I have always believed in that saying.

I think that stands true for the Lake Zurich boys soccer team this season. After getting off to a slow start in the Barrington Tournament, the Bears are now within two games of capturing the Class 3A title.

- Joe Trost

All games are done for most teams, records are final and you know who goes where. If Lyons and Lake Zurich play one another this weekend, that would be the only game to make a difference in the final rankings. The Lions beat the Bears 1-0 in the Pepsi Showdown quarterfinals earlier this year. Lake Zurich began the season No. 2 and Lyons was No. 5 I believe.

Neuqua Valley, which finished the season with just one loss, is this year's No. 1. Lyons handed the Wildcats their lone defeat on Tuesday, but Neuqua Valley won the season series 2-1.

As someone pointed out to me on Wednesday, it was nice to see two Pepsi Showdown teams in the Class 1A title game. St. Viator is in Class 2A, and Class 3A features three teams from the Pepsi Showdown.

Prior to last Friday, if I was asked this question I would've said no...only two classes are needed. But after watching Friday's Class 1A semifinals between four private schools, which were competitive and the best Class 1A semifinals in recent years, I can see where three classes make sense.

When you look at it, Class 1A is giving most teams, who never have a shot to win the IHSA tournament, a chance to extend their seasons. In Class 2A and 3A, you are still getting good teams (not the best teams) to the quarters and semifinals - just as if this was the old Class A and AA.

So should there be three classes? I don't know.

St. Viator (2A) coach Mike Taylor thinks there should be two classes.

Gibault (1A) coach Jim Corsi thinks there should be one class.

What do you think?

Did the IHSA put Providence in a competitive disadvantage on Saturday?

Let's think about this - the IHSA is supposed to be about the students and for the students. I mean, really, at the end of the day, your tax dollars pay the bright people at Pee-Wee's Playhouse to make these great decisions.

So again, Providence is placed in a sectional 245 miles away - a short four-hour drive. Sorry, I just type that, laugh and say, did someone seriously get away with approving this decision? And these people are in charge of things?

The Celtics got on a bus early Saturday morning with most players up around 5 a.m. to make sure they were at the school for the 6 a.m. departure. What time do you think Edwardsville players got out of bed on Saturday? And even if O'Fallon beat Edwardsville in the sectional semifinal, what time do you think O'Fallon players would've had to get out of bed?

And here's the kicker - this is a geographic tournament right? What if Providence, which lost 2-1 in the second overtime, won on Saturday? If I'm the Downstate schools, I'm at Pee-Wee's Playhouse today asking how in the heck a Chicago-area program would be placed in a Downstate sectional of a geographic tournament?

Mercy.

TUESDAY TREAT: Neuqua Valley and Lyons will meet for the third time this season. Neuqua won the first meeting 4-0, and the second meeting in the title game of the Pepsi Showdown at Toyota Park 2-1 in overtime. It's really tough to beat a team three times in a season - I've seen it so many times before. Fans may see more talent on the field for the doubleheader at Benedictine, which also features St. Viator and St. Joseph, than they will this weekend at North Central College.

CARDINAL STATE It could be the weekend of the Cardinals. The Arizona Cardinals play the Bears; the Eisenhower Cardinals could advance to the Final Four of the IHSA Tournament; and this is all happening in the state where the state bird is a Cardinal.

AND FINALLY: I had someone actually say to me last week, "See, you were all worked up about the field at Hinsdale when if you would've given time for the process to take care of itself, you would've seen the right decision would've been made."

And you know something, I smiled and said, "Then explained to me why they played there in a mud pit on Wednesday?"

If a snake bites you once, it's the snake's fault.

And I wasn't about to let the snake bite the soccer community again, as it has so many times in a case like this.

But at the end of the day, the right call was made. And that's the way it should be.

- Joe Trost

Just seeing the word scares me.

And as much as Providence coach Dan Potempa was fired up with IHSA assistant executive director Beth Sauser for sending his team more than 400 miles to compete in a geographic-based tournament, odds are his range of emotions were a bit different when he learned he had testicular cancer.

