The Vikings are back in the postseason.
Homewood-Flossmoor secured a playoff spot Oct. 24 with a 50-8 win over visiting Metea Valley in the final regular-season game. H-F missed the postseason last year.
“This is amazing. This is a first-time thing for me. Last year, we fell short,” senior linebacker Aeneas Allen said. “It’s a great feeling but we’re not satisfied, yet. We’ve got more to go. We’re not done.”
Only 32 teams qualify for the Class 8A playoffs. Before games even began Oct. 24, 21 spots were already clinched. The Vikings were one of 14 teams hoping to grab one of the remaining 11 bids.
They did so emphatically on senior night behind receiver Myles Ellis (seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown) and running back Kourtney Smith (15 carries, 73 yards and two scores), both seniors.
“It’s nice for this group of seniors to get the opportunity to play in the state playoffs,” first-year coach Troy McAllister said. “Now it’s just resetting because it’s hard to be this high because we’re in, but we got to come back to work. We can’t have it stop here. We have to keep setting our standard and expectation higher and higher.”
Metea Valley (2-7, 0-5) only scored in the second half, when there was already a running clock and most of the players on the field were reserves. Allen, who captains the Vikings’ defense and had an early tackle for loss to help set the tone, said he knew his team was playoff-bound during summer camp.
“The chemistry (we have), since day one I knew,” he said. “We just got to put it together in the playoffs.”
H-F (5-4, 4-3) has effectively been playing for its season for the last two weeks. A loss to either Naperville Central on Oct. 17 or to Metea Valley would’ve cost the Vikings a chance at the postseason.
McAllister said his team needed that little extra motivation to play to the level it’s capable.
“We had our senior parent dinner (this week) and I talked about how football state playoffs in Illinois are one of the few things that are earned. In most other sports, you’re guaranteed entrance,” he said. “It’s an accomplishment to get in but we have to understand that we now have to attack it like it’s a new season. Each week, the stakes are a little higher. It’s lose or go home.”
Junior William Bundy had a pair of interceptions. Sophomore Zen Cambric had another. Quarterback Rahsaan Coleman had 191 total yards with two passing touchdowns while Joaquin Jordan ran for a pair of scores.
