WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:05.040 SGKR Injury Attorney's proudly sponsors the Friday Night Drive. I'm 2 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.440 met roundI. We are ready to take on the insurance 3 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:09.640 company for you and get you to the end zone. 4 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:13.000 Visit us G A n A s SI N dot com, 5 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:14.960 Gannison dot com. 6 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:18.239 This is State Representative Steve Reich. Since twenty sixteen, it's 7 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.920 been my privilege to represent the sixty third district in 8 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:24.239 the Illinois House. I'd like to continue representing you and 9 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:26.519 I'm asking for your vote on November fifth. 10 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:29.320 Thank you pay for my citizens to elect Stephen Reich. 11 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:35.359 Hello everybody, and welcome to the Friday Night Drive podcast. 12 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:36.600 This is Josh well Gay. 13 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:39.280 I'm here with Steve Susi and as we tape here 14 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:42.159 on Wednesday afternoon, we are two days away from the 15 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:46.039 first football Friday and Steve, I know you're as excited 16 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:47.840 as I am. And it's funny, you know, during the 17 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.399 course of the year, we get kind of a countdown 18 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:54.240 from our friend in the business, Edgy Tim, and when 19 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:57.039 we're around Christmas and we're at three hundred, three hundred 20 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:58.000 days away from first. 21 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:00.240 Football Friday, I kind of kind of chuckle a little bit. 22 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:02.920 But when we get into single digits gets a little. 23 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:06.319 Bit serious and and you know, I've read quite a 24 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:07.799 bit about a lot of teams, and now I want 25 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.680 to find out a little bit more about them. 26 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:11.239 You know, how are you feeling as we go into 27 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:11.719 this week? 28 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.640 You know, I'm ready to go. I mean, obviously, you know, 29 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:18.400 there's a slow trickle of games tomorrow on Thursday, and 30 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:20.680 then we really get into the action on Friday. And 31 00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:22.879 this is always kind of the hardest time for me 32 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:25.640 to get through because we're we've been talking about it 33 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:27.799 for a while now, you know, two three weeks of 34 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:30.480 you know, active preview stories and all this other stuff, 35 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:33.719 but there's still so many questions and so much information 36 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:36.519 that I'm hoping to glean from week one, and we're 37 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:38.359 right on the cusp of it, but we're just not 38 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:41.959 quite there. So the anticipation for me in particular is 39 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:42.640 pretty high. 40 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:44.400 And we talked about it before. 41 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:47.079 Week one is is a week that we learned so 42 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:49.799 much about teams that we think we might know about, 43 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:52.319 but we we don't know until we see them, you know, 44 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.159 live when on field and get some of that data, 45 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:56.439 as you say, And and this year, I think we're 46 00:01:56.439 --> 00:01:58.480 going to learn a little bit more about some teams, 47 00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:01.239 because some teams have really gone out and tested themselves 48 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:03.799 in Week one. In some cases maybe they wanted to, 49 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:05.640 in some cases, maybe they had to. Maybe you could 50 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:07.480 talk a little bit more about that, you know. 51 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:10.159 I felt like this year it was a situation where, 52 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:13.280 you know, even as late as like March in April, 53 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:17.120 there were a lot of teams out there that had 54 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:21.199 not scheduled games in their non conference schedule, whether it 55 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:23.039 be Week one or Week two, or maybe in some 56 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:27.360 cases a Week three game. And you know that always happens. 57 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:30.439 There's always a few programs that maybe for whatever reason, 58 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:32.719 haven't been able to quite line up a game. But 59 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:35.199 the list seemed longer this year, and there was a 60 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.080 common thread inside of it. A lot of them were 61 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.240 the power programs that were used to seeing at the 62 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:44.560 top of preseason polls and all these other things. And 63 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:48.199 I think the common thread came through because it was 64 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.400 like a lot of teams, you know, like you said, 65 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:55.000 some are looking for opportunities to challenge themselves. Others maybe 66 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:57.240 don't want to take on that challenge for fear that 67 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.840 it might end up messing up their opportunity to get 68 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:03.800 into the playoffs. So the list of opponents for those 69 00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:08.159 those quality those upperational Hunts programs really shrinked down, and 70 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:10.599 eventually they kind of reached the point where it was like, 71 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:13.479 we're gonna have to play each other, or we're gonna 72 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:17.360 have to schedule somebody four states over or whatever just 73 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:19.719 to fill these voids on our schedules. So what it 74 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.479 led to is a Week one and also a Week 75 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.439 two where we've got a lot of games between programs 76 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:29.159 that we expect to be very, very high in the 77 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:31.639 grand scheme of things over the course of the regular season. 