Any Up-State Eight Observers or Fans?

[IHSAfan207]

The whispers of a conference realignment towards competitive balance might be coming true from what I hear. With exception of Fall Sports this year, all other sports will realign. Rumor now is next year Fall sports will realign. The struggle is real for some of these programs, almost always clocked vs top 5 or 6 teams in conference. Not only will this help the bottom teams, in my opinion, the top teams will benefit by learning how to battle each week and might help them not get dog walked come playoffs. No one is going to mistake this conference for the CCL, but the UEC playoff record is dismal. If I was running the conference, every 2 years the Top 2 from Group B moves to Group A and Bottom 2 of Group A moves to Group B. I would align like this (tried to list in order of strength based on last 2 seasons):

Group A
South Elgin
Glenbard East
West Aurora
RB
Glenbard South
West Chicago
Elgin

Group B
Ridgewood
Streamwood
Bartlett
Aurora East
Larkin
Fenton
Elmwood Park

 

[Still Missing34]

There's even a great deal of disparity within the Groups.

 

[FootballDad1979]

Bartlett should not be in Group B, thye just need to get a better coaching staff.

 

[IHSAfan207]

There's even a great deal of disparity within the Groups.

Once you get to Glenbard South on list the the drop off is pretty big lately.

 

[IHSAfan207]

Bartlett should not be in Group B, thye just need to get a better coaching staff.

I agree but I just used the past 2 years stats which I believe they were 7-13 and did not make playoffs. They have strong youth program, not sure why it doesn't translate. That is why I also suggested the movement of top/bottom 2 every 2 years so when programs start to turn it around they have the ability to be place in the proper group.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

I agree but I just used the past 2 years stats which I believe they were 7-13 and did not make playoffs. They have strong youth program, not sure why it doesn't translate. That is why I also suggested the movement of top/bottom 2 every 2 years so when programs start to turn it around they have the ability to be place in the proper group.

Are the difference makers in the youth program actually going to Bartlett? If the answer is, no, you have your answer on why it doesn't translate.

 

[MustangFB]

Are the difference makers in the youth program actually going to Bartlett? If the answer is, no, you have your answer on why it doesn't translate.

They loose the better players to private schools. The program needs a fresh set of eyes from the outside to come in and take over.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

They loose the better players to private schools. The program needs a fresh set of eyes from the outside to come in and take over.

That's what I thought, I knew of a few but didn't have the whole picture. That is a hurdle that won't completely go away but you have to be good to be an option and then go from there.

 

[Still Missing34]

Once you get to Glenbard South on list the the drop off is pretty big lately.

East Aurora is beating some of those lower level Group B teams by 3 scores or more and losing to others by just as much.

 

[IHSAfan207]

East Aurora is beating some of those lower level Group B teams by 3 scores or more and losing to others by just as much.\

This conference definitely has levels, with the lowest being very low. EA lost to top A Group teams the last 2 seasons:

25-26
Glenbard South 47 - 0
West Aurora 46 - 7
South Elgin 69 - 0

24-25
Glenbard South 41 - 7
West Aurora 47 - 6
South Elgin 55 - 0

Reason I like the realignment idea is that it gives a team like EA a chance to get some victories, build some success, and hopefully start to build a program. I mean, a 4000 plus enrollment school, you have think there are athletes not coming out for the team because all the losing.

 

[Still Missing34]

This conference definitely has levels, with the lowest being very low. EA lost to top A Group teams the last 2 seasons:

25-26
Glenbard South 47 - 0
West Aurora 46 - 7
South Elgin 69 - 0

24-25
Glenbard South 41 - 7
West Aurora 47 - 6
South Elgin 55 - 0

Reason I like the realignment idea is that it gives a team like EA a chance to get some victories, build some success, and hopefully start to build a program. I mean, a 4000 plus enrollment school, you have think there are athletes not coming out for the team because all the losing.

Preaching to the choir, West Aurora just beat Elgin by 60. What even crazier is West Aurora couldn't win more than 2-3 games in two other conferences.

East Aurora has actually been much, much better the last 7-8 years. The Covid year may have been their best team. They even had their first playoff berth since 1982 a couple years ago.

 

[IHSAfan207]

Preaching to the choir, West Aurora just beat Elgin by 60. What even crazier is West Aurora couldn't win more than 2-3 games in two other conferences.

East Aurora has actually been much, much better the last 7-8 years. The Covid year may have been their best team. They even had their first playoff berth since 1982 a couple years ago.

The conference does not get much respect, in my area the surrounding schools think UEC is where schools go when you cant win in a "normal conference". I hate to say it, but its somewhat true. These better teams play in a conference where 60/70% of the schedule is clocked games, players get inflated egos, and when they run into a team with a pulse, mostly in playoffs they cant hang. Its a vicious cycle. I did like the addition of 3 out of conference games when they expanded, it allowed for some tougher games to be scheduled by coaches who want to get better and not just showcase. The conference is not completely void of talent, but the lay out in my opinion does more harm to the development of these teams both top and bottom of conference.

 

[Still Missing34]

It's absolutely true. WA is proof.

