If last week was any indication, Wilmington coach Jeff Reents showed competing against a familiar face can be good for a team’s playoff life.
Reents and the Wildcats can expand on that theory when they host a familiar foe in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Reents won the reunion with friend and Rockridge coach Jayson Kirby last week.
After knocking off the No 2 seed 34-13 on the road, seventh-seeded Wilmington (7-3) looks to play spoiler again when third-seeded Winnebago (8-2) returns to Becker Field for a second-straight playoff battle.
On Saturday, Wilmington meets a Winnebago squad that hopes to avenge a 55-26 first-round playoff loss a year ago.
“The Wilmington team we’re facing this year is very similar to the version we saw in 2010,” said Winnebago coach Mark Helm. “They’re big, they’re well coached, and they just play very sound football.
“We won’t get too caught up in what happened last year though. That was last year, this is this year, and we’re going to approach it as such.”
After compiling 205 rushing yards in round one, expect Wilmington to overload the Winnebago defense with a healthy dose of Chris Tworek (69 yards, three touchdowns in round one), Zach Skoryi and a finally healthy Jayson Conlin.
“We’ve definitely improved in our play-action passing game, and that can definitely be a weapon,” Reents said. “But at the end of the day, we’re always going to want to run the ball.”
Run or pass, Wilmington could either hit its offensive stride, or a brick wall, when attacking its visitors.
After blowing past seven-win Washington (Chicago) 60-0 in Week 2, Winnebago allowed Rockford Lutheran, which ended the season with seven losses, to rack up 49 points three weeks later.
“We won’t know what we’re truly up against until we take the field, but I can tell you one thing, they’re a very improved football team,” Reents said. “They can hurt you in multiple ways, and once again, we’re going to need to play our game of football to beat them.”
Like Wilmington, Winnebago emphasizes running the ball. Running backs Kolton Kuczynski (836 yards, 9 touchdowns) and Michael Pate (505 yards, 6 touchdowns), and quarterback Dylan Daub (374 yards, 8 touchdowns) fuel a stellar rushing attack. Daub is also a dependable passer; he accumulated 883 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.
“As long as we can get a push against their defensive line, I think we’ll do some damage running the ball,” Helm said. “It all starts in the trenches though, because they’re so physical up front.”
Wilmington’s physicality may see a boost Saturday thanks to improving health.
“We’re as healthy as we’ve been since Week 2, so I’m really happy about that,” Reents said. “To survive and play hard like we did through injuries is going to start paying off now in the playoffs.”
