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Revised: Week 5 Class 8A thru 1A Associated Press polls

Got a wrong poll earlier sorry this is the correct one.

¶ Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters:

^Class 8A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Loyola (8) (4-0) 125 2

† 2. Lincoln-Way East (5) (4-0) 122 1

† 3. York (4-0) 104 3

† 4. Barrington (4-0) 81 5

† 5. Maine South (3-1) 78 4

† 6. Oswego (4-0) 56 T9

† 7. Palatine (2-2) 41 8

† 8. South Elgin (4-0) 30 NR

† 9. Bolingbrook (3-1) 17 NR

†10. Minooka (3-1) 16 NR

¶ Others receiving votes: Glenbard West 10, Lockport 8, Aurora West 5, Sandburg 5, Huntley 4, Naperville North 3, O'Fallon 3, Gurnee Warren 2, Naperville Central 2, Joliet West 2, Naperville Neuqua Valley 1.<

^Class 7A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Chicago Mt. Carmel (13) (4-0) 130 1

† 2. Batavia (3-1) 106 3

† 3. Hersey (4-0) 98 4

† 4. Normal Community (4-0) 78 5

† 5. Chicago (St. Rita) (3-1) 74 2

† 6. Edwardsville (3-1) 57 6

† 7. Downers North (4-0) 56 8

† 8. Quincy (4-0) 39 9

† 9. Wheaton North (3-1) 31 NR

†10. Brother Rice (2-2) 17 7

¶ Others receiving votes: Hononegah 15, Prospect 6, St. Charles North 3, Bradley-Bourbonnais 2, Kenwood 2, Tinley Park Andrew 1.<

^Class 6A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. East St. Louis (6) (2-2) 118 2

† 2. Kankakee (6) (4-0) 114 1

† 3. Lake Zurich (1) (4-0) 98 3

† 4. Geneva (4-0) 94 4

† 5. Cary-Grove (4-0) 84 5

† 6. Chatham Glenwood (4-0) 56 7

† 7. Washington (3-1) 40 T8

† 8. Champaign Centennial (4-0) 35 T8

† 9. Normal West (3-1) 21 NR

†10. Dunlap (4-0) 11 NR

¶ Others receiving votes: Providence 9, Belvidere North 8, Lemont 8, Libertyville 5, Lake Forest 5, Thornton Fractional North 3, Niles Notre Dame 2, Bremen 2, Chicago (Simeon) 1, Wauconda 1.<

^Class 5A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (9) (4-0) 124 1

† 2. Sycamore (1) (4-0) 110 2

† 3. Joliet Catholic (2) (3-1) 106 3

† 4. Carmel (4-0) 88 56

† 5. Chicago (Morgan Park) (1) (3-1) 61 7

† 6. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield) (3-1) 60 8

† 7. Oak Park (Fenwick) (3-1) 39 NR

† 8. Peoria (2-2) 34 4

† 9. Glenbard South (4-0) 32 10

†10. Antioch (4-0) 22 NR

¶ Others receiving votes: Morton 12, Mahomet-Seymour 10, Marion 5, Highland 5, St. Francis Wheaton 4, LaSalle-Peru 2, Country Club Hills (Hillcrest) 1.<

^Class 4A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Rochester (8) (4-0) 116 1

† 2. IC Catholic (4) (4-0) 106 2

† 3. Morris (4-0) 94 3

† 4. Richmond-Burton (4-0) 84 4

† 5. Rockford Boylan (4-0) 69 5

† 6. Mt. Zion (4-0) 58 6

† 7. Carterville (4-0) 39 8

† 8. Murphysboro (4-0) 33 9

† 9. Geneseo (4-0) 28 10

†10. St. Laurence (3-1) 21 NR

¶ Others receiving votes: Wheaton Academy 6, Coal City 3, Rochelle 2, Breese Central 1.<

^Class 3A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Byron (9) (4-0) 117 1

