Harvard, R-B clash today for BNC East supremacy

John MacKenzie of Harvard High School makes a completion as Marengo's Tony Rizleris looks to tackle during the second quarter of a Sept. 25 game. MacKenzie added 53 yards and a completion for a two-point conversion in Harvard's 49-14 win over the Indians. The Hornets take on R-B today in a clash of BNC East titans. (Nick Dentamaro - ndentamaro@nwherald.com)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

For more high school sports, visit McHenryCountySports.com

As far as the Big Northern Conference East Division is concerned, this is it.

Harvard (5-1 overall, 2-0 BNC East) visits Richmond-Burton (5-1, 2-0) at 7 p.m. today in a football game that should determine the division champion, given that these two easily have been the BNC East’s best two teams.

Harvard coach Tim Haak couldn’t remember a Harvard vs. R-B game where both teams had comparable records so late in a season. It reminds him a little of some of the Hornets’ former battles with R-B when former Rockets coach J. Randy Hofman was at the helm.

“We understand the talent level they have,” Haak said. “But our kids have worked hard for this opportunity. That’s the thing, with all their preparation, now they have this chance.”

R-B is ranked No. 6 in The Associated Press’ Class 4A poll, while Harvard is receiving votes. Both teams have a great deal of respect for each other. Rockets coach Pat Elder had Harvard on his radar before the first day of fall practice.

“Coach Haak has an unbelievable talent for managing a football game, which is an underappreciated skill,” Elder said. “People talked about the favorites in the [division] as us and Harvard. Whoever wins this, controls their own destiny, and that’s all you want.”

R-B returned most of its starters from a Class 4A semifinal team last season, and has been ranked most of the season. The Rockets’ loss came in Week 3 to Stillman Valley, 25-7.

Harvard has won five consecutive games after a season-opening 48-7 setback against Big Foot, Wis.

“They’re a good team and they’ve been on a roll,” R-B fullback Kenny Riordan said. “They run a lot so we’ll have to shut them down inside. We just need to do our assignments on defense.

Last week [a 48-14 win against Burlington Central] was our best defensive game. Everyone did what they had to do and we played as a unit.”

R-B is racking up 371.2 yards a game with backs Chad O’Kane (627), Riordan (565) and Justin Russell (465), all of whom are among the area’s top 10 rushers. Harvard’s Vince Gabrys (912) leads the area in rushing, and Andrew Kick (412) is 10th on the list.

“It’s going to be a good opportunity to see how we react and see what happens,” said Gabrys, who has rushed for 458 yards and nine touchdowns in the last two games. “Basically, our line is firing off the ball and doing their job. Our team chemistry is flowing right now.”

R-B hasn’t won a division title since 1996, when the Rockets won the BNC White. Harvard last won the BNC East in 2007.

“This is what we’ve worked all summer for,” Harvard quarterback Zach Fiegel said. “It’s definitely a big game. They stand in the way of one of our goals, we’re ready to go.”

Players on both teams insist they have maintained focus on the game before them. And both teams appear to have improved almost weekly since taking a tough loss early.

“We’ve been consistent,” Elder said. “We’ve been patient on offense and put ourselves in good situations. We feel we’ve gotten better each week.”