New Metro Suburban Football Alignment

[Cat Box]

Trying to figure out what the football divisional alignment will look like in 2018 with three CCL teams transitioning to the Metro:

• Aurora Christian (5-5)
• Bishop Mac (3-6)
• St. Francis (1-8)

(reliable source) I know for sure AC elected to be in the Blue, which currently consists of:

• ICCP (13-1)
• Riverside-Brookfield (8-2)
• Glenbard South (6-5)
• St. Edward's (5-4)
• Wheaton Academy (4-5)
• Fenton (2-7)

Trying to find out what the conference rules are - how do they select teams for each Division? The Metro Red is significantly weaker:

• Elmwood Park (6-4)
• Ridgewood (7-4)
• Aurora Central (5-4)
• Chicago Christian (4-5)
• Walther Christian (1-8)
• Guerin Prep (0-9)

Will they bring all 3 CCL teams into the Blue and push Fenton down to the Red?
Will they start Francis and Mac out in the Red because they had losing seasons?
They clearly have not made Divisional alignments based on geography or enrollment.
Many speculate this is the beginning of creating a Public-Private school conference split.
New conference will have 5 publics and 10 privates (plus the 2 non-football schools in the conference with Timothy Christian and Illiana Christian).

 

[BBCHS77]

Trying to figure out what the football divisional alignment will look like in 2018 with three CCL teams transitioning to the Metro:

• Aurora Christian (5-5)
• Bishop Mac (3-6)
• St. Francis (1-8)

(reliable source) I know for sure AC elected to be in the Blue, which currently consists of:

• ICCP (13-1)
• Riverside-Brookfield (8-2)
• Glenbard West (6-5)
• St. Edward's (5-4)
• Wheaton Academy (4-5)
• Fenton (2-7)

Trying to find out what the conference rules are - how do they select teams for each Division? The Metro Red is significantly weaker:

• Elmwood Park (6-4)
• Ridgewood (7-4)
• Aurora Central (5-4)
• Chicago Christian (4-5)
• Walther Christian (1-8)
• Guerin Prep (0-9)

Will they bring all 3 CCL teams into the Blue and push Fenton down to the Red?
Will they start Francis and Mac out in the Red because they had losing seasons?
They clearly have not made Divisional alignments based on geography or enrollment.
Many speculate this is the beginning of creating a Public-Private school conference split.
New conference will have 5 publics and 10 privates (plus the 2 non-football schools in the conference with Timothy Christian and Illiana Christian).

Illiana Christian going to stay?

 

[mc140]

Two years max for this conference before it gets blown up.

 

[BBCHS77]

And obviously he meant Glenbard South, who I believe is leaving the Metro?

 

[Cat Box]

And obviously he meant Glenbard South, who I believe is leaving the Metro?

Whoops!
Just edited. Thanks.

Where has Glenbard South signaled they will go?
I actually like Glenbard South, Wheaton Academy and St. Francis all in the same conference so they can have those backyard games in Wheaton.

 

[BBCHS77]

Upstate 8????

 

[eagles2k3]

Two years max for this conference before it gets blown up.

Completely agree. St. Francis will like this because theyll be back making the playoffs, as will Aurora Christian although I feel they are trending down. This is going to put St. Edward back where they were about 10 years ago not making the playoffs. Fenton is not going to like playing all the privates.

Might as well just get the old SCC teams back together because that is likely what is going to happen after this conference blows up. I still think it would be great if they brought back the Catholic Metro.

Also for all of those publics why not hook up with Lisle and Westmont?

Lisle
Westmont
EP
Ridgewood
Fenton
RB
Glenbard South.

 

[Simon "GHOST' Riley]

Two years max for this conference before it gets blown up.

Agree. If SF turns things around and is competitive the public schools will take off and form another conference. Some of those public schools don't like losing to the old WSC schools anyway so once it breaks up maybe SF will hook up again in the Green. That is the place for them to be anyway.

