Mooseheart prepping for ‘little Super Bowl’

Updated: October 19, 2011 8:04PM

It seems like an age ago — Mooseheart’s 25-0 loss to North Shore Country Day in Week 1 of last season — as so much has changed in the 16 regular season games since for both programs.

In 2010, the Raiders were one-and-done in the playoffs after squeaking in at 5-4. The Red Ramblers dressed just 18 players for that game and finished the year 4-5.

Now, the teams meet Saturday afternoon in Winnetka with the Northeastern Athletic Conference title and possibly the top playoff seed in all of Class 1A on the line.

“We’re trying not to get over excited,” Red Ramblers senior Noel Yarngo said. “It could be a special year for us, so we’re just doing what we have to do and trying to work hard for Saturday.”

Mooseheart (8-0, 8-0) is also attempting to secure its first undefeated season since 1996 while North Shore Country Day (8-0, 8-0) is trying to do the same for the first time since 1990.

“It’s like a little Super Bowl in and of itself,” Mooseheart coach Gary Urwiler said. “It’s almost been two years of development between the two teams since we last met (and) both teams have definitely improved and are doing some great things.”

To get to this point, Mooseheart edged previously unbeaten CICS/Longwood and a five-win Hope Academy squad by a combined 10 points the last two weeks, while North Shore beat those teams by a combined 39 points behind an explosive spread offense led by QB Steve Smith.

The Raiders, who average 41.6 points per game, will test the Red Ramblers’ stout defense (7.5 ppg) with Smith’s ability to throw to top receivers Austin Corren and Zach March while running back Ayo Okesanya (247 yards last week against CICS/Longwood) is a breakaway threat any time he touches the ball.

Yet it’s not the skill set that impresses the Red Ramblers most about their opponent.

“It’s not necessarily that they put up the most points (in the conference), but that they’re a competitive team,” Mooseheart senior Daniel Tucker said. “They go hard, they work hard every play.”

Mooseheart hopes the close victories the last two weeks have prepared them for the game, as well as the fact they take extra pride in playing defense, forcing 21 turnovers and creating 23 plays for negative yardage.

“Defense is one of the best aspects of our team,” Tucker said. “We’re really fast off the ball, we like to hit hard and punch (at the ball) when we hit, and I think that’s going to be important this week — that we get to the ball as a team.”

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