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com. Welcome to the Friday Night Drive Podcast, Imperial Valley Prestige Edition.
I'm your host. Daily Chronicle Sports Editor Eddie Carriffio also a host. JT.
Penalty Shaw Shaw Sports Regional editor, JT. What is up? My
man? All of those words, you put them in any combination, it
comes out to the same thing. Regional sports editor, sports regional editor,
whatever. And I said, go to the wrong order. Turn it.
No, I'm thinking there is no wrong order. It's like a It's like
Djengo blocks. Whichever way you put them, it's still three three D three
three. Things are good, man, Things are good. I'm actually a
little u a little sore today, but I'm playing through the pain we had.
I coached my daughter's soccer team, and it's a big tradition in a
street to use soccer to have a parents versus kids scrimmage. But towards the
end of the season and my assistant coach elbowed his daughter in the nose and
it bled all over the place, And I did you got to play win
those games? Though? I mean, that's the these kids, man,
I've been waiting all year. But if they got to learn this, I
hope you guys wanted at least a hundred to nothing two too. But we're
old and decrepit, so and there were a fewer of us. Well,
oh, mine was great, but forget my weekend. No one cares about
me. Let's get right into games. We covered Friday, going back in
time here because your game my game both had something in common, so I
think that, uh, we'll start with my game. They both had two
point conversions at the into the game team's going for the win. We had
your game JT was Woodstock North in Ottawa, right, correct, Yes,
I had Sycamore Canelin's Sycamore went for the two. I got to win your
game Woodstock North win for the two. Did not get it and did not
get to it. So I guess the question. You know, it's always
one of those, so I guess The question then becomes, when does it
make sense to go for the two in that situation? So I love going
for it. I wrote a whole Columnroyd Thick about how I love going for
it, not just from that game, but NAU had a situation, of
course, not to win the game at this point. It's just to not
be down fifteen anymore for them. But JT, what was your thoughts when
you saw the Woodstock North coach trot out there going for two. You know,
it's always easy in hindsight when a team doesn't make it to say it's
the wrong call, but it was absolutely the correct call. You know,
Ottawa's co set it after the game? Would Stock North coach set it after
the game? I was thinking it at the time, just you know,
Woodstock North had all the momentum. They're on the road, and you know
Otto was out to starting insideline backers due to injury, and one of those
reserve inside linebackers ott was Louke Connell. Or yeah, lou Connell was actually
the one who blew up the play and sacked the quarterback and stopped Woodstock North
from getting the two point conversion. But yeah, it's I mean, you
got to read the room. You gotta how the momentum is going in the
game, how the matchups are, how you feel about it. How good
is your kicker? You know, do you trust? Is your kicker a
ninety nine percenter or a seventy five percenter? That makes a difference. But
I know in my game it was absolutely the right move. And and even
though it didn't work out, and I would think the way it worked out,
it absolutely was inland right. Yeah, No, it's absolutely the right
call. In the Sycamore game, Sycamore actually gone three and out on their
only two possessions of the second half. They've scored the tie there up fourteen
to seven at halftime, fell down twenty one to fourteen. You look at
it, and I don't want to face Kaitlyn's offense in overtime. Kaitlyn put
up twenty one points on Sycamore. That's like the most anyone scored against them
since they lost the Morris By the way, I was going back and I
was very surprised to see that Ottawa actually came very close to putting up twenty
one on them. Last year they put up twenty obviously missed extra point in
there or something I was very surprised to see that that's the only team that's
reached twenty against them other than Kaitlin and Morris in the last three seasons now.
