Barney's pizza or Barney's pub? For food...All.... Barney's on Morton a nice quiet must stop for the Rat for a little liquid relief to settle the nerves five minutes from Kraushaar-Rosenberger field. 🍺 Ratsy
There's only one right answer... 🧐
Barney's pizza or Barney's pub? For food...All.... Barney's on Morton a nice quiet must stop for the Rat for a little liquid relief to settle the nerves five minutes from Kraushaar-Rosenberger field. 🍺 Ratsy
Morris has been on the 4A/5A bubble recently. They went up slightly in enrollment and seem more likely to be 5A in '25. They are also one of a few teams that could realistically be in either the North or South bracket depending on the draw.There's only 17 schools between Rochester* at 681 enrollment for next cycle and Jacksonville at 859 kids.
How long before Jacksonville is a 4A lock? In between these two are some annual playoff teams that I noticed, quick glancing...
Wheaton St. Francis
Morris
MTZ
Providence
Dixon
Nazareth
Geneseo
Waterloo
Highland
Maybe more, I didn't look that hard.
All.... 848 to 853 is a pretty narrow window for the Skins. I've been yapping about postseason class designation since enrollments came out recently. But the more I look at it with that new enrollment and waiver rule all of those 500 or so teams could make a real change this year to set the playoff field. I think surprises will come at that time for many ending up elsewhere. A slight glimpse will be available when the Ihsa comes out in May with all of the those changes and the list. Nothing in stone as we all know until the playoff qualifiers are announced. It should be fun. RatsyMorris has been on the 4A/5A bubble recently. They went up slightly in enrollment and seem more likely to be 5A in '25. They are also one of a few teams that could realistically be in either the North or South bracket depending on the draw.
Looking at Jacksonville's enrollment by grade (source ISBE), they appear likely to stay close to their current number for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, Rochester seems likely to fall to less than 600 students within 4 years, absent new development.
Rochester sub 600? 681 to less than 600 in 4 years is quite a steep drop. Did district lines get redrawn out that way? I guess what are the possible causes for that? In my head, Rochester is booming like Chatham in the 90s. I know they aren't, and locals have always told me Rochester won't grow like that. But I guess I didn't think it would ever decline like that given how strong that district has been and how successful their athletics have been over the past 25 years.Morris has been on the 4A/5A bubble recently. They went up slightly in enrollment and seem more likely to be 5A in '25. They are also one of a few teams that could realistically be in either the North or South bracket depending on the draw.
Looking at Jacksonville's enrollment by grade (source ISBE), they appear likely to stay close to their current number for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, Rochester seems likely to fall to less than 600 students within 4 years, absent new development.
No boundary changes as far as I know.Rochester sub 600? 681 to less than 600 in 4 years is quite a steep drop. Did district lines get redrawn out that way? I guess what are the possible causes for that? In my head, Rochester is booming like Chatham in the 90s. I know they aren't, and locals have always told me Rochester won't grow like that. But I guess I didn't think it would ever decline like that given how strong that district has been and how successful their athletics have been over the past 25 years.
All.... "If you build it they will come." Chatham has the blue prints for that if needed. 😏 😱 RatsyNo boundary changes as far as I know.
There was significant new development from approximately '93-'08, which added hundreds of new houses in the district. It slowed considerably after the housing crisis in '08 and really hasn't picked back up.
I moved into the District in '03 and my kids started school within a few years. Many others similar to me that moved in during that time frame and had young kids. Most of those kids have now moved through the District and there hasn't been much new housing developed recently. The largest classes in Rochester history were from around '17-'22 but the lower grades at the same time were much smaller and that has carried forward to the present.
A possible benefit to future enrollment is the development of a fairly significant apartment complex close to the Intermediate School, but it will take time to see if that has much of an impact.
Works on this side of the state I guess... Where I grew up, they keep building and people keep leaving. Location in this equation sure goes a long ways, and having jobs, of course, which Qtown simply does not. Unless, that is, you're a retail/food service career kind of person!All.... "If you build it they will come." Chatham has the blue prints for that if needed. 😏 😱 Ratsy
That's tough... really makes no sense to me either. Generally, successful athletics, strong and high ranked district, you just wait and the people move in... Taxes might have swayed some to look elsewhere, I have to believe Rochester is amongst the highest along with Sherman and anything touching Plains district's lines as the highest in the capitol area. However in my experience, taxes don't keep the type of people seeking "refuge" in the burbs from moving in.No boundary changes as far as I know.
