Through 4 weeks in the season are a combined 1-11 while being outscored 129-522. They will all be heavy underdogs in their upcoming Week 5 games as well.
Springfield Public Football Teams
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I heard Lanphier Coach Goff say in an interview before the season started that many of his freshman have never played before. When I was growing up (admittedly a long time ago), Springfield had a strong JFL program which fed experienced players mostly into the city public high schools and to an extent to SHG. Most of the county schools did not develop their own JFL programs until later. When my son played JFL in Rochester, the Springfield JFL program seemed to have diminished greatly. In his 8th grade year, there was only one Springfield JFL team with about 25 kids. Almost all of Rochester's players have JFL experience, with some playing as early as the 2nd grade.
Another issue is these schools have had success in other sports but don't get those athletes to play football for the most part. Lanphier and Southeast are both basketball powerhouses. Lanphier has produced 3 NBA players, most recently Andre Iguodala, and been to the state tournament at least 5 times. Southeast has also made it to state recently in basketball. Springfield won a state baseball title in 2021. When I look at the football rosters, I don't see many basketball/baseball names.
Another issue is these schools have had success in other sports but don't get those athletes to play football for the most part. Lanphier and Southeast are both basketball powerhouses. Lanphier has produced 3 NBA players, most recently Andre Iguodala, and been to the state tournament at least 5 times. Southeast has also made it to state recently in basketball. Springfield won a state baseball title in 2021. When I look at the football rosters, I don't see many basketball/baseball names.
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I feel as though you can add Peoria, Champaign, Decatur (to an extent with IKE) in this convo as well.
I was living in Peoria mid-late 80s when Richwoods was really good under Rod Butler. Washington, Morton and Spalding were solid every year and it was around that time Pat Ryan took over Metamora. Some really good teams in that area back then.
Played against Richwoods in the playoffs as a freshman and lost and then again in the state championship game as a senior and won. Some really good/tough, hard nose teams.
Was that the one point game your senior year? That was a great game! I'm pretty sure Richwoods won it the year after that.
You are correct. We scored with a little over two minutes left in the game to take a 14-13 lead and held on. Agree, great game against a very good richwoods team. They had a kid, Eddie Sutter, I believe. One of the best players I played against. Was all over the field. I think he want on to play at Northwestern.
I got to play the Peoria schools every year while we were a member of the MS6... Richwoods was always tough. Always hurts for them a little seeing that program down like it is. Loved playing Woodruff and PND... Played the same QB one year against Central and Manual... Idk how that happened but he was pretty good.
But I think you've hit the nail on the head and I've been saying it for years... the "suburban" towns that surround these small cities are feasting in recent times. It seems every one of these small central Illinois cities has at least one dominant to very good program "attached" to it on the outskirts of town. Most often poaching students from neighborhoods and homes that fall into their district, many of which have addresses that are for the larger population they're attached to. Example being Rochester/Chatham with Springfield. Springfield's "suburbs" is the one that always blows my mind...
Springfield - Rochester, Glenwood, Plains, Williamsville... That's four schools with a lot of athletic prowess.
Peoria is very similar with Metamora, Washington, Morton, East Peoria, Bartonville, Dunlap...
Decatur has Maroa, and Mt Zion sort of...
Champaign has Mahomet, Tolono, St. Joe...
Admittedly I know very little about the BloNo area... Downs Tri-Valley?
Pretty sure most of these towns/schools have youth programs in place. Pretty sure most actively draw students who's parents work in some capacity with or in the cities they surround. All but one of these cities also has a private school that draws a decent amount of kids away... PND, BCC, St. T, SHG... all of which are driven by athletics. Champaign has three very small private high schools, don't believe any play football and I think total enrollment between the 3 is under 500 kids... well under if I had to guess.
These city schools are competing with that, plus their own demons, plus a failing public education system. Plus a state that hasn't shown much interest in prioritizing the needs it's public education has... It takes a lot of time and will to get youth programs off the ground. They need volunteers, they need fields, they need safe environments, they need equipment, they need organizers... they need the almighty dollar bills. These communities have to first want to make these youth programs exist, and then they have to work to keep them going. Parental support is what helps these suburban/rural/non-inner-city programs/schools thrive for decade after decade... That and dollars, wealthier districts do what wealthier districts do, ya know... they spend.
Then there's the kids... the kids have to want to play football. Most all grow up seeing these programs as doormats for their conferences. Tough to get them to sign up knowing they'll go 2-7 at best and never see week 10 in their high school years.