But no, the two point conversion, he was really great because it
looked like it was almost like an actor thought because he lined up to do
the extra point because usually the two point conversion is a road you go for
two on the road, you know, but you know so, so coach
O'Ryan sends out the extra point, team calls time out. Besides who wants
to go for And I think it was a great college called the second time
out after they showed the matchup. Obviously your first instinct is, of course
sick and one should go for it. They run the ball very well,
they have a very good offensive line. That is apparently what Caitlin coach Michael
Ferguson was thinking, and that's what the players on the Caitlin field were thinking,
because the cornerbacks were sneaking in and kind of cheating in a little bit,
and so they're able to get a pass uh for Caucher to Joey Kolotta,
who I believe Kloda had one catch prior this year, and boom,
it's a win. So really uh, really exciting stuff when the game comes
down to that. Yeah. Yeah, And you know, I'm a I'm
a Los Angeles Chargers fan, and I don't agree with a lot of Brandon
Staley's decisions, but one of the things that I'll back them on, whether
it works or it doesn't. Lately it hasn't, is uh, you know,
when the game's on the line, I want the ball on your best
player's hands, you know, for the for the Chargers. You know that's
you know, justin Herbert or whatever. But I mean, if you're sick
of or you know, or or in Woodstock North's case, you know,
you want to put the ball in their best player's hands, and you want
to do what you do best and trust yourself to get two and a half
yards and if you don't, so be it. And you know, that
actually shows the depth that Sycamore has that they didn't put the ball in the
best player's hands. That you could argue quarterback per Couchers among the best.
It's hard to pick the best player for Sycamore, but they you know,
you would think running the ball behind that line with one of those three running
backs, that or at least two are really really good and one solid running
back. You put them in one of their hands behind the solid line and
boom. So I realized I should have probably thought that sentence out further rather
than make it sound like I'm dissing on one of the running backs now,
so I just won't mention any name across the board at this point. I'm
not they're all great, but when you're two of them, you could argue
for player of the year quality guys, and one of them is just going
to be a first team Sorry, you know, honestly, And right after
I said it, I kind of you know, honestly, Probably the most
effective weapon that would stock North showed Friday night was Maxwell Dennison, who's kind
of like a mostly wide receiver, but they find a way to get the
ball in his hands a lot of different ways, and he did not touch
it. I think he was going to be the target of that play,
but he did not end up touching the ball. So then you go from
playing checkers to chess where it's like, okay, but everyone knows who our
best player is, so now we're going to do something draw that defense and
get something else going. But yeah, it's first up. It's always exciting.
I mean, you know that there's no more exciting way to end a
ball game or to you know, in the final minutes of the ball game
and have a team goal for the win for two. But you know,
I don't necessarily agree that it's always if you're on the road, do it,
you know, if you're at home. I just think you have to
read how the game's going. You have to look across the field, like
you said, and say, do I want to face this team in overtime?
You know who do I think has a better line, a better defense
that can stop a team? You know, in high school it goes well
to the ten yard line, So you know, can you stop a team
from basically getting a first down? If you don't think you can, then
you might as well go for the win right there. Yeah, And in
Sycamore's case, it did. And for Cainlan Boyle, howdy, that's uh.
That's now three losses this year for them. They've had the lead and
fourth quarter of all three games, and the three teams they have played are
combined of the three teams they've lost to are combined seventeen and one. So
I'm I'm done with this is Caitlin and the Caitlin is right there at the
top of the division. I think they're getting into the playoffs and well,
obviously I think they're getting the last that's not the most I like the chances.
The bull statement is I think they're winning at least a playoff game.
I think they'll get a seven or eight win team in the first round that
sleeps on them, and I think they go on the road and get a
playoff win. I don't even need to wait for the matchups to see that.
Now I watch, there'll probably be some Catholic League team that probably should
be exactly I am. I'm very high on this Caitland team. Like I
said, Michael Ferguson is in his first year there forst year, is the
head coach there. He's been around the program since you know, pretty much
birth, so he is doing some great things there. We've talked about the
offense. I don't think we mentioned Josh Mothley a lot on this podcast.
I want to be sure to bring up what he's done. I'm actually doing
something for later in the week for Friday Night Drive on a list of players
that could potentially be the Player of the Year with the Daily Chronicle and Mathey
after seeing him on Friday, is absolutely on the list two way player.
He is the main running back. They haven't been able to find the success
with other people back there in they have with him. Start of the year,
Thorguson wanted to keep him fresh for playing defensive end. I want to
say he had a sack or a hurry up or something that Sycamore does not
usually give up. He had one or two of them against Sycamore last week.
