Who’s number 1?
- Thread starter eireog
- Start date
After watching all 8 games this weekend, that list makes the most sense to me.
Where would you put a school that actually DID compete with the top schools then? For example you want to speculate that R-B could compete with the top schools in the state and reward them for that with top 10 consideration, what about a school that went to overtime with Lockport and lost. Or are you suggesting R-B would beat Lockport?
I literally said I didn’t think they had the depth to go four quarters with the best of the best but can be in the game with absolutely anyone. I think they could beat anyone outside the top 5 to 10 teams in the state. Probably can’t hang with ESL or Lockport or Wheaton all four quarters, but could beat most other programs in state.
Maybe I didnt phrase it correctly. You don't think that R-B could hang with Lockport, but you do think they could hang with teams that take Lockport to overtime?
1: Toss up between JCA and Cary Grove -two undefeated teams
3. Lockport
4. WN
5. East side
3. Lockport
4. WN
5. East side
I'm guessing you didnt watch any other games over the weekend.
Final Top Ten
1. Cary-Grove (14-0)
2. Joliet Catholic (14-0)
3. Lockport (13-1)
4. Wheaton North (13-1)
5. Loyola (12-1)
6. Batavia (10-1)
7. East St. Louis (11-3)
8. Maine South (12-2)
9. Lincoln-Way East (9-3)
10. Fenwick (12-2)
1. Cary-Grove (14-0)
2. Joliet Catholic (14-0)
3. Lockport (13-1)
4. Wheaton North (13-1)
5. Loyola (12-1)
6. Batavia (10-1)
7. East St. Louis (11-3)
8. Maine South (12-2)
9. Lincoln-Way East (9-3)
10. Fenwick (12-2)
I would say that Batavia doesn't belong there. They lost in the second round to a team that was then beaten in the quarters by a team that lost in the semi's.
Is that your top ten? I think Edgy has Lockport at 1 but Sun Times has CG at 1. Proud of CG wherever they fall. They did all they could do and the 6A title is what matters most.
I think this is more of a 3 team race for #1.
1. CG
2. Lockport
3. JCA
4. ESL
Believe all of the top 3 deserve to be #1 giving the edge to Cary Grove since they are undefeated and beat whom I believe to be the most talented team in the state. Lockport has one blemish on their record losing to LWE by 2 without their Qb. JCA can easily compete at 7A and 8A but was in 4A so that is why I am knocking them down to 3. IMO ESL would probably beat Lockport, the only way to beat ESL is a triple-option (evidence in the 6A title). Could LP's defense stop ESL better than CG did? maybe, could LP offense match the firepower ESL offense has? Without a triple-option slowing the pace of the game?
Think CG vs JCA would be an awesome game as well as LP vs CG or vs JCA.
1. CG
2. Lockport
3. JCA
4. ESL
Believe all of the top 3 deserve to be #1 giving the edge to Cary Grove since they are undefeated and beat whom I believe to be the most talented team in the state. Lockport has one blemish on their record losing to LWE by 2 without their Qb. JCA can easily compete at 7A and 8A but was in 4A so that is why I am knocking them down to 3. IMO ESL would probably beat Lockport, the only way to beat ESL is a triple-option (evidence in the 6A title). Could LP's defense stop ESL better than CG did? maybe, could LP offense match the firepower ESL offense has? Without a triple-option slowing the pace of the game?
Think CG vs JCA would be an awesome game as well as LP vs CG or vs JCA.
Batavia's only loss was a two-point loss on an untimed play at the very end of the game. The controversial nature of the lopsided officiating in that game has been well documented so there is no sense in providing the details once again at this time. Beyond the playoffs, they were the outright conference champion of the DuKane League, which in turn produced the 7A state champion (which won the semifinal and final games by double digits). The DuKane's fourth best team lost to Brother Rice in the playoffs by one point after barely missing a late two-point conversion. The league's third best team knocked off Warren in the playoffs and lost to the eventual 8A champion by six points, thereby giving Lockport their closest game of the playoffs. All things considered, I like Batavia at #6.
Yes, that is my top ten.
You may enjoy knowing that the Freeman Ratings (displayed on the CalPreps website) also have Cary-Grove as the #1 team in the state in its final rankings.
I appreciate your rationale, but my issue is that the team they lost to (MC) got beat in the next round by double digits. Based on playoff results, I would put MC and BR in front of Batavia.
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Using your reasoning, BR beat MC twice who was third in the CCL blue.
Batavia lost to MC, bad reffing or not they lost. So Batavia lost in the second round to the third best team In the blue.
I think you have to at least make the semis to be in the final #10
I can agree that playoff results do matter and should heavily influence any final ranking of the best teams in the state. This is especially true with respect to teams that win a state championship. The top four teams in my ranking all won state championships, and five of the top ten (with Fenwick checking in at tenth). However, (and I recognize this is just my opinion), I am unwilling to entirely ignore the regular season. I also think the informal requirement that a team must make the semifinals to be considered for a top-ten ranking is too inflexible.
