The last time the Ironmen played the Boilermakers was in Week 6 of the 2017 season. The Iron won 47-7 on the way to an unblemished regular season record. The 2017 season came to an end with a 14-13 second-round loss to Mt. Carmel.

The Ironmen head into Saturday’s second round of the IHSA playoffs looking to advance to the State Series quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 when they host the Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers.

Community (1) enters the contest outscoring opponents 494-72 and are coming off their fourth straight shutout, a 43-0 round-one rout of the Argo Argonauts (32), their sixth on the season. 

The Boilermakers (16) secured their first playoff victory since 2016 with Saturday’s 38-21 win over St. Charles North (17). 

Community has achieved two of the three goals laid out by head coach Mr. Jason Drengwitz at the start of the season– go undefeated in the regular season and win an outright Big 12 Title. 

In Week 9, they achieved the program’s second undefeated regular season in three years, that perfect record earning the Iron an 18th Big 12 Conference Title. 

And a win over the 7-3 Boilermakers Saturday will put the Ironmen one step closer to the third.

 “We want to hang a banner,” Drengwitz said in an interview with the Inkspot at the start of the season.

To do so, the Ironmen must first make it to the IHSA quarterfinals, something the team has never done with Drengwitz as head coach. 

“Trust me, I know that we haven’t gotten to the quarterfinals since 2015,” Drengwitz said

That season, Drengwitz was an assistant on Mr. Wes Temples’ coaching staff, serving as the Iron’s offensive coordinator.

Last season, the Iron fell one point shy as a Pekin game-winning field goal closed the door on Community’s 2022 season.

The season prior, the Iron suffered a 17-7 second-round loss to Jacobs High School. 

This Saturday, to stop their second-round cold streak, the Iron first have to stop the Boilermaker’s offense.

Under center for Bradley-Bourbonnais is Ethan Kohl. 

Kohl is coming off a five-touchdown game against St. Charles North. The senior threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another three.

The two-year starter is a dual threat, Drengwitz said–a good thrower and an effective, physical runner. 

“He’s not going to slide,” the coach said. “He’s going to lower his shoulder and try to get extra yards.” 

“When he scrambles,” Drengwitz said, “he does a great job of moving around while keeping his eyes downfield, which then makes you stay in coverage, or else he’s gonna get you.”

As a junior, the quarterback threw for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Senior wideout Tyran “Tiny” Bender hauled in both of Kohl’s TD passes last week, recording 113 yards on three receptions.

The 5-foot-8 receiver’s speed is a threat, as he clocks a 49-second 400-meter dash time.

Joining Kohl in the backfield is running back Kenvontae Sutton. Last week, Sutton finished the contest with 128 total yards, 104 in the running game.

“You don’t get to the second round of playoffs,” Drengwitz said, “without being effective in the run and pass game and being really solid up front, which is going to be a really good challenge for us defensively.”

Last week, the Boilermaker defense shut down St. Charles North’s Ethan Plumb, a quarterback fielding multiple Division I recruitment offers, who tallied 29 TDs and over 2300 passing yards this season.

The Boilermakers became just the third team this season to hold Plumb to under 200 yards through the air, picking him off and holding him to one passing TD. 

Bradley-Bourbonnais’s ability to shut down the passing game, Drengwitz said, started up front for the Boilermakers.

“Their defensive line, their linebackers,” the coach said, “were able to do a good job of controlling the running game… A running game is a really good friend for a throwing quarterback.”

Factor in the Boilermakers’ ability to pressure the quarterback and “combine that with defensive backs that are athletic and runner talented [and] have good ball skills,” Drengwitz said, and “that’s a good recipe” to shut down an offense. 

The Iron offense Saturday will start in the backfield with senior running back Tommy Davis.

Davis, coming off a four-touchdown game Friday over Argo, will open up the passing game for Kyle Beaty and wideouts like Mar’Quan Gary and Ivo Austin. 

“Tommy is going to be a huge factor for us and what we do offensively,” the coach said. “He’s a dynamic guy in the backfield carrying the ball and a really good blocker in the pass game.”

“For us to be at our very best, he has to be at his very best,” Drengwitz said.

Community will have to execute in all three phases of the game Saturday as the Boilermakers’ special teams, the head coach said, are “outstanding.”

“They’re the best special teams by far that we’ve seen all year,” Drengwitz said. “They’ve got a really good kicker. Great guys on coverage. They’re multiple in the punt game. They really make you prepare, and all three phases are going to be important to win and advance.

“We have to be really prepared. I’ve been watching a lot of film. So hopefully, we’re going to put our best foot forward,” the coach said. 

The Community head coach hasn’t just been watching film. Drengwitz, quarterback Beaty and wideout Gary made the trip up north to watch their opponent last Saturday. 

There are some things you just can’t see on film the coach said. 

You can get an idea of how big they are, how physical they are, how fast guys are, how they fill out their pads, Drengwitz said. 

“Are they chippy? Are they emotional? Are they talking stuff? Things you really can’t see on film, but you can see in person at the game.”

Emotions, Drengwitz said, will be a key for the Ironmen, who have run into penalty issues in high-intensity games this season. 

Saturday, the coach said, the team needs to “play with emotion, but not be emotional.” 

Community and Bradley-Bourbonnais kickoff Saturday at Dick Tharpe Field at 6 p.m. 

The winner of Saturday’s contest will take on the victor in Friday’s contest between Addison Trail (25) and Glenbard East (9).