| Another Confusing Cody Column |
The Most Successful
Area Sports Year?
Area Sports Year?
Eleven area State Titles, 17 top-four trophies, and three of
them could be state titles - all in 2010-11 ...
them could be state titles - all in 2010-11 ...
Class expansion: Two of the ugliest words that any high school sports fan of a
particular school wants to hear.
Say these two words when the setting is meant to be positive, and the party stops.
“Oh, it was because of this.”
When it gets quiet, run! You'll eventually get caught and chided about something
along the line of how the kids work their tails off, and all that.
Some research will prove that the number of area teams winning a trophy has
gone up since the first wave of four-sport expansion hit in 2007. Area teams won
12 top-four state trophies in 2006-07, and that number jumped to 24 the following
year. That fact cannot be denied.
However, after some manipulation of the area's state trophy data, our teams really
are becoming more and more successful as the years go on.
They really do work their tails off.
This school year – 2010-11 – has seen the most State Titles won by area schools,
at 11. So far. Those 11 teams are: Belvidere North boys cross country, Boylan
boys soccer, Boylan football, Byron girls track, Guilford boys bowling, Harlem girls
bowling, Lena-Winslow football, Newark boys basketball, Newman football, Newman
wrestling, and Rock Island boys basketball.
Three teams – Eastland baseball, Prophetstown/Erie baseball, and Morrison
softball – have a chance to add to that total this weekend at their respective State
Final tournaments. Even more teams could add to it, if a large school baseball or
softball team does the trick.
Of these 11 teams, eight of them are considered teams not generally effected by
class expansion. The three left out are the North cross country title in 2A (out of
three), and both boys basketball titles of Newark's in 1A and Rock Island's in 3A
(out of four). Last year there were eight state champion teams, five of which were
not generally effected by class expansion.
Prior to this year's 11 state titles, the previous area best was 10 titles in 2005-06.
That was before class expansion. Four titles were in football (Galena, Dakota,
Plano and Morris), both Winnebago cross country teams won their state
tournaments, Moline finished their softball year unbeaten, Seneca beat IVC for the
Class A boys basketball title, and Dakota had it's remarkable boys sports run of a
football title, wrestling title and undefeated regular season in basketball. IVC also
won a baseball title that year.
Unlike that year, this year seems to be represented from all across the board
instead of a few schools having special runs.
This year, like last year, there have been 28 total top-four team placings at the
IHSA state tournaments. That number will expand to 29 if a large school hardball
team makes it to State. In the two years prior to last year, area teams have won 24
trophies each in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Two facts about this year that stand out among those in recent memory have to do
with football and boys basketball. Two years removed from not having a single
area team represented at the State Football Finals, five area teams make it down
to Champaign in 2010 (Stillman Valley and Alleman lost in their respective title
games). In boys basketball, area teams came into this year's festivities with a nine-
game losing streak at the Carver Arena floor. Newark, Rockford Christian (2A) and
Rock Island combined to finish 5-1 this year.
Now that boys basketball has been mentioned, we may as well mention wrestling,
too. Just as remarkable – if not more – is the representation of the area at both the
individual and dual team State tournaments.
Four area teams made it to the dual team tournament, and the two representatives
in Class 1A, Newman and Stillman Valley, fended off non-area opponents to meet
in the 1A title match in which Newman won. The match was truly one of the most
memorable moments in our area's high school sports history – the match itself,
and the mutual respect between the two teams was like no other.
In the Class 1A Individual Wrestling Tournament, nine of the 14 weight classes had
an area state champion. Two more weight classes had an area wrestler finish in
second place. Another wrestler finished in second place to another area wrestler,
at 103 pounds. And all of these wrestlers came out of the Oregon Sectional.
What a year!
Eighteen paragraphs in, and we haven't even mentioned the saga of Scales
Mound yet.
The Hornets' volleyball team were the first ones to truly knock the door down and
let this school year become one of the best. They knocked it down with the upset
of back-to-back state champion Eastland in the sectional final. The world started to
know who Scales Mound was, and they didn't stop with Eastland. They beat
Marquette in the supersectional and Springfield Lutheran in the Class 1A State
semifinal. However, the dream run came to and end at the hands of Heyworth.
Redbird Arena was never filled with so much green prior to the State Volleyball
tournament.
As for a one-hit wonder, hardly.
Several Scales Mound girls took part in last year's cooperative with River Ridge,
on a team that won the program's first regional championship. Last year's
experience of boldly going where no woman has gone before proved to be the
breeding ground for not only this volleyball season, but also this year's girls
basketball team.
