This coming weekend, I'm planning to take a rare detour from my football travels across the state. Missing any football at this time of the year just doesn't happen too much around here unless it's a really good reason.

I will still hopefully be on the road this coming Saturday but this time I'll strictly be Dad in the stands for a change.

My 13 year old son EDGYMike will be a part of the Illinois Elementary School Association baseball state finals when his team travels to East Peoria to play at the wonderful facility known as the East Side Centre starting on Friday evening.

The Joliet St. Paul Giants will open up play on Friday evening against Pawnee in the Class 2A quarterfinals. The winners from Friday's quarterfinal action will advance to the state semifinal and final rounds on Saturday.

So by now you might be asking, what in the world does this have to do with the world of High School football and/or High School sports in general?

Maybe, just maybe, the kids and the IESA have it right?

Unlike it's sister association, the Illinois High School Association, the IESA so far hasn't been influenced with anything remotely close to issues such as "leveling the playing field".

At least not yet anyways.

Being the only private school to play in the Class 2a field this weekend in East Peoria, I can't help but think to wonder if and when the issues that have caused so much divide, lawsuits, counter lawsuits and plain old fashioned controversy among high school sports and if the never ending saga of public versus private won't eventually seep into play at the IESA level?

Hopefully, never.

The IESA uses the enrollment numbers of each schools 7th and 8th grades combined. Our Joliet St. Paul team has a combined enrollment of 96 kids, the second smallest enrollment school in the Class 2a quarterfinal field, with no private school multiplier in sight. Our kids fortunately won't need to be taught about the multiplier or the significance of 1.65 until at least another year.

Yet I can't help but wonder if the Giants continue to win starting on Friday night, that the main argument against all private schools and state-wide sports won't rear it's ugly head this weekend. You know the argument. They (private schools that is) recruit.

First of all, when my son still thought that Barney the purple Dinosaur was the bomb (sorry son) back in the early days, my wife (EDGYwife?) and I decided that we would like to send our son to the same school where our local parish was located. The school offered a good education, was close to home and as parents we wanted to make the best choice for our son and eventually our younger daughter EDGYShannon as we could despite the added sacrifices and financial considerations. Nothing against out local public school whatsoever, we just both felt very comfortable with our kids in the hands of the good folks at St. Paul's.

Now back then, I'm pretty sure that his baseball coaches at St. Paul's weren't scouting the 1st grade for potential talent. Athletics were my last concern when I sent my child to a private school. I'm guessing the same goes for the rest of the St. Paul's baseball team parents? I didn't receive any recruiting pitches to send my 7 year old son to St. Paul's because he would have a chance to win a state title. Up until two years ago, St. Paul school had no organized baseball program.

Our school doesn't arrive to road games in brand new school buses. We leave the transportation issues up to Mom and Dad Transport.

We play and practice at a first class facility, but the Troy Pony fields are located miles from our school.

Our coaches are unpaid volunteers, yet we wouldn't trade them for any other paid coaches in the state of Illinois to be honest.

While our uniforms are pretty nice, they aren't brand new.

Oh, and I've also been paying ever rising tuition costs along with a ton of required fundraisers for the past 7 plus years.

So tell me, where is the so-called "recruiting" advantage?"

If parents at St. Paul's want to send their kids over the IHSA regulated 30 mile rule, they might want to have their heads examined. If those same parents want to deal with the never-ending gridlock in and around the greater Joliet area these days, good luck to them.

So my hope for this weekend is many-fold for all of the kids playing in East Peoria, both public and private.

I hope that each teams plays hard and gives it there best efforts.

I hope that win or lose, each team can appreciate the effort it takes to just get to any state final.

I hope that sportsmanship is at an all time high both on the field and in the stands.

I also hope that if our St. Paul Giants are fortunate enough win it's second consecutive state baseball title this weekend, that IESA Executive Director Steve Endsley doesn't release a press statement after the state final games stating that, "the IESA board will begin immediately to explore the possibility of leveling the playing field."

I'm hoping that the IESA and the kids will continue to get it right.

Leave the politics to the politicians.

Let's play ball.

Posted by Edgy Tim at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's becoming pretty evident this fall that the game is changing.

From one end of this great state to the other, week in and week out I'm seeing more and more of what I like to call the Attack of the Dink and Dunk offenses.

