What did we learn week 9!?!?!

[LakeCtyNewt]

The regular season is a wrap. And if week 9 is a precursor for the playoffs give me a slice of that……..

1 - That despite what some believe, there are no guarantees in these playoffs.
2 - That Lena Winslow has just finished the appetizer and the main course is coming.
3 - That 4-5’s are a different discussion but they earned their way in nonetheless.
4 - That playing a team twice is not good for one’s health - see Naperville Central.
5 - That Morris and Sycamore may meet again and I’d be good with that.
6 - That Byron, Byroned the Big Northern.
7 - That seeing teams get in for the first time in a long time warms the heart - shout out to West Chicago and East Aurora.
8 - That many, me included, thought Warren was dead after two weeks. Yep that ain’t true.
9 - That we get the return of the Wooden Shoe game in Morrison.
10 - That for all of the teams that won out to get in, there are many that didn’t. Deerfield and Mundelein to name a few.

That’s a wrap for the regular season. See you the Sunday after we crown 8.

 

[FB1976]

11. That just because Ken Leonard retired, effectively ending the "Leonard Bowl", the Rochester/Sacred Heart Griffin rivalry will continue...with just as much excitement and fanfare.

 

[MIKEFTB]

12 That despite differences between the public and private sectors, it's nice to see towns that have at least one from each side playing this week

See: Arlington Heights, Aurora, Belleville, Bloomington, Chicago, Elmhurst, Joliet, Lombard,, New Lenox, Peoria, Quincy, Rockford, Sterling, West Chicago and Wheaton

 

[SiuCubFan8]

12 That despite differences between the public and private sectors, it's nice to see towns that have at least one from each side playing this week

See: Arlington Heights, Aurora, Belleville, Bloomington, Chicago, Elmhurst, Joliet, Lombard,, New Lenox, Peoria, Quincy, Rockford, Sterling and, West Chicago

Wheaton….

 

[McCaravan]

Once you get 5 loses, don’t give up on the season, you never know!

 

[McCaravan]

Finishing 8-1 wasn’t what MC was shooting for but if they finish 13-1 it won’t matter!

 

[McEvergreen]

7 - That seeing teams get in for the first time in a long time warms the heart - shout out to West Chicago and East Aurora.

Lincoln Railsplitters first appearance since 1984.

 

[MIKEFTB]

Wheaton….

Of course! Will amend .

Wheaton…

 

[stl705]

Wheaton….

Not only did Wheaton send both Public and Private but all 4 high schools made it in. Very impressive.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

Not only did Wheaton send both Public and Private but all 4 high schools made it in. Very impressive.

WA is in West Chicago, but yes.

 

[stl705]

WA is in West Chicago, but yes.

Oops forgot about that lol. 3/3 not bad.

 

[MIKEFTB]

Oops forgot about that lol. 3/3 not bad.

New Lenox too. Providence along with Lincoln Ways Central and West

 

[Secondo1]

The Tigers of Joliet West make their way back! TaDook!! Was the last time 1986?
Now they have to try to stop the biggest running back on the planet from Iggy.
Iggy gets to come back to Joliet on back to
back weeks. Who’d of thunk it?

 

[JolietWest89]

The Tigers of Joliet West make their way back! TaDook!! Was the last time 1986?
Now they have to try to stop the biggest running back on the planet from Iggy.
Iggy gets to come back to Joliet on back to
back weeks. Who’d of thunk it?

Tigers made the playoffs a few years ago. but this is first-ever home game. it should be electric at Klootwyk Field maybe they'll do a blackout theme.

 

[4Anorth]

Tigers made the playoffs a few years ago. but this is first-ever home game. it should be electric at Klootwyk Field maybe they'll do a blackout theme.

Congrats! I was very impressed by the turnout the Tiger faithful made in their trip to Morris this year.....Good Luck in the playoffs!

 

[corey90]

Tigers made the playoffs a few years ago. but this is first-ever home game. it should be electric at Klootwyk Field maybe they'll do a blackout theme.

Congratulations & good luck! It’s a feel good story happy to see Joliet West in the playoffs! 👍

 

[Secondo1]

Fingers crossed this is just the beginning of something good at Larkin and Glennwood!

