This Saturday afternoon, our Wolves will be travelling down to Lombard to face Montini Catholic. Given the Wolves 11-1 record and Montini’s record of 12-0, it will be a game for the ages. But wait, who exactly are the Wolves going up against?

Montini Catholic has had quite a season. Like the Wolves, most of their victories have been blowouts. Last week, they played a 9-3 Dekalb team and beat them 49-14. But mind you, any team you face in the state semifinals is going to be good. With that being said, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.  

On the offensive side of the ball, Montini gets about two-thirds of their yardage on the ground and a third through the air. So, as one could expect, two-thirds of their touchdowns come on the run. Like P.R., Montini scores a lot of points, averaging 31.7 per game. But that number pales in comparison to the Wolves’ average of 50 points per game. While they may not score as many points as we do, defense is where Montini shines.

Montini allowed just 81 points against their opponents thus far. During the regular season, they shut out their opponents four times, including a stretch of three in a row. The most points they have allowed in a game thus far is 17. So, the Wolves offense will have to find what makes Montini’s defense “tick.”

Over the course of this season, we have had an offense so dominant that we haven’t had to worry about defense all that much. Still an important part of the Wolves’ game, you can be a little forgiving on that side of the ball when you score 50 points a game. However, against Montini, defense will be the most critical factor in the game. As it has been said, offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

Two teams with great defenses and great offenses will yield a close game. If the point margin on this game is higher than two scores, I would be pretty surprised.

The keys to success for the Wolves is honestly to just keep doing what they’ve been doing. They have been a dominant force all year, and nobody has stopped them since the first week of play. I expect a high scoring, but close game.

Tomorrow (11/20) at NOON is your deadline to get a ticket for the fan bus. The game will start at 1:00 on Saturday at Montini.