Lena Winslow vs Benet

[Colin2299]

What would it say about the unfair advantages of suburban private schools if.....

THIS

• 1A public farm school
• population of 2,772
• enrollment of 233

BEATS

THIS

• suburban private from the Chicago Catholic League
• enrollment of 1196 / 1973.40 (multiplied)
• population of 5.3m within a 30 mile radius
• NFL Superbowl champion HC (also power 4 coach last year)
• Tuition: $16,950

 

[Roamin' Catholic]

idk... but... it'd be pretty awesome!

 

[BobbyBoucher9]

Great question and not even sure what the right answer is. Lisle were not exactly world beaters last year but for the reasons you provided you would still like to think they are the favorite. Lena lost a couple of Stud RBs both their Thunder and their Lightning. They do have 3 really good starters back up front for their 3rd year together. Lena will probably be happy getting 3-4 yards a pop and controlling the clock and shortening the game or maybe they beat the Brakes off Lisle.

Lot of intrique in this game for sure.

 

[Icecreambus]

I’d say it would be more of a result of the exception proving the rule. It would take a Lena type school to pull this off. It would also be a black eye on the state of the program at Benet.

Will it happen? Who knows. But the take away won’t be “suburban privates don’t have an advantage”. It would be more of a testament to the culture the Lena program has built.

 

[AwGabJazz]

Hate to say this, but my gut tells me that Lena beats Benet on Friday night. Benet is down, new QB, new system, lost a lot of good seniors, etc. Not sure the AD of Benet should have scheduled this game, Lena has nothing to lose and if Benet loses, definate black eye. That being said, I know James and fully trust he will build a winner at Benet, just may take 2-3 years to get there.

 

[Wassup13_rivals219252]

The last time I saw a matchup kind of like this was when at the last minute 3A Rochester traveled to 8A Loyola for a game.

LeWin just had a player drafted high in the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

[Roamin' Catholic]

The last time I saw a matchup kind of like this was when at the last minute 3A Rochester traveled to 8A Loyola for a game.

Rochester has never been 3A... well not during the dynastic run they've been on... but your point applies. I agree. Very similar situation... except Lena has had a full offseason to prepare right? Or certainly more time than Rochester did for Loyola.

 

[Icecreambus]

To what degree is Lena homegrown? I know they are a co-op, but both towns are tiny. They also have success in other sports which makes me wonder if they are truly just pulling from that area?

Juxtapose that with say a Rochester who has not so secretly been built off the backs of transfers for the better part of 15 years. However, that part of the state tends to have more mobility and why go to Springfield or Williamsville when you can get a nice place for cheap in Rochester?

 

[Wassup13_rivals219252]

When was the last time and 7A private school played a 1A public school like this? or never?

 

[Colin2299]

The last time I saw a matchup kind of like this was when at the last minute 3A Rochester traveled to 8A Loyola for a game.

LeWin just had a player drafted high in the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

My mind went to 2021 when Lena traveled to DePaul and won.


This is REALLY cool data that IHSA is now pushing out. You can track enrollment and roster size back to 2021.
DePaul Trends

 

[Colin2299]

To what degree is Lena homegrown? I know they are a co-op, but both towns are tiny. They also have success in other sports which makes me wonder if they are truly just pulling from that area?

Juxtapose that with say a Rochester who has not so secretly been built off the backs of transfers for the better part of 15 years. However, that part of the state tends to have more mobility and why go to Springfield or Williamsville when you can get a nice place for cheap in Rochester?

Nothing about this post is accurate.

LW isn't a co-op. The school is made up of two towns (Winslow's population is only 229). Co-op is when two schools combine for one time.

Your comments on Rochester are completely false.

 

[Wassup13_rivals219252]

I have heard some people on the forums state Benet could be one of those teams to watch out for with playoff expansion because they would be a prime team who could just make the playoffs and knock out a couple 9-0 or 8-1 teams in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

 

[Roamin' Catholic]

Nothing about this post is accurate.

LW isn't a co-op. The school is made up of two towns (Winslow's population is only 229). Co-op is when two schools combine for one time.

Your comments on Rochester are completely false.

This is clearly one of GN's spawn, he's the Nick Cannon of edgy forums... I'd take what he says as nonsense automatically and discard immediately.

 

[Icecreambus]

Your comments on Rochester are completely false.

They actually aren’t. The Cox twins. Sweeney from Springfield. A QB and LB from Chatham before COVID. That is just off the top of my head with no effort. There are way more.

It’s not a knock on Rochester either. They play a fun style of football that gets a lot of kids involved. Why wouldn’t you want to be apart of it? I promise you Derek Leonard doesn’t care that you’re riding his meat. You aren’t gonna get free tickets to any of the games.

 

[Roamin' Catholic]

I have heard some people on the forums state Benet could be one of those teams to watch out for with playoff expansion because they would be a prime team who could just make the playoffs and knock out a couple 9-0 or 8-1 teams in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

I mean, there's probably a few teams coming from the CCL or suburban leagues that could for sure.