 

[BBCHS77]

Lisle is a great fit for the group of 8 they will be with going forward

 

[ignazio]

Completely agree. St. Francis will like this because theyll be back making the playoffs, as will Aurora Christian although I feel they are trending down. This is going to put St. Edward back where they were about 10 years ago not making the playoffs. Fenton is not going to like playing all the privates.

Might as well just get the old SCC teams back together because that is likely what is going to happen after this conference blows up. I still think it would be great if they brought back the Catholic Metro.

A long, circuitous route in ditching Montini.

 

[Cat Box]

A long, circuitous route in ditching Montini.

^^^
This...

 

[Cat Box]

Completely agree. St. Francis will like this because theyll be back making the playoffs, as will Aurora Christian although I feel they are trending down. This is going to put St. Edward back where they were about 10 years ago not making the playoffs. Fenton is not going to like playing all the privates.

Might as well just get the old SCC teams back together because that is likely what is going to happen after this conference blows up. I still think it would be great if they brought back the Catholic Metro.

Also for all of those publics why not hook up with Lisle and Westmont?

Lisle
Westmont
EP
Ridgewood
Fenton
RB
Glenbard South.

So much truth and good stuff in your post. 100% agree.

I like what you did with adding Lisle and Westmont to the mix to form a new Public conference.

I think St. Francis is a sleeping giant. They surely bottomed out last year going 1-8 and will get measurably better each year. Sparty trending back to competitive for sure.

AC trending down? Yes. Absolutely. Until 2020 and 2021 seasons. Current 9th, 8th and 7th grade football talent is crazy good.
They lose the multiplier in 2018 because they have not won a playoff game since 2013 and actual enrollment (238 without the multiplier) is down to Class 1A level.

 

[paisans11]

Excluding the Chicago Public League, the Metro Suburban Red is by far the weakest football conference in Chicagoland/Suburbs.

 

[Cat Box]

Excluding the Chicago Public League, the Metro Suburban Red is by far the weakest football conference in Chicagoland/Suburbs.

Two things...
#1 - better to have weak teams playing each other. At least the games are competitive and it keeps kids coming out for football.
#2 - would be a good move for CCL Red (Leo, DePaul, Joe's) to merge with the Metro Surburban Red. Would look like this...

• Elmwood Park (6-4)
• Ridgewood (7-4)
• Aurora Central (5-4)
• Chicago Christian (4-5)
• Leo (4-7)
• St. Joe (3-7)
• DePaul (2-7)
• Walther Christian (1-8)
• Guerin Prep (0-9)

The two Public schools peel out and you have a small school private league with parity.

 

[HRCJR]

Two things...
#1 - better to have weak teams playing each other. At least the games are competitive and it keeps kids coming out for football.
#2 - would be a good move for CCL Red (Leo, DePaul, Joe's) to merge with the Metro Surburban Red. Would look like this...

• Elmwood Park (6-4)
• Ridgewood (7-4)
• Aurora Central (5-4)
• Chicago Christian (4-5)
• Leo (4-7)
• St. Joe (3-7)
• DePaul (2-7)
• Walther Christian (1-8)
• Guerin Prep (0-9)

The two Public schools peel out and you have a small school private league with parity.

Do you think St. Joe's, Leo and DePaul want to play basketball in this group. I think not.

 

[BIG CHIEF 53]

Not sure of the division names, but here are the alignments. Note that Walther left for the Northeastern Athletic after the divisions were set; the "smaller division" teams will each play a team from one of the lower CCL divisions. Off hand I know Guerin has Hope, Chicago Christian has St. Joe's, and Elmwood Park has Leo.

IC
Wheaton Academy
Bishop Mac
Aurora Christian
ACC
St. Francis
RB

Ridgewood
St. Ed's
Chicago Christian
Guerin
Elmwood Park
Fenton

 

[paisans11]

Two things...
#1 - better to have weak teams playing each other. At least the games are competitive and it keeps kids coming out for football.
#2 - would be a good move for CCL Red (Leo, DePaul, Joe's) to merge with the Metro Surburban Red. Would look like this...