 

[MIKEFTB]

Tigers made the playoffs a few years ago. but this is first-ever home game. it should be electric at Klootwyk Field maybe they'll do a blackout theme.

Between 2014-2019 the Tigers qualified for postseason play 4 times and were one and done each season. And none of those teams were as explosive as this one

 

[ClownBaby]

Not only did Wheaton send both Public and Private but all 4 high schools made it in. Very impressive.

Glenbard South they draw a good chunk of kids from Wheaton

 

[stl705]

Glenbard South they draw a good chunk of kids from Wheaton

You could draw an 8 mile radius around downtown Wheaton and only find 3 of 17 HS not in playoffs (Benet, Lisle HS, and GBN).

WWS
WN
SF
WA
GBS
GBE
GBW
Montini
Willowbrook
NN
West Chicago
Addison Trail
Downers North
Naperville Central

Edit: updated to add NC.

 

[MIKEFTB]

You could draw an 8 mile radius around downtown Wheaton and only find 3 of 16 HS not in playoffs (Benet, Lisle HS, and GBN).

WWS
WN
SF
WA
GBS
GBE
GBW
Montini
Willowbrook
NN
West Chicago
Addison Trail
Downers North

Add Naperville Central it's 5 miles from WW South or 8 miles from the Wheaton Metra station.

 

[Jjohanik]

You could draw an 8 mile radius around downtown Wheaton and only find 3 of 17 HS not in playoffs (Benet, Lisle HS, and GBN).

WWS
WN
SF
WA
GBS
GBE
GBW
Montini
Willowbrook
NN
West Chicago
Addison Trail
Downers North
Naperville Central

Edit: updated to add NC.

I think you are all on to something I've been thinking about for a while.

The way I see it, a lot of this has to do with youth football development in the west burbs and the I-88 corridor. Jobs, families, and middle to upper middle higher density communities coupled with good youth football programs creates a concentration of better than average athlete pool. Draw a box from the start of I88 to the east at I294 to just past the Fox River to the west and then North Ave to the north and 75th to the south and here's what you get (West to East):

Batavia (in), Geneva (in), West Aurora (in), East Aurora (in), Aurora Christian (in), Marmion (out), Metea Valley (out), West Chicago (in), Wheaton Academy (in), Naperville Central (in), Naperville North (in), WWS (in), St. Francis (in), Wheaton North (in), Benet (out), Lisle (out), Glenbard South (in), Glenbard West (in), Downers South (in), Downers North (in), Glenbard East (in), Willowbrook (in), Montini (in), York (in), ICCP (in), Addison Trail (in), Westmont (out), Hinsdale Central (out), Hinsdale South (out).

In this corridor, you have 22 schools making the playoffs and 7 not making it. That's over 75% of the high schools in this area in the playoffs. Without doing the math, I think it's safe to say there's a correlation (at least this year) between an area and football success. I'm sure it's been above 65% for a long time.

...and I know the college teams comprise athletes from all over, but the coaches aren't: you have #1 North Central, #12 Wheaton and #14 Aurora in D3 football in this same corridor.

There's some good football being played at all levels in a relatively small area of the state.

 

[MIKEFTB]

Very impressive! Would Marmion Academy fall within those boundries. They were not a qualifier this season.

What I find amazing are the number of high school districts with multiple schools whise football teams all qualified . East and West Aurora are actually separate high school districts.

It is an impressive area all the way around.

 

[Jjohanik]

Very impressive! Would Marmion Academy fall within those boundries. They were not a qualifier this season.

What I find amazing are the number of high school districts with multiple schools whise football teams all qualified . East and West Aurora are actually separate high school districts.

It is an impressive area all the way around.

Good catch re Marmion and I edited the original post. Over 75%.

 

[PowerI66]

Kaneland too

 

[SiuCubFan8]

This isn't anything new though...
The conference switching has certainly helped some of these teams.

 

[crazylegs777]

That sadly as of 10-27-23 nobody has came forward or been arrested in the murder of the young man at Hillcrest High School & I'll
leave it at that