† 2. Montini (3) (4-0) 109 2

† 3. St. Joseph-Ogden (4-0) 96 4

† 4. Princeton (3-1) 67 5

† 5. Wilmington (3-1) 55 6

† 6. Tolono Unity (3-1) 50 T7

† 7. Stanford Olympia (3-1) 47 9

† 8. Durand-Pecatonica (4-0) 43 T7

† 9. Williamsville (3-1) 31 3

†10. Roxana (4-0) 23 10

¶ Others receiving votes: DuQuoin 8, Greenville 8, Stillman Valley 3, Mt. Carmel 2, Reed-Custer 1.<

^Class 2A=

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Maroa-Forsyth (11) (4-0) 110 1

† 2. Downs Tri-Valley (4-0) 94 2

† 3. Seneca (4-0) 83 3

† 4. Athens (4-0) 72 4

† 5. Bloomington Central Catholic (4-0) 64 5

† 6. Johnston City (4-0) 47 6

† 7. Knoxville (4-0) 33 8

† 8. Rockridge (3-1) 28 7

† 9. Shelbyville (4-0) 18 10

†10. Bismarck-Henning (3-1) 13 9

¶ Others receiving votes: Pana 12, Momence 10, Woodstock Marian 10, Farmington 4, Nashville 4, Breese Mater Dei 1, Trenton Wesclin 1, Bishop McNamara 1.<

†Class 1A

†School W-L Pts Prv

† 1. Lena-Winslow (12) (4-0) 120 1

† 2. Forreston (4-0) 97 2

† 3. Camp Point Central (4-0) 83 4

† 4. Morrison (4-0) 68 6

†(tie) Greenfield-Northwestern (4-0) 68 5

† 6. Althoff Catholic (3-1) 63 3

† 7. Sterling (Newman Central Catholic) (4-0) 56 7

† 8. Carrollton (4-0) 24 10

† 9. Kewanee -Annawan-Wethersfield (4-0) 21 9

†10. Fulton (2-2) 18 8

†(tie) Hope Academy (3-1) 18 NR

¶ Others receiving votes: Aurora Christian 7, Winchester West Central 6, Casey-Westfield 4, Stark County 3, Hardin (Calhoun) 2, Sesser (S.-Valier) 1, Ottawa Marquette 1.<

IHSA Announces 9th Class of Distinguished Media Service Award Winners

IHSA Announces 9th Class of Distinguished Media Service Award Winners


KENNY MCREYNOLDS

Kenny McReynolds has been making an impact on sports in Chicago for over 40 years. He was a Track & Field All-American at Holy Name Cathedral High School (which closed in 1994), where he also played basketball and baseball. An injury ended his Olympic track aspirations, causing him to set his sites on a media career. “I have loved sports my entire life I’ve always wanted to be involved in sports,” said McReynolds. “After injuring my knee I knew I couldn’t play anymore. The next best thing was to cover sports.”

After attending Columbia College and DePaul University (where he would later coach basketball on the staff of famed Blue Demon coach Ray Meyer), McReynolds got his start in radio at WVON and WBMX. He then broke into television at FOX 32, leading him to become the Sports Director at WCIU in 1992, a position he continues to hold today. A five-time Midwest Television Emmy winner, the current Sports Director at Wiegel Broadcasting has hosted over 1,200 episodes of the talk show CPS Sports Edition and was honored by the City of Chicago in 2023 for his 2,500 high school sporting event broadcast.

McReynolds has witnessed countless star players and championship teams up close during his career, but says the IHSA boy basketball state champion Simeon teams led by Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker, respectively, will always stand out above the rest. His amazing career also includes working as a scout for three NBA franchises. McReynolds is a member of multiple Halls of Fame, including the Chicagoland Sports, Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, and Chicago Public League Basketball Coaches Association.

McReynolds credits his success to the support he has received from his mother Shirley and Aunt Barbara Allen, as well as colleagues Jim Blaney, Mark Krueger, Fred Weintraub, and Steve Farber.

“It’s hard to put into words what this award means to me,” said McReynolds. “I am humbled and honored to receive such a prestigious award for doing something I love.”

