Lots to like about year No. 27
Here we go again...
As the 2010 high school football season kickoff is just a few days away, I feel the urge to hang on to the last remaining hours of my summer - one that officially ends Wednesday morning when the elementary-age children make their first appearance of the 2010-11 school year.
So before I glance ahead to my 27th year of covering high school sports, I want to take one last look at what turned out to be an eventful summer.
In July, St. Charles East's baseball team advanced to the Elite Eight of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association tournament - one of three Upstate Eight Conference schools (along with Neuqua Valley and Streamwood) represented as regional champions.
That's pretty heady stuff considering coach Dave Haskins' Saints were fresh from winning a regional title and making it to the sectional finals this past spring and graduated 7 of its 8 starting position players last May.
Last week, longtime Geneva cross country runners Kevin McDowell and Kelly Whitley medaled at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Both of the seniors-to-be qualified for next month's International Triathlon Union Junior World Championships in Hungary.
Closer to home, 2004 St. Charles North graduate Gary Knight earned the championship flight title in the annual St. Charles Men's City Golf Tournament held earlier this month at Pottawatomie Golf Club.
Much to my surprise, April Stary, who guided St. Charles North's softball team to back-to-back Upstate Eight Conference crowns in 2009 and 2010, announced her resignation to spend more time with her family.
With all 9 starters expected to return from a team that finished 29-4 this past season and figures to wear one giant chip on its shoulder after a stunning first-round regional loss to York, the North Stars' softball coaching position should be a coveted one.
Last Thursday, St. Charles East graduate Matt Reynolds got the "call" to join the Colorado Rockies. The 25-year-old southpaw appeared in three consecutive games (Aug. 19-21), firing 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From a personal standpoint, I thoroughly enjoyed coaching my youngest daughter's softball squad to a second-place tournament showing while also assisting during my son's successful baseball season.
Last week, I helped my middle daughter move in to her new surroundings as she embarks on her freshman year at Illinois State University.
If you like sweating profusely and waiting in line for elevators, Normal was the place to be.
Now it's time to take a quick peek at the upcoming football season...
For the second consecutive year, seven area schools - Aurora Christian, Geneva, Kaneland, Marmion, Mooseheart, St. Charles East and St. Charles North will be looking to make return trips to postseason play, while Batavia attempts to improve upon last year's rare losing season and Aurora Central Catholic welcomes its new head coach, Brian Casey.
However, the most exciting aspect of the 2010 football season may well be the newly aligned Upstate Eight Conference which now finds four Tri-Cities schools - Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North - prepared to battle for the inaugural Upstate Eight River Division title.
Week 3 pits St. Charles East against Geneva in both teams' River Division opener at what figures to be a jam-packed Burgess Field.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Saints coach Mike Fields, who spent 10 years as an assistant football coach at Geneva before taking over last season at St. Charles East.
"I already told Rob (Geneva coach Wicinski) that I wanted to take the west side of the field," joked Fields.
"From a personal standpoint, it's hard to put into words what it'll mean. I spent 10 years of my life at Geneva High School and met my wife working there."
As for the new-look Upstate Eight, Fields likes the Tri-Cities focus.
"I think it's fantastic," he said. "There are plenty of implications and not just from a conference standpoint. Those games with St. Charles North, Batavia and Geneva will be for community bragging rights."
When you consider that five of the last seven weeks of the regular season will feature at least one game between Tri-Cities rivals - Week 5 (Batavia-STC East, STC North-Geneva), Week 6 (Batavia-Geneva), Week 8 (STC North-Batavia), and Week 9 (STC East-STC North) - the fans may be this season's biggest winners.
One last thing...
If you plan on attending a game, bring plenty of bug spray.