Sterling excited to visit Payton in first round

It was a weekend full of good news for Sterling junior Lucas Austin.

It all started Friday afternoon when he got his first Power 5 scholarship offer from West Virginia University. Then, he and the Golden Warriors went out and defeated Moline in a must-win game to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Then came the capper Saturday, when it was revealed that Sterling was one of six 4-5 teams to earn an IHSA playoff berth to round out the 256-team field thanks to its high number of playoff points. The Warriors earned the No. 16 seed in the northern bracket in Class 5A and will take on top-seeded Walter Payton College Prep at 4 p.m. Saturday at Lane Stadium in Chicago.

“It was always in the back of our minds thinking that it was our last game [Friday],” Austin said. “We got the win, then things fell our way Saturday and we were all really excited that we get to play at least one more time together. It was just awesome.”

The 6-foot-7, 255-pound offensive tackle has received offers from several Mid-American Conference schools, including Northern Illinois, Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Michigan, as well as Air Force, Army, Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois and “a bunch of others,” according to Austin.

But the call from the Mountaineers, who play in the Big 12, took him by surprise.

“It was 3 p.m. Friday as I was heading to watch film before the game,” Austin said. “I was pretty surprised, because I’ve only been talking to them for two or three weeks. When I saw it was them calling I figured they were just checking up to see how everything was going. But they offered me a scholarship instead.”

Austin hasn’t seen the campus in Morgantown but said he will set up an official visit soon. The junior, who is also an all-conference forward on the Warriors’ basketball team, said he’s happy to see all the work he put in during the offseason come to fruition.

“It’s pretty cool given all the hard work I put in this summer, gaining 30 pounds and learning better skill at my position,” he said. “This just gives me another chance to see a different school and see if I fit better there than some other place. It’s exciting to have that opportunity.”

But it’s another opportunity that Austin and the Warriors are focused on right now.

After a loss to Rock Island in Week 8 made it impossible for Sterling to get to five wins, the team bounced back and picked up a big win over Moline on Friday night to finish the regular season 4-5 and keep the possibility of a playoff berth alive.

“The kids are excited and ready for another game. We didn’t end Week 8 with a win. But to end the regular season the way we did after going into the game with the understanding that we didn’t know what would happen or if the playoffs were still a possibility, that was really big for us,” coach Jon Schlemmer said. “Beating a good team like Moline, the way they play defense and their run-style of game, it’s a great way to come into the playoffs.”

Payton finished 9-0 and won the Chicago Public League’s White-West Conference title. The Grizzlies won 13-12 on Saturday over Lincoln Park – which finished 8-1 and made the 7A playoff field – for their third one-point victory of the season. They have outscored opponents 238-73 this season, and Schlemmer said they’re strong on offense and defense.

“They’ve shown some good things on both sides of the ball, and you don’t go 9-0 on accident,” he said. “They’ve shown the ability to make plays and win close games – and do it against decent teams with winning records.

“We have a few films on them, and they have a good mix of run and pass on offense; they maybe like to run a little more, percentage-wise, but still have the ability to throw it. And defensively, they’re good up front, and their defensive ends are both good players. They have some dudes, for sure.”

Payton coach Craig Knoche said his team is keeping it simple heading into Saturday’s game, just like it has all season.

“Our goal is to play a complete game as a team and see what happens,” he said.

The Warriors have been outscored 200-194 this season, but have played in five games decided by 10 points or less – including each of the past four weeks. They have averaged 135.9 rush yards and 116.2 pass yards per game, allowing 22.2 points per game while scoring 21.6.

Joseph Holcomb has 105 rushes for 455 yards and five touchdowns, and also is 31-for-58 passing for 421 yards and five scores. Cale Ledergerber has run 80 times for 411 yards and three TDS, and Andre Klaver has 66 rushes for 254 yards and three scores. Drew Nettleton is 47-for-95 passing for 625 yards, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions; the leading receivers are Kaedon Phillips (22 catches, 304 yards, 4 TDs), Klaver (19-232, 2 TDs), Mason Emin (17-325, 5 TDs), Miles Nawrocki (8-48, TD) and Dylan Ottens (7-97, TD).

Sterling will be playing a Public League team at Lane Stadium for the second straight season. Last year, they defeated Chicago Goode 50-8 in the second round at that venue. The Warriors are excited to be going back this weekend.

“It’s awesome to be playing at the same place as last time. It will give us a little familiarity,” Austin said. “We love competing in practice and in games, and we’re all really excited to play another game against a good team for the chance to play another week after this. We definitely want to make the most of this opportunity.”