Award Presentation: 2024 Chicago Public Schools Boys Basketball Championship (date, time and location TBA).


STEVE RAYMOND
Steve Raymond has been around the newspaper business since he was six years old and has covered prep sports for more than 25 of the nearly 50 years he has spent in the business. He grew up just south of Decatur and attended Assumption High School (which since has consolidated into Central A&M), where he played on the basketball and baseball teams. After a stint at Taylor University, Raymond returned home to work for his father’s newspaper, The Golden Prairie News, where a spark for covering sports was lit within him.

“Sports has always been a major part of my life,” said Raymond. “I told dad I’d like to cover some games and he was all for it. I didn’t have any formal training, but I knew sports. Those were the first sports stories I wrote, and I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do.”

Raymond spent 10 years at the Canton Daily Ledger, starting as the Sports Editor before rising to General Manager. He then spent three years as the Publisher of The Herald Tribune in Batesville, Indiana, before returning to Illinois to become the Publisher of the The Daily Mail in Olney. After eight years in Olney, he went to work for the Effingham Daily News, where he was an advertising manager and publisher for 11 years. In 2012, he started his own newspaper, The Effingham & Teutopolis News Report, where he continues to cover sports for Effingham High School, St. Anthony High School, and Teutopolis High School.

Raymond says he will always remember St. Anthony’s 2017 IHSA Class 1A Boys Basketball State Championship team, as it was the first team state champion he covered and their run included a monumental semifinal upset of Hope Academy. HE also fondly recalls the 2014 Teutopolis softball team that finished second in the state and the 2018 Effingham football team that nearly upset eventual state runner-up Bishop McNamara. Raymond expressed admiration for former VIT High School basketball coach Trevor Toland and current Teutopolis baseball coach Justin Fleener, citing both as examples of coaches who are great role models for their players.
Raymond has been supported throughout his career by his wife Ruth, daughter Kelly, and son Clay. He also cites colleagues Dennis DeRossett and Jeff Jeffus for their impact on him, saying “I learned more about writing and managing a newspaper from these two men than anyone I’ve work with or worked for.”

Raymond reflected on the award saying: “To receive an award like this is always meaningful. I guess the thing that means the most is that someone thinks what I do and how I do it is worthy of recognition. Just know I love what I do and I hope to continue doing it for quite some time.”

Award Presentation: Tuesday, January 9 at Teutopolis High School home boys basketball game. Presentation time TBA.


BRIAN REUSCH
Brian Reusch delved into sports broadcasting as a teenager and has remained there ever since. As a student at Savanna High School, he participated in scholastic bowl and served as the PA announcer for the school football and basketball teams, forecasting a career of 30+ years behind the mic. After high school, Reusch attended Highland Community College and then Northern Illinois University, before landing a job at WCCI Radio in Savanna in 1993.

Now the station manager, Brian continues to work at WCCI where he has broadcast thousands of high school football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, and wrestling events through the years. Reusch has also hosted a weekly high school sports coaches show since 2014, and under his leadership, WCCI remains the lone radio station in the state that broadcasts live from the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals.

“I’ve always had a passion for sports, and realized broadcasting was my best route for staying involved in the games and supporting area youngsters,” said Reusch. “Plus, most of the time, you get the best seat in the house!”

Reusch fondly recalls having a great seat to cover some of the area’s most memorable teams, including the 2002-03 Mt. Carroll boys basketball team, the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Eastland girls basketball teams, and the Scales Mound boys basketball teams in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He was also on the call for a pair of IHSA football state championship victories by area teams, namely Galena in 1997 and Eastland-Pearl City Coop in 2014.

Reusch is an avid University of Wisconsin football and Chicago Bears fan, and was featured on the 2017 ESPN show “We The Fans”, which chronicled the lives and fandom of several Bears season ticket holders. He cites Beaver Miller, Mark Schoening, and the late Richard Dasenbrock as all having a significant impact on his broadcasting career.

