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Golden Eagles, Titans face roadblocks to potential rematch
Posted Online: Nov. 06, 2009, 6:49 pm
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By Terry Duckett, tduckett@qconline.com
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Two months ago, the Annawan-Wethersfield and Mercer County football teams tangled in a Week 2 nonconference game, and it was the GoldenEagles flying high on their home field as they rolled to a 33-0 victory. Since that loss, the Titans have reeled off an eight-game winning streak. Mercer County has suffered losses to Carthage Illini West and Stark County, but like A-W is still alive to play in this weekend's second round of the Class 2A playoffs. And if both teams prevail this afternoon, a rematch of that Week 2 meeting would be on tap, with Annawan-Wethersfield hosting. But before that takes place, the Titans and the Golden Eagles have to get by the challenges which await them today on the road. Sixth-seeded Annawan-Wethersfield travels to No. 3 Amboy-LaMoille in a 1 p.m. battle of 9-1 clubs, while No. 7 Mercer County (8-2) hits the highway to take on second-seeded Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley and its 9-1 mark in a 2 p.m. kickoff. "We've got to stay focused on the task at hand, which is Amboy,'' said first-year A-W coach Brandon Johnston, whose club slipped byCliftonCentral 23-21 in last Saturday's first round. "If Mercer County wins or loses, that's completely beyond our control. Hopefully, we can worry about something like that Saturday night after a win. Right now, we've got a very good Amboy team to prepare for.'' Mercer County coach Nat Zunkel's club also had to work hard to win its postseason opener, topping Bureau Valley 26-19 on a Brett Anderson quarterback sneak with just over 17 seconds left to play. He, too, knows full well not to gaze into a playoff crystal ball. "Our focus right now is on Gibson City,'' said the first-year Golden Eagles' coach. "We really haven't heard any talk about the next round, or anything like that. You've got to have your focus honed in at this point, otherwise you could be one and done.'' -- Titan-ic task: Johnston's club is the second West Prairie Trail Conference squad to visit Amboy for the playoffs, with the Clippers having hosted WPTCNorthwest member AlWood &ROWVA last Saturday, emerging with a 41-0 victory over the Bulldogs. The WPTCNortheast champion Titans hope to turn the tables on the Big Rivers Conference runners-up. "Part of the fun of the playoffs is playing new teams, and this is pretty exciting for our kids and for the community,'' said Johnston, the former Cambridge prep standout. "Momentum and crowd noise can be huge in the playoffs, but we're hoping, and we really believe, that our fans will travel well; they have all year.'' Johnston also feels last week's close call against Central's Comets will only help his club as it pushes for the second-year co-op's first berth in the state quarterfinals. "We had to play four strong quarters against a very good football team last weekend,'' he said. "That should build our confidence down the road. If we're in that situation again, we've been there before.'' -- Intense Eagles: Pleased with the intensity his club showed during its game-winning drive against Bureau Valley last Saturday, Zunkel has seen Mercer County pick up that focus this week in workouts. "We've continued with the intensity we showed in the fourth quarter last week; we've had a great week of practice,'' he said. "The guys are focused, their eyes are on a good football team inGibson City, and they know they have to work hard to win (today).'' The fact GCMS had a fight on its hands with 15th-seeded Riverdale last week -- leading just 8-6 before scoring 17 points over the final 5:15 of the game -- has to give the Golden Eagles additional high hopes for a successful outcome. "Riverdale's a good club; they play good, quality football in the Big Rivers Conference,'' said Zunkel. "We know that, having had to go through Bureau Valley. I'm sure Gibson City isn't satisfied with its win over Riverdale. That was a good, hard-fought game. If we don't take care of business, we're in for a long Saturday afternoon.'' 
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