UEC's new setup doesn't make everyone happy

Conference expansion rarely comes without a hitch.

In the case of the Upstate Eight Conference - which expands this year from 11 to 14 high schools and divides into two seven-team divisions based on enrollment - the new configuration will maintain or rekindle some football rivalries while putting a damper on others.

The new format brings together natural Tri-Cities rivals Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North in the River Division. Meanwhile, the Valley Division preserves the rivalries between the schools of Indian Prairie School District 204: Waubonsie Valley, Neuqua Valley and new sister school, Metea Valley.

However, the five schools in Elgin Area School District U-46 have been separated. The two largest schools in the state's second largest school district, Bartlett and South Elgin, will compete in the big-school Valley Division along with Lake Park and East Aurora.

Elgin, Larkin and Streamwood join the Tri-Cities schools in the River Division.

As a result, Bartlett and South Elgin will face U-46 rivals Elgin, Larkin and Streamwood in UEC crossover games on a rotating basis only, the details of which have yet to be finalized, according to UEC football chairman Mike Rogowski of Waubonsie Valley.

Crossover football matchups in the new 14-team league currently last for two seasons, which means some schools might not face each other on the gridiron for gaps of more than a decade. Several classes at Elgin High could go through four years of high school and never play a football game against South Elgin, which is located just 5.6 miles away.

The U-46 coaches said they understand not much could be done to preserve their rivalries because the division split was based on enrollment. Still, they can't help but lament the drastic reduction in matchups against their geographic rivals.

"It would have been nice if we could have played Elgin High or Larkin so we could keep some kind of continuous series going, but it didn't happen," said South Elgin coach Dale Schabert, who previously coached at Larkin for 10 seasons. "I feel kind of left out. They got to keep the Tri-Cities teams together. I would have at least liked a chance to keep playing the U-46 teams. I know there's five of us. We get to keep playing Bartlett, but the other three we won't even see again.

"I can remember the Upstate Eight before we got so big. At Larkin, you could play Elgin, Bartlett and Streamwood (in nonconference games if necessary) so you saw everybody. We had our little mythical U-46 championship. There was no trophy for it, but you had U-46 bragging rights. Now we don't even have contact with each other."

South Elgin, entering its fifth varsity season in 2010, has faced Elgin three times, Streamwood twice and Larkin once.

Since Bartlett's first varsity season in 1998, the Hawks have played 11 games against Elgin, eight against Streamwood and seven against Larkin.

On the positive side of the ledger, the UEC's new format maintains District U-46's longest-standing rivalries. Elgin and Larkin have been squaring off since 1962. Streamwood joined them in the Upstate Eight in 1978. Those three schools will play each other annually in River Division games.

"I don't like the fact that we don't play Bartlett or South Elgin because they're in our district," Elgin coach Dave Bierman said, "but I think (the division format) bodes well for us. Travel is much better for us, which was a concern. It's no fun going to Neuqua or Waubonsie on a Friday night. And I'm sure it was no fun for them to come up to Elgin on a Friday night because Route 59 at five o'clock is a bear. It's got to affect you a little bit."

Some U-46 schools have already made plans to face each other in nonconference games in order to keep local rivalries alive between crossovers. Elgin and Bartlett will play each other in nonconference games in 2011 and 2012.

The U-46 coaches agree the level of competition in the new UEC will be high.

"If you come out of our division, you'll be pretty prepared for a first-round (playoff) matchup," first-year Larkin coach Mike Scianna said. "The (DuPage Valley Conference) is like that and they do very well in the playoffs. The way this is structured, whoever comes out will be a very tough matchup."

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<li><a href="/story/?id=402871">Batavia, Geneva add power to Upstate Eight <span class="date">[08/23/10]</span></a></li>

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