EDWARDSVILLE – A CBC announcer once said, referring to the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs and the grinding and effort it takes to lift Lord Stanley each spring:
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“These. Are. The. Playoffs. You DO what it takes.”
The same can be said for the IHSA Football Championship, the 42nd edition of which begins this weekend. For Edwardsville, that means a Class 8A first-round encounter with Aurora Waubonsie Valley at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
Like any game, however, the key to winning, at least in Tiger coach Matt Martin's eyes, are the same things the Tigers need to do during the regular season.
“We'll need to execute and limit our mistakes, avoid the turnovers,” Martin said. “We'll need to go out and play hard.”
The Warriors, who are members of the DuPage Valley Conference, enter the game with a 5-4 overall record, 4-4 in their league, having dropped their final two regular-season games to Naperville North and Wheaton North. The Tigers, on the other hand, went 9-0 overall, 7-0 in the Southwestern Conference; they defeated Alton and Granite City in their last two regular-season games.
“They're a triple-option type of team,” Martin said. “They have a good offensive line, a really big fullback and a quarterback who can run and throw well. They play pretty solid on defense and middle linebacker who's also a running back who's really impressive.
“They're a much better team than their record indicates. They're a very imposing team.”
That the Tigers are opening at home is an advantage. “We won't have to worry about the travel and other things you have to deal with this time of the year,” Martin said. “But we'll have to handle it at some point in the playoffs, so we'll deal with it when the time comes.
“There are things you can control and other things you can't control. We'll work with the things we can control.”
Rain could be a factor in Saturday's game; forecasters are predicting a 70 percent chance of showers, with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s and south-southeastern winds at 10 miles per hour.Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
