Preview: Batavia Bulldogs vs. Hononegah Indians
Batavia has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Hononegah Indians at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Batavia had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They simply couldn't be stopped on Saturday as they easily beat Lincoln-Way Central 45-17 at home. Given Batavia's advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked fifth, while Lincoln-Way Central is ranked 38th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Batavia can attribute much of their success to Charlie Whelpley, who rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries, and Ryan Boe, who threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Boe has been hot recently, having posted three or more passing touchdowns the last three times he's played. Batavia also got help from Cj Valente who showed off his sure hands for 96 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Hononegah put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They didn't even let Willowbrook onto the board and left with a 44-0 win. That's two games straight that Hononegah has won by exactly 44 points.
Hononegah's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Isaiah Houi, who picked up 97 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Cole Warren, who threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Batavia's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 41.8 points per game. As for Hononegah, their win bumped their record up to 11-0.
Everything came up roses for Batavia against Hononegah in their previous meeting back in November of 2019 as the squad secured a 48-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Batavia since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