78 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:35.400 So a lot of marquee non conference matchups to kick 79 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:37.439 off the season. We saw it last year, we're seeing 80 00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:40.080 it again this year, and I think that's been expanded 81 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:40.639 upon too. 82 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.439 Yeah, you you looked ahead to a lot of those 83 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:48.080 this week, and people are tuning. On Wednesday, Steve dropped 84 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:50.719 his you know, week one games to watch a list 85 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:52.439 of games on the state that he's really keeping an 86 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:55.759 eye on, you know, go to Friday Night Drive dot com. 87 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:57.159 We have a lot of content gone. 88 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:01.919 We have Steve's preseason playoff for actions, we have our 89 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:03.719 preseason power rankings. 90 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:05.800 You know, it's it's Wednesday. 91 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:08.840 We'll have previous up of all the games, uh and 92 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:11.560 in all of our markets across northern Illinois. Uh, they'll 93 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.280 be going up by Thursday morning. But yeah, let's let's 94 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:15.719 you know, drill down into a few. 95 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:16.839 Of these matchups. Uh. 96 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:20.160 The one that that really you know, jumps off the page. Uh, 97 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:24.600 Loyola going down uh to to Illinois States. You know, 98 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:26.480 they know that place very well. 99 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:27.040 Uh. 100 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:28.959 And and they're gonna be playing East Saint Louis and 101 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:30.040 and on Saturday night. 102 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:31.920 That's a matchup that I know you're. 103 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:34.360 Really excited about, and I'm really excited to see, you know, 104 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:37.839 how those two fair when they get together. I mean, 105 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:40.360 Loyola is a team coming off of winning the eight 106 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.120 A state championship, a lot of talent back, a lot 107 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.120 of Division one talent back and East St. 108 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:45.439 Louis. 109 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:47.199 I don't think I know quite as much about this 110 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.000 year than maybe in years past. 111 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:50.879 But you know, what are you thinking about that matchup? 112 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:54.519 It's it's very interesting. I mean last year we started 113 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:58.079 in a somewhat similar fashion with East Saint Louis playing 114 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.319 Mount Carmel in that game, and I went down for 115 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:02.639 that game, and you know, everybody's excited about the start 116 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:04.680 of the season, and that was a good way to 117 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:07.040 kick off the year. I'm glad that they I mean, 118 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:09.040 they tweaked the match up a little bit, but I'm 119 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.680 glad that they're going to keep this going. It's my 120 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:14.920 hope that maybe eventually we can maybe expand that into 121 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:17.560 a two or three game outing, to be completely honest 122 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:20.480 with you, maybe put a small school marquee matchup on 123 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.879 in the afternoon or something like that. But I haven't 124 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:25.600 really heard anything about that, but I think that would 125 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:27.480 be wonderful if they had an opportunity to do that. 126 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.800 But two programs here that obviously have high expectations and 127 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:35.000 expect to find themselves probably back at ISU in late November. 