Published: November 07, 2009 01:06 am      

Vikes take on talented Bulldogs

OAK LAWN — College football coaches all across the nation have been watching Oak Lawn Richards this season.

Three Bulldog football players are major blips on the radars of NCAA Division I coaches.

According to the Southtown Star, cornerback Jarrell Williams has already received an offer from Northwestern, wide receiver Keith Sconiers has narrowed his list of schools to Louisivlle, Michigan State and Arizona, while 6-foot-5, 285-pound lineman is looking at Wyoming, Illinois State and Eastern Illinois.

And that list doesn’t even include Richards quarterback Jon Ryan, a potential selection in the June Major League Baseball draft who is looking at Bradley or Illinois-Chicago for baseball.

So, how will the third-rated Danville Vikings (10-0) beat this extremely talented group of Bulldogs (9-1)?

“The same way that we’ve beaten every other team that we have played this year,’’ Danville senior wide receiver Derrick Cunningham said. “We have to execute and play to the best of our abilities.

“We don’t get caught up in who is a D1 player and who is not. We just do what we have to do each week to get a win.’’

Cunningham also contends that Danville has a few players that should also be on the recruiting radars.

“I think we’ve got four or five, if you ask me,’’ he said. “But they are up in Chicago, so they are going to get more looks than us.

“We have something to prove.’’

Danville will try to do so tonight in a second-round Class 6A football playoff game at Richards High School in Oak Lawn.

“We just got to play better than them, because evidently they are supposed to be the better team,’’ Danville junior safety Eddie Clark said. “We just have to man up with them and make something happen.

“Every team has a couple of good individuals. But at the end of the day when the game is over, if everyone doesn’t step up as a team, those one or two individuals are not going to put enough points on the board to win a game.’’

Danville coach B.J. Luke points out that there are players that measure up physically as Division I players and then there are players that play well enough to be Division I.

“That difference is sometimes 3 inches,’’ he said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that might not make the profile, but they play every bit as good as a kid that is a Division I recruit.’’

This is not the first time that the Vikings have faced a team with an abundance of talent.

Senior offensive lineman Michael Bowman pointed out that teams like Decatur MacArthur, Bloomington and Normal Community were also very talented when the Vikings faced them.

“There is not much more we can do other than play hard and hit them like anyone else,’’ Bowman said. “There is not one person that can win this game. You have to have everyone, all 11 guys playing 100 percent.’’

The one guy that could be a big factor in tonight’s game is Ryan, the Oak Lawn left-handed quarterback.

“He’s a good ball player and a good athlete,’’ Luke said. “He can be a factor if we allow him to be. He is one of the challenges in this game.

“We have to get heat on him, pressure on him and tackle him. I’m not sure he has been chased by a team like us, yet.’’

Ryan has accounted for nearly 2,100 yards of offense this season and 25 touchdowns.

“It starts with our defensive end containment,’’ Danville junior defensive tackle Tommy Rose said. “Once they slow him down, the rest of us have to step up and make the tackle on him.

“Our scout team has done a good job this week of getting us ready. It’s now up to us to get the job done.’’

While Richards rolled up 328 yards of total offense in a 22-16 win over Rock Island last weekend, the Rocks were also able to 367 against the Bulldogs, including 319 on the ground.

“We have to have both our running game and our passing game against this team,’’ Bowman said. “The offensive line will have to block. The backs have to hit the holes. The quarterback has to make the throws. And, the receivers have to catch the ball.

“We need all 11 guys doing their jobs.’’

Luke said there is no doubt which team he believes in for this contest.

“If I’m going to get on a bus for this game, I’m going to get on with the Danville kids,’’ he said.

Tonight’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. and it can be heard locally on WDAN-AM 1490 and WRHK-FM 94.9.

The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to face either Lemont of Chicago Morgan Park.