I agree some, unless of course you are talking about Bartlett early 2000s!
Biggest Question for your fav conference in 2024?
- Thread starter EdgyTim
- Start date
Will Batavia reload? Will losing a 3 year starting QB be crippling for them this upcoming season?
DGN had 3 sophomores on varsity and made it to the state game… what should we expect from them???
DGN had 3 sophomores on varsity and made it to the state game… what should we expect from them???
Give me West Aurora to many Athletes for South Elgin to handle.
Warren was tremendous team speed with the entire secondary back. It should be interesting. Warren plays ball control offense and physical defense ... you better make your reps coount.
here we go again, warm up the hype train let's make it coount this year
Not hype train. Get ready for the normal Warren's play ... that's all I am referencing. It will be normal top 8A programs contending.
I will say this
Warren last year showed a lot of grit, they dropped the first two games and then went on a nice run until they met up with LWE.
Hersey seemed like the grammar school bully, the minute that a team stood up to them they had issues
- that DGN game was a dog fight, but it was the first and only time that they had need tested all year.
The coach didn’t even k kw what he had on the field because of their schedule being so soft
Warren last year showed a lot of grit, they dropped the first two games and then went on a nice run until they met up with LWE.
Hersey seemed like the grammar school bully, the minute that a team stood up to them they had issues
- that DGN game was a dog fight, but it was the first and only time that they had need tested all year.
The coach didn’t even k kw what he had on the field because of their schedule being so soft
I’m waiting for Warren to be nearly as good as Micah describes every year.
LWE shut them down, but they showed a lot of heart and skill
If they are returning a lot of players, they can make a deep run this upcoming season.
LWE seems to have reloaded and also benefitted from a key transfer… but that’s what keeps the name “legacy” attached to certain programs.
I think it’s actually a couple transfers. The stud QB from Bolingbrook and a player from Marist.
The player from Marist was shopping heavy for a new team this year
I don’t know what happened over there, but they were not happy
Warren is always a sleeper. One of these days, they'll wake up and go all the way.
They got knocked down to the Orange Division (3rd Tier Division) because of their 4-5 finish last year and their schedule is not very challenging. They play BR, but no MC, LA, or SR. Their new coach is going to be good for the program though, they will be back. Honestly they had 1 sub par year in the last 10 years probably.
They have challenges like most public schools. Not for sure what school you support, but not many 8A programs have played top-notch football better than Warren over the last several years. I will continue to support the team out north. All I can say is buckle up ... you know what's coming. Go WARREN ! 🎢
Maybe Dawczak leaving was an issue but Ritter is a solid QB to have come in - without him they would have been relying on a Soph.
The giant Loyola profile banner, profile pic of Loyola's field, or the Go[ram]Blers username not giving any obvious hints?
Also, how many 8a playoff qualifiers does Warren beat this year on their way to an early playoff exit, the usual (one)?
Didnt know losing in the Quarterfinals is an early playoffs exit. since '17 theyve exited before the Qtrs twice...
Well, for what it's worth, maybe the hype last year was too early. That team had 16 seniors, 53 juniors and 6 sophomores, so they may have just been too young.
By my count, there are 9 defensive starters, 7 offensive starters, and a 4 star kicker returning, plus some incoming juniors who will be hugely impactive like Will Santiago, Jordan Bostick and Jaeden Gaspard -- so we'll see. It's gonna be fun if nothing else
Bostick (WR/CB) was absolutely electric against us (Evanston) in the Soph game... 3 TDs, a 2pt conversion, and a pick (very nearly a pick 6). Santiago (QB) looked like a player as well. How did that team do overall @kpjasion ? I'm hoping the fact that we had a lead into the 4th qtr is a good sign for our team.Well, for what it's worth, maybe the hype last year was too early. That team had 16 seniors, 53 juniors and 6 sophomores, so they may have just been too young.
By my count, there are 9 defensive starters, 7 offensive starters, and a 4 star kicker returning, plus some incoming juniors who will be hugely impactive like Will Santiago, Jordan Bostick and Jaeden Gaspard -- so we'll see. It's gonna be fun if nothing else
Some ICE 8 Conference questions.
1) Will Wilmington running clock everyone this year? They toyed with teams last year during conference play.
2) Will a new coach breathe some life into Streator?
3) Will there be a year two rebound in Lisle?
4) Will Reed Custer continue last year's downward spiral?
5) Will Coach Haines have Manteno ready to take the next step.?
6). Will Coal City continue to be Jekyll and Hyde on offense?