Dink and Dunk you ask?

The Dink and Dunk, otherwise more commonly known as the Shotgun Spread offense. Teams all over the state are now putting it's quarterbacks in the Shotgun formation and spreading the entire field with a barrage of short to intermediate passing routes along with the popular shotgun draw running play like never before.

Welcome to basketball on grass?

It's becoming pretty evident this fall that the game is changing.

From one end of this great state to the other, week in and week out I'm seeing more and more of what I like to call the Attack of the Dink and Dunk offenses.

Dink and Dunk you ask?

The Dink and Dunk, otherwise more commonly known as the Shotgun Spread offense. Teams all over the state are now putting it's quarterbacks in the Shotgun formation and spreading the entire field with a barrage of short to intermediate passing routes along with the popular shotgun draw running play like never before.

Welcome to basketball on grass?

Not too long ago, the power running game seemed to be the offense of choice and being able to play smash mouth football was the more acceptable norm.

Yet like the NFL and the college game, the West Coast offense philosophy and the spread it out attack has never been as popular on the high school level than it's been this year.

So why the sudden change? Why are teams starting to abandon the power running game for the Dink and Dunk?

I needed a real expert on the West Coast/Dink and Dunk philosophy, and since no one else would talk to me I called up my old friend Otto Zeman, head varsity football coach and athletic director at Riverside-Brookfield.

Zeman, who was admittedly stunned to get a call from anyone since his Bulldogs have started the season with a 1-3 record so far this fall, is no question one of the Chicagoland area high school coaches who knows a few things about the passing game.

Zeman has been running his 5-Wide spread passing attack for many years at Riverside-Brookfield, and even Zeman has been surprised at how many schools are now running the Dink and Dunk spread passing attack this fall.

"It's crazy," Zeman said. "It really hit me last year in the Class 7a state playoffs. I was at the St. Rita/Providence Catholic game and to see those two traditional Catholic school powers throwing the ball all over the field was pretty shocking. This year it seems like everyone is running the spread passing game more than ever."

So why the sudden change to the Dink and Dunk attack in your opinion Coach Zeman?

"Someone told me a long time ago that high school kids can't cover."

It's true. One of the most difficult positions to play at any level of football is corner back. Finding kids who can cover receivers on a consistent basis is a goldmine, a rare goldmine.

While many teams might look to be throwing the ball all over the field this season, Zeman admits that the teams that can run and throw out of the Shotgun Spread are the teams that are having the most success.

"Look at Kenny Leonard down at (Springfield) Sacred Heart Griffin. He's been running this offense for awhile now and he's been highly successful not with just the pass, but Sacred Heart can also run the ball well out of the spread. If you can mix in a good running game in this offense with the spread passing game, it really spreads out a defense and allows you to attack in some many different ways. If you have a quarterback that can run, suddenly you have a whole different set of worries on defense. Being able to run the ball makes the spread attack that much more effective."

The most dangerous part of this new aged offensive attack?

Scores are never safe in this Dink and Dunk attack. Your basically running a two minute offense for 48 minutes. If an opponent takes 6 minutes to score and you can answer that opponents score with a quick strike out of the Dink and Dunk, can you say momentum swing? I thought you could.

With this new era Dink and Dunk offense, skill kids are also at a higher priority than say your 6-foot-5, 280 pounds plus linemen and speed has never been as important than it is in the Dink and Dunk attack. Football remains a game of leverage, and the Dink and Dunk allows smaller, faster teams a serious way to compete with the bigger boys.

Teams that had issues finding the oversized linemen can suddenly find a quick fix with the Dink and Dunk. Suddenly teams can offset the size advantages with speed and offensive skills.

The only real downfall of running this Dink and Dunk attack?

According to one unnamed IHSA referee this past weekend, who said jokingly "If this keeps up we'll need to charge by the hour."

Posted by Edgy Tim at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I expected the outrage the minute I added my third Suburban Catholic Conference school to my weekly EDGYTIM.com Chicagoland Top 25 poll.

I knew it was coming.

I knew that throngs of fans of larger enrollment schools would be very vocal once I added Driscoll Catholic into my weekly poll. I'm also expecting that our buddy and Sun Times prep editor Steve Tucker is also experiencing the same responses with his weekly Top 25 poll.