Reusch summed up the IHSA award saying: “It means the world to mean, as it indicates that I have made an impact on the lives of others, especially the young people whose events I have covered over the years. I am both honored and humbled.”

Award Presentation: Saturday, December 9 during pre-game of Scales Mound High School home boys basketball game at approximately 3:00 PM.


MATT SCHUCKMAN
Matt Schuckman got his first byline in the newspaper as a high school student at Quincy High School, setting the stage for both the career and community he would cover sports in for nearly 30 years and counting. In addition to working part-time for the Quincy Herald-Whig in high school, he was also the editor of the QHS student newspaper, Q-Review, and was involved in Student Council, Beta Club, National Honor Society. He matriculated to the University of Missouri-Columbia to study Journalism and remained in Columbia after graduating when he landed his first job at the Daily Tribune.

“I grew up reading the newspaper on a daily basis and knew my freshman year of high school what I wanted to do for a career,” said Schuckman. “I played football, baseball, basketball, etc., growing up and always loved sports. Former Quincy Herald-Whig sports editor Don Crim hired me as a part-time sports clerk in August 1989 and was influential in guiding me to the University of Missouri.”

Schuckman followed his time at the Daily Tribune with a stint at Inside Mizzou Sports, before returning to his roots at the Quincy Herald-Whig, where he would serve as a sportswriter from 1999 to 2021. When his tenure at the Whig came to a conclusion, he wasted no time, as he pivoted to the regional online, Muddy River Sports, where he serves as an editor and writer. When asked to name the top athletes, teams, or games he covered, he responded: “There are too many to name. Covering the Quincy High School boys basketball program for a quarter-century and being trusted to write a book about the history of the program is incredibly special to me. Being able to tell the story of the 2023 Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s historic season and all it entailed tops the list.”

Schuckman is the author of “Stand Up and Cheer: A Century of Blue Devils Basketball” and has won awards for his writing from the Illinois Press Association, the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors, the Missouri Press Association, and the Associated Press Sports Editors during his career. He is a member of the Quincy Blue Devil Sports and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Halls of Fame.

He cites his wife Michelle and his parents, Jerry and Kathleen, for supporting his dream of being a sportswriter, while also identifying the significant impact former Quincy Herald-Whig sports editor Don Crim had on his career.

Award Presentation: Saturday, December 16 at Notre Dame High School in Quincy prior to tip-off of the varsity boys basketball game vs. Quincy High School at approximately 6:45 PM

618 Talk Week 5: Conference Clarity

With both the Southwestern and Mississippi Valley beginning conference play last weekend, the rankings have become even more clear. The South Seven also continued their jumbled up league schedule. Most of the winners were expected, but some of the scores indicated larger gaps than expected. Plus some thoughts on a 4-0 Roxana team that has outscored their opponents 155-13 this fall.

Southwestern
Edwardsville(4-0) 47-14 O'Fallon(2-2): Not that they weren't already, but Edwardsville just proved to everyone that they a legit. The Tigers were the favorite here, but not by anything close to 34 points and they even had a running clock early in the fourth when they led 47-7. There's obviously a lot that went right in this one for the road team, but quarterback Jake Curry was once again the star of the show with five touchdowns(three passing, two rushing). Losing in this magnitude drops O'Fallon to fourth in my conference power rankings, but close behind third place Belleville East. Edwardsville is solidly in second place, but they are probably closer to East St. Louis than most think.
East St. Louis(2-2) 48-0 Belleville East(3-1): It won't show up in the win column, but the Lancers did keep their visit to East Side scoreless for nearly 15 minutes. The Flyers broke free to a 19-0 lead by halftime before adding four more touchdowns in the second half. Even though it started slow, this score was still as expected. Maybe East St. Louis will get more respect in this week's AP Poll though?
Belleville West(2-2) 8-7 Alton(1-3): The last two seasons, these two teams finished with a combined record of 2-16 with the only wins coming when they played each other. Both teams have looked sharper than years past already, but I still expect this one to stand as the Last Place Bowl. The script perfectly fit that theme, as Alton led 7-6 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, Belleville West was awarded a safety after the Redbirds were flagged for holding in their own end zone. Alton also committed seven turnovers on their home field. You really can't write up a worse way to lose.

