportunity to test what we’ve done.”
Normal Community coach Wes Temples agrees.
“We’re excited,” said Temples. “Anytime you have the opportunity to play in a rivalry game, you throw the records out. It’s the pride in your school and all the guys that have come before you that have made this such a great, great game.”
As four of the Intercity football schools stay in Bloomington-Normal on Friday, the remaining team faces a bus ride of more than two hours as Normal West visits O’Fallon. The Wildcats are coming off a track-meet-style 70-63 loss to Peoria, but coach Darren Hess is still pleased.
“The kids never gave up,” said Hess. “There were times when we were down by two touchdowns and with a young squad as far as experience goes, that can be a bad sign, but the kids continued to play hard.”
The Week 2 Extravaganza will also have reports from Olympia at Prairie Central and Fieldcrest at El Paso-Gridley. Pre-game scene setters begin at 6:10 with updates every quarter hour and post-game until 11 p.m. Updates are on the WJBC Facebook page and the Extravaganza Twitter feed (@WJBCHSFootball, #WJBCHSFB).
