#6 Lisle (Benet Academy) (6-3) at #3 Hinsdale (Central) (7-2) (map), Sat., Nov. 1, 2PM
Since taking the job at his alma mater prior to the 2010 season, Pat New has put Benet on the track towards getting the program back to its glory days of the 1980s.
In the postseason for the fourth time in five years under New, which included an 11-win season and a Class 7A state semifinal appearance two years ago, Benet makes its Class 8A debut in 2014.
On the heels of scoring the most points during New’s five-year tenure, courtesy of their 66-7 victory over Marian Catholic last week, the sixth-seeded Redwings (6-3) travel to Hinsdale on Saturday to match wits with third-seeded Hinsdale Central.
“I think that was big. It was big for us to bounce back and get us some confidence going into the playoffs,” sophomore quarterback Jack Sznajder said of the victory over the Spartans last week. “I thought that was a good game for us to do that. We just worked hard the whole week and that was the result. So we’re hoping to do the same thing this week.”
The Redwings’ young signal-caller threw a pair of touchdowns while running in for another against Marian Catholic last week while his brother, the Redwings’ senior workhorse running back Brad Sznajder, ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns against the Spartans.
First-year Hinsdale Central coach Dan Hartman used the term “hyper-loose” when describing the exploits of Brad Sznajder, who has 1,411 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year.
“They look confident. They play hard. The two brothers do an outstanding job for them on offense,” Hartman said. “I think their sophomore quarterback is really going to develop into a special player. But I think that he, for a sophomore this year, has been good. His brother dodges through traffic. He runs the ball hard. Physical runner.”
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are in the postseason for the fourth straight year and for the first time under Hartman, who came over from Evergreen Park and took over for Rich Tarka.
Hartman led Hinsdale Central (7-2) to a second-place finish in the West Suburban Silver behind Glenbard West and enter the postseason on a four-game winning streak following a 42-7 loss to Glenbard West on Sept. 26.
“They’re one of those teams—they can run and they can pass,” Benet coach Pat New said. “Their running back is Juwan Edmond, who’s a really productive running back. They have three or four really good receivers with a good quarterback and then they have a big offensive line. So from our standpoint, we really couldn’t find any weaknesses on their offense. They’re very talented and then they’re well-coached.”
Matt Rafferty, who at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds proves to be quite the imposing force for the Red Devils on the hardwood as he helped the Red Devils win a regional title before bowing out to eventual Class 4A runner-up Benet this past spring, pilots a Red Devil offense which averages 28.6 points and has broken the 30-point mark five times.
Rafferty has completed 55.5 percent of his passes for 1,246 yards and 14 touchdowns while Edmond has run for 979 yards and 10 TDs to help pace Hinsdale Central’s offense.
Rafferty and Edmond will provide a stiff challenge for a Redwing defense that Jack Sznajder has relied quite a bit on for support, as well as his brother, Brad Sznajder, as he continues to grow and progress.
“(Benet middle linebacker Charlie Weidenbach) definitely is the leader of the group,” Hartman said of Tim Cederblad’s unit. “He does an outstanding job. Big, strong kid. We know it’s going to be tough inside running the ball against their front four and with (Weidenbach) back there, he makes quite a few plays.”
“So I think we’re going to have to try to establish the run early but throw the ball, as well. So it’s going to be a struggle to score points.”
Getting Brad Sznajder, who has laid claim to both of Benet’s single-season and career rushing marks along the way during his big senior season, is paramount for the Redwings’ offense, as it is every week.
But New knows that his team will have to get Jack Sznajder to do some work with his arm as the Red Devils are certain to put eight or nine men in the box in an effort to stem the running game.
“I think hopefully we can try to establish some sort of running game against them,” New said. “Their linebacking core is very good. They get after the ball. They look like a really fast defense to me. So we’re going to try our best to execute and balance things out with run and pass. But we figure we’re pretty battle-tested. We’ve faced some pretty good defenses in the ESCC this year.”
Games annually against the likes of Nazareth, Joliet Catholic and even Marist, despite the RedHawks not making the postseason this year, take some of the anxiety out of making the jump from 7A to 8A for the first time for the Redwings.
“I don’t think the jump from 7(A) to 8(A), I don’t think is that drastic,” New said. “I think going from 6(A) to 7(A) would be more drastic. I mean, last year we played Mount Carmel and they were the No. 1 team in the state. (In) 2010, we played Wheaton South. They were the No. 1 team in the state.”
“So, I mean and then in 2012, I want to say Glenbard West and Lincoln-Way East were the two top teams in the state. So I think the No. 1 ranking in the state has always come from 7A. And now, of course, Glenbard West moves up. It doesn’t really help us much because I think they’re No. 1. I think 7(A) and 8(A) are really similar.”