He is just he's the real deal player on both fens and he's a
big part of why this Caitlin team is I know, three and three,
but having the success that they're having this year. Yeah, I know,
I know. High school football coaches don't believe in, you know, good
losses. Football coaches in general, they're just not the type of people who
have the mindset that believes in they believe in good losses. Yeah, when
you look at good losses and bad losses and that sort of thing, I
mean, you can get lost in labeling them and whatnot. But the takeaway
is they've played close games and well they've lost all three of them. They've
been against good teams. So they are, they are. I'm sorry,
they've the teams they've lost been against good teams, so good loss, bad
loss, whatever you want to call it. They're gonna be ready for the
postseason. They're gonna be absolutely ready for the postseason when they play a good
team. They're gonna have a chip on their shoulder in the postseason because they
haven't, you know, won one of those games. And that's why I
think they're absolutely frightening the play in the first round, and I think they
come away the first round win. Yeah, and you know, now,
I think would be a great time to go to break and we'll talk a
little more. Schwacke River Interstate eight o LP meeting. That sounds like a
great DH team. So we will absolutely go into break and well, like
we said, it will hit the k R C. I A gotta think
about that acronym when we get back. This is State Representative Steve Reich,
and I'm happy to sponsor this year's Friday Night Drive. There will be plenty
of time for politics down the road, but for now, let's enjoy some
high school football. Whichever school you follow, give him your support. So
we're talking about the top end of the k r C I eight. I'm
glad this last year. I have to remember all those letters the k r
C I eight. We were talking about that Sycamore Cainlin battle. But let's
now shift towards I think this is another big one we have to touch on
here. Maybe not quite as positive, but lesal Peru their playoff take chances
take a big ten in their loss JC. Yeah. Yeah, very surprising
loss to Woodstock, previously winning winless with seventeen to fourteen, and kind of
you know, we've talked week after this LP Autawa matchup was going to be,
you know, one where the winner has an excellent chance at the playoffs
and the loser probably won't. And everything played out exactly that way, and
we look like geniuses. And then the Cavaliers went up to Woodstock and you
know, got stunned. I don't I don't know how else to say it.
I don't think anyone's not to mention, not to mention a two point
conversion away from us really looking like idiots. Yeah well yeah, but uh
yeah, that outawo LP. You know, first up, it's it's you
know, always a huge game. This will be the one hundred and twenty
fourth meeting, and LP has won the last I believe nine. But me
pick a favorite, having seen LP two weeks ago and Ottawa last week.
If you made me pick a favorite, you know I would I would probably
say I like Ottawa's chances in this one. You know, they're playing for
a little bit more. I don't help. Crew's only real path to the
playoffs now is to beat Ottawa and then either upset Sycamore or Cainland, and
that's you know, that's the road that they have unless Steve Susi's finally right
this year in a wealth of four and five teams sneaking, it always looks
like it about this time, and then after week nine the dust settles,
it's like, oh, some teams got to five and four. We didn't
think would so. But yeah, it's a great it's a great matchup,
it's a great rivalry. But uh, I don't think it has quite the
shine it would have had. A Yeah, those those games you needed to
get a win against Sycamore or I'm sorry, needing to get a win against
Sycamore or Cainland. I mean, they're not impossible in the sense of any
given Friday, but in the more realistic sets. I mean, those those
are big asks needing to at one of those two games right there, that
they obviously if they taking care of, like you said, a winless team
and then wouldn't have needed it, and then can say themselves for the playoff
ups that they would have scored in the first round. But yeah, I
mean you mentioned Ottawa there, and let's hope this works out well as I
ask you this, and we're past technical difficulties, but how do you see
that match up going and what do you think Ottawa does come away with the
win? Yeah, those of you listening might notice Eddie's doing a little more
heavy lifting this week. I've had some internet issues the past couple can't past
couple of days. But it's better now, hopefully it sounds a little bit
better, but still kind of a little bit of lock ups here and there.
But yeah, you know, I think Ottawa maybe, and they're more
balanced team, which coming into the season I don't think people would have expected.
