Playoffs Started Early

With five wins needed to qualify for the IHSA post season party, Friday's conference battle in Stockton between the Blackhawks and Dakota Indians became a playoff for the playoffs as both teams came in with identical 3-4 overall records. The loser would be eliminated, while the winner stayed alive with one week left in which they had to claim their fifth win.

Squaring off were two traditional running teams. And with Mother Nature put her two cents in as well as the rain was pelting everyone all night long, and the wind whipped it into your basic John Madden Slobber-knocker type of ball game.

D...