128 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.800 Loyola has a lot coming back, starting with quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald. 129 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:42.600 But they did graduate quite a bit. But the one 130 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:45.600 thing about that program, you know they're gonna reload. They 131 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:49.279 have a massive roster. They often have kids that maybe 132 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:53.399 were backups or even third stringers that would be heavy 133 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:56.519 contributors on other programs. That's how deep Loyola tends to 134 00:05:56.600 --> 00:05:59.040 be on a year to year basis. East Saint louis 135 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:01.720 a little bit more of unknown coming into this season, 136 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:04.240 but you can't doubt the talent that that program puts 137 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:07.439 out on a year to year basis. Different quarterback this year. 138 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.160 We got a little look at him in the state 139 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:12.839 final last year, but having a guy like Pops Battle 140 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:17.360 is a stabilizer. Well he's gone now, so East Saint 141 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:20.160 Louis will have to answer some questions about, you know, 142 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.000 how they're going to move the football offensively. But there's 143 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:25.439 no doubting that they still have a lot of weapons 144 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.480 on that team, particularly on defense, a couple of great 145 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:32.480 linebackers in there, some good secondary players. This is a 146 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:36.399 team that backs away from no one. Like I mentioned before, 147 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:39.360 they're playing They're playing three teams that I believe are 148 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:43.639 ranked in the national top seventy five outside of this game, 149 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:47.480 not even including the Loyola games. So this is a 150 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:49.480 team that doesn't back down from anything. And they might 151 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:51.319 end up going into the playoffs with a six and 152 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.639 three or a five and four record, but are an 153 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:58.439 absolute dangerous team in any capacity. So should be a 154 00:06:58.480 --> 00:06:59.519 fun way to kick off the year. 155 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.639 I'm getting back to what you said off the top 156 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:06.000 about about maybe making this a multi game extravaganza, maybe 157 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:07.480 get a small school involved. 158 00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:08.360 I like that. 159 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:09.480 I like that idea. 160 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:11.560 I mean, I think you see that in some other 161 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:14.319 states sometimes on a national level where you know, you 162 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.199 get on ESPN some of these teams from across the 163 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:19.879 country you get together for sort of a marathon and 164 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:21.759 extravaganza football. 165 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:22.439 Let's get on that. 166 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:25.199 I kinda I kind of, I kind of like, what's 167 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:27.839 let's get our heads together and h and get on that. 168 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:32.920 But anyway, in the meantime, you mentioned quarterback with Pops Battle, 169 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:36.240 you know, moving on. I think the one program that 170 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:38.759 that in the offseason got as much attention as anyone, 171 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:41.959 uh was Lincoln Way East bringing in with Jonas Williams 172 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:45.800 transferring from Bowling Brook. You know a lot of anticipation 173 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:48.000 there to see how he fits into what they do, 174 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.920 because they do a lot of things very well, and 175 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:52.279 he does a lot of things very well. And they 176 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:54.480 play Maine South right off the jump, and that's a 177 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:56.879 matchup that, if I'm not mistaken, might be one of 178 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:59.439 those that, hey, they're looking for teams to play. 179 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.120 And here they are. Yeah. 180 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:03.240 That this was one of those games that it took 181 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:06.439 fairly long to get into the you know, into the 182 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:09.399 spring before it was on the books. And and I 183 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:13.000 remember talking to Lincolna East coause Rob Zonar about this 184 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:17.199 before they had the games booked, and he was like, well, 185 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:18.959 it's not official yet, you know, you don't want to 186 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.279 jump the gun on these things, but he had said 187 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:23.160 that it was Maine South and for Lincoln Way East, 188 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:27.160 the way things have developed currently, they don't have a 189 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:30.959 Week two games. So they actually were scheduled to play 190 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:33.720 a team out of Florida at the East Saint Louis Jamboree, 191 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.080 and that team backed out of the game. So right 192 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:40.120 now Lincoln Way East is looking at a situation where 193 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:42.360 they get to open up against Maine South, a high 194 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:46.960 quality opponent, and and less things change rather quickly, then 195 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:50.279 they're off next week. So I'm sure they're chomping at 196 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:53.639 the bit to get this game in and then uh, 197 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:55.639 and then we'll have to cool their jets a little 198 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:57.720 bit before getting back into the fray on week three. 