Long winded way of saying I don't have a solution, I can just see why the problem exists. That and basketball is such a huge part of urban culture. Especially in these central IL small cities where we've seen numerous big time basketball players come from big time city programs like Lanphier, Peoria High, Champaign Central, Manual, Stephen Decatur and Springfield High back in the day. These are basketball schools at heart and by nature.
All.... Correct especially on the proximity comment. Ratsy P.S. If Chatham breaks the mold and bites the bullet making the right changes the Titans will go from upper tier in the CS8 to number one most of the time. But until then....
They have a chance in '24 and '25 to do that, but they could not sustain it the last time they won the conference (and dominated) in '19.
All.... That was a championship team against everyone in postseason 6A except the Flyers in 2019. Went to that semi . Bet you can't guess what side of the stadium I sat on and who I tailgated with. 🤭😇 Ratsy
Not my alma mater, I'm guessing. We were able to catch the first half on the radio on the way to the Rochester/Mascoutah game. No tears for the Titans in our vehicle.
You could also add Lincoln and U-High to this list of doormat (usually) football teams in the CS8 that make their money on their basketball programs.
I'm (obviously) excited to see QND join the mix in football, wish it were 20 years ago when we had more talent in the halls, but excited nonethless. I think we're going to see Rochester, Chatham, and SHG of course, dominate this conference as they have for some time now. Tough to see a transformation from any school outside of those 3, and not just the Springfield city pubs, that would be able to even grab a one-off conference title now and again. I mean you'd have to have a perfect storm of crap teams from that 3-headed monster for that to happen. And you'd have to have a miracle season by one of the "better-ish" teams in the middle like Jax, Mac, SHS, maybe U-High (look at this year!) I just don't see QND, Lanphier, SE, Lincoln, SHS or Ike ever being able to scale the entire mountain. Sure, Mac beating SHG and Rochester or SHS having a D1 caliber QB and shocking the Cycs is going to happen once in a while... but the CS8 is a tough league. You have to trample 3 powerhouse programs to get to the top. It's hard to even imagine, so actually doing it is nearly impossible.
I'm (obviously) excited to see QND join the mix in football, wish it were 20 years ago when we had more talent in the halls, but excited nonethless. I think we're going to see Rochester, Chatham, and SHG of course, dominate this conference as they have for some time now. Tough to see a transformation from any school outside of those 3, and not just the Springfield city pubs, that would be able to even grab a one-off conference title now and again. I mean you'd have to have a perfect storm of crap teams from that 3-headed monster for that to happen. And you'd have to have a miracle season by one of the "better-ish" teams in the middle like Jax, Mac, SHS, maybe U-High (look at this year!) I just don't see QND, Lanphier, SE, Lincoln, SHS or Ike ever being able to scale the entire mountain. Sure, Mac beating SHG and Rochester or SHS having a D1 caliber QB and shocking the Cycs is going to happen once in a while... but the CS8 is a tough league. You have to trample 3 powerhouse programs to get to the top. It's hard to even imagine, so actually doing it is nearly impossible.
Although they are struggling this season, Springfield has some positives that CS8 schools outside the normal Top 3 do not. They are the largest enrollment school in the conference which helps them in roster size. The Senators have a freshman team with a large roster, while half the conference no longer have enough kids to play freshman games. A huge disadvantage for those programs. Some of the schools that play JV ball are only dressing 25-30 kids for those games.
U High has been the surprise of the conference. They have not done well in the CS8 before this year in football and have often been in the bottom tier of schools. Coach Walworth had success at Pleasant Plains and took them to an unexpected 3A state title game in 2017. He is now in his 3rd year at U High and has them in a position to possibly win 7 games this season with a QB who will return next year.
U High has been the surprise of the conference. They have not done well in the CS8 before this year in football and have often been in the bottom tier of schools. Coach Walworth had success at Pleasant Plains and took them to an unexpected 3A state title game in 2017. He is now in his 3rd year at U High and has them in a position to possibly win 7 games this season with a QB who will return next year.
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3A South in 2017 was wide open when Williamsville was in the North Bracket that year.
Then it sounds like the coach at U-High took advantage of Billville's absence. Can't knock it! It's a title game appearance. And it's getting harder to ignore U-High now... they've done exactly what they've needed to do to this point to set themselves up for a middle of the league finish and a playoff berth. That's a heck of an improvement!
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