Who is your top rival?

[BornNRazed]

I had a conversation with a JCA fan 2 weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about this since. Nice guy, we talked about the game and programs and he informed me that JCA had this game circled. Makes perfect sense as it was a title game rematch that Naz won so JCA wanted it. I was a little surprised when he told me that Naz was JCA’s biggest rival, I assume he’s a father that hasn’t been around the program for too long but recent history would indicate a rivalry.

When I expressed that I was surprised he asked me who Naz’s biggest rival was. I didn’t have a great answer. The program has evolved so much and conference realignment changes things almost yearly. For a long time the answer was Riverside Brookfield but that game went the way of the dinosaurs. Benet would be a logical answer but that’s more of a school thing. The rivalry is very one sided. Fenwick, IC and St Francis seem like decent choices but there’s just not enough history there. So I didn’t have a good answer for him, still don’t and with the ever changing CCL I’m not sure we’ll see a consistent rival either way.

I am definitely interested to hear what other people think and why, because for most this is really shaped on their experiences.

Gosh. I grew up w family from MC and JC. To me that’s the great rivalry.

 

[BornNRazed]

Marist v Brother Rice is classic. Rice likes to minimize it. But it’s real.

 

[colin2229]

For Morris, right now I'd say Sycamore. Historically, Oswego.

Not JCA??

 

[4Afan]

Not JCA??

For playoffs sure, but to be a rival I feel like it needs to be an annual game, or at least meeting on a regular basis.

 

[johnndoe]

Whoa ....had you pegged for further west in SICA land. Rebel (Red Wolf) or Meteor?

Very strange to see the new mascot (see update above) adorning field, helmets, etc. I wonder if the cannon has been retired as well.

 

[whitesox05]

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Just because…

Libertyville is the game for Lake Forest too.

 

[McCaravan]

For MC it's Rita. Always has been, always will be. 105 games played between them. MC holds the advantage in the W column but a lot of those wins didn't come easily. It's a Rivalry but there is also a great amount of respect.

 

[AlabamaTimberwolf]

GNW or Carrollton

The WIVC has some very good, hated rivalries! Coached against Dan B at Greenfield and Ric Johns at Hardin-Calhoun and played against Carrollton... its always a great environment!!!

 

[Anomalyout28]

Lake Park and Glenbard North.

 

[EdgyTim]

Whoa ....had you pegged for further west in SICA land. Rebel or Meteor?

Stay North

 

[RockSoup]

For St. Rita, it’s Mt. Carmel

 

[pjjp]

I’m enjoying 5a lately. Some fun playoff rivalries brewing and rather solid football. I think the class is in good shape but JCA will be in a good spot if they go south again.

In Steve Soucie’s latest playoff projection, he has both JCA and Naz going South.

 

[cornerrat]

In Steve Soucie’s latest playoff projection, he has both JCA and Naz going South.

All.... JCA 100% for sure. Nazareth still a bit of wait and see when the qualifiers are announced where they get slotted. Ratsy

 

[Irish LB]

In Steve Soucie’s latest playoff projection, he has both JCA and Naz going South.

Really??? Whoa

 

[SiuCubFan8]

Really??? Whoa

It's way south of Wheaton!!!

 

[Wilmatucky]

Wilmo - Coaler

Yep, and it's not even close. However, when I was in school we always got along with CC kids. We actually disliked the Braidwood kids. Maybe it's changed now but who knows.

Braidwood can't be our rival because the skill level (for football) is not on the same planet.

 

[Dick Saban]

Montini - Driscoll (before the remodel)

 

[doctor_d]

Yep, and it's not even close. However, when I was in school we always got along with CC kids. We actually disliked the Braidwood kids. Maybe it's changed now but who knows.

Braidwood can't be our rival because the skill level (for football) is not on the same planet.

Same here. I still have plenty of Coaler buddies. Although I will add that I/we had friends from Braidwood as a lot of R-C kids grew up in Wilmo. At least around my era.

Coal City is Wilmo’s chief rival in football, but there definitely seems to be a mutual respect between the two programs.
Coal City QB’s father and also his uncle were both very good players for Wilmo back in the day.