Blemmished by only an early-season loss to state-ranked Annawan, the Wildcats
surged on to win another regional, and the program's first sectional. Standing in
their way next? Another program with back-to-back state titles trying to go for a
third, in Hinckley-Big Rock. Another door knocked down, another trip to Redbird
Arena. But unfortunately, another second-place finish at State.
Teamwork. Experience. One thing leads to another. Can all of this permute into
greater success in the future? Who knows.
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat, and writes columns
about Illinois high school sports. He can be reached at Northernillinoissportsbeat
(at) yahoo (dot) com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message Boards!
particular school wants to hear.
Say these two words when the setting is meant to be positive, and the party stops.
“Oh, it was because of this.”
When it gets quiet, run! You'll eventually get caught and chided about something
along the line of how the kids work their tails off, and all that.
Some research will prove that the number of area teams winning a trophy has
gone up since the first wave of four-sport expansion hit in 2007. Area teams won
12 top-four state trophies in 2006-07, and that number jumped to 24 the following
year. That fact cannot be denied.
However, after some manipulation of the area's state trophy data, our teams really
are becoming more and more successful as the years go on.
They really do work their tails off.
This school year – 2010-11 – has seen the most State Titles won by area schools,
at 11. So far. Those 11 teams are: Belvidere North boys cross country, Boylan
boys soccer, Boylan football, Byron girls track, Guilford boys bowling, Harlem girls
bowling, Lena-Winslow football, Newark boys basketball, Newman football, Newman
wrestling, and Rock Island boys basketball.
Three teams – Eastland baseball, Prophetstown/Erie baseball, and Morrison
softball – have a chance to add to that total this weekend at their respective State
Final tournaments. Even more teams could add to it, if a large school baseball or
softball team does the trick.
Of these 11 teams, eight of them are considered teams not generally effected by
class expansion. The three left out are the North cross country title in 2A (out of
three), and both boys basketball titles of Newark's in 1A and Rock Island's in 3A
(out of four). Last year there were eight state champion teams, five of which were
not generally effected by class expansion.
Prior to this year's 11 state titles, the previous area best was 10 titles in 2005-06.
That was before class expansion. Four titles were in football (Galena, Dakota,
Plano and Morris), both Winnebago cross country teams won their state
tournaments, Moline finished their softball year unbeaten, Seneca beat IVC for the
Class A boys basketball title, and Dakota had it's remarkable boys sports run of a
football title, wrestling title and undefeated regular season in basketball. IVC also
won a baseball title that year.
Unlike that year, this year seems to be represented from all across the board
instead of a few schools having special runs.
This year, like last year, there have been 28 total top-four team placings at the
IHSA state tournaments. That number will expand to 29 if a large school hardball
team makes it to State. In the two years prior to last year, area teams have won 24
trophies each in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Two facts about this year that stand out among those in recent memory have to do
with football and boys basketball. Two years removed from not having a single
area team represented at the State Football Finals, five area teams make it down
to Champaign in 2010 (Stillman Valley and Alleman lost in their respective title
games). In boys basketball, area teams came into this year's festivities with a nine-
game losing streak at the Carver Arena floor. Newark, Rockford Christian (2A) and
Rock Island combined to finish 5-1 this year.
Now that boys basketball has been mentioned, we may as well mention wrestling,
too. Just as remarkable – if not more – is the representation of the area at both the
individual and dual team State tournaments.
Four area teams made it to the dual team tournament, and the two representatives
in Class 1A, Newman and Stillman Valley, fended off non-area opponents to meet
in the 1A title match in which Newman won. The match was truly one of the most
memorable moments in our area's high school sports history – the match itself,
and the mutual respect between the two teams was like no other.
In the Class 1A Individual Wrestling Tournament, nine of the 14 weight classes had
an area state champion. Two more weight classes had an area wrestler finish in
second place. Another wrestler finished in second place to another area wrestler,
at 103 pounds. And all of these wrestlers came out of the Oregon Sectional.
What a year!
Eighteen paragraphs in, and we haven't even mentioned the saga of Scales
Mound yet.
The Hornets' volleyball team were the first ones to truly knock the door down and
let this school year become one of the best. They knocked it down with the upset
of back-to-back state champion Eastland in the sectional final. The world started to
know who Scales Mound was, and they didn't stop with Eastland. They beat
Marquette in the supersectional and Springfield Lutheran in the Class 1A State
semifinal. However, the dream run came to and end at the hands of Heyworth.