• Elmwood Park (6-4)
• Ridgewood (7-4)
• Aurora Central (5-4)
• Chicago Christian (4-5)
• Leo (4-7)
• St. Joe (3-7)
• DePaul (2-7)
• Walther Christian (1-8)
• Guerin Prep (0-9)

The two Public schools peel out and you have a small school private league with parity.

It is not competitive for teams like Walther Christian & Guerin Prep. They lose every game by at least 40 points until they play one another.

 

[Cat Box]

It is not competitive for teams like Walther Christian & Guerin Prep. They lose every game by at least 40 points until they play one another.

There is nothing anyone can do about that regardless of what conference they are in.

 

[Cat Box]

Not sure of the division names, but here are the alignments. Note that Walther left for the Northeastern Athletic after the divisions were set; the "smaller division" teams will each play a team from one of the lower CCL divisions. Off hand I know Guerin has Hope, Chicago Christian has St. Joe's, and Elmwood Park has Leo.

IC
Wheaton Academy
Bishop Mac
Aurora Christian
ACC
St. Francis
RB

Ridgewood
St. Ed's
Chicago Christian
Guerin
Elmwood Park
Fenton

Thanks for the info Big Chief!
I actually like this alignment very much. Happy to see Aurora Central will no longer be allowed to hide down in the smaller division and guarantees annual matchup vs Aurora Christian. Same with Wheaton Academy and St Francis.

 

[King MJ]

Cant understand where Fenton is? feels like they will be outclassed at all level in every game.

 

[BIG CHIEF 53]

Thanks for the info Big Chief!
I actually like this alignment very much. Happy to see Aurora Central will no longer be allowed to hide down in the smaller division and guarantees annual matchup vs Aurora Christian. Same with Wheaton Academy and St Francis.

I agree, I think the bigger division is a nice set up for the teams in the Wheaton/Aurora area, and there will be some pretty competitive match ups. In the smaller division, most of those teams are making a lot of decent strides forward and are really building up their programs. Guerin, for example, is picking up the numbers and had some nice freshman players. I get the "worst conference" stuff, but for the kids playing it really doesn't matter when the coaches are focused on creating a culture and winning some games. As a Chicago Christian guy I am sad to see Walther go as that has been our closest thing to a football rival (there were some great games back in the PSL days), but the Northeastern is probably a better fit for them at this point.

Who knows what the Metro will look like in a couple years, or any conference for that matter, but for the schools involved this is as good of a setup as you can ask for right now.

 

[eagles2k3]

I agree, I think the bigger division is a nice set up for the teams in the Wheaton/Aurora area, and there will be some pretty competitive match ups. In the smaller division, most of those teams are making a lot of decent strides forward and are really building up their programs. Guerin, for example, is picking up the numbers and had some nice freshman players. I get the "worst conference" stuff, but for the kids playing it really doesn't matter when the coaches are focused on creating a culture and winning some games. As a Chicago Christian guy I am sad to see Walther go as that has been our closest thing to a football rival (there were some great games back in the PSL days), but the Northeastern is probably a better fit for them at this point.

Who knows what the Metro will look like in a couple years, or any conference for that matter, but for the schools involved this is as good of a setup as you can ask for right now.

What happened to Walther? They had some good teams in the late 90s and early 2000s. For a while they were pretty good at baseball and basketball too(Bo Flowers days). The last 8-10 years they've been god awful. They used to get a lot of good athletes out of Maywood. Did they just get out-recruited?

 

[UlbKA91]

What happened to Walther? They had some good teams in the late 90s and early 2000s. For a while they were pretty good at baseball and basketball too(Bo Flowers days). The last 8-10 years they've been god awful. They used to get a lot of good athletes out of Maywood. Did they just get out-recruited?

Probably people who could afford Walther concluding it's better to put the $ in housing elsewhere and also 3 very successful Catholic programs to the west that do recruit.