The manner in which the IHSA seeds teams for the playoffs is only loosely associated with quality of play. Consequently, some teams draw a very difficult path to the semifinals and others draw a very easy path. Batavia drew Mt. Carmel for the second round and, of course, vice versa. St. Rita did not play a team the caliber of Mt. Carmel in the playoffs until the championship game. Marist did not play a team the caliber of Mt. Carmel until the semifinals. [Please note both St. Rita and Marist lost to Mt. Carmel in the regular season.] In my view, and again I recognize this is only one person's opinion, it would be terribly unfair to rank a three-loss St. Rita team ahead of a one-loss Batavia team simply because St. Rita had a much easier path to the championship game. Similarly, it would not be appropriate to rank a four-loss Marist team that finished fourth in its conference ahead of a one-loss Batavia team that was an outright conference champion. Marist plays in arguably the best conference in the state; but Batavia also plays in a top-five conference. Beating South Elgin and Glenbrook South in the second and third rounds of the playoffs would not be nearly as difficult as beating Mt. Carmel and Brother Rice.
In the end, rankings should to a large degree reflect how good the various teams are. By that measure I believe Batavia is a top-ten team and therefore deserves to be ranked there.
CG is #1 in my book. Closest game was a 14 point win to a 7A quarterfinalist. Then they beat Goliath. Impressive!!
Both arguments are legit. Being better isn't clear as some people want it to be. There's a bunch of 7A/8A teams that are in the group of being able to compete without having to speculate. They actually did it. Avoiding that traffic jam will do wonders for your record and title aspirations. Not so much for proving it on the field though.
I also look at body of work - yes KB only played a half in Rita vs MC (an almost entirely Jr and Soph lineup) but still lost at home. Upon his return who did they really beat? WN was the better team (even over Rice with a healthy Lausch in my opinion) because of their defense. LA with a lof injuries got to semis and lost to eventual champ Lockport. However CG was the best in my book.
I heard other than their RB, the other kids got injured during the game because LP was very physical. But I do agree that CG deserves to be #1
I say CG as they would rise to whatever level needed to remain undefeated in 21. I also agree that there are levels to the class system. Since 2006 ( A 15 year period) ESL has played in 7A 9 years and in 6A four years. Covid account for another year. The 7A results were 2 State Championships, 2 Semi appearances, 4 Qtr appear and one second round Exit. I remember several people saying ESL was arrogant for petition to 7A and the coach only wanted to stroke his ego. It was frowned upon as ESL was the ONLY team petitioning up at the time and no one could understand why. The three years ESL didn't petitioned up, they played in 6A in which a 6-3 team made it to the semis and a 5-4 team made it to the qtrs. We all know what happened in 19. In 21 ESL petitioned to 6A (The highest the conference would allow and for those that may not know, 2 schools voted against the move to 6A) losing in the championship to CG by 1 point. If we are being honest, outside of 19, the 6-3/5-4 teams that made a deep playoff run would have been bounced first or second round in 7A those years. It really is levels to this when it comes to playoff runs. I do believe that the best team in the STATE can come from 6A-8A however, no one can kid themselves about how easier the path is as you drop down levels. Yes, ESL and CG may have made it to Dekalb in 7A or 8A but it definitely would not have been anywhere close to the results they both saw in 6A. I am also 100% sure the teams that made it to the semis would have probably pack their bags after the first or second round in 7A or 8A.
Lockport is my #1. The thing I keep asking myself is if Lockport played CG would they beat them? My opinion is yes they would. Lockport is just as disciplined as CG except much bigger on both sides of the ball. I think defensively Lockport stops CG’s run and forces them to throw the ball. Just my opinion.
What was impressive about CG was their ability to adjust blocking scheme to counter how you would stop the dive basically running multiple versions of the triple option. The success of that offense had nothing to do with Discipline and everything to do with maximizing chances. Size was not an issue for CG as they came off the ball and had the right size where needed. I am not saying who would win, but I am saying that the execution of their offense was as good as team this year. You have to give those boys props.
You’re just an 8A snob LOL. 😜 I’d like to see LP and ESL play each other.
I think Lockport would lose to ESL. but I think LP would beat CG.
The only way I think to beat ESL is to run the triple-option against them, It is something they aren't used to seeing, hard to duplicate in practice, shortens the game, it doesn't allow ESL athletes to be great athletes they are on defense. MC used to beat ESL back in the day when ESL was LOADED.
Bosco and IMG didnt run triple option.
..........Bosco and IMG are also the elite of the elite and can match ESL athletes, and probably have better ones. I meant a team in Illinois, obviously, those premier national teams can beat ESL playing whatever style they play, but unless there is a team hidden in Illinois with Bosco and IMG athletes, I don't think a team in Illinois will be able to beat ESL with a spread offense.
So, what you are saying is that EStL is talent wise closer to Cary-Grove than they are close to Bosco?
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