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The postseason football playoff, which was introduced in 1974, has forever changed the face of the game in Illinois in dramatic fashion--for the good and for the not-so-good. Folks who have only watched high school football for the past 35 years probably aren't aware of the way it was. But old-timers are.
"The state playoffs have ruined conferences and rivalries and common opponents," said Kankakee Bishop McNamara coach Rich Zinanni, who won state championships in 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1987 and settled for seconds in 1978 and 1981.
"Nobody wants to play anybody (good) for fear of losing. It forces you to find wins on your open dates (so you will qualify for the playoff). The way the system is set is you are in if you are 6-3 but if you are 5-4 it depends on points. The reality is you don't get anything for strength of schedule."
How crazy is the system? Zinanni pointed out that that McNamara earned a spot in this year's playoff only because Lake Forest Academy beat a team in Pittsburgh, Pa., by a 26-20 margin, giving McNamara the point it needed to qualify.
If that wasn't bad enough, McNamara had to survive an IHSA investigation prompted by Sandwich, which hoped to land a spot at McNamara's expense. Sandwich argued that McNamara wasn't entitled to points for beating St. Francis de Sales because the school was playing a junior varsity schedule. The issue was moot because it was proven than de Sales had signed contracts for four varsity games.
Is anyone following all of this?
The point is high school football in Illinois isn't the way it was. For one, I miss the aura of the Prep Bowl and Thanksgiving Day rivalries such as East St. Louis/Belleville. And Sunday games at Gately Stadium. Glenbard West vs. Wheaton Warrenville South. The Mid-Suburban League's Super Bowl.
The Prep Bowl, matching the champions of the Chicago Public League and Chicago Catholic League, was founded in 1934 and quickly became the grandest high school event in the nation. The 1937 game between Austin and Leo attracted an estimated 120,000 to old Soldier Field, the largest crowd ever assembled for a football game--high school, college or professional--in the United States.
The attendance was 83,750 for Weber/Lane Tech in 1961 and 91,328 for Fenwick/Schurz in 1962 and 81,270 for St. Rita/Vocational in 1963. As late as 1970, a crowd of 65,735 showed up for St. Rita/Lane Tech.
With the coming of the state playoff, Prep Bowl crowds began to wane. In recent years, only hundreds watch the game instead of thousands. And the best teams in the two conferences participate in the state playoff, not the Prep Bowl. Attempts to rekindle interest haven't been successful.
With all due respect to the IHSA's procedure for seeding the state playoff, there needs to be another formula to avoid embarrassing some schools, especially the Chicago Public League. No one suggests that city schools are competitive with suburban and Downstate programs. Since the Public League joined the state playoff in 1979, only one city representative (Robeson in 1982) has advanced to the state championship game.
Worse, some city schools have been seeded No. 1 in their brackets by virtue of posting 9-0 records in Public League competition. Remember a few years ago when Marshall was seeded No. 1 and lost its opening game by 50 or 60 points? Let's hope Bogan fares better this year.
The IHSA argues that its system, using a computer, is best of all because it is totally objective and isn't influenced by anyone or anything, just records and points. Strength of schedule has nothing to do with it. In the IHSA's view, Bogan, Senn and Raby are just as good if not better than Maine South, Fremd, Glenbard West, Danville, Cary-Grove and Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin. Who's kidding whom?
Are eight classes at least one too many? Does it make sense to have 256 teams in the playoff? How about only 6-3 finishers and better? How many 5-4 teams are good enough to be competitive? Or are they no better than a 16th seed in a 16-team field that is hoping to be Cinderella before the clock strikes midnight?
The playoffs also played a role in changing the regular-season schedule. Remember when Mount Carmel hosted Leo or Mendel or St. Rita or St. Laurence or Brother Rice at Gately Stadium on Sunday afternoon? When the best officials in the country--Jerry Markbreit, Tom Quinn, Frank Strocchia, Don Hakes, Ed Maracich and other Big 10 officials--would work the Sunday games after working Ohio State/Michigan the previous afternoon? The atmosphere was electric. It isn't there anymore.
As the 2009 playoff begins, let's hope it will write its own exciting chapter in the history of high school football in Illinois. Will there be another final to rival East St. Louis/Glenbrook North in 1974? The five-touchdown performance by Decatur St. Teresa's Jerry Jones in 1975? Greg Bradshaw of Woodstock in 1983? Ryan Clifford of Naperville Central in 1999? Hinsdale Central's John Whitelaw last year?
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Great article Taylor. Some things that I miss as well....when the playoffs for many years we had the first round games on a Wednesday-some games in the early afternoon with schools getting erly dismissal to watch the game (big crowds would turn out and the media coverage was great), we had the championship games at Illinois State and the big classes at Dyche Stadium which were more intimate that Memorial Stadium. Also only conference champions got in the Playoffs. Even then when the CCL joined the IHSA the Prep Bowl had some pretty stellar programs playing in those playoffs as a runner up could have been a 8-1 St. Rita, Mt. Carmel, Gordon Tech, Br. Rice, etc. We try to get every kid a medal and every school a trophy but the luster has been completely taken off the intensity and excitement of the games. Things always change but when it wasn't broke why do they always have to break it.
