Played golf the other day with a friends whose son goes to JCA. Told me that the Junior class, (class of 2020), had 8 members of that class come back to play football, and also said that the lower level numbers were also alarmingly low. Can anyone here associated with the Hill confirm?
JCA Football Numbers
- Thread starter cocacoaler
- Start date
My ear is very close to ground and I understand that the Freshmen team will have its highest number in a decade —— and talented.
Alarmingly low is a term that lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Relative to what is occurring with the sport across the state, their participation actually appears to be bucking the trend on a positive trajectory.
Alarmingly low is a term that lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Relative to what is occurring with the sport across the state, their participation actually appears to be bucking the trend on a positive trajectory.
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That number of juniors is not true. Yes, a few quit but that happens all the time. If your not starting senior year, a lot of kids quit. The freshmen class coming in to play football are good. I know providence had a lot of juniors quit. From what I was told, because the Lincoln way schools football programs are good, there is no use of paying to play on a better catholic schools football team. I think that is what’s hurting JCA football too. Some Plainfield schools football programs on the rise. Plus, public schools are getting more publicity when catholic schools are down, I believe.
I read Redman’s assertion to be that 8 kids that played as Freshmen and did not play Sophomore year have chosen to return to football.
As an alumnus, your comment of “paying to play” does a disservice to the complete educational experience the students receive.
I am of the opinion that if that is the sole criteria a family applies, choice of Joliet Catholic Academy is probably not a good one for them.
Illinois is taxing people out of the state is the problem
I did not mean that pay to play was for football only and take anything away from the quality education that you receive from a catholic school. I went to a catholic school also and played baseball. But although going to a non-catholic highschool wasn’t an option for me, I did have a say on which one I would want to attend. I did look at the baseball program at each one. Plus the education and the atmosphere for learning. But knowing some parents today, being really involved in kids sports, I’m sure parents look at their sports as a huge factory on how the schools sports programs are. Choosing any catholic school is usually a given on getting a quality education according to them. Hence why they are paying for a catholic education. I know a lot of parents that think this way. I always put education first. Football won’t be there forever.
That's awesome numbers for a school with an enrollment of 626 students!
That is good to hear. This is Jaws' first Frosh class where his presence and influence can be fully felt. I'm sure a lot of work went into it. Good for him and Ryan Quigley....et al.
The following comment relates to the general issue of athletes not participating if the chance of "starting" is remote. I attended a recent coed all-sports beginning-of spring-season parent/athlete meeting at a large SW suburban public HS. The AD began in the overflowing gym with an emphatic speech imploring parents/athletes concerned with playing time to basically not come out for the sport if anything more than team membership is the goal. Interesting, I thought.
If you leave Providence in order to win a starting spot on LWE, you’ve made a very risky move
Think about it...Lincoln Way was one 3000+ student high school twenty years ago...and Joliet Central & West played as one team with 6000+ kids...Those are now five school teams, spreading out the wealth...
This comment is very much carried over to Bishop McNamara. I'll use Manteno for my example. Manteno, being a big Catholic town, traditionally sends a good number of students to Mac. I had junior high classmates who you just knew were going to Mac because their siblings went there, their parents went there, and for some their grandparents went to St. Patrick's (Mac's predecessor). And their kids go there now...
But the "sinister" undertow of recruiting was also there. But, if Manteno doesn't play football, trying to convince kids to go to Mac to play football is probably not recruiting. The problem is, one year Manteno had a junior high team go to state in basketball, and the top 7 players from that team all went to Mac...By junior year, none of them played hoops anymore, and only a couple played football.
A couple of years ago, a Manteno kid started school at Mac as a freshman, stud baseball player and QB. He wasn't real amused apparently being on the jv baseball and freshman football team...and wasn't real excited at the prospect of coming up through the ranks (and primarily handing off in football). So what happens? Transfers back to Manteno, starts three years at QB in a spread system and is the stud baseball player. Other players have started to realize that they can be three year starters at Manteno, or only start as a senior at Mac...Manteno's program has steadily improved, while Mac has had to fight through the Catholic league on long bus trips...
Combined with the athletic opportunity is greatly improved academics as Manteno has grown...Kids are now taking as sophomores the science classes I took as a senior, and there are two levels of math available beyond what I could take...Mac has lost many of the advantages which it could tout 30 years ago...Which is part of the reason it is half the size it was 30 years ago...
Kankakee is not the city it used to thus not feeding many kids into Mac
So HHS how’s your lurking been? Also cute posting under a new handle. How many names do you have in edgy world? I did think it was interesting that this poster seemed to agree with you so often, but you finally reveal yourself with the Mac issues here.
Panthers has been around a while. Probably coexisted with two of HHS’s user names. Not the same guy unless he has been the good cop alter ego the whole time. Doubt you will see the same level of vitriolic prose at any rate.
He’s stating fact here and not being over the top about it.
He’s stating fact here and not being over the top about it.
Indeed very good to hear. I thought I had heard of a soph or junior transfer from Metea or neuqua at one point. Any chance that's true? They really do have some pieces. Just not sure how deep and how good overall. And that tough non conference schedule does no favors. 0-2 means you need to go 5-2 in conference which likely isn't happening if you can't win one of the first two.
Agreed. They need to split the first two to have any chance of getting to 5 wins, IMO. I don't like scheduling Rita in Week 1. Many Hilltopper fans may disagree, but I think they are over scheduled. And I fully understand the difficulty of scheduling.