So, the question on the table or blog if you will is can the smaller guys play with the bigger boys?

It's a good question, a really good question.

I expected the outrage the minute I added my third Suburban Catholic school to my weekly EDGYTIM.com Chicagoland Top 25 poll.

I knew it was coming.

I knew that throngs of fans of larger enrollment schools would be very vocal once I added Driscoll Catholic into my weekly poll. I'm also expecting that our buddy and Sun Times prep editor Steve Tucker is also experiencing the same responses with his weekly Top 25 poll.

So, the question on the table or blog if you will is can the smaller guys play with the bigger boys?

It's a good question, a really good question.

So why would I dare include three smaller enrollment schools from the Suburban Catholic conference into my Chicagoland Top 25 poll? Why would anyone for that matter?

So far this fall, I've had a chance to see in person Lincoln-Way East, Providence Catholic, Montini, Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin, Bolingbrook, Downers Grove South, Joliet Catholic, Chicago Mount Carmel, Hubbard, Fenwick, Simeon, St. Rita, Wheaton South, Waubonsie Valley, Oak Lawn Richards, Morgan Park, Lincoln-Way Central, Driscoll, Marmion along with a handful of other teams via television (yes, EDGY does DVR very well).

I feel that I've been able to see some great teams in person and up close, and hopefully you'll agree that at least I'm getting out there again this fall.

Marian Central Catholic? Montini Catholic? Driscoll Catholic? Are all three schools really Top 25 worthy?

In short, yes they are for now in my humble opinion.

Marian Central Catholic? Last time I looked this team was playing last Thanksgiving weekend in the Class 5a state title game and has yet to lose a game this fall. How many teams regardless of enrollment size can boast players the caliber of say junior QB Jon Budmayr (he of a handful of early Big Ten scholarship offers) or Notre Dame bound senior DL Sean Cwynar?

Montini? Can someone really tell me that the Broncos wouldn't give several bigger enrollment school teams at least a decent game? That the Broncos revised Dink and Dunk spread passing game would be any easier to defend this fall than the same attack being run all over the state? Talent? How many schools this fall can boast about at least 3 major D-1 prospects on the roster? Montini can.

Driscoll? The Highlanders, the defending Class 4A state title winners and winners of six straight state titles, who look to me like they have a great shot at a seventh state title in a row? Not good enough? That Driscoll senior QB David Schwabe couldn't be a major impact player at a bigger school? Or that the Highlanders defense would get rolled by any school with more kids in the building? Please.

The main issue and argument has always been if these schools played in the Chicagoland area's Enormous Conferences that week in and week out they would wear down. Yes they would? Maybe? No?

In short, we'll never know that answer and that's what makes these polls fun on so many levels.

If the bigger schools want a piece of these smaller school powers, then by all means give them a call.

Have schools like Montini ever ducked anyone on it's non conference schedule over the years under Chris Andriano? Don't think that any Hurricane or Highlander fan worth their salt wouldn't love a chance to play a few of the big bigger boys just once?

If you play in the smaller enrollment conferences, does it mean that your coaches aren't capable of figuring out and beating larger schools? Does it mean that MCC's veteran Ed Brucker, Montini's Chris Andriano and Driscoll's Mike "Buzz" Burzawa aren't as good as the larger school coaches? Now your just being silly.

The main question there remains would any of the bigger boys want to schedule these smaller school powers? I have my doubts.

A home and home? Naw, I seriously doubt that the big boys would want anything to do with a road game at the very small schools. Also, what would the bigger boys really have to gain by beating one of these schools? Not much.

Another argument for this cause if I may?

Appalachian State, or in state D-1AA Southern Illinois or say NAIA local football power St. Xavier to name a few.

Haven't we learned by now that anyone on any given day can beat another team regardless of the "size" of the opponent?

I didn't see Appy State back down at all from mighty Michigan.

Think the NIU fans and coaches are feeling good today after losing to the SIU Salukis last Saturday night?

I had a chance to call the game on WJOL AM 1340 in Joliet last Saturday night between St. Xavier and the University of St. Francis, as the Cougars rolled to an impressive 52-8 win at Joliet Memorial Stadium.

