Game Preview: Hinsdale South vs. Downers Grove South

    After losing two games in a row, the Hinsdale South Hornets were able to pull off a victory against Morton last week. The Hornets took advantage of their strong running game and collected 344 rushing yards. The Hornets defense seemed to lack a little bit, but the Hornets still came away with the 28-21 victory.

            The Hornets are looking for another victory, and a playoff spot, as they head home this week to take on the Mustangs of Downers Grove South. The Mustangs are coming off of a very big win last week, on the road, against Proviso East. The Mustangs were able to top the Pirates, 34-7. The Hornets, on the other hand, are headed home to play the Mustangs, which helps their momentum out a lot. The Hornets will also be celebrating senior night, which is always a good momentum booster for the team. All of the energy appears to be on the Hornets side, as they try to get a victory, and a playoff spot, in front of their home crowd.

    Last season, the Hornets went into action with a 4-3 record, while the Mustangs came in with a 7-0 record, which was the best in the West Suburban Gold Conference at that time. The Mustangs had a very strong team, which featured quarterback A.J. Simoncelli and star running back, Josh Williams. This season, however, is a lot different for each team. The Mustangs will be coming into the game with a 2-5 record, while the Hornets have a 5-2 record. The Hornets also have the “stars” on their side this year, with quarterback D.J. Deolitsis and running back, Arian Toney.

            Both teams will be fighting super hard for this game, as the Mustangs will look to try and stop the Hornets from winning and going further in the West Suburban Gold Conference, but at the same time, the Hornets know what they need to do, and will fight hard to do it.

Keys to the Game:

            If the Hornets want to win this week, they may want to focus on their running more than their passing. It helped them out a lot last week against Morton, and it could do the same against Downers South. Last week, the Hornets had 344 total rushing yards, and were lead by D.J. Deolitsis, who had 101 of those yards. This shows that the quarterback sneak was very big for the Hornets last week, but if the Downers South defense figures that out, their plan could be ruined. The key is to shake things up, and not be too predictable.

            The Hornets have done a good job on cutting down the number of fumbles in a game. Last week, the Hornets only had one fumble, but it was recovered, and they never lost the ball. Downers Grove South will be looking for the fumble this week, and they may even try to force the fumble. The Hornets need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

            Lastly, Downers Grove South liked to strike late in the game. In fact, the majority of their points come in the second half. The Hornets need to try and get a lead in the early part of the game, and use their strong defense to hold the Mustangs. The Hornets defense needs to be on their toes in the second half.

Time for Predictions:

    Looking at this game on paper, and considering the energy and momentum that will be in Darien this weekend, the Hornets should be able to come away with a win. The Mustangs will do anything in their power to stop Hinsdale South from winning, but the Hornets have the ability to overpower the Mustangs, and win.

Game Time:

    This game will take place on Friday, Oct. 12 at Hinsdale South High School, in Darien, Ill. The game time scheduled for 7:30. There will also be live coverage on WLRA 88.1 FM and at www.lewisu.edu/wlra.