Mississippi Valley
Highland(3-1) 42-7 Mascoutah(1-3): What figured as the Valley's headline matchup of week 4 delivered in the first half, as Highland only led 13-7. For those that are arithmetically challenged, that means the Bulldogs blew this open with 29 unanswered points in the final two quarters. Sophomore Blake Gelly's razor sharp accuracy played a key role in this blowout by going 13/16 for 4 passing touchdowns and 197 air yards. Over half of those yards went to Dylan Beadle, who turned 8 catches into 121 yards and 2 TD's. Highland's offense should be expected to continue raining points down against the rest of the conference. Suffering this large a defeat is cause for concern for a Mascoutah team that only has one win to their name, but a viable path to five wins is still there.
Triad(2-2) 41-21 Waterloo(1-3): This read like a borderline must-win for both teams, so the Knights should be relieved by winning in what was a 27 point game late in the fourth. No surprise in a high-scoring game like this one, but Triad quarterback Isaac Ackerman had quite a day with 248 yards passing, 123 more on the ground, and three total touchdowns.

WB6 playoff out look

WB6 Play off outlook:

Quincy: 4-0

Toughest games left: Geneseo (Wk 8) Mahomet-Seymour (Wk 9)

Outlook: Quincy is currently in the easier part of their schedule with games against UT and Galesburg before it gets tougher towards the end. They should be 6-0 heading into week 7 against Sterling. Playoff bid will be all locked up and they will be playing for a chance to hang a conference banner in the gym. The key for them will be to stay healthy for the post season.

Geneseo: 4-0

Toughest games left: Sterling (Wk 6) Quincy (Wk 8)

Outlook: Geneseo has been playing like what we normally think of when we think Geneseo football. They have been running the ball very well and playing tough nosed defense. The schedule the rest of the way is very favorable with spaces between their two toughest games. They should lock up a playoff bid this week against Galesburg.

Sterling: 2-2

Toughest games left: Geneseo (Wk 6) Quincy (Wk 7)

Outlook: Sterling has a brutal schedule this season, starting out with Metamora and St. Francis, and ending with Princeton, Geneseo, Quincy, and Moline. Sterling has improved each week but now the real test begins if the Golden Warriors want a week 10. The only game they will be (probably) favored in the rest of the way is against Rock Island. Playoff is doable, but won’t be easy.

United Township: 1-3

Toughest games left: Quincy (Wk 5) Moline (Wk 7)

Outlook: UT has played decently well despite their schedule. They just don’t seem to have depth and start to fade in the second half of games. If the Panthers can pull it all together, they still have an outside shot of the post season. Beating Quincy will be a very tall task, but they have winnable games against Rock Island and Galesburg, as well as a forfeit win from Alleman to get them to 4 wins. Their season might just come down to their week 7 tilt against visiting Moline.

Moline: 1-3

Toughest games left: Sterling (Wk 9)

Outlook: Moline has played a super front loaded schedule of Glenbard North, Benet, Geneseo, and Quincy. They have played tough in each game, but just have not been able to overcome. Now they hit the more favorable part of their schedule with 3 very winnable games and a forfeit win before ending the season at Sterling. They should be able be at 5 wins after week 8, but they can afford no slip up.



Galesburg: 1-3

Toughest games left: Geneseo (Wk 5) Quincy (Wk 6)

Outlook: Galesburg is a team I just can’t really get a read on. At times, they have looked locked in despite games going against them, but on the flip side they looked lifeless against Sterling. If the players have packed it in for the season, then the Silver Streaks are heading for a brutal 1-8 record. If Galesburg can get it together, they have very winnable games against Rock Island and UT. I do think the playoff door has (unofficially) closed for Galesburg considering their remaining games.