My Answers: Yes, No, No, Yes, Yes, Yes.
1) Will Wilmington running clock everyone this year? They toyed with teams last year during conference play.
2) Will a new coach breathe some life into Streator?
3) Will there be a year two rebound in Lisle?
4) Will Reed Custer continue last year's downward spiral?
5) Will Coach Haines have Manteno ready to take the next step.?
6). Will Coal City continue to be Jekyll and Hyde on offense?
My Answers: Yes, No, No, Yes, Yes, Yes.
Warren's situation is exactly what the problem is with football at the big-school (7A & 8A levels) as we head toward 2024.
The big-picture focus on this board is always about playing for a state title.
There are 9 weeks of regular-season games that create pockets of interest. Last year, for example, there was Mt. Carmel vs. East St. Louis in Week 1 and that game drove this board for weeks.
And there were other games in August's two weeks of play that were deservedly spotlighted in these spaces.
But the longer we go, the reality sets in that Mt. Carmel in 7A, and Loyola and Lincoln-Way East in 8A are just too good.
And that sucks a lot of life out of comments here that really are facts but not the whole truth. For example, I like Warren, Maine South, and Palatine, and perhaps Hersey, to have terrific seasons in which they may never lose until they play each other ... or have to face Loyola or L-W East. And that's where their seasons will end.
Between the three super-powers, the only thing lacking was a top-end passing QB at L-W East. And, presto!!!!!. Problem solved for them.
IHSA football at the top end is now like the way Big Ten football was up until this year when divisions were eliminated. The Big Ten West had great regular-season interest with pretty much every team having an in-theory shot at winning the division and playing in the Big Ten title game.
That said, nobody but nobody but nobody ever believed anything other than that the Michigan/Ohio State winner of the Big Ten East would win the league championship game and advance to the playoffs.
It's hard to get excited for the big picture when the big picture has already been painted.
For big-school powers like Palatine and Maine South, and Warren, an 11-1 or 12-1 season is a wonderful achievement but lacking is the ability to suggest that this is THEIR year.
Finally, please don't whip out the name East St. Louis' failing to win every state title in Class 6A as an example that anything can happen in the postseason.
The Flyers are a unicorn. They play football a way that no other team in the state can, and that refers to both sides of the ball, and to both amazingly great stuff and incredibly dumb stuff.
The big-picture focus on this board is always about playing for a state title.
There are 9 weeks of regular-season games that create pockets of interest. Last year, for example, there was Mt. Carmel vs. East St. Louis in Week 1 and that game drove this board for weeks.
And there were other games in August's two weeks of play that were deservedly spotlighted in these spaces.
But the longer we go, the reality sets in that Mt. Carmel in 7A, and Loyola and Lincoln-Way East in 8A are just too good.
And that sucks a lot of life out of comments here that really are facts but not the whole truth. For example, I like Warren, Maine South, and Palatine, and perhaps Hersey, to have terrific seasons in which they may never lose until they play each other ... or have to face Loyola or L-W East. And that's where their seasons will end.
Between the three super-powers, the only thing lacking was a top-end passing QB at L-W East. And, presto!!!!!. Problem solved for them.
IHSA football at the top end is now like the way Big Ten football was up until this year when divisions were eliminated. The Big Ten West had great regular-season interest with pretty much every team having an in-theory shot at winning the division and playing in the Big Ten title game.
That said, nobody but nobody but nobody ever believed anything other than that the Michigan/Ohio State winner of the Big Ten East would win the league championship game and advance to the playoffs.
It's hard to get excited for the big picture when the big picture has already been painted.
For big-school powers like Palatine and Maine South, and Warren, an 11-1 or 12-1 season is a wonderful achievement but lacking is the ability to suggest that this is THEIR year.
Finally, please don't whip out the name East St. Louis' failing to win every state title in Class 6A as an example that anything can happen in the postseason.
The Flyers are a unicorn. They play football a way that no other team in the state can, and that refers to both sides of the ball, and to both amazingly great stuff and incredibly dumb stuff.
I'm gonna say this right now.. Jordan Bostick is better than his brother Jacob, who's currently at Texas A&M.. he just hasn't had the growth spurt his brother did. Santiago will be a star too.
The JV squad last year had 6 sophomores starting up on varsity- so they did have alot of close games. They dropped a 29-28 game against Hoffman Estates and 42-41 to Fremd in consecutive weeks when they'd beaten both by three TDs the year before at full strength. I think they're playing Evanston again this fall, so we'll see.
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