PREVIEW OF THE WILMINGTON WILDCATS

The first game of the 1998 IHSA Class 3A playoffs for the Kaneland Knights will be 7:00 Friday night. Is this a sign? Will the Knights last game will be 7:00 Friday night also? If so, the first game will be at Peterson field and the last game will be at Hancock Stadium in Normal (the day after Thanksgiving, November 27th).

But, before that can happen the Knights have to win four games and no game is more important than the game at hand. It pits the Wildcats from Wilmington against the Knights high octane offense.

Back for this game should be a heathy Bill McKeown, a recuperated Shaun Fuller and hopefully the long awaited arrival of versatile senior Shaun Wenz. With the Knights at full strength the Wildcats will have their hands full.

But not according to fifth year Wildcat coach Jeff Reents. He thinks it will be his team that will be the attacker, "We are going to give them (Kaneland) everything they can handle."

Reents came to Wilmington five years ago and turned Wildcat football around, compiling an impressive 35-15 record. He led his team to two straight undefeated regular season's, similar to Kaneland Coach Joe Thorgesen.

In 1996 the Wildcats lost to Marengo in the third round of the playoffs 21-14, last year they lost to Woodstock Marian in the second round of the playoffs 33-7 and this year the Knights want them to continue the trend and lose in the first round.

Coach Reents says, "We will be playing, what many think is the favorite to win it all (Kaneland). But like I told my coaches when the playoffs start, we are all 0-0."

This year Wilmington (6-3), which is near Coal City just off of Route 55, lost their first game of the season to #5 seeded Peotone 39-16 and then turned around and destroyed 0-9 Momence 62-6 to level their record at one and one. They then squeaked by Reed-Custer, Smashed another 0-9 team Sandwich, 42-0 and beat up on 3-6 Dwight 49-12 to move to 4-1.

In the second half of the season the Wildcats got nipped by Seneca 26-24, before beating Plano and Lisle. Then in their final game of the season, they stayed close to a tough Coal City team only to lose 14-7. Coal City like Kaneland a few weeks ago, was trying to play through the recent death of a fellow student.

The Wildcats have only beaten one team above .500, (Reed-Custer 5-4) and have lost to all other teams with winning records. All three teams Wilmington lost to, Peotone, Seneca and Coal City, all finished 8-1. Their six victories came against teams with an average of just over 2 wins for the season.

Despite their second half record coach Reents feels the Wildcats are better club now than when the season started. "We have improved greatly as the season has gone on. We are much better now than we were at the being of the season."

Reents knows Kaneland poses special problems, but he knows his Wildcats are also healthy.

"You have to beat the good teams sooner or later," Reents said. "We look at Kaneland much like we would Coal City. Both teams are experienced, consistent on both sides of the ball and very confident."

Reents is emphasizing execution. His team failed to convert on two red-zone opportunities last Friday against Coal City. "We average 350 yards offensively, but we occasionally struggle when we get in close," he said.

"We need to do better than that at Kaneland because we'll be seeing a strong four-man front with stunting linebackers and a good secondary."

The Wildcats finished third in the Interstate Eight conference behind Seneca and Coal city, a conference they were champions of the last two years.

Coach Reents says "We think playing in the Interstate Eight conference is one of the best 3A conferences in the state. With three of us in the playoffs - Senena, Coal City and us. We know we can compete with anyone."

Well, maybe, but there are others how think the new SPC White is also a conference to be reckoned with. And the Knights will be out to make sure they represent SPC well Friday night.