Last week, the Oak Forest Bengals suffered a tough loss to the Hillcrest Hawks, falling 34-8. Heading into that game, the Bengals were 7-0 on the season, outscoring their opponents by more than 40 points per game.
After the loss, Oak Forest now sits at 7-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play. That record places the Bengals in second place in the South Suburban Blue Conference, right behind Lemont. Lemont currently holds a 5-3 overall record but remains unbeaten in conference play at 5-0.
This week’s matchup is a big one for the Bengals, as they take on Lemont at home in what could decide the conference championship. Adding to the stakes, Oak Forest hasn’t defeated Lemont since 2013, when the Bengals won a close game, 23-21.
Head coach Nick Sadek spoke about the team’s mindset heading into this crucial matchup.
“The game is less about our opponent and more about what we do during practice this week and the faith we have in each other,” Sadek said. “We’ve expected to do big things since we started camp in the summer, so the position we find ourselves in is something we’ve desired and had our sights set on all season long.”
Lemont is also coming off a loss, falling 54-27 to Richards. With both teams entering the game after disappointing performances, fans can expect a hard-fought contest on Friday night.
Defensive lineman Devin Booth shared his thoughts on what this game means to the team.
“Lemont’s a team everyone here circles on their schedule, and everyone on the team knows what’s at stake going into this game,” Booth said. “Everything is the same, and we’re looking forward to going out and playing our brand of football.”
Quarterback Danny Chopp reflected on how the season has gone so far and how the Bengals have handled expectations.
“The season has been going great,” Chopp said. “Offense, defense, and special teams have all been fantastic this year. We’re playing good complementary football. Expectations were high, and we’ve been living up to them the best we can, but there’s always room for improvement. We hope that by the end of the season we’ll have met those expectations.”
It seems the Bengals’ job is not yet finished. With goals still to accomplish, a win on Friday would not only give Oak Forest a conference title but also provide a huge momentum boost heading into the postseason.
The Bengals will wrap up their regular season at home on Friday, October 24, at Bengal Stadium. Kickoff against first-place Lemont is set for 7:00 p.m.
As always—Go Bengals!