"It has spread to my lymph nodes in my abdomen, but that's all," Potempa said. "My lungs are clear. On Wednesday morning, my doctor put the decision in my hands on whether to do chemo or radiation. I'm a borderline patient. I've got an appointment next Thursday at Indiana University to meet with Lance Armstrong's doctors for a second opinion and consultation."

Potempa has tried to keep this quiet, wanting to keep the focus on his team. But this week, he was caught between a rock and a hard place mainly because of the IHSA's blunder.

Providence was set to play Tuesday. But then the IHSA moved the game to Wednesday, as it was dealing with a public relations nightmare of a high school team traveling more than 245 miles one-way on a school night for one of its tournament games.

"They moved it to Wednesday, so I had to move my appointment," Potempa said. "My doctor came in at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday to meet with me, and his usual hours start at 10 a.m.

"I don't want to take away from the accomplishments my boys are achieving. I don't want to be the focus. They're the ones on the field working hard and winning games, they deserve the credit."

What Potempa doesn't realize is that this doesn't take away from Providence advancing to the Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional Final. It reminds all of us once again that it's important to never take anything for granted.

"I want people to be aware of early detection," Potempa said. "I had thought I caught it early enough, but it seems like I haven't .

"Everybody is really positive that I'm going to beat this. Everyone is supportive and willing to help out in any way possible.

"I've had parents offer to babysit, drive me to the doctor, etc. It has been overwhelming."

- Joe Trost

And they won't.

Hinsdale Central will battle Lyons part of a doubleheader at Naperville North.

Hinsdale Central vs. Lyons, 10 a.m.
Neuqua Valley vs. Wheaton-Warrenville South,12 p.m.

It was the right call, and everyone involved deserves all the credit.

But if it isn't, then I'm looking right at head official Michael Moore to say the field is unplayable. I drove by it again this morning, and there's no doubt the game needs to be moved. Moore and I talk throughout each season about different topics. He's a great guy, and he gets it.

Moore was the linesman for Tuesday's and Wednesday's mud-pit sectional semifinals.

As I spoke with Naperville Central coach Jay Konrad and others on Thursday, I believe the game should be moved to Naperville North to be played part of a doubleheader with Neuqua Valley and Wheaton-Warrenville South.

It's a Saturday and fans will travel - even students.

With the Class A finals in Naperville, why not have a great doubleheader during the day right down the street to promote high school soccer?

I'm betting they do, because I already know they do.

From Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins - Mr. Soccer in the Chicago area - a very bright athletic department and smart soccer community to the great IHSA, someone better step up.

I took a poll of 10 coaches on Wednesday night after watching the slip and slide mud pit battle between Fenwick and Lyons. Every coach - some who played at Hinsdale Central recently - all agreed the no-brainer and right thing to do is change the site of Saturday's game.

That's why I know there is no way Hinsdale Central will host Saturday's final between Hinsdale Central and Lyons.

But if for some unthinkable reason that game is played at Hinsdale Central on what some lawyers would consider unsafe conditions (as you can see in the photos provided by Lynn Magnesen), I will personally drive IHSA executive director Beth Sauser to Hinsdale and ask her to explain how this happens in today's day and age?

Other schools with turf fields were willing to host this sectional to begin with. But I guess this is high school soccer, and who cares if you play a tournament game in the so-called biggest tournament of the year on a field in poor condition.

There is more than enough time to communicate the site change, so all the fans can attend.

But now that I think about it Sauser, who will be in Naperville for the Class 1A state finals, might not be able to ride with me to Hinsdale if the game is there. She may be thinking of making the ride with Providence to Edwardsville for its sectional final on Saturday.

Oh, shouldn't that be a fun four-hour ride in this geographic tournament. I wonder how many bottles of beer were on the wall when they laid out that sectional. Maybe they were watching YouTube videos in the IHSA office and just overlooked the fact Providence is more than 400 miles away from Edwardsville.