Could someone not convince me that the Cougars couldn't go toe to toe with say several of the in-state Football Championship Subdivision schools (D1-AA) for four quarters?

So for at least this week anyways, the smaller schools will have it's day in the polls.

Like I always have for the past 11 years of publishing, if I see a team that I feel is Top 25 worthy regardless of class size, they will get ranked. It's as simple as that kids.

Thanks to technology however, you can always have a say and feel free to comment and to express your thoughts on this subject.

Hooray for technology and for the smaller guys.

Posted by Edgy Tim at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

My-0-My!

Each and every year after the first few weeks of the season are in the books, you can always find a few surprising teams that have yet to post it's first win of the year.

A must win in Week 3?

Welcome to the very short and very important 9 game regular season for Illinois High School Football.

My-0-My! Here are a few surprise teams that have yet to post a win so far after two weeks of the prep football season in the books.

Riverside-Brookfield (0-2)- The Bulldogs and it's traditional pass happy offensive attack is in search of a serious kick start. The Bulldogs have scored just 14 points so far while allowing 107 points in losses against Class 5a state power Metamora (60-14) and Nazareth Academy (47-0). Next up? Arguably one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the state when Chicago Robeson (1-1) visits Riverside-Brookfield tonight.

Stevenson (0-2)- the Patriots and veteran head coach Bill Mitz were confident in the preseason that this could be a big year in Lincolnshire. Hard to imagine any team having a must win after just two weeks of the season already in the books, yet Stevenson needs a win badly this week when state ranked Lake Zurich arrives in Lincolnshire.

Morris (0-2)- The Redskins find themselves in a must win situation this week when they travel to face Oswego (1-1) in a Southwest Prairie conference opener for both teams. Morris has lost two straight, including last week's 51-15 blowout loss to rival Joliet Catholic (1-1).

Thornton (0-2). Huh? The Wildcats year in and year out have been at worst a very solid team under veteran head coach Bill Mosel, but it's very rare to see the Wildcats in need of a must win this year in the season. The Wildcats are coming off two tough last minute losses to Hillcrest (33-32) and Lockport (17-10) and Crete-Monee comes to Harvey on Saturday afternoon. Crete (1-1) gave Crystal Lake South a solid game in it's season opener and defeated TF South (1-1) last week 21-6.

Sandburg (0-2). New head coach Dave Wierzal is hoping at this point that the Eagles can at least get on the scoreboard, having been shut out in it's first two games by Lyons Township (3-0) and Lincoln-Way Central (27-0). This week? The Battle of District 230 as fellow District 230 school Stagg comes to Orland Park on Friday night.

Neuqua Valley (0-2). The Wildcats and head coach Bryan Wells are looking to get in the win column this week as conference play begins in the Upstate 8. The Wildcats will host Lake Park (1-1) on Friday night in Naperville.

Junior Watch?

As the season progresses, more and more underclassmen with the potential to be Division 1 prospects at the college level begin to come into focus. Here's a handful of names to keep an eye on and expect this list to keep growing this fall.

Several junior quarterbacks are emerging this fall.

Marian Central Catholic's Jon Budmayr already is touting as handful of Big Ten offers and that offer list will grow sooner rather than later. Also keep an eye out for Aurora Christian's Jordan Roberts along with Maine South's Charlie Goro in what looks to be a deeper quarterback class.

Chicago Morgan Park's junior defensive linemen Craig Drummond (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) already looks like he's physically ready for the next level. Drummond has exceptional physical tools and played well last Saturday night in the Mustangs heartbreaking 23-21 last second loss to Oak Lawn Richards.

Oak Lawn Richards junior wide receiver Shaun Pratl (6-foot-7, 212 pounds) will be the next D-1 level football prospect from the home of the Bulldogs. Pratl, who's also a standout basketball player at Richards, has very good ball skills, hands and is taylor-made to become either a tight end or possibly an offensive tackle at the college level.

Waubonsie Valley junior kicker Mitch Ewald (5-foot-9, 150 pounds) has an exceptional foot. Ewald has great leg strength and 50 plus yard range on field goals, yet what will get college coaches really excited is the distance and height he can get on kickoffs. Ewald kicking skills remind me at this stage of former current Illinois kicker Jason Reda when he kicked for the Rock Island Rocks during his high school days.

Posted by Edgy Tim at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)