But yeah, I think I was a bit more of the bit more
balanced and a little more kind of their resume looks a little better going into
this one. Okay, I think I jumped the gun. You froze for
like half a second, and I'm just really jumpy right now. This is
well, we'll edit this all out. We'll take this all out. It's
fine, we'll edit the cutouts too. We'll make that. We'll use AI
and make itself like nothing happens. It'll be we We have the budget for
all this, definitely. Yeah. I look forward to the days we don't
even have to record this. Just the AI looks at us the score zone
and then does it for us. That'll be wonderful. Yeah, with how
great AI does, obviously that day is coming. I am being sarcastic.
So I think that's all we got to touch on. In the who is
We've spent like twenty minutes in the k r C I eight Hell, just
one division of it. But let's move this up that that's got my attention
down your way, and that's uh the ice ice baby, yeah, Illisly
they got themselves a game this week, don't they. Yeah, this is
you know we talk about those matchups, you know, like in the you
know, the Sycamore Morris and in week nine, you know in the Ice
it's this week it's Wilming City. Both of them have won five straight after
losing their openers to you know, powerhouses a slight upset and Cole City losing
to Morris Go ahead, Eddie, Yeah, I don't know. I was
gonna say Wilmington and Cole City both five and one. You would obviously very
clearly mentioned their upsets in week one. Wilmington kind of the favorite people thought
preseason. But who do you like in this one? Because I I mean,
knowing absolutely nothing about these teams or other than you know, scores and
whatnot, I'm thinking Cole City. Yeah. I think a lot of people
thought Wilmington with what they had coming back, was kind of the prohibitive favorite,
with Cole City just a step behind them, But kind of looking at
common opponents and how those games have played out, I'm not sure that maybe
it's not at least to pick them. I think it's just gonna be a
great game and maybe the fast one of the faster games played in the state,
although I think we have one that's going to nominate a faster because of
all the runner running that's going to be going on. But it should be
a great one. Either myself or Rob oolsterly should be there covering, depending
on how a few things fall. But if it's me, I'll really be
looking forward to seeing these pretty much decide the conference championship. Yeah, big
guns for the gay, the big guns that game deserves. I'm just apparently
you have an excuse your internet keeps cutting out. My brain is acting like
your internet right now, so I know which one is the bigger problem.
So no one more thing in the ice. I know you wanted to toss
out there, The mighty Mighty Piotones. Yeah, the Blue Devils. You
know they are the They are the Canlands of the Illinois Central Late Conference in
that they have three losses. They're three and three, and it'd be easy
to dismiss them, but their three losses are three five and one teams Sandwich,
Wilmington and Cole City, and left on the schedule for piotone is Streeter
to and four, Lyle one and five and hersher one in five. So
I think there's an excellent chance we end up seeing piotone be six and three
and giving someone giving a higher seed a really tough time in a first round
playoff game, just like you mentioned for Caitlin. Yeah, how did those
games against Sandwich, Wilmington and Cole City go? Because That's the thing with
Caitlan, as you know, like I said, the Knights had the lead
in all four of those games in the fourth quarter, including against Caitlan in
the last minute. How is Pyotone hung with those I don't believe I'm about
to call Sandwich big boy, given he didn't have a varsity program last time,
But how have they done hanging with those big boys? They gave will
and that. This is kind of one of the ones I was talking about
earlier when I said Wilmington and City. Kind of when you look at common
opponents, it kind of makes you go, huh. Because Pyotone hung with
Wilmington pretty good. It was thirty four to fourteen, and they lost forty
eight to seven to Cole City and forty two nineteen to say which, But
you know, that was a Sandwich team that nobody had film on, nobody
knew what to expect of. You know, you had one game to go
off of, so they didn't. They didn't compete particularly great in those games,
other than maybe sort of in the Wilmington one. But I think you're
I think they're kind of hitting their stride now. I mean they they really
did a number on Mantino and Mantino's a possible playoff team as well, so
I think it'll be interesting to see the tone down the stretch. I think
they're a team that we could see playing in Week eleven despite being three and
three. Now, yeah, no, especially if you know they take care
of business like you know we expect they should, you know, get in
at six and three, and they don't have to play a tough team in
the first round, so or you know, a tougher team in the first
round. So well, we'll see how that plays out. That's definitely one
to uh keep an eye on. I love now that I've done to mid
nineties musical references with the writing Mandy Bostones and Vanilla I so far, I
think that's uh why you tune in. But let's let's head up north.