Sauser made the short ride to Normal on Wednesday to watch Providence's win, but never once did she apologize to the Providence coaching staff or parents for this blunder. Its game vs. Normal was moved from Edwardsville to Normal on Monday.

Hopefully, common sense will reign to make sure she doesn't have another problem at Hinsdale Central. I know she has Wiggins' direct number, as they work together on the IHSA Soccer Advisory Board.

Do what's right for the sport.

Do what's right for the kids.

Do what's right for the game.

It's common sense.

- Joe Trost

Up next for coach Dylan Shaughnessy's squad is Brother Rice, which shutout Sandburg 2-0. Tell me the last time Lincoln-Way Central and Sandburg were shutout on the same field playing against teams from the South Suburbs?

It will be interesting to see if H-F athletic director Joe Skowronski has extra security at Saturday's sectional final for the old-time soccer rivals. Skowronski was the athletic director at Eisenhower during the old heated brawls on the field when the two teams used to play one another. And yes, police were needed to calm the players and fans during those games.

The Catholics vs. the Hispanics as one coach used to refer to the annual battle.

Another storyline is the fact Shaughnessy played for Brother Rice coach Nick Markulin when he was coaching at Moraine Valley College.

To this day, I still believe in those three things when it comes to writing this blog.

Sometimes, you need to take a stand on things and be blunt. Some people are going to love you for it, while others will tell you to go where the sun doesn't shine. It's part of the gig, and I get that.

Recently, Cornerkicks was honored as one of the best blogs in the Chicagoland area by George M. Wilcox of the Pioneer Press. Here's the story...

By George M. Wilcoxon September 22, 2009
Today marks the second anniversary of Heard in the Hallways. Of course, more than two years ago I had heard of blogs, but didn't really know what they were. By checking out other blogs, I've learned. Now, writing a blog has become one of the more enjoyable parts of being a sports writer second to actually covering the games and athletes.

To become a sports writer, you have to love the games. I'm asked all the time from parents and fans about what sports I cover. "Well, all of them," I reply. I even watch swimming, which I find the most difficult of all high school sports to watch. I would take a badminton match or bowling meet anytime over swimming.

Blogging has taken off in ways I never imagined. Heck, I never thought I would be writing a blog two years ago, and even have fun doing it. There is a blog by everyone about everything now. But blogging has cost us newspaper readers. It is apparent that young readers would rather read a blog than subscribe to a newspaper to read its columnists. Now, I'm a regular blog reader too.

I would like to share my five favorite blogs, sort of a tribute for Heard in the Hallways' birthday. I could only hope that Hallways could be as good these blogs someday.

1. Roger Ebert's Journal

The Chicago area's king of all bloggers is the city's best newspaper writer and he's adapted to the new technology with his own Web site and a blog to remember. Some of his entries have even appeared in the newspaper's print edition, such as his recent entry celebrating his 30th anniversary of sobriety. Ebert lost his voice to cancer, but he has become more prolific than ever before. He still reviews every single released movie, writes his blog and produces the Answer Man. He's already written more than 11 entries from the Toronto Film Festival. Yikes. Somewhere he also finds time to write books. Ebert's Journal is not only about film, but he has handled meaning-of-life topics and anything else that catches his interest. Deep stuff.

2. Chicago's Daily News

Sun-Times copy editor and former preps sports writer Mark Potash provides magnificent analysis of sports coverage by the city's two metros. It's remarkable that Potash can keep his perspective and critique both sports sections despite working for the Bright One. Potash should have been writing a column for the Sun-Times long ago, but his blog likely allows him more freedom of expression. Especially fun are the old newspaper front pages he digs up and a tribute to his hometown of Lincolnwood. His blog is named after the late Chicago daily, which died in the 1970s.

3. Corner Kicks

Writer Joe Trost loves soccer. You can tell the South suburban native loves his soccer by reading his blog for the Sun-Times' Your Season network. Trost isn't afraid to take sides, rail against the IHSA and otherwise pretty much champion everything about his favorite sport. I don't even like soccer, but I always read Trost's blog. It's that good. I still can't believe he got away with a picture of an elephant taking a dump. The blog entry was about the IHSA, naturally.

