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After hearing someone I never heard of predict on national television that Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis will be bought out of his 10-year contract for $15 million after the Irish finish 6-6 in 2008, I figured I might as well make a fool out of myself by making some outrageous New Year predictions of my own.
1. For whatever reasons, the Player of the Year in football in the Chicago area won't be defensive end Craig Drummond of Morgan Park, running back Mike Trumpy of Wheaton North, quarterback Evan Watkins of Glenbard North or quarterback Charlie Goro of Maine South.
2. The four-class basketball format will play to better critical reviews than anticipated.
3. No Chicago Public League team will win a state title in boys basketball.
4. With the endorsement of Illinois coach Bruce Weber, Champaign-Urbana will launch a serious, well-organized and well-funded campaign to bring the boys state basketball tournament back from Peoria.
5. The Player of the Year in boys basketball will be point guard Kevin Dillard of Homewood-Flossmoor.
6. Former Driscoll football coach Tim Racki, now head coach at Nazareth, will be named head coach at Evanston.
7. In the wake of an embarrassing number of transfers before the 2008-09 school year, the Illinois High School Association will announce a drastic course of action in a desperate attempt to bring sanity to a controversial issue that has soared out of control.
8. The best girls basketball player in Illinois is sophomore Tricia Liston of Fenwick.
9. Driscoll will not win an eighth state football title in a row.
10. Coach Tony Martinucci will guide Morton's boys basketball team to 20 victories for the first time since 1945.
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I disagree with two of your predictions(I know they are just for fun).
"7. In the wake of an embarrassing number of transfers before the 2008-09 school year, the Illinois High School Association will announce a drastic course of action in a desperate attempt to bring sanity to a controversial issue that has soared out of control."
The IHSA will never do anything of significance about the transfer crisis. The Hick-man does nothing unless it brings in $$$$$$. The IHSA is run by a bunch of incompetent yolkels with degrees. They have doctorates, so they think they know everything and everything they do is great.
"2. The four-class basketball format will play to better critical reviews than anticipated."
I disagree. Look at the problems already... After sectional assignments were announced, teams will have to travel FARTHER than they used to. Some teams have to go on a 3 hour drive to get to their supersectional location(on a school-night). So much for geography.
Also, look at the Proviso East Sectional... there are currrently 6 teams in O'Brien's top 25 (including the 1 and 2 team). Also, Mt. Carmel, St. Ignatius, St. Pat's, Fenwick, and Oak Park are all in the same sectional.If this were any other year, I would also throw Proviso West and East into the picture. Then that would mean that 13 of the 21 teams in the sectional could win it.
Then, look at the 3A sectional (Riverside-Brookfield). Crane, Marshall, St. Joe's, and maybe one or two others... If you are lucky enough to be slighly smaller of a school, you have an easier path throught downstate although you play teams in the same area. If these pairings continue this way, Each year either Crane, Marshall or St. Joe's will go to a supersectional and win it.
4a regionals will match one top team against another. 3A regionals will be a joke. Thank You IHSA!