The Illinois state girls high school final is set. Reigning champion Plainfield is poised to defend its state title; however, Rockford has proved a worthy opponent and will be vying for the 2015 trophy.

The pair won their respective semifinals with ease: Rockford, which draws its players from seven different high schools, defeated Chillicothe 43-0; and Plainfield blanked Fox Valley 61-0.

“The girls were a little nervous at the beginning and made a few mental mistakes, but their experience took over as the game progressed,” said Plainfield assistant coach John Sullivan. “We wore Fox Valley out by playing power rugby with the forwards and then letting the back line take over. The Thundercats displayed better passing than in the past, and the continuity between the forwards and backs was clicking on all cylinders.”

Shelby Pounder, who recently moved from hooker to flanker, put in a stellar performance, and led the way for a convincing victory. But throughout the course of the season, it’s been the team’s seniors in key positions – fullback Alishia Jordan, scrumhalf Alicia Gonzalez, flanker/center Alyssa McDonnell, and flyhalf captain Jocelyn Aguilar – who have driven the Thundercats’ success. Those players helped Plainfield to a respectable finish at the Midwest championship, where the team beat Indiana’s Warsaw, and finished within a try to Minnesota champ Armstrong and Wisconsin runner-up Catholic Memorial. That higher-level exposure will surely help Plainfield during Monday’s state final.

“The players took a lot away from their experience at Midwest,” Sullivan said. “They realized that they have the skill set to compete with some of the top teams in the nation, and their confidence was evident against Fox Valley.”

When Plainfield and Rockford met during the regular season, the former won 32-5. But Rockford has a few dangerous players and has been improving with every game since the team’s April meeting.

“If we can control the tempo of the game, let our forwards ruck and our backs explode onto the ball, I think we will have a good chance of repeating,” Sullivan said. “We expect them to come out hard and try to knock us off our heels early. I'm sure Rockford is excited to have a chance to knock off the defending state champs and grab one of their own.”