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Top 5 Schools of the Decade
5 - Illinois Valley Central
All that was needed for IVC was a little change of scenery. The Mid-Illini Conference is
one of the more competitive conferences in central Illinois, but the IVC programs found
themselves lacking a bit due to their small size. When the NCIC was looking for a 12th
school in 2005, IVC made the move up north. In the years that followed, the Grey Ghosts
programs became NCIC Lincoln division powers in most team sports.
Leaving with a bang from the Mid-Illini in 2006, that year IVC made it to the Class A state
title games in both boys basketball and baseball, winning the Class A baseball title and
finishing in second in basketball. The girls basketball team of 2005-06 made it to state for
the first time in program history. The change of conferences proved to be a good one for
the football program. Having just one win from 2002 to 2004, the Grey Ghost football
program qualified for the playoffs for the first time in school history in 2005, and won
Lincoln titles in 2006, 2007 (shared) and 2009. The baseball program took second place
in 2008.
4 - Sterling
Not only did Sterling High School have several great teams during the decade, but it was
also home to several of northern Illinois's best athletes. Three of which (Ember Schuldt,
James Wike and Nicole Williams) were Athletes of the Decade. There's more. Joseph
Bertrand's dazzling moves on the basketball court led him to the University of Illinois.
Raciel Ocampo went double-duty in the fall, being the special teams force for the football
team and setting school records on the soccer field. Four-year varsity starter Devon
Carbaugh led Sterling's historic girls basketball team back to the state tournament in 2007.
Sterling programs won 19 Regional championships and 14 Sectional championships
during the decade. Eight of the sectionals came in swimming, where the girls won five and
the boys won three. The girls track program had three top ten state finishes in four
seasons of the early half of the decade. The wrestling program, which is one of the state's
winningest, went to Team State in 2002 and had an unbeaten regular season in 2003.
Three other programs achieved firsts during the decade: the baseball and softball teams
won Regionals for the first time, and the boys soccer team set a school record for wins.
3 - Alleman
To quote Alleman alum and veteran sports anchor Thom Cornelius, 2005 was “The Year
of the Pioneer.” That calendar year, Alleman won the Class A girls basketball
championship, took second place in the Class A wrestling tournament, qualified for state
in both baseball and softball and took second place in the Class 5A football playoffs.
Alleman won the Class A boys cross country state championship in the fall of 2004, and
the boys golf team placed fifth in state that same season.
Alleman won 24 Regional championships and 13 Sectional championships during the
decade, one that saw the school briefly move up to the large-school ranks, and one under
Multiplier pressure. The boys cross country team finished in the top 10 three more times
in the decade, and the football program has seven straight winning seasons to date. The
football run includes four straight Western Big 6 titles. The girls basketball and softball
programs made it to state two more times in the decade.
2 - Dakota
Something believed not to have been done in Illinois high school sports in the post-class
division-era happened at Dakota High School in 2005-06.
Three of the school's four boys sports programs at the time participated in an athletic
program winning streak. No, the three teams didn't have a couple of streaks, but rather
one long streak. Here's how: Dakota's football program went a perfect 14-0 and won the
Class 2A State Championship. The athletes continued their success onto both the
basketball court and the wrestling mat. The wrestlers went a perfect 24-0 in winning the
Class A State title. Dakota was the first downstate small school to turn that trick and only
the second in history (2004-05 Montini). The basketball players were also perfect by the
end of the regular season, winning the 25 games they played in, plus two more in winning
a Regional. However, the school's streak of 65 consecutive wins was stopped in the
Sectional semifinal.
There's more to Dakota's success than just that one school year. It was a very successful
decade, as Dakota teams won a combined 22 Regional championships and seven
Sectional championships. The wrestling team took third at state in 2005 and 2007, and
the softball team made it to state in 2003. Dakota Football still remains the talk of the
school, winning another state title in 2007, and qualified for the playoffs every year of the
past decade. They have not lost a regular season game since 2006.
1 - Winnebago
There's more to Winnebago High School than running.
Sure, the cross country program is one of Illinois's greatest high school sports programs
of all-time, but Winnebago shined in their other sports, doing so in the past decade on a
consistent basis. Aside from the forests, Winnebago athletics won two state
championships. The 2007 girls bowling team, competing in a field of much larger schools,
won a state title. The boys soccer team won the 2008 Class A state title with a 26-2
record. All of this, and boys basketball is just now being mentioned. The program became
a state power throughout the decade, finishing in second place in 2004 and 2005. Also
included was a fourth place team in 2009, which was the first team in 17 years to have a
perfect regular season. The football program had it's most successful season in history in
2004, and can claim to have a halftime lead against the legendary Addison Driscoll team
in the playoffs – something rare.
Most schools weren't able to achieve the aforementioned in the past decade. Now let's get
into cross country. The girls program won Class A state titles in seven of the past ten
years (2000, 2002 and 2005-09). The boys program won three state titles coming in
2002, 2005 and 2007. The girls have finished in the top five at state each year they didn't
win a title, and the boys placed in the top ten in eight of the 10 years. The boys carried
over the success onto the track, placing in the top 10 in three seasons.
All told, Winnebago won 32 regionals, 23 sectionals, had five top four state finishes in
team sports, and 23 state top ten finishes in individual sports.