There was significant development from approximately '93-'08, which added hundreds of new houses in the District. It slowed considerably after the housing crisis in '08 and really hasn't picked back up.
I moved into the District in '03 and my kids started school within a few years. Many others similar to me moved in during that time frame and had young kids. Most of those kids have now moved through the District and there hasn't been much new housing built recently. The largest Senior classes in Rochester history were from around '17-'22 but the lower grades at the same time were much smaller and that has carried forward to the present.
A potential benefit to future enrollment is the development of a fairly significant apartment complex close to the Intermediate School, but it will take time to see if that has much of an impact.
I graduated from CGHS in '86. My Senior class was about 175.Works on this side of the state I guess... Where I grew up, they keep building and people keep leaving. Location in this equation sure goes a long ways, and having jobs, of course, which Qtown simply does not. Unless, that is, you're a retail/food service career kind of person!Ho hum, life rolls on... QND's largest classes were in the 70s. I think I was in one of the last classes to have north of 150 graduating. And it was a measly 160ish... Chatham definitely bought into this tactic though, and for them, it seems to have paid off. I don't know what's Glenwood's enrollment was prior to the 90s, but it had to be small.
I was actually thinking the opposite. At first glance, I see at least 4 playoff teams who had smaller enrollments than Morris last year having a larger enrollment than Morris this year due to multiplier and waiver adjustments. Montini, St. Laurence, U High, DePaul. Being they were the smallest 5a last season, this may be Morris’ best chance of staying in 4a that they have had in quite some time. I understand how playoff lines are drawn and I may be missing something here, but I can see them being a problem for a lot of 4a playoff teams this season (junior heavy last season).Morris has been on the 4A/5A bubble recently. They went up slightly in enrollment and seem more likely to be 5A in '25. They are also one of a few teams that could realistically be in either the North or South bracket depending on the draw.
Looking at Jacksonville's enrollment by grade (source ISBE), they appear likely to stay close to their current number for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, Rochester seems likely to fall to less than 600 students within 4 years, absent new development.
My mother retired from the state in 2021, maybe 2020 can't remember. But she always told me when she started out of college she wanted to be in Springfield as they had more opportunities for advancement at the time then the office in Quincy she would be working at. So her and my father began looking for homes in the Springfield area. Chatham was where they really honed in on and even put earnest money on a home before backing out due to a poor inspection or something crazy like that. At this time it was 1988, and Chatham was just starting or just before it's 90s surge in population. A couple thousand people according to the interwebs.I graduated from CGHS in '86. My Senior class was about 175.
All.... Boylan is another one going from 4A to 5A. General thinking as a rule does come to the conclusion that most of those schools getting multiplied for the most part are larger will push the "string" down from top to bottom. We will see.I was actually thinking the opposite. At first glance, I see at least 4 playoff teams who had smaller enrollments than Morris last year having a larger enrollment than Morris this year due to multiplier and waiver adjustments. Montini, St. Laurence, U High, DePaul. Being they were the smallest 5a last season, this may be Morris’ best chance of staying in 4a that they have had in quite some time. I understand how playoff lines are drawn and I may be missing something here, but I can see them being a problem for a lot of 4a playoff teams this season (junior heavy last season).
At my 20-year reunion, they offered us "old timers" a tour through the then new high school, which is a fabulous facility. I couldn't do it. The jealousy factor kicked in hard as I started thinking about the less than stellar building I spent 4 years in.My mother retired from the state in 2021, maybe 2020 can't remember. But she always told me when she started out of college she wanted to be in Springfield as they had more opportunities for advancement at the time then the office in Quincy she would be working at. So her and my father began looking for homes in the Springfield area. Chatham was where they really honed in on and even put earnest money on a home before backing out due to a poor inspection or something crazy like that. At this time it was 1988, and Chatham was just starting or just before it's 90s surge in population. A couple thousand people according to the interwebs.
I've thought about it in the past, about what it would have been like to have grown up in Chatham from the 90s (I was born in 1989) and then graduating high school like I did in the early 00's... to see the growth that district and town. They've gone from 5,500 to 14,000 in 30 years. So much milder growth than I have in my head, but still growth where most are seeing decline.