R-C would/could be up there as a rival for sure, but their football program has beaten Wilmo like once in the past 20 years. I thought maybe something would have developed over there, but they seem to be going backwards again and we’ve already had that discussion.

 

[USD24]

Same here. I still have plenty of Coaler buddies.

Coal City is Wilmo’s chief rival in football, but there definitely seems to be a mutual respect between the two programs.
Coal City QB’s father and also his uncle were both very good players for Wilmo back in the day.

R-C would/could be up there as a rival for sure, but their football program has beaten Wilmo like once in the past 20 years. I thought maybe something would have developed over there, but they seem to be going backwards again and we’ve already had that discussion.

I really thought this read "Coal City QB's father is also his uncle" when I first read it.....and I thought "makes sense" 😂

 

[doctor_d]

I really thought this read "Coal City QB's father is also his uncle" when I first read it.....and I thought "makes sense" 😂

Haha 😆
Not cool. (But kinda funny)

Yeah CC QB1 dad was a defensive end. I think he played college ball at St. Francis. He was on Reents’ first playoff team.
His uncle was starting QB for Wilmo a couple years before Reents got there, but they made the playoffs.

 

[circletrack32]

For Morris, right now I'd say Sycamore. Historically, Oswego.

You are correct with Sycamore this day in age as that was a Little 7 conference foe from way back when, but I must disagree with you a bit that Minooka was a far bigger rival than Morris had with Oswego. I can remember some bloodbaths between the two than I can with Oswego.

 

[4Afan]

You are correct with Sycamore this day in age as that was a Little 7 conference foe from way back when, but I must disagree with you a bit that Minooka was a far bigger rival than Morris had with Oswego. I can remember some bloodbaths between the two than I can with Oswego.

I'm the opposite. I remember battles with Oswego throughout the '90's. I did think about Minooka, but they rarely had good teams back then and I can only remember them beating Morris twice. When it came to winning the conference it was usually between Morris and Oswego with Geneva sprinkled in every few years.

 

[emidln]

SHG vs Rochester is recent and well-known. Father vs son. Teams that scrimmage in the offseason. Often the top 2 teams in the conference.

SHG vs Springfield HS because the schools are literally down the street from each other. The kids know each other. They grew up together. It's not always a competitive game due to program ebbs and flows, but the emotion is there. I remember seeing a "God Loves Us For Free" sign around 2008/2009 while watching my brother's game on the SHG side.

 

[epicbret]

Fenwick/Ignatius. I’ll root for any CCL team in the playoffs except for them. Some good games between the two especially that 2021 Week 9 game. Glad to see they kept it alive by playing regularly during non-conference games.

Fenwick/Naz feels like it could be a good rivalry due to proximity but it just hasn’t caught on. Personally I would have preferred if Fenwick stayed in the Orange. Felt like interesting rivalries could have developed with Naz and St. Francis.

Fewick Naz was a basketball rivalry for a bit in the 90s into 2000s. The hatred was there...

 

[all4theillini]

For Morris, right now I'd say Sycamore. Historically, Oswego.

From the mid-70’s through the early 90’s the Geneva/Morris rivalry made Geneva/Batavia look like child’s play.
If I recall correctly, Geneva is one of only two schools to have a historical series advantage on Morris.

 

[USD24]

From the mid-70’s through the early 90’s the Geneva/Morris rivalry made Geneva/Batavia look like child’s play.
If I recall correctly, Geneva is one of only two schools to have a historical series advantage on Morris.

Is the other Joliet Catholic?

 

[Coalertown44]

For Morris, right now I'd say Sycamore. Historically, Oswego.

Used to love those Morris/Minooka games

 

[all4theillini]

Is the other Joliet Catholic?

Yessir!

 

[pjjp]

I'd like to see Morris and JCA renew their rivalry with some non-con matchups.

 

[Sterling Warrior]

For Sterling (and correct me if i'm wrong other Sterling folks) but historically it was Dixon (who we do not play anymore) and Geneseo (still a big week). As of more recent times, I feel Moline has become that week 9 rival as we have kept each other out of the playoffs/played for the WB6 title.

It used to be Geneseo for sure but after last Friday Sterling has won the last 10 straight so they havint been as much of a rivalry as of lately.