Let's head back up this way. We can spend the minute in here,
big Northern conference. Let's start at the top there. Uh. Byron and
Dixon both keep winning. Byron actually played their closest game they have played this
year, in a scant fifty point victory over Genoa Kingston. No forty point
victory, right, yeah, every other game points, that's what I get
for looking at your notes first and not mine. Well I'm right, no,
no, no, no, there, they weren't on yours, it
was on mine. Oh yeah, yeah, Dixon and Dixon and Byron both,
you know they've been living a semi termed kind of life. Third reference.
But you know they're on that collision course for week eight and that's gonna
be uh you know you're doing. But they're both come in six and oh
now and uh, you know, Dixon has just been you know they have
some close ones early, but they've just been ruling the running backs Aidan Wiseman
and Brady Lawrence, the quarterback Tyler Shaner, wide receiver Tyson Damman. I
believe I only read it. I haven't heard it. But you know,
Dixon has just been great and they have Owen six Rockford Christian this week.
Byron has one in five Winnebagos. So there's a very excellent chance that both
of them will be seven and zero and that'll be a heck of a matchup
in week eight. Yeah. No, I'd say again, outside of any
given Friday element, go ahead and put those down as wins for Byron and
Dixon. Both are just like Byron's just been stopping over everybody. Dixon's had
a couple closer ones here and there, but I eve they're not winning by
fifty points every game. But still, yeah, I was looking at Byron's
averaging. Byron's average win is sixty four to five. But Dixon, after
a couple of close ones, the last four games have won by a combined
one hundred and seventy four to twelve. So they're entering that atmosphere. Yeah,
and you look at the schedule, it hasn't been like all the bottom.
The two of those big wins have been against Genoa Kingston and Rockford Lutheran.
There's a whole bunch of the b NC lumped in at three and three
right now, that that middle of that conference. I do want to get
into that minute, but Dixon is definitely these last four games played two of
those teams in that middle, and one blank them both Jenoa Kingston and Rockford
Lutheran thirty to nothing and forty two nothing. Finally gave up points against to
Winnebago, stopping three games shutout streak. I've guess in those were post running
clock touchdowns. I was gonna go out on a limb most likely, and
I was I was going to ask you kind of a little about Genoa kingstonuse
I know a few weeks ago we had a matchup. We were kind of
wondering if they were going to prove themselves, and they you know, fell
short on that kind of what's their path look like here? And what do
they need to do to you know, make the playoffs and and you know,
get themselves in a position a seed where you know it's not yeah,
and we're playing a nine to zero team, you know that's going to totally
crush us. What do they have to do to win out here? Yeah,
not impossible. The toughest challenge for them is probably this week they're at
Stillman Valley, Stone Valley also three and three. They are also in that
middle of three and three teams. Kind of surprising that they're sitting there.
Usually there it's been the past three or four years, a subcombination of Byron,
GK and Stille in Valley one, two and three are all tied at
one, as it was in I want to say nineteen, although that might
have been twenty one. Either way, it's no because Byron one and all
in twenty one very convincing. So I think in nineteen they were all sitting
there. So for a while it's been the subcombination of the three of them
at one, two and three. They're both three and three now in both
playing a game they want to have to make the path of the playoffs much
easier. GK has got rock Falls. After that, they close with Lutheran.
Lutheran is also three and three. It's pattern here in this conference.
Still Man also really can't let this one get away. Stillman still has to
play Byron. So yeah, so they they do have I think it's one
a bego. I want to stay week eight, So they need to get
this one to get the five. GK can still probably get the five if
they dropped this one, would have to, like I said, beat Lutheran
and take care of rock Falls. So it's just I'm just looking at like
two teams. You can permeate this out to the two and fours and the
four and twos. And this conference is for something that's usually been fairly close
to chalk other than an upset at the top or upset or two at the
you know top, or like Dixon, I think that is beaten like one
of the Big three every year. But then loses one beneath them mostly Chalk
this year. It's wow, crazy, Yeah, what's happening in the middle.