5 - Illinois Valley Central
All that was needed for IVC was a little change of scenery. The Mid-Illini Conference is
one of the more competitive conferences in central Illinois, but the IVC programs found
themselves lacking a bit due to their small size. When the NCIC was looking for a 12th
school in 2005, IVC made the move up north. In the years that followed, the Grey Ghosts
programs became NCIC Lincoln division powers in most team sports.
Leaving with a bang from the Mid-Illini in 2006, that year IVC made it to the Class A state
title games in both boys basketball and baseball, winning the Class A baseball title and
finishing in second in basketball. The girls basketball team of 2005-06 made it to state for
the first time in program history. The change of conferences proved to be a good one for
the football program. Having just one win from 2002 to 2004, the Grey Ghost football
program qualified for the playoffs for the first time in school history in 2005, and won
Lincoln titles in 2006, 2007 (shared) and 2009. The baseball program took second place
in 2008.
4 - Sterling
Not only did Sterling High School have several great teams during the decade, but it was
also home to several of northern Illinois's best athletes. Three of which (Ember Schuldt,
James Wike and Nicole Williams) were Athletes of the Decade. There's more. Joseph
Bertrand's dazzling moves on the basketball court led him to the University of Illinois.
Raciel Ocampo went double-duty in the fall, being the special teams force for the football
team and setting school records on the soccer field. Four-year varsity starter Devon
Carbaugh led Sterling's historic girls basketball team back to the state tournament in 2007.
Sterling programs won 19 Regional championships and 14 Sectional championships
during the decade. Eight of the sectionals came in swimming, where the girls won five and
the boys won three. The girls track program had three top ten state finishes in four
seasons of the early half of the decade. The wrestling program, which is one of the state's
winningest, went to Team State in 2002 and had an unbeaten regular season in 2003.
Three other programs achieved firsts during the decade: the baseball and softball teams
won Regionals for the first time, and the boys soccer team set a school record for wins.
3 - Alleman
To quote Alleman alum and veteran sports anchor Thom Cornelius, 2005 was “The Year
of the Pioneer.” That calendar year, Alleman won the Class A girls basketball
championship, took second place in the Class A wrestling tournament, qualified for state
in both baseball and softball and took second place in the Class 5A football playoffs.
Alleman won the Class A boys cross country state championship in the fall of 2004, and
the boys golf team placed fifth in state that same season.
Alleman won 24 Regional championships and 13 Sectional championships during the
decade, one that saw the school briefly move up to the large-school ranks, and one under
Multiplier pressure. The boys cross country team finished in the top 10 three more times
in the decade, and the football program has seven straight winning seasons to date. The
football run includes four straight Western Big 6 titles. The girls basketball and softball
programs made it to state two more times in the decade.
2 - Dakota
Something believed not to have been done in Illinois high school sports in the post-class
division-era happened at Dakota High School in 2005-06.
Three of the school's four boys sports programs at the time participated in an athletic
program winning streak. No, the three teams didn't have a couple of streaks, but rather
one long streak. Here's how: Dakota's football program went a perfect 14-0 and won the
Class 2A State Championship. The athletes continued their success onto both the
basketball court and the wrestling mat. The wrestlers went a perfect 24-0 in winning the
Class A State title. Dakota was the first downstate small school to turn that trick and only
the second in history (2004-05 Montini). The basketball players were also perfect by the
end of the regular season, winning the 25 games they played in, plus two more in winning
a Regional. However, the school's streak of 65 consecutive wins was stopped in the
Sectional semifinal.
There's more to Dakota's success than just that one school year. It was a very successful
decade, as Dakota teams won a combined 22 Regional championships and seven
Sectional championships. The wrestling team took third at state in 2005 and 2007, and
the softball team made it to state in 2003. Dakota Football still remains the talk of the
school, winning another state title in 2007, and qualified for the playoffs every year of the
past decade. They have not lost a regular season game since 2006.
1 - Winnebago
There's more to Winnebago High School than running.
Sure, the cross country program is one of Illinois's greatest high school sports programs
of all-time, but Winnebago shined in their other sports, doing so in the past decade on a
consistent basis. Aside from the forests, Winnebago athletics won two state
championships. The 2007 girls bowling team, competing in a field of much larger schools,
won a state title. The boys soccer team won the 2008 Class A state title with a 26-2
record. All of this, and boys basketball is just now being mentioned. The program became
a state power throughout the decade, finishing in second place in 2004 and 2005. Also
included was a fourth place team in 2009, which was the first team in 17 years to have a
perfect regular season. The football program had it's most successful season in history in
2004, and can claim to have a halftime lead against the legendary Addison Driscoll team
in the playoffs – something rare.
Most schools weren't able to achieve the aforementioned in the past decade. Now let's get
into cross country. The girls program won Class A state titles in seven of the past ten
years (2000, 2002 and 2005-09). The boys program won three state titles coming in
2002, 2005 and 2007. The girls have finished in the top five at state each year they didn't
win a title, and the boys placed in the top ten in eight of the 10 years. The boys carried
over the success onto the track, placing in the top 10 in three seasons.
All told, Winnebago won 32 regionals, 23 sectionals, had five top four state finishes in
team sports, and 23 state top ten finishes in individual sports.
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