6A Football: Romeoville Has a Chance to Make Another Mark in Playoffs

In September, Romeoville High School football coach Jeff Kuna was encouraging his players to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event. Now, as November approaches, Kuna is pushing his players to make another mark in the Spartan annals.

Romeoville—after suffering through a winless football season in 2012—is back in the IHSA playoffs for the first time since 2002 (31-28 first-round loss to Pekin in Class 7A). And Kuna would like nothing better than to see his players top off their turnaround season by cracking into the postseason win column.

Romeoville (5-4)—an at-large qualifier—faces Rich Central (8-1) at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 1) in a first-round matchup in the Class 6A playoffs in Olympia Fields. Rich Central placed second in the Southland Conference after seeing its eight-game win streak snapped in a 27-26 overtime loss to Crete-Monee in the regular-season finale.

Romeoville notched victories over Oswego East (21-14) and Minooka (34-21) over the final two weeks to power into the playoffs on a high note. The Spartans finished 4-3 and tied for third in the Southwest Prairie Conference.

Tickets for the Romeoville-Rich Central game are $5 and will be available at the gate. Also, a student fan-bus sign-up is under way outside Mrs. Simpson’s room (117). The cost to ride on the bus is $1.

Rich Central High School is located at 3600 W. 203rd St., Olympia Fields, Ill.

The winner of Friday’s game moves on to face either Thornton Fractional South (5-4) or Lincoln-Way North (8-1) in Round 2.