199 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:00.639 Yeah, there's a there's more than one team, if I'm 200 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:04.360 not mistaken, that still has some open dates that they 201 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:05.960 didn't think. I mean, I think you know, I see 202 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:08.399 Catholic Prep is able to find a Week one game, 203 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:10.080 if I'm not mistaken, they're looking for. 204 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:12.879 Week two, I think so the last I had heard 205 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:15.559 there was an issue with that school having signed the 206 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.320 contract to come play them, So I don't know if 207 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.360 that has been resolved, but as of as of recently, 208 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:23.600 the only game that they seemed to be searching for 209 00:09:23.720 --> 00:09:26.440 was the Week one game, which they did fill with 210 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.519 Saint Mary's out of Saint Louis, a pretty solid program 211 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:34.720 down that way that also had had an opponent basically 212 00:09:34.759 --> 00:09:38.279 back out on them, so so that that Week one 213 00:09:38.440 --> 00:09:41.320 thing was resolved. We've we've had a couple of interesting 214 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:45.279 situations with a few teams that have announced that they're 215 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:49.600 not going to carry on with regular seasons, and some 216 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:51.639 of those conferences have done a pretty good job of 217 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:56.519 linking up with one another to create some non conference 218 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.200 games in those vacancies. I think the most interesting one 219 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:02.679 to me was Byron and Williamsville, a couple of strong 220 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.720 three A programs are playing in Week three this year 221 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:09.879 because of one member of each of their conferences decided 222 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:11.759 that they weren't going to be able to continue with 223 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:15.759 varsity football, left them both Week three vacancies, so they 224 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:18.200 linked up and they're playing in Williamsville. So that was 225 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:21.080 like I described it at the time. That's one way 226 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.759 to take a batch of lemons that you've been given 227 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:27.440 and make a real tasty batch of lemonades. So that's 228 00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:31.120 a good resolution to a bad situation. In my opinion, I. 229 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:33.960 Say, no doubt and definitely that is definitely making the 230 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:36.519 best out of a bad situation when you get teams 231 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.200 like Byron and Williamsville getting together on the football field, Steve, 232 00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:41.720 towards the end of last year, as we went into 233 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:43.200 the playoffs, you know, one of the big kind of 234 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.799 storylines was a number of four and five teams that 235 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:49.559 were able to qualify for the playoffs for just the 236 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:54.879 way I'd say math works. Most notably was Nazareth. They 237 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:57.879 started the season zero to four. I believe not taken 238 00:10:57.919 --> 00:10:59.759 the year after they started the season two and four 239 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:02.679 and won the state championship. They started zero to four, 240 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.759 They get in the playoffs at five and four, and 241 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:06.919 then they go all the way to the state championship. 242 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:09.960 They'd be a joyant Catholic again. They rallied from behind, 243 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:13.159 because that's what they did last year. But uh, you know, 244 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:16.799 they start, uh, I'm sure they don't want to to 245 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:19.639 repeat that scenario, but uh, but boy, they right off 246 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.039 the bat getting kanky keep coming to there, and that's 247 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:24.759 been kind of a nice little, you know, game that's 248 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:27.360 developed the last few years in a non conference setting. 249 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:29.360 And then of course, you know, uh. 250 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:32.080 Kanky Key it was a really kind of unusual game 251 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:34.279 a couple of years ago as a two to nothing final, 252 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:37.399 and then canky keeping in last year. I obviously I 253 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.279 know a lot about Nazareth, but uh, you know, what 254 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:41.399 do you think about that matchup? 255 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:44.200 You know, like you said, it has become kind of 256 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:46.879 an interesting little situation for them. I was at the 257 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.600 kanky Kee Nazareth game last year, and to be honest 258 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:52.519 with you, I thought I thought Nazareth would be able 259 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.440 to handle that game pretty convincingly and that was not 260 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:59.759 the case. Can't Key played very well and beat them. Nazareth, 261 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:02.600 like you said, that doesn't want to put themselves in 262 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:06.879 that situation where they, you know, have to dig out 263 00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:10.120 of the hole. But kudos to them for playing the 264 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:13.519 non conference schedule that they do. They play kanka Key, 265 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:18.240 week two, they played Kenwood, and then week three they're 266 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.080 not even in conference play yet. But their crossover game 267 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:24.879 is a little team you might have heard of, Mount Carmel, 268 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:29.240 So I mean they open up so strong in that 269 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.600 schedule and another thing, and I was talking with one 270 