Rock Island: 0-4

Toughest games left: Moline (Wk 5) Geneseo (Wk 9)

Outlook: This has been a season Rock Island would like to forget. A new head coach tends to bring about some low points while the team learns a new system and style, but the offense has been stuck in the mud the past 4 weeks and a loss to 1A Sterling Newman probably didn’t help the team’s confidence. Rocky would have to run the table to reach 5 wins, but I do not believe this team can do it. Moline will probably put the final nail in the coffin for the Rock’s season.
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Chicago Bears Hgh School Player and Coach of the Week?

Happy to again serve on the Chicago Bears advisory committee for selecting each week a high school player and coach of the week award. It's a great program put on by the Bears and benefits the schools with donations made to them and the players and coaches get other cool experiences

I'll ask for your input and nominee's each week just cheeck back over the weekend for postings here.
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MC and LA

According to an article by Michael O'Brien in Monday's
Sun-Times .... (and I paraphrase, here)


Mt Carmel and Loyola academy are 102 - 10 against the rest of the state since Since Jordan Lynch took over at Mount Carmel in 2018.

In fact, LA hasn't lost to anyone in that time except for Lockport and the Caravan.

What did we learn week 4!?!?!?!

Been a tough week both on and off the field for a lot of us.

Family is first guys no matter the opponent. Love yours because you don’t know when they won’t be there any longer.

Here is this weekend rendition of WDWL

1 - That Belleville East was unbeaten - and now they aren’t.
2 -That a path likely exists for Naz to make the post season but it resembles Lake Shore Drive in February.
3 - That the Lincoln-Ways sure can put in a show.
4 - That Warren has a two headed monster in the backfield and it’s not ugly
5 - That a big paw and a day at Duchon did in LT again.
6 - That whoever took the over in Peoria-Normal game was right
7 - That the Green Machine looks to be all the way back in the WB6.
8 - That the Montini also appears to be back - at least for this week.
9 - That we need to fast forward to some classics - Barrington-palatine, MC-Loyola, Brook-LWE - and do it soon.
10 - That nearly 40 years ago a young, sort and quite frankly frozen younger sat with his dad in the sidelines at Hancock Stadium watching GBN upset ESL. It’s days like that that make me miss him the most.

Have a good week everyone 🙏

This is becoming a weekly occurrence

https://www.chicagotribune.com/subu...0230916-fx3x6eue2vhxzlcnxutlfsokqu-story.html Edgy, I know these threads go south quickly. I’m sorry but those of us that love to experience the games in person need to get the message out of what’s going on. I don’t have the answer, you don’t, none of us do. God rest this young soul taken so tragically. 🙏🏻

The World Famous CCL-ESCC Predictions 2023 Week 4

We tried to tell you about the stranglehold the Baha'is have on the north shore, but you didn't believe us. Now that it's revealed that it is the Saint Rita people and the Mount Carmel people, with all their half-time bar crawling and their football-game attending who cause all the trouble. The entire sport needs to be shut down for our safety. As for me, getting to and from a bar during half is impossible - tip of the cap to you South Side guys. Gambletron looks hungover after last weekend's two hole-in-ones, or maybe just wants to stir things up in LaGrange and Elmhurst.

BR @ LA
LA 40 BR 13
SR @ MC
MC 35 SR 14
M @ SI
Marist 34 SI 14
ND @ JC
JC 35 ND 7
Naz @ ICP
Naz 28 ICP 27
SF @ F
Fenwick 34 St Francis 24
SP @ SV
SV 31 SP 26
CoM @ MA
Carmel 28 Marmion 14
Marian, Heights @ DLS
Heights 32 DLS 31
Leo @ DP
DePaul 35 Leo 20
PC @ SL
PC 34 SL 14
B @ MCHS
Benet 28 Montini 26

Althoff Loses to St. Dom, MO 4A Runner Up

At home on homecoming, the Crusaders of Althoff lose to the Crusaders of O'Fallon, MO. The good guys had the early lead, but the home team got worked over 34-19.

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