Title or bust

[n2f88]

someone had a similar thought a few weeks ago, but its no secret their are programs that are on another level. Lets use the last 20 years as the sample size. Certain programs compete at such high levels, that the coaching staffs have created such a legacy, that its win it all, or a failure of a season. In this day and age, that seems to be offensive for some, but that is why these programs are contenders year in, year out. The ones that come to mind are...

Maine South (D.I wants titles or nothing, tradition does not graduate), LWE (every year since they opened its been the goal), Loyola (maybe not 20 years but Holcek era for sure), Montini (tradition), MC (arguably the entire catholic league, but they are the outlier), WWS (lets not forget),

Pardon my arrogance for 6A and below, I'm just not sure. Who else have I missed?

 

[Odirty]

ESL FLYERS

 

[n2f88]

ESL FLYERS

Don't know how I forgot ESL! Is that the culture there?

 

[mchsalumni]

Don't know how I forgot ESL! Is that the culture there?

ESL, in terms of tradition, is top 5 in the state.

 

[crusader_of_90]

Don't know how I forgot ESL! Is that the culture there?

Yes - title or forgotten. If you your team SHOULD have won, but failed. they will hear about it.

 

[McCaravan]

MC went to the State Semifinals the last two years. Some schools would hang banners in their gym for accomplishing that. Not MC! Win the conference, win State.

 

[StopFakeNews]

My friends who are JCA alums feel the same way. Title or failure.

 

[mchsalumni]

My friends who are JCA alums feel the same way. Title or failure.

I think it can be adjusted year to year for fans.

Players at schools like MC, JCA and ESL feel that pressure EVERY year. Constant chasing of ghosts, but players know that going in to these schools. Win it all or get nothing.

 

[MC63]

MC went to the State Semifinals the last two years. Some schools would hang banners in their gym for accomplishing that. Not MC! Win the conference, win State.

I'm always amused by suburban schools who hang signs on their fence stating that their team was a "quarter finalist in 2010" or something like that.

Mt Carmel doesn't even display second place trophies.

 

[eagles2k3]

The hitters during the hetlet era.

 

[Kevin JCHS 81]

My friends who are JCA alums feel the same way. Title or failure.

When the program was in full swing - Yes, maybe, to a point, not every season.

The last 3 years - no

This year has been a success regardless of the outcome this Saturday.

 

[godfthr53]

Naz has that feel now. Championship or bust.

 

[King MJ]

From downstate

SHG
Sterling Newman
Tuscola

 

[ClownBaby]

I'm always amused by suburban schools who hang signs on their fence stating that their team was a "quarter finalist in 2010" or something like that.

Mt Carmel doesn't even display second place trophies.

Usually to hang a sign on the fence you have to start by having your own field.

 

[ClownBaby]

Kids feel pressure to keep things going but the fans are the one who are unrealistic, playing for State Titles yearly isn’t just a 3 month chase in the fall it requires 365 days a year of work.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Its been a couple of years, but Carthage/Hancock Central / Illini West had a heck of a run under Jim Unruh...He started in 1986 (they got a 1A runner up in 84). 88 runner up...95 1A champ...98 1A champ...99 1A champ...2000 1A champ...02 2A runner up...03 2A runner up...04 2A runner up...08 3A champ...09 12-1 semis...10 3A champs...throw in 4 more one loss seasons...hasn't been the same since he left...

Maroa-Forsyth...1A runners up in 81 & 83, but made playoffs every year since '04 9-4...05 10-1...06 2A champ 14-0...07 11-1...08 10-2...09 2A runner up 11-3...10 2A runner up 11-3...11 12-1...12 1A champ 13-1...13 12-1...14 2A runner up (10-4)...15 8-3...16 2A runner up 12-2...17 2A runner up 12-2...playing Friday for title 13-0...playing in a conference of bigger schools for a few years (St. Joe Ogden, Monticello, Tolono Unity) made state runs more important than perfect seasons for some of those years...

 

[StopFakeNews]

Usually to hang a sign on the fence you have to start by having your own field.

MC has their own field...

 

[MC63]

Usually to hang a sign on the fence you have to start by having your own field.

We could line up our trophies to make a very long fence.

 

[Mateesen14]

Inserra lists goals every year and #1 is always graduate and be accepted into college. #2 is win CSL. I think the Park Ridge community wants a state title run every year, but Inserra knows every team is different. Bliss and Inserra have high expectations because Park Ridge Youth football does very well and most of these kids have played together since 3rd/4th grade, but by no means is it title or bust. Same for Holecek at LA, he finds out every August which kids are going to New Trier, GBS, Notre Dame or Maine South before he knows what his frosh class looks like.

 

[cocacoaler]

We could line up our trophies to make a very long fence.

And with your braggadocio, you seem to tarnish each one of them.

 

[NNFAN]

We could line up our trophies to make a very long fence.

Only if you count all your non-largest class trophies.

 

[greatgig13]

I don’t think CG sees not winning it all as a failure but the program has turned Cary into a football community and there are high expectations. The sign outside the Junior Trojans field says it all, “We don’t rebuild, we reload.”

