Neuqua sees running game as major weapon

Updated: October 27, 2011 7:56PM

Entering the postseason saddled with a three-game losing streak and a 5-4 record, outside expectations for Neuqua Valley in its Class 8A first round matchup at Bolingbrook Friday aren’t exactly high.

And that’s the way it wants them.

Bolstered by the new beginning brought upon by the postseason, 15th-seeded Neuqua Valley travels tonight to play second-seeded Bolingbrook looking to show people it’s more like the team that got off to a 5-1 start than the team that has lost its past three games, including two in overtime, to end the regular season.

“It’s been really good this week. I’m excited where we’re at right now,” said Neuqua Valley coach Bryan Wells, whose team is going through its first three-game losing streak since dropping three straight games late in the 2009 season.

The Wildcats (5-4) enter tonight with the formula that has long defined them — a solid running game and a hard-hitting defense.

Junior running backs Joey Rhattigan and Danny Dudek will be heavily counted upon to help Neuqua Valley combat a Bolingbrook defense led by Florida-bound linebacker Antonio Morrison.

Despite sitting out last week’s double-overtime loss at Lake Park after getting banged up a bit in the blowout loss to Bartlett the week before, Rhattigan has run for 1,203 yards and 19 touchdowns while Dudek has tallied 743 yards and five scores on the ground.

“Well, we certainly hope so. That’s certainly part of our game plan,” Wells said of both Rhattigan and Dudek having success running the ball against Bolingbrook. “We’re running the same plays. We’re giving them a little bit different look than what we have to this point.”

The Raiders’ defense has surrendered an average of 12.7 points a game, with Homewood-Flossmoor recording a season-high 28 points against Bolingbrook in a 41-28 Bolingbrook victory on Sept. 23.

The programs’ first meeting, a 21-14 Bolingbrook victory in the second round of the 2005 Class 8A playoffs, has Wells encouraged over what his offense might be able to accomplish because he thinks this year’s Raiders team is similar to that 2005 outfit.

“You really can (run the ball against them), but the people who have tried to attack them don’t do it the way we do it,” Wells said. “It’s gonna be interesting to see if we can get our running game on track versus them.

“I know when we played them previous (in 2005), we were able to run the ball on them and nobody else had that year. I’m not hanging my hat on that, but I don’t know if they’ve faced the same style of running game that we have.”

Prior to Neuqua’s three-game losing streak, which has seen its defense give up 94 points combined, the defense had allowed an average of 14.7 points a game.

Offensively, behind junior quarterback Aaron Bailey and running backs Omar Stover and Jaden Huff, the Raiders are averaging 38.9 points a game, a marked improvement from a year ago when the Raiders averaged 23.1 points a night en route to finishing 5-5.

Bailey, a dual-threat quarterback who has amassed 1,796 total yards and 26 touchdowns, leads an offense that, while an explosive unit, is one that’s prone to making mistakes and one that Wells has noticed on film goes three-and-out a lot.

“They run the veer (option). Their blocking scheme and philosophy on offense is very similar to Waubonsie Valley,” Wells said. “(Bailey) runs the veer very well. They run the veer out of double-wing. Their veer and their pitch game, they do a real nice job with it.

“Passing the ball, they’ve got some weapons on the outside. (Bailey’s) got a very good arm. He’s not extremely accurate, but they’re dangerous anytime the ball’s in the air. And he takes off and scrambles, so they’ve been able to put up a lot of points.”

Finding themselves in a similar spot last year when the postseason began before eventually pulling off an upset on the road of a Downers Grove South team that might not have been tested as much as the Wildcats were, the Wildcats are hoping history may repeat itself.

While Neuqua Valley has been involved in five games with a 14-point spread, Bolingbrook (8-1) has been involved in only two such affairs, including its only loss, a 20-14 defeat to Lincoln-Way East on Sept. 30.

“Yeah, I really do (think we’ll provide a test for Bolingbrook),” Wells said. “I think if you understand how the players feel, I’d think that it would be pretty difficult not to have great confidence, thinking ’oh well, they’re 5-4 and coming in (with a) three-game losing streak and guess not all that much to worry about.’

“I think we do have something to worry about. I think we’re a better team than our record indicates. We’ve run into some tough luck in these last three weeks, but if we get into that same type of game against Bolingbrook, it’s very possible we find the luck on our side.”

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