Redbird Arena was never filled with so much green prior to the State Volleyball
tournament.
As for a one-hit wonder, hardly.
Several Scales Mound girls took part in last year's cooperative with River Ridge,
on a team that won the program's first regional championship. Last year's
experience of boldly going where no woman has gone before proved to be the
breeding ground for not only this volleyball season, but also this year's girls
basketball team.
Blemmished by only an early-season loss to state-ranked Annawan, the Wildcats
surged on to win another regional, and the program's first sectional. Standing in
their way next? Another program with back-to-back state titles trying to go for a
third, in Hinckley-Big Rock. Another door knocked down, another trip to Redbird
Arena. But unfortunately, another second-place finish at State.
Teamwork. Experience. One thing leads to another. Can all of this permute into
greater success in the future? Who knows.
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat, and writes columns
about Illinois high school sports. He can be reached at Northernillinoissportsbeat
(at) yahoo (dot) com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message Boards!
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
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| Those Who Know Northern Illinois High School Sports Know about NISB! |
In the past 25 years (and
as of today), the NISB area
has seen 111 state
championship teams and
386 top-four state placing
teams.
2010-11 State Champions:
Belvidere North Boys XC
Boylan Boys Soccer
Lena-Winslow Football
Newman Football
Boylan Football
Newark Boys Basketball
Rock Island B. Basketball
Newman Wrestling
Guilford Boys Bowling
Harlem Girls Bowling
Byron Girls Track and Field
2010-11 Top-Four Placers:
Stillman Valley Football
Alleman Football
Scales Mound VB
Yorkville Girls XC
Dixon Girls XC
Stillman Valley B. Soccer
R. Christian B. Basketball
RR/SM Girls Basketball
Sycamore Boys Bowling
Jefferson Girls Bowling
Sycamore Wrestling
Harlem Wrestling
R. Christian B. Track
Belvidere North B. Track
P'Town/Erie Baseball
Eastland Baseball
Morrison Softball
State Champions &
Top-Four Finishers:
1986-87: 3, 11
1987-88: 4, 13
1988-89: 2, 13
1989-90: 3, 11
1990-91: 4, 16
1991-92: 5, 13
1992-93: 3, 18
1993-94: 7, 17
1994-95: 4, 16
1995-96: 4, 13
1996-97: 2, 12
1997-98: 5, 13
1998-99: 4, 19
1999-00: 4, 16
2000-01: 3, 10
- football goes to 8 classes
2001-02: 2, 13
2002-03: 6, 17
2003-04: 2, 12
2004-05: 3, 17
2005-06: 10, 18
2006-07: 3, 12
- class expansion
2007-08: 8, 24
2008-09: 6, 24
2009-10: 8, 28
2010-11: ?, ??
as of today), the NISB area
has seen 111 state
championship teams and
386 top-four state placing
teams.
2010-11 State Champions:
Belvidere North Boys XC
Boylan Boys Soccer
Lena-Winslow Football
Newman Football
Boylan Football
Newark Boys Basketball
Rock Island B. Basketball
Newman Wrestling
Guilford Boys Bowling
Harlem Girls Bowling
Byron Girls Track and Field
2010-11 Top-Four Placers:
Stillman Valley Football
Alleman Football
Scales Mound VB
Yorkville Girls XC
Dixon Girls XC
Stillman Valley B. Soccer
R. Christian B. Basketball
RR/SM Girls Basketball
Sycamore Boys Bowling
Jefferson Girls Bowling
Sycamore Wrestling
Harlem Wrestling
R. Christian B. Track
Belvidere North B. Track
P'Town/Erie Baseball
Eastland Baseball
Morrison Softball
State Champions &
Top-Four Finishers:
1986-87: 3, 11
1987-88: 4, 13
1988-89: 2, 13
1989-90: 3, 11
1990-91: 4, 16
1991-92: 5, 13
1992-93: 3, 18
1993-94: 7, 17
1994-95: 4, 16
1995-96: 4, 13
1996-97: 2, 12
1997-98: 5, 13
1998-99: 4, 19
1999-00: 4, 16
2000-01: 3, 10
- football goes to 8 classes
2001-02: 2, 13
2002-03: 6, 17
2003-04: 2, 12
2004-05: 3, 17
2005-06: 10, 18
2006-07: 3, 12
- class expansion
2007-08: 8, 24
2008-09: 6, 24
2009-10: 8, 28
2010-11: ?, ??