You look at all the other catholic schools and they seem to find lesser teams to play for non-conference games over the past 10 years. I know there tough to come by, but scheduling St. Rita and IC is tough sledding. But I believe they can beat both if they stay healthy. JCA plays well against teams that they don’t normally play. I believe ST Rita has only played JCA two or three times, I think. (I might be wrong there). IC prep I don’t think has ever played them. That offense is a bear to defend if you’ve never played against it.
Curious as to why you like a tough schedule for a program looking to recover. I agree if this was 5 or 10 years ago and the program would win 5 games even with an 0-2 start. But for this current program the first goal has to be making the playoffs and that can be destroyed with the wrong first two opponents. Just my thoughts.
Only good thing about a tough schedule is that you can probably get in 5a playoffs with 4 wins. I think last year there was 2 teams that went to playoffs with 4 wins. That is going to be more common in all these conferences especially the escc. Only other thought is that JCA thinks if they can’t beat the best, then you aren’t the best, is there thought.
SR did graduate lot but it will not be a run away. JCA by 7.
Sadly, everyone seems to think that if you have a Kankakee area bent to your knowledge, you are a new handle for HHS...I'm not HHS...I find his tangents just as irritating as everyone else...
You want background on me? 1986 Manteno valedictorian. '90 Illinois. '93 SIU Law. 25 years attorney in Kankakee County. Manteno Athletic Boosters president twice...1995 (when after attending every school board meeting for two years they shut me up by agreeing to build an all-weather track), and 2002. Ed Foundation original board member in '98, and president 2000-2006, led the fundraising to build the stadium. Yes, I helped lay sod on Homestar Bank Field...helped put the fence up around the track (and home run fences). I personally signed the check for the stadium lights so the Panthers could play the last game of their first varsity season on Friday night...
Non-school? Twenty years member of Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission. '98 Manteno Chamber of Commerce President. '04 Rotary President. Former Manteno Village Attorney, and my prior firm represented at different times more than a dozen government bodies in Kankakee County...Helped form the Manteno Wildcats youth football & wrestling leagues...Manteno Park Commission president 2004-06.
2010 I started dating a woman who grew up in Joliet and was living in Wilmington, with a 6th grader and kindergartner...Older was a starting left tackle and point guard for the Wildcats...We used to joke about the Wildcats' basketball backcourt as being better pulling guards than fast-breaking guards...the other primary ball handler was the starting right guard on the state championship team.
I have been to McNamara to give away scholarships...former teammates have coached at Mac...My younger brother was recruited by Zinanni personally: he started cross country as a freshman at 270+ pounds, and at the Irish Conditioner CC meet (1st of the season) Zinanni was so impressed with his conditioning that he offered him a full ride that night...Mom wouldn't let him go to a Catholic school, but he had been K-8 classmates with most of Mac's starting backfield and became friends with Thomas Guynes (Michigan, Arizona Cardinals) from wrestling and throwing shot & discus against each other. And the mother of the QB I mentioned in the other post was a Chamber Board member when I was Chamber president...
So, please don't insult me by referring to me as some alter-ego HHS. I've been to Herscher hundreds of times in my life, but never lived there. I actually interviewed to be their Village Attorney once... Just because I professionally dealt with most of the same issues that HHS likes to rant about doesn't mean I'm his alter ego...Rant over...
Because good competition is how you get better. Both opponents are very respectable and each will pose a challenge.
If LWE and Loyola were scheduled for weeks 1 & 2, my opinion would be different.
I look at it this way. JCA plays enough 6a,7a and 8a teams in their conference schedule as it is. They are 5a. I think your nonscheduled games should be 5a teams. I know it would probably mean some traveling but it would be fair. I know IC catholic is 3a but is really a good 3a program. Especially when wins of non conference games counts towards the five wins to guarantee playoffs. I know I open a whole can a worms on different classes in same conference. Don’t want to do that. Lol. I think everyone takes for granted that JCA is always going to be this big power house team all the time. I guess that goes with winning 13 state titles. But the truth is times have changed with them. I know it’s changed with a lot of other schools also. JCA needs to start playing nonschedule games to their talent at that time. It makes sense.
Fair enough. I agree both games are competitive yet winnable. I just wish they scheduled at least one likely win. An above average ESCC team can conceivably win 5A. But if that above average team goes 0-2 in non conference they might not even get a ticket to the dance. Just my thoughts.
I like those two opening games for JCA. I certainly understand given the past couple seasons why some would want easier non-cons. But if you can get a competitive game and not be the heavy dog I think you're on solid ground.
Mea Culpa to the distinguished gentleman from Kankakee. I’m certain the community appreciates your service. Good luck with your upcoming season.
Agreed... Frankly I think for the overall morale of the program, it would be a tremendous lift for them to play in the postseason. Once you get there, you never know. But going 0-2 to start, which is a possibility, would essentially end their season.
except for the fact that JCA has had plenty of teams that have started 0-2 and finished quite well.
which is funny considering just two years ago, people were wondering whether rita was dead forever.
I don’t think St. Rita has been more vibrant in 20 years. They were 9-3 last year. Both of the lower levels were 8-1. They are putting an addition on the building for a fitness center. A new building is under construction for additional locker rooms, concession stand, and storage. With the baseball, lacrosse, and rugby all going strong at the same time it’s a mad house in the spring. And the school is adding to the endowment while doing the above. I was at the school in May for a luncheon and the Archdiocese of Chicago had representatives there studding how when they are closing schools St. Rita was putting on additions and turning away students. If the selective enrollment continues to go the way it is I look for the school to hire an additional teacher and add more students down the road. When you see St. Rita guys worried then I would be concerned. If it's from others it may be a veiled attempt at negative recruiting.
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