 

[BobbyBoucher9]

When was the last time and 7A private school played a 1A public school like this? or never?

I dont think it has probably ever happened. In unrelated story 30 years ago saw Huntley squeeze out a 13-12 win over Martinsville in week 2 of the 1996 season. Huntley had 435 students that year and Martinsville had 335. Fast forward 30 years and Huntley has boomed to over 2700 Students and are in Class 8A while Martinsville is down to 87 students and playing 8 man ball.

 

[Icecreambus]

LW isn't a co-op. The school is made up of two towns (Winslow's population is only 229). Co-op is when two schools combine for one time.

While I will concede that I am absolutely correct on Rochester, I will acknowledge I was wrong about Lena in football.

I knew they co-op with Stockton in wrestling. I thought that they might also co-op with them in football.

Sorry I don’t know everything about inconsequential podunk Illinois HS football teams.

 

[Colin2299]

They actually aren’t. The Cox twins. Sweeney from Springfield. A QB and LB from Chatham before COVID. That is just off the top of my head with no effort. There are way more.

It’s not a knock on Rochester either. They play a fun style of football that gets a lot of kids involved. Why wouldn’t you want to be apart of it? I promise you Derek Leonard doesn’t care that you’re riding his meat. You aren’t gonna get free tickets to any of the games.

The comment was that Rochester "secretly been built off the backs of transfers for the better part of 15 years". Everyone knows they have received a transfer or two every so often but to say they have been built by transfers for (15) years isn't accurate.

 

[Icecreambus]

The comment was that Rochester "secretly been built off the backs of transfers for the better part of 15 years". Everyone knows they have received a transfer or two every so often but to say they have been built by transfers for (15) years isn't accurate.

Well if it was “secretly” how would you know? You know, since it’s a secret.

 

[jha618]

Nothing about this post is accurate.

LW isn't a co-op. The school is made up of two towns (Winslow's population is only 229). Co-op is when two schools combine for one time.

Your comments on Rochester are completely false.

Lena-Winslow does co-op with Stockton for wrestling.

 

[crusader_of_90]

When was the last time and 7A private school played a 1A public school like this? or never?

Althoff v Collinsville and Althoff v East during the Dierre Days.

 

[Colin2299]

Lena-Winslow does co-op with Stockton for wrestling.

 

[Carmine Evergreen]

Scheduling this game makes no sense to me for either school Yes, Le-Win is a premier program in 1A BUT ... they are not 2024 Althoff good. Benet scores early n often and never looks back. Lena offense not built to play from behind.

 

[Doctor_D]

Althoff v Collinsville and Althoff v East during the Dierre Days.

You got the public/private 7A/1A backwards from the original question.

 

[4Afan]

Scheduling this game makes no sense to me for either school Yes, Le-Win is a premier program in 1A BUT ... they are not 2024 Althoff good. Benet scores early n often and never looks back. Lena offense not built to play from behind.

Why do you care so much? Should both teams have just gone without a week 1 game? As I said before LeWin was scheduled to play Wilmington originally but once the season got moved up a week they had to scramble to find an opponent. I'm all for the small class powers playing larger schools. I don't recall people being upset last year when Wilmington played Thornton.

Why so high on Benet? The 3 teams they beat last year were a combined 6-22 and 5 of those wins were from Hillcrest.

 

[Cross Bones]

Does LeWin stream their games?

 

[4Afan]

Does LeWin stream their games?

Added their Hudl link to the streaming post.

 

[Anon430504]

2021 1A Leo beat 8A Rich Township

 

[Doctor_D]

Off the cuff, I think Benet wins this game due to attrition, and the fact that L-W graduated some real studs - especially their thunder and lightning RB duo.
If this game was played later in the year it would favor L-W as they start to figure stuff out.

 

[Doctor_D]

To what degree is Lena homegrown? I know they are a co-op, but both towns are tiny. They also have success in other sports which makes me wonder if they are truly just pulling from that area?

Juxtapose that with say a Rochester who has not so secretly been built off the backs of transfers for the better part of 15 years. However, that part of the state tends to have more mobility and why go to Springfield or Williamsville when you can get a nice place for cheap in Rochester?

Most of the NUIC punches above their weight class, and L-W is the best of the bunch.
They’ve had a transfer into the district before, but I’m confident they aren’t in the habit of bussing in kids from the quad cities to fill the depth chart.

 

[jha618]

https://www.mystateline.com/sports/high-school-football/ties-between-lena-winslow-and-stockton-are-strong-but-theyll-be-pulling-in-opposite-directions-saturday/

 

[SouthofI80Fan]

Lena is the exception not the rule. Not many small school programs are willing to punch up and still compete like Lena. You also got NUIC Morrison playing Wilmington in week 2.

The NUIC doesn't shy away from tough games. Definitely one of the issues of closed conferences, you don't know how you measure up against other regions in the state.

I fully expect this to be a close game but Benet probably had the advantage just because of depth. Lena will play 5+ guys both ways and special teams. In week 1, that is definitely a tough task but like the Doctor said, week 5 or later I would be taking LeWin.