 

[StopFakeNews]

The sign outside the Junior Trojans field says it all, “We don’t rebuild, we reload.”

Only a matter of time before some wimp complains that "reload" hints at gun violence and that has to come down.

 

[wasdo]

Complete busts,,home wood floss moor,Simeon,Richards,,,,back of the yards- watch them next year!

 

[greatgig13]

Only a matter of time before some wimp complains that "reload" hints at gun violence and that has to come down.

Really.

 

[Alexander32]

someone had a similar thought a few weeks ago, but its no secret their are programs that are on another level. Lets use the last 20 years as the sample size. Certain programs compete at such high levels, that the coaching staffs have created such a legacy, that its win it all, or a failure of a season. In this day and age, that seems to be offensive for some, but that is why these programs are contenders year in, year out. The ones that come to mind are...

Maine South (D.I wants titles or nothing, tradition does not graduate), LWE (every year since they opened its been the goal), Loyola (maybe not 20 years but Holcek era for sure), Montini (tradition), MC (arguably the entire catholic league, but they are the outlier), WWS (lets not forget),

Pardon my arrogance for 6A and below, I'm just not sure. Who else have I missed?

The following is offered merely as an item of interest. It is only one of many ways to measure program strength.

First, only the last twelve years were used. Second, only the three largest classifications (8A - 6A) were looked at. And finally, in order to be listed a team had to have won at least one state title during the last twelve years. There were 24 such teams. The top 12 have been ranked here based on the number of semifinal appearances (prior to this year) during the last twelve years. [The first tie-breaker was the number of championships won. The second tie-breaker was the most recent championship.] The number of championships are shown in parentheses.

1. Mount Carmel - 8 (2)
2. Loyola - 8 (1)
3. Lake Zurich - 8 (1)
4. Glenbard West - 7 (2)
5. Prairie Ridge - 6 (3)
6. Maine South - 5 (4)
7. Wheaton-Warrenville South - 5 (3)
8. East St. Louis - 5 (2)
9. Providence - 5 (1)
10. Batavia - 4 (2)
11. Cary-Grove - 4 (1)
12. Rockford Boylan - 3 (2)

 

[USD24]

The following is offered merely as an item of interest. It is only one of many ways to measure program strength.

First, only the last twelve years were used. Second, only the three largest classifications (8A - 6A) were looked at. And finally, in order to be listed a team had to have won at least one state title during the last twelve years. There were 24 such teams. The top 12 have been ranked here based on the number of semifinal appearances (prior to this year) during the last twelve years. [The first tie-breaker was the number of championships won. The second tie-breaker was the most recent championship.] The number of championships are shown in parentheses.

1. Mount Carmel - 8 (2)
2. Loyola - 8 (1)
3. Lake Zurich - 8 (1)
4. Glenbard West - 7 (2)
5. Prairie Ridge - 6 (3)
6. Maine South - 5 (4)
7. Wheaton-Warrenville South - 5 (3)
8. East St. Louis - 5 (2)
9. Providence - 5 (1)
10. Batavia - 4 (2)
11. Cary-Grove - 4 (1)
12. Rockford Boylan - 3 (2)

No LWE?

 

[MC63]

Only a matter of time before some wimp complains that "reload" hints at gun violence and that has to come down.

Please do not limit concern about gun violence to "wimps." Do you think that the family of Officer Jimenez are wimps?

 

[MC63]

The following is offered merely as an item of interest. It is only one of many ways to measure program strength.

First, only the last twelve years were used. Second, only the three largest classifications (8A - 6A) were looked at. And finally, in order to be listed a team had to have won at least one state title during the last twelve years. There were 24 such teams. The top 12 have been ranked here based on the number of semifinal appearances (prior to this year) during the last twelve years. [The first tie-breaker was the number of championships won. The second tie-breaker was the most recent championship.] The number of championships are shown in parentheses.

1. Mount Carmel - 8 (2)
2. Loyola - 8 (1)
3. Lake Zurich - 8 (1)
4. Glenbard West - 7 (2)
5. Prairie Ridge - 6 (3)
6. Maine South - 5 (4)
7. Wheaton-Warrenville South - 5 (3)
8. East St. Louis - 5 (2)
9. Providence - 5 (1)
10. Batavia - 4 (2)
11. Cary-Grove - 4 (1)
12. Rockford Boylan - 3 (2)

I apreciate my school being listed first, but if WWS won three meaningful titles, they should be number one. Semifinal appearances are better than not getting there at all, but nothing to gloat over.

Thanks for all your hard work. I know that searching IHSA records can be brain-splitting.

 

[Voodoo Tatum 21]

The following is offered merely as an item of interest. It is only one of many ways to measure program strength.

First, only the last twelve years were used. Second, only the three largest classifications (8A - 6A) were looked at. And finally, in order to be listed a team had to have won at least one state title during the last twelve years. There were 24 such teams. The top 12 have been ranked here based on the number of semifinal appearances (prior to this year) during the last twelve years. [The first tie-breaker was the number of championships won. The second tie-breaker was the most recent championship.] The number of championships are shown in parentheses.