It has to be insanity for you rocket, to have grown up there and now see where Glenwood and Chatham are at... pretty awesome stuff!
I can definitely relate... Every time I attend a QND game since our athletic facilities were upgraded, it stings a little seeing what these kids have that we didn't. We championed that mud dog spirit though. You had to "back then" (circa 2004-2007) when our field was little more than a pasture with bleachers. Few know, but the truth is where QND's current athletic facilities reside was once, long ago, the city dump. The south redzone, the practice fields south of the game turf, and the softball setup were all heaping piles of garbage and landfill at one point. There's still to this day enormous holes along the edge of the practice area where it's caved in over time. We always though the whole field would sink in one day. The steam that would rise off the grass in the mornings during two-a-days was unpleasant, to say the least. That smell I can't forget and it always clung to your skin like some sticky gunk. But it's what we had and we were proud as heck of it.At my 20-year reunion, they offered us "old timers" a tour through the then new high school, which is a fabulous facility. I couldn't do it. The jealousy factor kicked in hard as I started thinking about the less than stellar building I spent 4 years in.
You know what's wild, I didn't even realize that tree was still there! I also never really venture down to that corner of the field. I'm either at the tailgate house, just inside the west gate, or over in the main stand chatting away. Never even thought about that tree... I would agree, that looks to be in a very annoying spot from the google satellite image I'm staring at. My only rationale explanation would be that it was planted in memoriam at some point and they don't want to or can't remove it for that reason? It doesn't appear to be that old of a tree though... I'll ask those in the know... I doubt it was planted for the sole purpose of keeping away support from seeing the scoreboard.Thanks for your kind words, Roamin'. I do think the stadium at SHG is a very nice one, and rarely do you see a visitor's stands the same size basically as the home stands. As for your stadium I didn't think it was a bad place to play at all. Quite the opposite. My only request would be 2 things. They need better and brighter lighting, and please, please, will someone take a chainsaw and cut that tree down that sits to the right of the visitor stands, totally blocking the scoreboard, LOL. In all honesty after what you guys did to us I didn't want to even look at the scoreboard, other than to see how much more time we had to endure the tail kicking that SHG received that night. But by all means, come on over this year and hopefully the Cyclones can "repay" you guys from last year, or at the very least come out on top this time.
Last season, Rochester's freshmen played only 4 conference teams: Chatham, U High, Springfield, and SHG. I believe they ended up playing only a 7-game schedule.All.... Just looked at these two schools and finding accurate schedules this early is difficult enough. It looks like no freshman teams for this season at Lanphier and Southeast. Ratsy
All.... Yes the lower level games are getting tough to schedule I suppose. Years ago it would be unthinkabe to not have a nine game schedule in those formative years.Last season, Rochester's freshmen played only 4 conference teams: Chatham, U High, Springfield, and SHG. I believe they ended up playing only a 7-game schedule.
After a Senior heavy Titans squad completely dominated the CS8 in '19 and reached the 6A semifinals, they went 4-2 (COVID) and 6-4 the next two seasons.I will go out on a limb and say Chatham is the odds on favorite to win their half of the CS-8 this year. Their backups and underclassmen should be getting plenty of playing time in the second half of some of their games. With that said, 2026 should be a rebuilding year, considering they dress 44 seniors on a roster of around 60 to 65 players.
All.... Yes I agree they are the odds on favorite in the East. Week four at Rochester should be a fun game. With the Rockets getting turf no more high grass or bad field conditions that can pop up. Good for everyone. 🙃I will go out on a limb and say Chatham is the odds on favorite to win their half of the CS-8 this year. Their backups and underclassmen should be getting plenty of playing time in the second half of some of their games. With that said, 2026 should be a rebuilding year, considering they dress 44 seniors on a roster of around 60 to 65 players.
MTZ has a better team this year than last. Their Senior class had single digit kids in it. They lost Trimble and a few noteworthy, yet undersized Sr. LBs... They still have Anderson, Harvey, & Stocks... It's going to take a "buffet of TD's" to have a chance to win that game... Stocks played the last 3 playoff games at QB with a broken collar bone and a separated AC joint... Kid took 4th in state at 215 in wrestling and is looking to podium in track to complete the triple crown... He's going to cook this year... Don't take my word for it... Go down the rabbit hole... 😆Unless MTZ have another stash of D1's that were waiting in JV last season... seems a likely Rocket buffet of TD's.