NOT TO JUMP OFF THE SUBJECT, BUT I ALSO REMEMBER WHEN LEO HIGH SCHOOL WON THE CHICAGO CATHOLIC TITLE IN BASKETBALL IN 1973 AND HIRSCH WON THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LEAGUE TITLE AND THE STATE TITLE IN BASKETBALL, BACK IN THOSE DAYS THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYED THE CATHOLIC FOR THE CITY CHAMPIONSHIP, AND GUESS WHAT HIRSCH DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY LEO FEARING THEY WOULD NOT BE THE STATE CHAMPS IF THEY LOST, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE TROPHY WOULD NOT HAVE CHANGED HANDS, BUT HIRSCH WITH RICKY GREEN AND COMPANY, AND LEO WITH TONY PARKER'S DAD, TONY SR., BACKED OUT OF THE GAME, AND THE VERY NEXT YEAR THE GAME WENT POOF, AND THE CHICAGO CATHOLIC LEAGUE STARTED PLAYING IN THE IHSA, SO PARDON ME IF I DON'T GET ALL MISTY EYES OVER THE OLD DAYS, THAT GAME WAS VERY IMPORTANT, ONE I ATTENDED LEO HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS A SOPHOMORE, AND TWO, THE TRUE CITY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NEVER WAS PLAYED AGAIN!
YES WE HAVE A NEW SYSTEM, BUT IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE PLAY-OFFS WITH AN 8 CLASS SYSTEM, YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD TEAM, THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!
LEO HIGH SCHOOL ON 79TH AND SANGAMON IS STILL STANDING AND PLAYING ON THE THIRD FLOOR IS NO JOKE, COME HARD OR DON'T COME AT ALL!
A BIG SALUTE TO MR. BOB FOSTER, PRINCIPAL, COACH, A GIANT OF A MAN WHO RETIRED THIS YEAR FROM LEO, A MENTOR, A VERY HUMBLE PERSON WHO TAUGHT ME HISTORY, AND IS ONE OF THE NICEST MEN YOU WILL EVER MEET, COACH BOB FOSTER A LEO MAN, A MODERN DAY HERO!
ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
The IHSA is destroying High School Sports. The Football playoffs are a joke! What happened to neighborhood rivalaries. Marist should have been playing Sandburg and not Schaumburg in the 1st round. St Laurence should have been playing Bogan. I could go on and on.
Move the Finals out of Champaign! It's crazy how they show the games and nobody is there playing in such a large stadium.
Phil, good call on Bob Foster. Truly a good man. Remember the coaches roaming the sidelines in the Catholic League back in the day? Tom Mitchell. Bob Foster, Tom Winnecki, Tom Kavanuagh and Pat Cronin.
Coaches Murney Lazier (Evanston) and Jack Leese (East Leyden) fought to get State Football Playoffs started. They insisted only a Conference Champion should qualify for the first round and represent that school's conference. This maintained the integrity, strength and meaning of Conference and Conference Champion.
It was also meant to maintain the High Plateau Illinos High School Football once rested upon in the United States. Sadly, no longer the case.
The IHSA stonewalled State Football Playoffs for years. Most schools played an 8 game season and that was it. Chicago Catholic League didn't belong to the IHSA. They couldn't because they had Spring Football, weeks long "Football Camps" and recruited players to put on full scholarship. Back doored money to player parents, "street/school agents" to get specific players occasionally part of the mix.
Public school programs were nevertheless very strong indeed--imagine a 1971 Evanston vs. St. Rita game at Northwestern or Soldier Field? Two of the best teams ever fielded in State History and in the same year.
The IHSA compromised with the Catholic Leagues who later wanted in. It's all about "the money" now, IHSA perpetuation, increasing power/centralization cloaked in more student participation.
The IHSA is stronger than ever, solidly entrenched. It's at the expense of quality, strength, nationwide reputation and yes, scholarship monies for Illinois High School Football.
Now, how about the few, but too many obese or not, and/or unable to move, and/or unable get into position IHSA Officials seen in the opening round? What rotten system feed them into and qualified them as the cream of the crop? Remember, it's about player safety throughout the entire season, quality of the sport and participant experience. One word, darn embarrassing!
Awesome article Taylor! In my opinion the best team that did not make the playoffs before they were expanded (I believe that was 1980) was 1979 Calumet City TF North; 8-1 conference runner up and loser only to Rich Central 12-7 in a teacher strike shortened week which legendary Coach Ron Tomczak weathered a huge storm from fellow teachers and coaches as he crossed the picket line. Without Coach Tomczak's dedication to the team we would have had no chance in that game and his sacrifice gave us the opportunity.
I agree there are too many participants today, as well as classes and 5-4 teams should only be ponsidered if strength of schedule was a component in the formula which as I understand it plays no part in it today.