1. Mount Carmel - 8 (2)
2. Loyola - 8 (1)
3. Lake Zurich - 8 (1)
4. Glenbard West - 7 (2)
5. Prairie Ridge - 6 (3)
6. Maine South - 5 (4)
7. Wheaton-Warrenville South - 5 (3)
8. East St. Louis - 5 (2)
9. Providence - 5 (1)
10. Batavia - 4 (2)
11. Cary-Grove - 4 (1)
12. Rockford Boylan - 3 (2)

Very good stuff. Thanks for doing it!!

Ok I’m realky going to stir the pot with two questions/comments.

1. Only 3 private schools? This makes it look like public schools dominate. Time to remove the success factor and multipliers? Would be really cool to see this list with 5A and 4a and 3A added to the team pool!!

2. How many semis and titles would ESL have if they didn’t volunteer to move up? I think their enrollment is/was 6A or 5A for most of the past 12 years?

 

[markmacaluso]

Please do not limit concern about gun violence to "wimps." Do you think that the family of Officer Jimenez are wimps?

Not disagreeing with your intended point but...what opinion would you hold of someone who complained that the sign saying “we don’t rebuild, we reload. “ glorifies gun violence and must be removed?

I would think of that person as being overly sensitive and making an unreasonable demand.

 

[Alexander32]

Very good stuff. Thanks for doing it!!

Ok I’m realky going to stir the pot with two questions/comments.

1. Only 3 private schools? This makes it look like public schools dominate. Time to remove the success factor and multipliers? Would be really cool to see this list with 5A and 4a and 3A added to the team pool!!

2. How many semis and titles would ESL have if they didn’t volunteer to move up? I think their enrollment is/was 6A or 5A for most of the past 12 years?

Rockford Boylan is private. Therefore four private schools made the list.

 

[Alexander32]

I apreciate my school being listed first, but if WWS won three meaningful titles, they should be number one. Semifinal appearances are better than not getting there at all, but nothing to gloat over.

Thanks for all your hard work. I know that searching IHSA records can be brain-splitting.

Based on championships, Maine South would be first with four championships.

 

[Voodoo Tatum 21]

Rockford Boylan is private. Therefore four private schools made the list.

Oops. My bad 4 private’s and 8 Public’s. Still pretty heavily weighted to public’s 66% to 33%. I think it gets closer to 50/50 if the pool of teams included 5A and 4A. IC was in both 3A and 4A.

 

[Alexander32]

No LWE?

Lincoln-Way East was 13th with three semifinal appearances and one championship.

 

[Alexander32]

Very good stuff. Thanks for doing it!!

Ok I’m realky going to stir the pot with two questions/comments.

1. Only 3 private schools? This makes it look like public schools dominate. Time to remove the success factor and multipliers? Would be really cool to see this list with 5A and 4a and 3A added to the team pool!!

2. How many semis and titles would ESL have if they didn’t volunteer to move up? I think their enrollment is/was 6A or 5A for most of the past 12 years?

The top 12 smaller schools are ranked below, still using data from the twelve years prior to this year. The methodology has been changed slightly since these rankings are based solely on the number of state championships won.

1. Rochester - 7
2. Montini - 5
3. Sacred Heart-Griffin - 4
4. IC Catholic - 3
5. Lena-Winslow - 3
6. Phillips - 2
7. Forreston - 2
8. Nazareth - 2
9. Stillman Valley - 2
10. Sterling Newman - 2
11. Aurora Christian - 2
12. Maroa-Forsyth - 2

 

[iamgroot]

The top 12 smaller schools are ranked below, still using data from the twelve years prior to this year. The methodology has been changed slightly since these rankings are based solely on the number of state championships won.

1. Rochester - 7
2. Montini - 5
3. Sacred Heart-Griffin - 4
4. IC Catholic - 3
5. Lena-Winslow - 3
6. Phillips - 2
7. Forreston - 2
8. Nazareth - 2
9. Stillman Valley - 2
10. Sterling Newman - 2
11. Aurora Christian - 2
12. Maroa-Forsyth - 2

Time to refresh this list.

 

[superac777]

I'm always amused by suburban schools who hang signs on their fence stating that their team was a "quarter finalist in 2010" or something like that.

Mt Carmel doesn't even display second place trophies.

Those schools don't get to put together a All Star team.

 

[superac777]

I'll give a example.I know people at Reavis & Saint Laurence.Reavis hates the Vikings.They say that they(Reavis) pour a lot of time, effort,money into the Titans.Let them use their facilities.Then Reeves says Vikings do nothing for Titans but steal them from Reavis but telling lies.I mentioned the fact that I thought it was neat how the Vikings let Titans players in free and set aside a special section for them at the games.Reavis people flew off the handle about my comment and well i'll just leave it at that

 

[mc140]

I'm always amused by suburban schools who hang signs on their fence stating that their team was a "quarter finalist in 2010" or something like that.

Mt Carmel doesn't even display second place trophies.

We went 10-2 my Junior year and told we were an embarrassment to the school. A 4th place State wrestling trophy was literally used as a door stop for the development office.

When you finally leave that bubble and work at other places, you realize how ridiculous that is.