Yeah, And you talk about kind of some of those paths for those
teams being tough, and I think that transitions us while we stay in the
northern area of what we talk about to the CALB, you know, right
in your neck of the woods. You know, THECLBS kind of finds himself
at two and four now, I believe, and you know they have one
of those paths where you look at it and you're like, okay, can
we find can we find a fourth win? A fifth win? Are they
in there? Kind of what's your read on the Barbs? Yeah? They
they definitely. It's going to be very hard for them to get the five.
They would have to win out Naperville Central Is this week. That is
a very very tough team. Five and one. They have been some very
like running clock wins in the DBC, but they have had some very confident
in the league. So then they get Niqua, which is maybe down a
little bit by NIQUA standards. Still three and three still probably gonna go in
four and three next week when they play in week eight, and again the
Calvs struggling with the like the Wabonzi, you know, losing to them last
week. I think you look back in that game they had against Samberg week
two as boy, they'd like to have that one back. That changes the
whole turner of the season. That's one of those things not to acentually gives
them an actual win. But and then the DVC does like matchups based on
record the last week of the year, so that's still a TVV for them.
For the calv it's been wa Bonzi each of the last two years that
they've done this, so I would I don't know who would be, but
they would have to win that one. You gotta get wins in all three.
It's gonna be tough for them. I know we got a little more.
I say this every week towards the Suburbs when we talked the horn boys
of the calb But you know, and you know, that's that's really interesting
and that is something I knew, but I you know, I don't have
any conferences that do that, so I don't want to think about it.
But kind of how long have they done this? This week nine open,
we'll find you an opponent based on skill level. It started in I would
think it. Yeah, no, they started in twenty one was the first
year they've done it because as a six team conference, you know, it's
very hard to schedule games when that happens the sixth. In fact, the
Interstate eight's going to have this issue next year unless something happens. I think
we might be seeing a lot of blue eye in the Eye eight. But
we'll see how that play is out coming up here. But yeah, I
know they've started this whatever you want to call it, bonus game. I
think they call it a playoff game. I don't think they've gone strict one
versus two. I think they've done it to try to get team's playoff points,
help them make the playoffs, you know that sort of thing. You
know, have a four win team, maybe play a two win team so
they can maybe you know, get the best chance to get that fifth win.
So that's it's really just I remember reading about it last year, I
think, and just I found it fascinating. And you know, if you
go to the IHSA page, you know for the due page Valley Conference,
you know every week nine game is t B A t B A TV A,
which should be TB D. But I won't get to heavy handed about
stuff like I'm with you on that one. We can we can just us
already. We can do a whole podcast if you want. As you were
saying there, I think about tv D versus TBA. We could throw in,
uh, we could throw in postponed versus canceled if we want in that.
Oh, that's a good one. By the way, I do also
want to throw out that the cow their games almost always start at seven.
Uh. DVC games, I should say, because it happened on the road
to almost always start at seven, whereas uh, every time I go to
Sycamore there excuse me their sophomore games that doesn't end in their varsity games usually
starting seven. Thirty year later, found out why the DBC starts their sophomore
games like the heroes they are at four thirty instead. So wonderful. Absolutely,
yeah, shout outs, thank You's endless praise to the DVC for that.
And like you said, it's an interesting thing that they do. You
got to get creative at a sixteen conference. It's really hard to fill.
Heck, it's hard to have to fill week three games, let alone either
Week four week nine, depending on how you do it. For a while
they were matching up with that conference down south around that Belleville and at Los
and all those are in because they're about the same size and also six teams,
but obviously that involves a little bit of travel for everyone involved. So
I don't think there actually was much crossover between the two conferences this year,
when it actually has been the past couple of years. So yeah, no,
it's it's it's a it's a creative solution out of necessity for a sixteen
conference. So yeah, And if I can interject here between my internet pauses
and I apologize to everyone listening for the internet signal. If it was something
I knew how to fix, well i'd have a lot of money and and
yes, I wouldn't have the problem. But I really wanted to talk a
little bit about the Chicago Lin Prairie. We've been kind of down on this
new conference's first year conference forfeits, lap sided games, weird matchups in terms
of enrollment geography. But this is what we're here for, this is what
the conference exists for. Is these final three weeks, everyone's playing teams by
them, Everyone's playing old rivals, new rivals, schools around their size,
and you know, we'll have a really good one here. That's probably gonna
end up being the conference championship game at six and oh Seneca plays five and
one Marquette at Gold Stadium in Ottawa. And that's a power power team versus
wing team matchup there, Eddie. So that should be the fastest game in
the state. If it goes past nine o'clock, I'd be still. But
uh, you know, this is this is kind of the finale, the
finish we were hoping that maybe leaves a good taste in our mouth for this
first year the Chicago Lamprairie. You know, lots of good matchups. The
four teams down my way, or you know Dwight's five and one, sat
Bete's four and two, Seneca six and O Market's five and one. They're
all playing each other to finish the season, the compact, to finish the
regular season and hopefully all you know, we'll find their way into the playoffs
and hopefully have some great games with some big crowds and be able to talk
some positive things about this new conference. What class level are these teams?
