WHITING - Following an exciting 25-23 high school football victory over nemesis Andrean, the LaVille football team celebrated for a bit after the game, but come Monday, went right back to work. We've all heard the line, "Survive and advance" when teams get into the playoffs. LaVille's entire team did exactly that following a nail-biting two point victory over the 59ers in the opening round of Class 2A Sectional #33. "What impressed me the most is how all units played together as one," said LaVille coach Jeff Kaiser when asked what impressed him the most about his team against Andrean. " They were locked in for 48 minutes." With that emotional win over Andrean, Kaiser and his staff spent time over the weekend in preparation for the semifinal round with the Oilers."We prepared like we do every week and that is focusing on the opportunity in front of us and making sure we put the best product on the field Friday night," said Kaiser.  "There is always a concern of a let down after a big emotional win, but our kids know what it's like to win big games and we will be ready!" As the week moved closer to gameday, the Lancers were able to take advantage of a practice on a turf field. "Plymouth opened their facility to us for our walkthrough night so that we could get a feel for turf," noted Kaiser.  "Playing on turf allows you to make quick cuts and also plays faster than grass.  Kickers have a more consistent area for planting for their kicks . . . snapping the ball will be faster, and again our cuts will be more precise.  Anytime you play on a different surface that the other isn't used to provides an advantage.  We just have to play LaVille Football." So now that the Whiting Week preparation is complete, Kaiser and his club know it's time to take care of business. "Concerns are that we are on the road, which is a pretty good haul," Kaiser said of the 90-minute trek to Whiting.  "Later start than normal.  We must set the tone right away and dominate this game!" The Oilers are led by quarterback Nick Davenport, running back Gabe Eggers, and wide receiver Kamron Patterson.  The 6'2" senior has thrown for 1,230 yards on 95-of-177 with 9 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.  Eggers, also a senior, had 309 yards on 50 carries and 3 TDs, while Patterson, a junior, leads the way with 363 yards on 18 catches and 2 TDs.  Other targets for Davenport are senior Joe Quiroz (216 yards and a touchdown), along with junior Nakiya Moran (287 yards and 3 TDs). "Whiting brings a shotgun split back look that looks to try getting to the edge on run plays and also likes to throw the ball for balance," Kaiser said of the Whiting offense.  "A couple key guys are #4 QB (Davenport), #22 RB (Eggers), and #2 WR (Patterson).  We must take care of these guys to continue our season. " On the opposite side of the ball, Kaiser says "defensively they will run a 4-4 and try mixing things up by moving the lb's and db's around.  Their LB core is pretty aggressive so we must sustain blocks upfront  and our RB's must run hard." Seniors Kyle Deneke and Eggers, along with junior Levi Huffman lead the Whiting defense. Patterson also has two picks and Huffman two fumble recoveries. Whiting leads the overall series, 6-3, with each meeting coming in the IHSAA state tournament.  The series is tied at 2-2 in games played at Whiting.  The last meeting in Whiting came in the 2013 state tournament, with the Oilers coming away with a 29-17 victory.  The last LaVille win came back in 2003 by a 35-14 margin. "Keys to the game are simple . . .," says Kaiser.  "Play LaVille football how we know how to and leave no doubt or regret on that field. We hope to see Lancer Nation at the game!" Kick is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from Galavan Stadium.  Follow along for score updates on X (Twitter) - @LVAthletics! With a LaVille victory, the Lancers would host the 2A Sectional #33 championship at Lancer Field on Friday, November 3.  * * * *  IHSAA CLASS 2A SECTIONAL #33 Semifinal #1 Wheeler (6-3) at Bremen Kick: 7:30 p.m. ET, Bunge Field Coaches: Nick Testa (6-3 in 1st year at Wheeler; 14-25 in 4th year overall). Jordan Leeper (54-38 in 8th year at Bremen) Last Outing: Wheeler defeated Griffith, 27-6. Bremen defeated Hammond Noll, 42-7 Series: Bremen leads Wheeler, 3-0 Last Meeting: Bremen defeated Wheeler, 35-21, Oct. 21, 2022, sectional All-Time Tournament Series: First Meeting Semifinal #2 #5 LaVille (9-1) at Whiting (4-6) Kick: 8 p.m. ET, Galavan Stadium Coaches: Jeff Kaiser (9-1 in 1st year at LaVille). Jason Jendreas (8-11 in 2nd year at Whiting; 49-53 in 10th year overall) Last Outing: LaVille defeated Andrean, 25-23. Whiting defeated Lake Station, 40-0 Series: Whiting leads LaVille, 6-3 Last Meeting: LaVille defeated Whiting, 51-6, Oct. 22, 2022, sectional All-Time Tournament Series: Whiting leads LaVille, 6-3