4. The Business of Sports

One of the Chicago's newest blogs is written by former Tribune sports writer Ed Sherman for Crain's Chicago Business. In just the first few months of writing his blog, Sherman broke the story about David Hernandez's Ponzi Scheme and the demise of Chicago Webio sports. The metro dailies couldn't keep up with Sherman and for some reason refused to attribute Sherman in the print edition versions of the story, which ran first on his blog. In one blog entry, Sherman took the dailies to task for that. That's the advantage of a blog entry, it can be posted faster than a newspaper Web story and Sherman's breaking news on Hernandez appeared long before the print versions reached my curb. Sherman also writes a golf blog for Crain's, but I haven't read it.

5. News Bites

Reader media critic Michael Miner writes the blog read by every media member in town. In a way, Miner has replaced the Sun-Times' Bob Feder, who had breaking news about people's jobs before they even knew it. I now find out more about my company and the media business from Miner than any of my bosses are able to tell me. I think my bosses also wait to read Miner to find out what's new about their jobs too.

I'll keep on blogging, but I don't know if Hallways will be around for a third birthday. I'll just wait for one of Miner's entries to find out about this space's future. Thanks for reading us.

After receiving 114 emails and talking to a number of school officials, coaches and parents on Monday in regards to the IHSA's latest soccer debacle with the placing of Providence in the Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional, I finally hit the stop button on Beth Sauser's same old song tenure as soccer administrator for the IHSA.

This is the latest blunder under Sauser's leadership, and enough is enough.

It's time for Sauser to be reassigned.

From her game officials not knowing the rules to the fact she has lost all credibility within the soccer community, the time has come for Sauser to either step down or be reassigned to a different sport.

I don't dislike Sauser as person. She means well, but the state needs to have someone in the position that is respected, understands the game and the issues it faces.

Each year, Sauser hosts a roundtable for coaches at the IHSA finals. And each year, fewer coaches attend because they're tired of hearing the same old song from Sauser.

High school soccer needs to be revived in Illinois, and one place that can start is at the IHSA. There needs to be a leader in place that will get out and see the issues first hand, so then that leader can go back and help educate the rest of the state with what's best for the sport.

Sauser has failed in this role, trying to place it back on the coaches to educate their administrators. She doesn't know the sport, and I have yet to hear from one coach saying that she is right for the role. Many high school administrators have lost confidence in Sauser after dealing with her.

As I pointed out in one of Monday's blogs, the IHSA placed Providence in the Class 3A Edwardsville Sectional. In what Sauser has called a geographic tournament, the New Lenox-based school was going to have to travel 245 miles one way on school night - a mere four hours.

Now keep in mind New Lenox-based Lincoln-Way Central is in the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional, which is located 16 miles from the town.

Someone, anyone with a clue please tell me how in the heck two programs from the same town - a couple miles apart - went 16 miles one way and 245 miles another way?

On Monday afternoon, the IHSA moved the Providence-Normal game from Tuesday to Wednesday. Late Monday, they moved the game from Edwardsville to Illinois State University. It will now start at 3:45 p.m. - not 7 p.m.

This basically gives Normal a home game thanks to the Bloomington-Normal-based IHSA.

Do you think Sauser looked to move the game anywhere in the middle, so both teams have to really travel?

Maybe.

But even if she did, it's still time for Sauser to be reassigned.

- Joe Trost

Why?

Because there is no doubt in my mind they are the best high school soccer team in the area this fall. The Wildcats finished the regular season undefeated and have advanced to a sectional of the IHSA tournament - which looks just like the Best of the West I must say.

If someone upsets Neuqua Valley, it will finish the season with one loss. Without taking anything away from anyone else - like a Palatine (who has one loss) - I just believe Neuqua is clearly the best team in the state and one of the best in the country.

And if you notice, this week's Top 10 looks like it did last week and the week before and the week before...you get the hint. One game at this point does not take away what they've done all season.