 

[Cyclone630]

Bartlett's problems are bigger than the football coaching staff. It's the school district itself for starters. There are Bartlett athletes at Franny, Montini, WA, St. Eds, and Viator.

The youth football program is maybe 40% kids who would go to Bartlett HS.

 

[Edgytim]

Preaching to the choir, West Aurora just beat Elgin by 60. What even crazier is West Aurora couldn't win more than 2-3 games in two other conferences.

East Aurora has actually been much, much better the last 7-8 years. The Covid year may have been their best team. They even had their first playoff berth since 1982 a couple years ago.

Nick is the real deal and a coach who I'm sure has had offers and opportunities to go elsewhere...but stays the course at East Aurora

 

[SiuCubFan8]

East has a pretty nice football facility.

 

[Still Missing34]

Nick is the real deal and a coach who I'm sure has had offers and opportunities to go elsewhere...but stays the course at East Aurora

Nick is a great guy and has a hard job there. The creation of the Tomcat Youth football league (started by former Tomcat and Naperville Central coach Steve Kenyon with heavy support from Kurt Becker and the Bears) has helped a lot. The facilities are fantastic.

The sad thing is, Kenyon and Becker were the ones that stepped up in the early/mid eighties to create a wrestling program for the kids that had no other options pre-high school (besides summer baseball). There needs to be more Steve Kenyon's and Kurt Becker's on the East side of Aurora.

 

[Cross Bones]

I was at the NN @ MV game last week, talking to my buddy about MV (he doesn't really follow the sport). I told him that MV's win over NV was a solid win, and he brought up MV's 56-6 win over Plainfield C. I explained Plainfield C to him, and that we were playing them which was the reason I was at his game. Plainfield C (1-4) beat Aurora East by 3 TDs. I applaud AE for getting it together at 3-2.

At the same time I am trying to figure out a world in which a team that lost handily to PFC has won 3 of 4 and didnt play a CPS team.

 

[Still Missing34]

I was at the NN @ MV game last week, talking to my buddy about MV (he doesn't really follow the sport). I told him that MV's win over NV was a solid win, and he brought up MV's 56-6 win over Plainfield C. I explained Plainfield C to him, and that we were playing them which was the reason I was at his game. Plainfield C (1-4) beat Aurora East by 3 TDs. I applaud AE for getting it together at 3-2.

At the same time I am trying to figure out a world in which a team that lost handily to PFC has won 3 of 4 and didnt play a CPS team.

Exactly, the level of play is dramatically different within the conference itself, but go outside the conference and it's even more noticeable.

I give credit to MV on that win, but watch the last two minutes if you can. There was a ton of home cooking.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

Exactly, the level of play is dramatically different within the conference itself, but go outside the conference and it's even more noticeable.

I give credit to MV on that win, but watch the last two minutes if you can. There was a ton of home cooking.

MV has a good QB but they aren't any good overall.

 

[Cross Bones]

MV has a good QB but they aren't any good overall.

QB was good, I liked a WR. I could see how they'd be able to win some games.

 

[Still Missing34]

WV's QB actually lives in the NV district, but his dad is the principal at WV and transferred him there.

I'm glad NV won that one.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

NM

 

[PowerI66]

The whispers of a conference realignment towards competitive balance might be coming true from what I hear. With exception of Fall Sports this year, all other sports will realign. Rumor now is next year Fall sports will realign. The struggle is real for some of these programs, almost always clocked vs top 5 or 6 teams in conference. Not only will this help the bottom teams, in my opinion, the top teams will benefit by learning how to battle each week and might help them not get dog walked come playoffs. No one is going to mistake this conference for the CCL, but the UEC playoff record is dismal. If I was running the conference, every 2 years the Top 2 from Group B moves to Group A and Bottom 2 of Group A moves to Group B. I would align like this (tried to list in order of strength based on last 2 seasons):

Group A
South Elgin
Glenbard East
West Aurora
RB
Glenbard South
West Chicago
Elgin

Group B
Ridgewood
Streamwood
Bartlett
Aurora East
Larkin
Fenton
Elmwood Park

I think you would need to make 3 divisions, but no relegation. SE, GE, WA, RB, and GS don't belong with the rest. If you drop any of those teams to the other group of teams, it is more than likely that the clocks will run for every "group" game.

 

[MustangFB]

Taking Elmwood Pk amd Ridgewood was a big mistake.

 

[Still Missing34]

How about them Tomcats!!!!

 

[IHSAfan207]

I think you would need to make 3 divisions, but no relegation. SE, GE, WA, RB, and GS don't belong with the rest. If you drop any of those teams to the other group of teams, it is more than likely that the clocks will run for every "group" game.

Great point, never thought about 3 divisions. If they add one more team to get to 15, it could look something like this: each team plays in division (4 games), cross divisions (2 games), and out of conference (3 games). And like the CCL the UEC could realign the divisions every 2 years.

Div A	Div B	Div C
Glenbard East	Bartlett	Fenton
Glenbard South	East Aurora	Larkin
RB	Steamwood	Elmwood Park
South Elgin	West Chicago	Ridgewood
West Aurora	xx New Team xx	Elgin

 

[good_nocall]

DeKalb could make a lot of sense exactly where you have that xx New Team xx spot.