These are all three A and four a's right, Marquetes one A Marquettes one
A. Saint Bete goes one A usually sometimes two A Dwight. It's been
a while since in the playoffs they co op with Gardner South Wilmington, so
I'm betting they're probably more at two A three A. Seneca's I think usually
a three A two A three A type situation. I think they've been three
A recently, but then you know you have five a's up in the suburban
half of this kind. But you know those programs have been down this year,
and so the smaller schools down in the South County way have kind of
feasted. Yeah, well, I was just sniffing around for I'm always on
the lookout for what the heck the Interstate eight is going to be doing next
year, But that doesn't seem like a feasible option, so I don't think
so. I think I think the only one you could almost see sort of
kind of maybe if you squint your eyes matching as Seneca. They'd far and
away be the smallest school. But they they have such strong programs sport after
sport after sport that you know, you wonder if they couldn't, you know,
punch above their weight class. I don't think that's something they're interested in
doing. But if anyone in that conference we're going to be a fit geographically
and competitive wise, probably it would be Seneca. But I personally don't foresee
that situation happen. I think Streeter is a much more interesting version of that.
But you know, I live in Streeter. I talk to a lot
of people involved with Streeter High School athletics, and you know, their opinion
of it is, our conference is doing great. You know, everyone says
we shouldn't be in you know or not everyone. Lots of people say you
should be with these teams and not within the Illinois Illinois Central Eight. But
they're like, we are stable, we have great relationships with these schools.
Why would we want to mess it up and get into a conference that's having
turnover? You know, a group of schools that can't keep a conference together,
right, And that Streeter's already left once pretty much all six of those
remaining teams were you know, it wasn't Streeter and then twelve yeah, yeah,
and that NI twelve already left one furation. Yeah. I think Streeter
and Dixon the ink wasn't dry on them signing to join, and they were
already uh, finding other conference homes Streeter and Dixon both so yeah, and
personally the the nineteen early nineteen nineties graduate, you know, a person who
grew up in the Illinois Valley here longing for the old nc IC days.
I personally would love to see, you know, a Streeter Outawa game,
a Streeter LP game have more of a have a impact to it. Streeter
Morris, you know, have those be conference games as opposed to a Streeter
Lyle game that you know, the visiting team has five people on the stand,
you know, and I But in terms of stability, I don't really
think it's arguable. I don't know what would be what the plus would be
from Streeter other than you know, playing against those regional rivals and things like
that. But in terms of stability, you just have to wonder is there
stability there and what's it going to look like. But Streeter would be your
obviously your first pick. Pontiac would probably be in that conversation. But yeah,
it'll be interesting to see if the Innertate can find some members. Yeah,
Chauncey, Kerri, Kadi and Sycamore always has creative ideas, always seems
to come up with something. So we'll see if it's a one or two
team solution or if they find a fix for the conference. But Street,
yeah, I don't I'm really understand. I don't know why Streeter would.
