Many reasons behind St. Charles’ football slump
Having lived in St. Charles for the past 23-plus years and having covered St. Charles high school athletics for nearly two decades, I have seen my share of changes over the years.
In 1998-99, then-St. Charles High School captured an unprecedented seven state championships — a record that should stand for a long time.
I’ve watched one St. Charles high school split into two, with both St. Charles East and St. Charles North remaining quite formidable on the athletic scene.
Since the split, the two St. Charles high schools have recorded 30 top-10 state finishes in 14 different sports, including 11 top-three showings in 8 different sports, and highlighted by the Saints’ girls volleyball team capturing the state title on two occasions (2001, 2008).
For those of you wondering, I haven’t forgotten about football.
In fact, one of the things that admittedly took me by surprise was the near-instant success of St. Charles North’s football team.
From 2002-2009, the North Stars’ football team posted a 51-32 record and qualified for the state playoffs eight consecutive times.
Meanwhile, the Saints have also experienced success since the school split was made, having reached the postseason six times — highlighted by the 2005 squad that advanced to the Class 7A state quarterfinals for the second time in school history.
That same year, the St. Charles schools faced each other in the first round of the playoffs (East won 35-23).
But this column isn’t just about happier times.
When St. Charles East crossed the Fox River and handed St. Charles North a stunning 16-14 defeat last October, it marked the first time since the split that at least one St. Charles school failed to reach the playoffs.
As the cross-town rivals prepare to meet in the final regular-season game of 2011 Friday night at Norris Stadium, one thing is certain – neither school will be moving on to postseason play for the second straight year, as STC East and STC North enter with identical 2-6 records.
While the St. Charles schools own a combined 4-12 mark this season, neighboring Batavia and Geneva are a collective 14-2.
It’s a question I’ve heard countless times the past two years – what is wrong with the football teams in St. Charles?
Is it just a cycle? How does the weight room come into play? Are the St. Charles players dedicated enough? Does it have to do with the feeder programs? When will things turn around?
I certainly don’t have all the answers, so I asked the respective St. Charles coaches, Mike Fields (STC East) and Mark Gould (STC North), for their thoughts.
“It’s a combination of things,” said Fields, who guided the Saints to their first outright conference title since the 1990s during his first season at St. Charles East in 2009. “What I’ve seen take place at St. Charles East is what I saw at Geneva my first couple years there.
“My first three years at Geneva, we had one of the state’s longest losing streaks,” added Fields. “We won one game the next year, then two, and then five. It is a process, and it starts in the weight room.”
Gould agrees that getting players into the weight room as a group is a necessity.
“We’ve got to get more kids in the weight room,” said Gould. “One of the good things at St. Charles North is that we’ve got a lot of kids playing other sports but because of that we’ve had problems getting some of them into the weight room.
“We’ve got to do a better job of that but it’s a very difficult thing to do,” added Gould. “You can’t threaten them with playing time. They have to be motivated into making themselves better football players. The last couple years, that has not fallen on everybody’s ears.”
Not every school’s weight room is alike.
“I was shocked when I first stepped into the weight room during my interview,” said Fields. “We only had a few rack stations (four kids working per station). We’ve slowly but surely made some improvements, thanks to $18,000 donated from the Central Boosters. Now we’ve got seven rack stations.”
But it still pales in comparison to the facilities at Batavia and Geneva.
“Geneva has a 5,400-square foot weight room with 10 rack stations,” said Fields. “Batavia has a 7,500-square foot weight room with 32 rack stations. That means they can have 120 kids working out at one time.”
Both coaches would like to see bigger groups of players working out together at their high schools.
“It takes a special person to work out on their own for football,” said Gould. “Some kids look for an easy excuse to get out of it. But we build players in the off-season.”
“Lifting together can build trust,” said Fields. “It’s great to go to outside sources but I feel the kids can miss out on the camaraderie and team aspect. I want to see the players being around each other.”
Some years, the talent level is stronger than others.
But there’s also no substitute for strength and speed.
“A little difference in strength and a little difference in speed can make a big difference on the football field,” said Gould. “Without it, you just don’t make as many big plays.”
Losing can be tough on everyone — players, parents, fans, coaches, coaches’ families.
“We’ve got some great coaches but it can be frustrating for them,” said Fields. “I’ve been there. I’ve been with teams that were 0-27 for three years. The most important thing is to stay on course.”
“A lot of people only look at the wins and losses,” said Gould. “But there are important relationships made between players and coaches every year. There are life lessons learned.”
Sometimes, a key injury or two can prove costly for a team that isn’t blessed with depth. Other years, the ball simply doesn’t bounce your way.
But there’s always room for hope and optimism.
“We’re getting there,” said Fields. “If you can get past the wins and losses, the future is bright.”
I’ve been around long enough to know one thing — St. Charles football will be back.
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