So who is the IHSA top team for the 2018 preseason?
- Thread starter EdgyTim
- Start date
I would guess that Naz is a Top 5 team since they return the majority of their team with some HUGE linemen and athletic skills players. How about adding Phillips to Bowie50's list? PR will come down back to Earth but I'm also thinking Warren since their Sophomore class was pretty loaded. Antioch will be interesting with their QB transfer and Coach Proffit running the "D".
I have this strange feeling that Neuqua Valley could have one of those teams that’s similar to the year TJ Rhattigan was a seniorI think 2010, and catch a huge team run...no particular stud just a team of 40 very good players. It is my opinion though that TJ was very underrated.
They should be solid - but I don’t think they get by NC in the tiny DVC which I guess I will rename as the Conference of the Napers and Valleys.
If I had to force rank the 5 teams right now (which is way early and I’m hoping totally wrong) I would go:
1 NC
2 NV
3 WV
4 NN
5 MV
But I don’t think any of them would crack the top 10 preseason list for state ranked teams.
Thoughts?
7A champ Batavia has some playmakers returning and had a monster sophomore squad last season.
I can’t believe I forgot Batavia! I don’t know why I was so focused on 8A teams initially.
I hope Wheaton South goes 0-9 since they were the driving force behind breaking up the DVC. Principal Claypool who came from Maine South and Coach Muhitch, who is rumored to spend all his time save the football season in Florida.
Their stated goal of having full participation at all levels in all sports is pure garbage as all of the remaining DVC schools provide that.
I'm not sure what could be a logical reason to move. Geneva, Batavia (beat Wheaton North 20-17 in OT in the second round) and both St. Charles schools are good at everything and, off the top of my head, are farther than all but maybe Lake Park and Nequa Valley.
South is only four years removed from a 20 year stretch where they averaged a championship game every two years, winning seven and losing three. Last year, despite going 2-7, they were only outscored by three points on the year.
If they think it's going to be easier in the DuKane conference they're wrong. It may very well be more difficult.
Ahhh.... thanks for letting me vent.
Batavia, Glenbard West, Maine South, Lake Zurich, Prairie Ridge, Bolingbrook, anyone from the Blue... all the usual suspects.
Their stated goal of having full participation at all levels in all sports is pure garbage as all of the remaining DVC schools provide that.
I'm not sure what could be a logical reason to move. Geneva, Batavia (beat Wheaton North 20-17 in OT in the second round) and both St. Charles schools are good at everything and, off the top of my head, are farther than all but maybe Lake Park and Nequa Valley.
South is only four years removed from a 20 year stretch where they averaged a championship game every two years, winning seven and losing three. Last year, despite going 2-7, they were only outscored by three points on the year.
If they think it's going to be easier in the DuKane conference they're wrong. It may very well be more difficult.
Ahhh.... thanks for letting me vent.
Batavia, Glenbard West, Maine South, Lake Zurich, Prairie Ridge, Bolingbrook, anyone from the Blue... all the usual suspects.
Anybody know what these occasional contributors (Beth Long, Joe Hendricksen, etc.) to the Chicago newspaper dailies do with the rest of their time? Are they beat reporters out in the 'burbs as their main gig? What kinds of background qualify them for the exposure received? Just askin' ....
Hendrickson has a basketball recruiting website and is pretty tied in he broke the Mark Smith leaving Illinois storry earlier this week. From 1993 to around 2001 he used to publish the City Suburban Gridiron Report which was a weekly high school football football report that was fantastic in the pre internet era before stopping it to concentrate on basketball. I think I still have few copies of it in storage, anyone else remember it?
Naperville Central...of course! LWE will take a beat down like they have never had before in week 2. Central decided to bypass the in state opponents to once again represent itself as a National Powerhouse.
TJ was the best player on his team. His brother,Joey, was better and led better NV teams. That epic game at Bolingbrook was as good as any HS game I’ve seen in 20 years (R-B v JCA being the other). The state semi against The Caravan was another fantastic, highly competitive game. Joey was the best player on the field in both and it wasn’t even close.
Younger brother Jon is just finishing up his plebe year at West Point. He could be good for the Knights in a few years.
To be fair Bailey was limping. Healthy Bailey I think is clearly the best player on the field. But Rhattigan was a horse that game undoubtedly.
Bailey was a warrior that game. Agree that he had more talent but Joey was a better player. Every box was checked with him.