Like you said, you have stability and you have competitiveness, which you know
that that's also a big thing. You found somewhere where you're competitive and the
other teams don't mind you in there then, you know, mind being in
their congratulations. You have something so few teams have these days. So yeah,
and that's that's really it. And like I said, I talk to
people all the time. It's like, man, Streeters should be in this
conference with us, you know when I go to ODAW or LP and I
tell them, yeah, they should. But I don't know why they would
make that move right now. You know, maybe if if those uh Interstate
eight teams, old twelve teams, old NCIC teams, what have you,
you know, if they find a stability and then it's like, hey,
man, if you just plug in here and you can offer that, I
would get it. But the way things are right now, I don't know
why you'd want to, you know, and not just for football though that's
obviously what drives everything. But I mean, you know Streeter's trying to rebuild
its wrestling program, it's girls basketball program. They don't they don't need Sycamore
in their life right now. Yeah, I think they're perfectly not having Sycamore
in those life. Yes, in those you know, you could call them
secondary sports or what have you. But but I I I don't. I
don't see why they In so many ways it's a great fit, but in
so many ways is it's not. So yeah, it'll be, it'll be.
I really look forward to seeing what the Interstate Eate does. They're going
to need to do something creative. I hope it's not TVD games in week
nine because that can drive me mad. I can't imagine how the coaches feel
about it, trying to prepare and everything else. But you know, maybe
it gets you ready for the playoffs, you know, preparing for a team
in one week. And yeah, and uh so it's a it's a cool
setup. I think. Yeah, I have a feeling whatever the solution ends
up being, it's some sort of football only solution. I again, it's
just what my hunch is telling me. I think I know rachelle uh doesn't
necessarily like being up against Sycamore calm, and that was the driving force behind
the IE eight in the first place, before that blew up, before it
even got started. Sterling or Geneseo was supposed to be in there or something.
It was not even that long ago, and it's already fuzzy to me.
But well, so many changes have happened. Sense, it's hard to
keep straight which conversations were where. I know that was a time Streeter was
trying to join the corn Belt, you know, and that that feels like
seven thousand years ago now, yeah, even just in my decade out here,
it's I can't keep it all straight, so it's already blending together.
But yeah, it's it's I have. Really it'll end up being a football
only solution. I think for the most part it's a competitive league with the
six teams that are in it now. Outside of football particularly, I think
it's still pretty competitive. You look at the top of the settings in different
sports, it's it's everyone has at least one sport where they're at the top.
So I think it's good the way it's set up now. I think
they're happy as I'm playing psychic, But who knows, And that's what the
future will tell us. That's why. That's why I'm saying it's a football
only fix. It's some sort of another maybe another agreement with another. I
don't think there's another six conference, sixteen conference other than the DBC, and
that does not match up well even for Sycamore and Cainland. So and I
don't know what is there. Yeah, And I don't know what it costs
in signage or or memo, letterhead or anything like that. But I would
love for them. You know, now that Sandwich and Plane Ore gone once
after this football season, we believe that the ties are going to be officially
cut, I would love for them maybe to seek out a different name.
It's still very weird to me to think of Sycamore Ottawa the salprou As Interstate
eight, you know, a traditionally smaller school conference, you know where Sandwich
and Plane overd like what you think of when you think of that conference.
And it's weird how ownership of that conference name and history has passed along to
schools that really don't seem like they have anything to do with the Interstate eight
conference. I can. I can definitely see where that might rub some old
timers the wrong way. Traditionalists, whatever, you want to call it,
but I think we could call that a podcast. What about you? Yeah?
Yeah, I think it's good. And I mean I could cut out
at any second, the way my web connection has been today, So I
better leave while we can. My left arm, I think I threw it
out my next sore. Now. I was say, well, we do
this over video, and was signaling the JT every time he was frozen,
so he knew that I was going to start babbling. Are you kidding me?
I thought you were just saying hi to me. Man. Oh,
maybe I should have told you about it. That's on me. Maybe I
should have told you what I was doing. Oh well, it made sense
to me anyway. But I think we'll call that a wrap on the Week
seven edition. We'll dive into Week eight next week. We're hoping. I
can't. I can't make any promises, but I'm hoping we can line up
a special guest for a Week eight. We're hoping we could get someone in
here to talk Dixon and Byron a lot more thoughtfully than we can. Although
to say JT nailed it this week, I think we've been nailing it anyway.
But still want to try to bring someone in next week. We'll see
what the future holds. So he's been a JT penalty, I've been Eddie
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