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.879 of one of our colleagues, Michael Trojack, about this earlier 271 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:41.120 this offseason. Some of these Catholic League conferences are so 272 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:44.080 stacked that you can literally look at them before the 273 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:47.440 season based on what you know and stack the four 274 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:50.240 teams in any order and make a justification for it. 275 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:54.559 And I think that's especially true in Nazareth's conference, which 276 00:12:54.679 --> 00:13:01.399 with the realignment includes Saint rita ic CAF like Nazareth 277 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.480 and Wheaton Saint Francis, And I mean, you look at 278 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:08.919 those teams on paper and they all look like the 279 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:12.159 kind of teams that can make potentially make deep postseason 280 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:16.480 runs and the classifications that they're in, and you could legitimately, 281 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:20.039 in my mind's eyes, stack them any way as a 282 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:23.120 conference projection at the beginning of the year. And I 283 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:25.440 think that's not the only league in the Catholic League 284 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:28.679 where you can do that. So once you get into 285 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.919 Catholic League play, after potentially playing a difficult non conference schedule, 286 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:34.960 I think we're going to find a lot of teams 287 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:38.000 we're getting down to Week nine where they're sitting there 288 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:43.080 at four and four playing another strong team that you know, 289 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:45.840 they need to get that fifth win, but their schedule 290 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:48.120 has been so strong that if we do indeed have 291 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.480 four win teams get back in the playoffs, and I 292 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:52.639 actually think we're going to have more of them this 293 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:55.720 year for a couple of different reasons. Those teams are 294 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:58.720 going to be excellently positioned as four win teams, like 295 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.360 Nazareth was last year to be one of those teams, 296 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:03.360 because they're gonna have a ton of playoff points because 297 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:07.120 of this extremely complicated and difficult schedule that most of 298 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:08.000 them are undertaking. 299 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:09.759 You know, you kind of read my mind because I 300 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:12.840 was gonna ask your early sense as we stand here 301 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:16.799 on August twenty eighth of four and five, is that 302 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:19.279 a new normal that, at least in the short term 303 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:22.039 we should be looking forward to, or what's your sense 304 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.039 at it right now? 305 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:25.559 Well, there are a couple of things that factor into it. 306 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:27.960 I mean, when you start to think about just the 307 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:30.879 general math of things. For years and years and years, 308 00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:35.039 we had at least, you know, low five hundred teams 309 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:40.080 participating in the ISSA playoff system. Now, after a couple 310 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:43.440 of early season defections, that numbers down to four ninety three. 311 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.679 So if you do just simple math, more than half 312 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:52.360 of the teams that participate in ISSA football are going 313 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:55.240 to make the playoffs. We need two fifty six to 314 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:58.480 fill the common fields right now, so we're actually well 315 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:01.480 under that. We're we're almost at we're almost like fifty 316 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:03.559 two to fifty three percent of the teams are going 317 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:07.679 to get in. Well, just doing the simple win loss formula, 318 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.279 you almost have to have four and five teams unless 319 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.919 something quirky happens where every team that plays an out 320 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:17.879 of state team wins, every team that plays a non 321 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.919 qualifying team in Illinois they win all those games. That 322 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:22.679 would really be the only way that we would get 323 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:25.200 all five win teams in the playoffs with no four 324 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:28.440 win teams. That's just not realistic. It's not going to happen. 325 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:31.000 So simple mass says it's going to happen. It's just 326 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:33.279 a matter of how many. And then you take the 327 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.799 added layer on where the fact that the Chicago Public 328 00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:38.440 League has once again changed the way that they're going 329 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.559 to send teams into the playoffs. They've made little tweaks 330 00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:45.159 and the other tweaks like this, some of the middle 331 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.840 divisions in the CPL, which are known as the white divisions, 332 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:53.279 there are certain conferences in the CPL where only the 333 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.600 winner of that conference will qualify for the playoffs. In 334 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:59.799 the past, those conferences would produce maybe as many as 335 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:03.320 three or four teams that would get into the qualification system. 