Uncharted territory for Sandwich

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:14PM

A little over 24 hours after suffering the first, and only, defeat of the 2010 regular season last Friday, the Sandwich Indians had that sting softened a bit by being awarded the fourth seed in Class 4A and a home playoff game.

It's easy to find concern in that disappointing loss to Wilmington, but this season is the best the school has had in the modern playoff era and likely, school history. Saturday will be just the second playoff game the Indians have hosted - fittingly 25 years after the first.

On the surface, it's somewhat amazing.

The Indians hadn't won more than six games in a season since who knows when - even people at the school don't really know.

This program has had a recent history of not finishing strong after strong starts in the regular season - head coach Derek Avery bluntly said as much back in Week 5.

And this squad had every chance to bow their heads and pack it in. It could've done it before the season when all-conference wingback Sam Hill tore a knee and was ruled out for the year.

It could've happened after Week 2, when all-conference fullback and defensive tackle Tim Schmitt also injured a knee and missed most of the season.

Instead, this group maintained a goal of a 9-0 regular season and picked one another up after injury or illness.

It's said that chemistry is fostered by winning, but this group brought a different type of attitude to the table from Week 1.

"Everyone seems to pick each other up," Interstate Eight Large Player of the Year candidate Connor Voss said. "In the past some teams put losses on their record before the season even started, but we were determined. We came together as a group more. We seem to all be close knit and it's fun to be around each other."

Added senior QB Justin Wegener: "The biggest difference is the attitude of this team. I'm not saying we didn't have good leaders on the team before, but the whole team attitude is better. It's taking games one at a time, knowing you're going to make mistakes in a game and knowing it's just about making the next play better than the last.

"It's more of a winning attitude, I would say, than years past."

The group hasn't come out and said they want to win a state title, but it's not a stretch to assume they believe they can. Yet their recent history of frustration, which includes a 5-4 season last year (but no playoffs) and a 5-5 2008 campaign that ended with two straight losses - including one to Coal City in the playoffs - has given this group perspective.

"That goes back to the attitude this team has - we take one week at a time and whatever happens, happens," said Wegener, who has been on varsity the last three seasons. "We'll put our best foot forward and go on to the next week from there."

On Saturday, the Indians welcome in a team from the Chicago Public Illini Heartland conference in the Harper Cardinals, a 6-3 team that was 1-3 against teams with winning records during the regular season.

While not much is known about the Cardinals, what is known is they run the same double-wing, or Wing T, offense as the Indians. While the name of the opponents may be unfamiliar, Sandwich has to feel confident defending an offense it is familiar with.

Even if the Cardinals were a spread team, the Indians would be going in with confidence - the defense has allowed more than one score just four times and has pitched two shutouts.

"Our defense has really led us all year long," Avery said. "There's no secret as to how you win games - it's to play great defense. And this year we've been able to play better defense than we have the last couple years and it's showing up on the scoreboard."

Before Wilmington - a Class 3A championship favorite - put up 34 points last week the Indians had only been allowing 8.4 points per game thanks to a front seven that has been dominant at stuffing the run.

"Our defense has played excellent the whole year," Voss said. "We've been able to be good tacklers. Usually we drive the pile back. We seem to all make tackles. Everyone is flying to the ball at the right times. As a DB, I really haven't made that many tackles this year and I'm kind of proud because our D-line and linebackers are making all the tackles."

One concern for the Indians heading in - and during - the game will be health.

Schmitt re-aggravated his knee injury and missed Week 8 before rushing just 10 times last week. Wingback P.J. Crotty suffered a nasty hit in Week 9 and did not finish the game and fellow running back and Voss has dealt with some lingering back issues. Some linemen have also battled injury throughout the year.

Avery and his players say that everyone will be ready to go on Saturday, but the small school bracket is oftentimes a war of attrition - health is perhaps more important than talent.

Make no mistake though - Sandwich is talented - and it's a reason why the team finds itself in a unique position as the playoffs begin: a favorite.

"I think it'll be a different role but (Friday) was a great warmup for us with that," Avery said. "Our kids do a pretty good job of focusing one week at a time. They'll be focused. They've been waiting a year to get this opportunity. They felt like they maybe should have gotten in last year and we didn't. They keep that in the back of their mind, how they didn't get that opportunity last year so they want to take advantage of this opportunity they've been given."

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