New I8 Conference

[gags33]

No more NIB 12. Old I8 dismantled with Sandwich and Plano only original teams left . This is not a strong football conference overall but a couple teams could make some noise.

Kaneland - This is possibly their best team in years. Very athletic senior class. There are a couple individuals that really stand out, but just a lot of good athletes. IMO conference race is between Kaneland and Sycamore . They play week 3.

Sycamore - I know the QB is back and they have a good junior class. There game at NIU vs. DeKalb will give a indication of what they got.

Rochelle - they got 5-7 plays on offense...they either pound it or get pounded. Clock management team. They tend to get stronger as year goes on. Beat the snot out of Kaneland last year in anda game they needed to win to makeplayoffs. Also took Sterling to last play of game but came up short.

Morris - up and down through years. I know their freshman class was pretty good last year, may be a year or two before they get back to a above avg. team.

LaSalle Peru
Ottawa
Sandwich
Plano

I don't know anything about the last 4 teams. Not sure if they've made the playoffs in recent previous years or records.

 

[Wilmatucky]

Anybody know the reasoning for this conference keeping the Interstate 8 name and the other group (Wilmo, cc, etc) naming the new conference Illinois Central Eight? Not complaining just curious.

 

[Doctor_D]

Anybody know the reasoning for this conference keeping the Interstate 8 name and the other group (Wilmo, cc, etc) naming the new conference Illinois Central Eight? Not complaining just curious.

It’s because the “hateful 8” aka ICE technically left the conference to form their own new one. The teams that remained get to keep the name.

 

[Wilmatucky]

It’s because the “hateful 8” aka ICE technically left the conference to form their own new one. The teams that remained get to keep the name.

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. I heard so many different versions of what happened. So technically did they leave or just kick the other two schools out lol.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. I heard so many different versions of what happened. So technically did they leave or just kick the other two schools out lol.

When the I-8 failed to vote in Morris to replace Seneca, it was clear that the factions of the conference probably were not going to be able to work together. Every school in the conference, except for Seneca and Wilmington, was over 600 students at some point since 2006 when it went to 12 schools (even the Dwight-GSW coop got to like 590). Then enrollments started dropping.

Wilmo has a border with five conference members. Those six were moving together. They all voted in 2017 to leave the conference for 2019. Lisle, otherwise homeless, jumped with them and voted to leave.

Westmont, honked off, stomped off for football in 2018 but stuck around for other sports last year.

Streator realized it was in no-mans land almost as badly as Westmont. With 900 students, it was back to being the NIB 12 runt, west to the Peoria area, or south to Pontiac's conference (where it would be 200 + kids bigger than everyone else). But the Bulldogs jump to be the 8th ICE member. Might as well remain 2-4 hundred kids larger than your existing conference mates.

This leaves Plano and Sandwich as the only members of the I-8. They are surrounded by NIB12 schools, and the NIB 12 has been unstable for a while. Makes some sense for them to get together. The fringes of the NIB 12 find new conferences, the heart joins the I-8.

With Seneca's departure, Plano and Sandwich made little geographical sense anymore. This is an area which could almost benefit from a SICA style arrangement where schools might slide around for football purposes without totally wrecking conferences...districts in theory will do that instead.

 

[DHS2018]

I have heard that Pontiac has expressed at least a casual interest into joining the ICE... the mess might had been avoided if they joined a few years ago..

 

[Wilmatucky]

Wilmo has a border with five conference members. Those six were moving together. They all voted in 2017 to leave the conference for 2019. Lisle, otherwise homeless, jumped with them and voted to leave.

With Seneca's departure, Plano and Sandwich made little geographical sense anymore. This is an area which could almost benefit from a SICA style arrangement where schools might slide around for football purposes without totally wrecking conferences...districts in theory will do that instead.

Does Wilmo really border with Herscher? Wow if it does. Did not realize that.

I wouldn't mind forming a conference for football only. In fact football is the only sport where a conference is necessary, so why not? I guess it's all a moot point once districts come along though.

 

[DHS2018]

Does Wilmo really border with Herscher? Wow if it does. Did not realize that.

I think they do for about a mile along the river west of Warner Bridge...there is that area out there where Reed-Custer, Wilmington, Bradley, Herscher and Manteno are all within about 2 miles of each other.. that area seems to be 15 minutes from everywhere..

 

[Wilmatucky]

I think they do for about a mile along the river west of Warner Bridge...there is that area out there where Reed-Custer, Wilmington, Bradley, Herscher and Manteno are all within about 2 miles of each other.. that area seems to be 15 minutes from everywhere..

Yea I guess you’re right. I forgot about that little area. I don’t really remember any friends being from that corner of the district.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

I have heard that Pontiac has expressed at least a casual interest into joining the ICE... the mess might had been avoided if they joined a few years ago..

At this point Pontiac and Prairie Central probably have more in common with the ICE schools than they have with their current conference. Probably a lot less travel as well...