336 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:06.399 Now it's only gonna be one. So I think last year, 337 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:08.440 I believe we had twenty five teams from the Chicago 338 00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:11.519 Public League qualify. I think that number could drop to 339 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:14.960 as as few as fifteen or sixteen, so based on 340 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.360 these changes. So those two things, combined, the dwindling number 341 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:23.000 of programs, the number of CPO qualifiers that were likely 342 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:27.039 to have I'd be absolutely stunned if we didn't have 343 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:30.320 some four win teams get in. And if you put 344 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:31.919 me on the spot right now, I'll tell you I 345 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.279 think it's going to be a double digit number of 346 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.960 four win teams that gets into the playoffs. Somewhere in 347 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.519 the neighborhood of ten to twelve would be my anticipation 348 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:40.399 at this point in time. 349 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.600 Yeah, well, that certainly changes that Dana amics of as 350 00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:46.720 we're looking through the course of the season of where 351 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:50.320 each individual team is and what their path is. When 352 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.919 the path looks a little bit different when they're looking 353 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:53.799 I mean we forever. 354 00:16:53.879 --> 00:16:54.759 It feels like we've. 355 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:56.919 Said, all right, we need to get to five, you know, 356 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.559 drive for five, and now that's I mean, most teams 357 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:03.039 probably are still thinking like that. I recall last year 358 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:07.079 I covered Yorkville and Plainfield North playing Field North lost 359 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:10.000 their their Week nine game to go to four and five, 360 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:12.759 and their post game afterwards it was like, I mean, 361 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.240 there was hugs and and goodbyes, like, hey, we're not 362 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:17.400 we're not playing again, and next thing you know, you know, 363 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.799 they're in the playoffs. So uh just kind of it's 364 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.039 gonna make for a very interesting dynamic for Week nine. 365 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:25.279 But hey, we're only in August, so uh well we'll 366 00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:26.640 get to that at some point. 367 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:30.160 Looking at some of the other matchups that that I see, you. 368 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.400 Know, on a small school level, uh you know, Hope Academy. 369 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.599 I got to do their their preview for their conference, 370 00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:39.160 you know, uh, for for Friday Night Drive and for 371 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:42.880 our magazine, and I really had a great conversation with 372 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:45.319 their coach, coach Mallett, and and he talked about how 373 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.200 you know, we don't duck in anybody, and you know, 374 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:50.119 we'll play anybody. He mentioned they've gone to California before, 375 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:53.960 they I feel like they've been to multiple states. Well 376 00:17:53.960 --> 00:17:55.759 they're not going to California week one, but they are 377 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:59.240 going to Wilmington. So but that is one of the matchups, 378 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:02.039 you know, outside of the eight A seventy six A 379 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.440 brackets that I'm really paying attention to. 380 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:08.000 Hey, football fans, listen up. I'm top there and I 381 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:08.839 drive a Hawk. 382 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.480 I got it from my friends at Hawk Volkswagen. 383 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:15.039 So drive what I drive. Drive a Hawk off Volkswagon on. 384 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:20.720 Jefferson Street in Joliet or online at HAWKVW dot com. Well, 385 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.799 this was kind of funny because I'm friends with coaches 386 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:26.640 on both sides of this, and both of these two 387 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:30.240 teams were kind of once again, they were another teams 388 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:32.880 looking for games and trying to figure out what worked. 389 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:36.599 And I kind of instigated this game, to be completely 390 00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:38.319 honest with you, and I think both of these coaches 391 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:40.559 would admit to that. I kind of put them together 392 00:18:40.599 --> 00:18:43.000 and said, hey, guys, I think this is an interesting 393 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.119 contrast and styles, and it would be a great opportunity 394 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.960 for you guys to do what you always do, which 395 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.880 is both of those programs historically have not backed away 396 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:54.720 from playing anybody that is willing to play them. So, 397 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:57.759 I mean, Hope has been all over the place playing 398 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:00.359 schools sometimes four and five times larger than them on 399 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:03.599 a regular basis with no concern about whether or not 400 00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:06.440 they'll be able to compete, and they usually answer the bell. 401 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:10.480