Pigskin Preview
Hinsdale Central (5-4) at Neuqua Valley (8-1)

• Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at Neuqua Stadium, 2360 95th Street, Naperville

• Last year: Hinsdale Central lost to Maine South 30-6 in semifinals of
Class 8A playoffs; Neuqua Valley lost to Bolingbrook 21-14 in Class 8A
second round

• Outlook: The Red Devils will be the underdog as the No. 15 seed in their
half of the bracket against the No. 2 Wildcats, the Upstate Eight Conference
champions who have won eight straight.
The Red Devils started out 3-0, but they might actually be playing their
best offensively now. Still, the Red Devils’ defense that has allowed 15.2
points and 220 yards per game has to contend with the Wildcats, who have
scored at least 25 points every game since losing their opener 17-14 to
Naperville North.
The Red Devils have averaged 307 yards of offense the last three games,
but they also had three big turnovers in Friday’s 25-14 loss at Lyons
Township. The Red Devils also have 84 fewer plays in a triple-option offense
and 107 more penalty yards than their opponents this season.
“We’ve really started to jell (on offense). I think we’ve just got to
stop turning the ball over,” said Hinsdale Central coach Mike DiMatteo, also
the offensive coordinator. “(Our defense) has been pretty solid all year,
but the offense has put them in a position where they’ve been on the field a
lot longer.”
Quarterback Zach Leathers has rushed for team highs of 547 yards and
seven TDs and passed for 585 yards and two TDs. Defensive leaders are Jack
DiNardo (75 tackles, 7 sacks, 10 tackles for loss), Matt Kajmowicz (77
tackles, 8 sacks), Jon Rogowski (10 sacks), J.T. Sandstedt (8 sacks) and
Nick Chenier (68 tackles).
Neuqua Valley hasn’t lost a beat since Division I running back prospect
Alan Smith tore his ACL in Week 7 because back-up Anton Wilkins (5-foot-9,
180 pounds) has gained 1,007 yards on 169 carries (5.6-yard average) with 17
TDs to help the Wildcats beat five playoff teams, including a 27-25 win over
Rockford Boylan (8-1). Quarterback Nick Rafferty (6-2, 170) has completed 69
of 135 passes for 1,036 yards with 11 TDs and seven interceptions. Fullback
Joey Antonacci (5-11, 180), who also plays safety, has added 326 yards on 65
carries with four TDs out of the Wildcats’ Pro-I formation. They benefit
from a line anchored by tackle Robert Fisher (6-6, 330) and center Jordan
Yearian (6-2, 250).
Neuqua’s defense is allowing 16 points per game behind two-year starting
end Mike Cremer (6-0, 200; 4 sacks) linebackers Ross Fumagalli (6-0, 210)
and C.J. Robertson (6-2, 225; 98 tackles, 5 sacks) and free safety Matt
McGilliard, who has seven interceptions to lead the Wildcats’ plus-15
turnover ratio.

• Quotable: “Defensively, we have to do a great job stopping their running
game. That’s something we do very well at times and then other times we have
difficulty,” Neuqua coach Bryan Wells said. “We’ll try to establish the run,
(but) we have to be consistent (on offense). Anything less than our best and
we struggle.”

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