No, I meant the upper classmen were showing up at those other schools doors and not being "recruited" after 8th grade.
What Program Should Be Better Than It Is?
- Thread starter DJrodey24
- Start date
Look at Lincoln way east. They were a very good program when Lincoln way north was open. All of a sudden it closes and they have 2 titles in 3 years. It’s all about the talent for the most part.Neuqua got hurt when they redrew the 204 boundaries with WV when MV opened. Kids who are less than a mile from NV now go to WV. WV got hurt when MV took a decent portion of their talent. Get rid of MV, put the boundaries back to where they used to be, and you’d have two really strong programs.
Also, they need to keep JCA, Benet, Naz, and Montini from raiding the junior ranks out here. I’ll allow St. Francis to continue to do so as my son is a proud Spartan alum and I am a proud SF dad.
Its also about the number of kids going out for football. The more kids in a traditionally good football program the greater the chances for more talent to arrive.
I'm surprised no one has yet to pile on Sandburg. (Don't let me be the first to start).
Lets go downstate a bit...Why are the C-U public schools not powerhouses? Urbana is horrible, Champaign Centennial and Central aren't much better? Centennial hasn't won more than 6 games in 14 years, only 3 one & dones. Central was 11-2 in 2015, but they have only made the playoffs 12 times in 30+ years and every other time but that was one & done. Urbana has only made the playoffs ten times, 9-2 in 2012 is the only playoff win, and '12 is the only playoff trip in 15 years...There's no giant private school recruiting all the talent, the university has done nothing but grow, there has been constant construction and development in the metro area..
Not a coincidence that LWE is winning state titles and competing for them every year. Concentration of talent is the key. Indian Prairie 204 schools have had a dilution of talent. I’m not saying they could be on Beast’s level but the success of LWE is because of their depth. And coaching, for sure.
They had already squandered two generational talents at North. Hylton was an equal. I think the size of the football pool is more the answer and coaching to the athletes present.
I thought the first hour and a half was brilliant -- equal to "Goodfellas." But, after that, it broke down into boring conversations about the same old things.
I lived in the Libertyville district for 24 years. It's a huge school with great facilities, academics, etc. It's a mix of middle and upper-middle income families.
They had a few good teams over the years, but not much lately.
Next door is Lake Forest. About ten years ago, I was in a bar near Libertyville ... six or seven men wearing Lake Forest football tee-shirts came in. It was the Lake Foret coaching staff. I began to chat with them about prep football. One guy shared with me the dreaded secret that kids from upper income families just won't make the sacrifices to play football. For many years, he was right. Now Lake Forest is in the playoffs and Libertyville is home watching. Somebody new must have taken over.
NB: while Llibertyville's athletic fortunes are rather hum-drum, their academics are skyrocketing. The most recent rankings put them ahead of sacrosanct Stevenson, as well as Lake Forest (which isn't really that ultra-great a school) and New Trier.
For a while, kids in my old Green Oaks neighborhood could choose between Libertyville and Vernon Hills. Libertyville was a traditional old, but in great condition facility. While Vernon Hills was new and looked great from the outside ... inside, it looked like a prison. No windows and long, long corridors that looked like something from a science fiction movie.
They had a few good teams over the years, but not much lately.
Next door is Lake Forest. About ten years ago, I was in a bar near Libertyville ... six or seven men wearing Lake Forest football tee-shirts came in. It was the Lake Foret coaching staff. I began to chat with them about prep football. One guy shared with me the dreaded secret that kids from upper income families just won't make the sacrifices to play football. For many years, he was right. Now Lake Forest is in the playoffs and Libertyville is home watching. Somebody new must have taken over.
NB: while Llibertyville's athletic fortunes are rather hum-drum, their academics are skyrocketing. The most recent rankings put them ahead of sacrosanct Stevenson, as well as Lake Forest (which isn't really that ultra-great a school) and New Trier.
For a while, kids in my old Green Oaks neighborhood could choose between Libertyville and Vernon Hills. Libertyville was a traditional old, but in great condition facility. While Vernon Hills was new and looked great from the outside ... inside, it looked like a prison. No windows and long, long corridors that looked like something from a science fiction movie.
Lake Forest coach has been there for around 15 years and has won at least one playoff game every year but one in the past ten.
My apologies. He might be the same guy I met ... it was many years ago. I do know the dads of a couple LF players and they're very pleased with the coaching staff.
The one school I can’t figure out why they can’t win is Wauconda!They have a really good youth program with great numbers.