All.... Preseason rankings and score projections for the most part are not what one should consider as a whole solid but I like throwing them out especially when they come up wrong. Usually those sites are more accurate around mid season. Having said that this is what 2025 Massey is showing.MTZ has a better team this year than last. Their Senior class had single digit kids in it. They lost Trimble and a few noteworthy, yet undersized Sr. LBs... They still have Anderson, Harvey, & Stocks... It's going to take a "buffet of TD's" to have a chance to win that game... Stocks played the last 3 playoff games at QB with a broken collar bone and a separated AC joint... Kid took 4th in state at 215 in wrestling and is looking to podium in track to complete the triple crown... He's going to cook this year... Don't take my word for it... Go down the rabbit hole... 😆
Where have I heard this before...MTZ has a better team this year than last. Their Senior class had single digit kids in it. They lost Trimble and a few noteworthy, yet undersized Sr. LBs... They still have Anderson, Harvey, & Stocks... It's going to take a "buffet of TD's" to have a chance to win that game... Stocks played the last 3 playoff games at QB with a broken collar bone and a separated AC joint... Kid took 4th in state at 215 in wrestling and is looking to podium in track to complete the triple crown... He's going to cook this year... Don't take my word for it... Go down the rabbit hole... 😆
I was going to save this for Mr. or Ms. Bacon and his/her fluffing of the "other" Macon County pub that's laid dormant for it's entire existence until last year (all whilst watching their little buddies in Maroa take all the trophies), but it fits here too...All.... So I was at a gathering of people watching the Masters yesterday. Among the crowd were a few high school football fans. Two of them told me they had" heard" the Ihsa is looking hard at all classes going 1-32 in postseason seedings. I told them this rumor comes up every year just about at this time. Also there is already travel guidelines in place that would allow a 1-32 seeding which never occurs.
One I talked with is a (his words) Chatham Redskin fan. He had done his preseason homework like the rodent does every year and saw what Chatham could be facing in that south bracket of 16. When he was finished all I could come up with ( after having several Leinenkugel's - that was what the hosts were providing lol) is hope springs eternal.... 🤞 Ratsy
All.... Massey (preseason) score projection. ESTL 42 Chatham 7 (97%) Oh my..... RatsyI was going to save this for Mr. or Ms. Bacon and his/her fluffing of the "other" Macon County pub that's laid dormant for it's entire existence until last year (all whilst watching their little buddies in Maroa take all the trophies), but it fits here too...
As our good buddy Mr. ChinMusic used to tell me in his cheeky way before big Rocket games... "Everyone's got a chance until they don't."
Mascoutah will still have week 2 open with joining the SWC.All.... Coach Allison and Coach Leonard were on 1450 AM at separate times the past couple of days. Not much X's and O's talk. Rockets have a 7 on 7 in Chicago coming up and some type of camp I assume it includes a 7 on 7 in Crown Point (IN) as well. Not as many 7 on 7"s due to limited preseason Ihsa hour regulations if I understood that correctly. New turf at Rocket stadium close to being done.
I liked this. Coach Allison mentioned they changed weight lifting times which has worked out well over the last three months. Fot the most part happy with how the new two division setup is going other then once again looking for week 1 and 2 non con games in 2026 which are hard to get for SHG. Starting " 6 or 7 sophomores" with an opener against a team like CBC in 2024 was a rough way to go. CBC by the way is loaded once again. Cycs open up with them at home.
I would assume since Mascoutah who is going to the Southwestern Conference in 2026 likely will end the week two non con game after this season for SHG. Just looked up the Ihsa open dates list. Saw five possibles currently listed I would like to see for a game next year. Cahokia, Crete Monee, Marion, Morris, or a Catholic "Holy War" with PND. lol
CS8 fans can go to 1450 and get the podcast audio on both coach's talking . They are fairly short in time. Ratsy
ih$a has cut 5 days off summer contact days. it went from 25 to 20.Not as many 7 on 7"s due to limited preseason Ihsa hour regulations if I understood that correctly.