These football semifinalists? Who'da thunk it?
Did you see that coming?
We could be talking about 10 different state quarterfinal football games right now, and the answer would be the same: No way.
It's amazing. No matter how deep it gets in the postseason, surprise outcomes always seem to crop up.
Eyes on Five scrapes its jaw off the floor to bring another batch of tidbits from a pretty wild November.
1. Surprise, surprise, surprise:
If you need a tangible idea of the surprises out there, consider this.
Only four of the remaining 32 teams were in a championship game last year, and only one team, Nazareth, still has a shot at defending a state title.
Central Illinois was rocked the hardest last week when five-time defending Class 4A champion Rochester and two-time defending state champion Sacred Heart-Griffin both lost. Because of SHG's defeat, we now have the potential for a Montini-Hinsdale South final in Class 6A.
The surprises continue in Class 8A, where No. 30 Waubonsie Valley takes on No. 23 Marist for a berth in the state title game.
Makes you wonder what'll happen this Saturday. Can't wait to find out.
2. Here we go again:
Among the 18 recently unveiled IHSA bylaw amendment proposals was another suggested tweak to the football playoff system.
Pardon me if I don't sound more excited, but I'll address the lack of enthusiasm in a bit.
The proposal would expand the playoff field from 256 teams to 384 and place 48 teams in each of the eight classes. Qualifying criteria would remain the same.
Here's where it gets interesting...
The regular season would be only eight games long with non-qualifiers having the opportunity to schedule a Week 9 game against other non-qualifiers. The top 16 seeds in each playoff class would receive a first-round bye.
The rationale for the proposal is to stem the rash of conference jumping. If more teams make the playoffs, schools won't worry as much about getting wins - the obvious motive for conference moves.
Nonconference scheduling would be easier because, again, there's decreased concern about losing a game here and there. There's also the opportunity for more teams to experience the excitement of the playoffs.
All good ... right? Maybe, but that's not really the point.
My problem is that we've seen too many of these playoff proposals never gain traction with voting member schools. In some years we've even seen multiple proposals competing for attention.
What needs to happen is for the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association or the IHSA's Advisory Committee to rally around one proposal. Then get the athletic directors and principals to rally around it.
The key for successfully advancing one of these proposals is to actively gather votes while not putting anything in the proposal that'll cause member schools to actively vote against it.
I'm not saying it's easy, but that's what it'll to take to achieve significant change.
3. Scary stuff:
Thanks to Saturday's Class 6A win over previously unbeaten Lincoln-Way North, Hinsdale South advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since a second-place finish in 1980.
The winning formula is no secret.
While the defense definitely deserves props, it's the offense that's been stunning in three straight playoff wins.
In the opening-round win over Thornton, Hornets running back Marcus Curry carried the ball 30 times for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns. In the second-round win over Oak Forest, quarterback Sean McCormack threw for 256 yards and 6 scores. In the win over Lincoln-Way North, Curry rushed for 178 yards and McCormack threw for 291.
You'd be hard-pressed to find another playoff team with the ability to shift offensive dominance like that while averaging 40 points in the postseason.
No wonder Hinsdale South is a win away from the Class 6A title game.
4. Destination DeKalb:
Crete-Monee's surprise win over Sacred Heart-Griffin means that all 12 remaining schools in Class 6A, 7A and 8A are within 100 miles of Northern Illinois University's Huskie Stadium in DeKalb - site of the state title games Thanksgiving weekend.
One of the selling points for shifting the championship games to DeKalb during odd-numbered years was the potential for larger crowds because of the nearby Chicago market.
With that much local talent coming to DeKalb in the higher classes, we'll see if the theory proves true. Of course, the weather also needs to cooperate.
5. Stat time:
Glenbard West and Hinsdale South are both still alive, meaning two teams from the West Suburban Conference have advanced to the state semifinals for just the second time. It's the first time a team from both the Gold and Silver divisions have made it this far.
Glenbard West and Addison Trail were in the 1983 semifinals and Downers Grove South and Oak Park were there in 1984, but that was before the WSC took its current 14-school form. Addison Trail and Downers South were members of the Des Plaines Valley League before the two conferences merged in 1986.
In 2008 fellow Silver members Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central advanced to the semis.
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