LENA, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF))–Lena-Winslow’s football team has handled all 13 of its opponents this season. If the Panthers can do that again Friday, they will be state champions once again.
They’ll play for the school’s sixth state championship in class 1A at 10 a.m. in Champaign against another undefeated team Camp Point Central. The Panthers have averaged a whopping 51 points per game this season. That total would be a lot higher except most of their games had a running clock by halftime.
The Panthers’ hard work over the past several months has led up to this opportunity.
“This is what we’ve worked towards,” said quarterback Drew Streckwald. “I mean the whole year and before the year, so it’s pretty nice to finally be here.”
“I think that it helps that we’ve been here before, said lineman Sam Pecoraro. “My class has been to three state championships so far, so we kind of know what to expect.”
Camp Point Central has also dominated its opponents this year. Their defense is giving up only five points per game. They’ve posted seven shutouts, two of those in the playoffs.
“They’re a system style defense just like we are even though ours is an even front,” said Le-Win head coach Ric Arand. “They don’t blitz a lot. They stick to their guns. They read their keys. They’re just real solid.”
“It’s big week for our offense,” said Le-Win All-State lineman Henry Engel. “We’ve been averaging roughly 50 points a game, so we can’t rely on that at all because these are new guys, a new area. We’ve just got to hope we can play physical, fast and hard enough that it wears them down.”
