Fillies, Knights race to wins

One streak continues.

Another streak ends.

That's the short version of the Mid-Suburban League's varsity sports story for 2007-08.

The long version shows Barrington and Prospect switching positions at the top in the year-long battles for possession of the Paddock Trophy and Paddock Cup.

They're both No. 1 … and No. 2.

The awards presented by Paddock Publications represent varsity sports excellence in girls and boys sports in the Mid-Suburban League.

For four straight years, that excellence was clearly demonstrated by Barrington, which finished No. 1 in both the Paddock Trophy race for girls and Paddock Cup race for boys.

In fact, Barrington's girls carried a streak of six straight Paddock Trophy titles heading into this school year.

Make that seven straight.

While the Fillies continued their dominance by winning another Trophy title in 2007-08, Prospect's boys finally knocked off Barrington in the battle for the Paddock Cup after a dry spell of 23 years.

Last year's Cup race went down to the wire with Prospect staging a strong spring to put the heat on Barrington. However, the Broncos held off the charge and won in a photo finish.

This year Prospect had too much overall balance in the fall, winter and spring and wasn't going to be denied in returning the Cup to the Kensington Road school in Mount Prospect for the first time since 1984-85.

While Barrington and Prospect switched the No. 1 position in the competition for girls and boys sports, Fremd came in as a solid No. 3 in both races.

Points are awarded for each school's finish in Mid-Suburban League competition only, and every varsity sport is treated the same way.

There are no major and "minor" sports. They're all major at the varsity level.

Conference champions receive 14 points, an important plus in the standings, and the runner-up earns 12. Points then are distributed down the line.

The final standings are determined on the average points per sport.

There is a formula that determines points for sports that do not have overall standings but only divisions.

The key to winning the overall points championship in both the Trophy and Cup battles or even being in title contention is to avoid as much "down" time as possible.

In other words, schools must try to keep from having too many second-division finishes in MSL varsity competition. Those can prove costly at the end.

Through a 1997 agreement with the MSL Board of Control, complete standings of Nos. 1-12 are not published. Only the first-division schools are announced each year in girls and boys sports.

The publication of the final standings 1-12 put so much negative emphasis on some schools that it created bad feelings within the communities involved.

The awards were initiated by Paddock Publications to emphasize overall success and not advertise athletic programs that might have problems in any particular school year.

Paddock Trophy

GIRLS SPORTS

Average points per sport (14 is maximum)

1. Barrington 11.25

2. Prospect 9.85

3. Fremd 9.57

4. Hersey 9.12

5. Schaumburg 7.61

6. Conant 7.35

6. Palatine 7.35

Barrington's drive to 5 MSL girls' championships in 2007-08 made things pretty easy once again as the school broke Palatine's record of 6 straight Trophy titles with No. 7.

As usual, the Fillies shot out of the gate in the fall, wrapping up 3 MSL titles and a runner-up position, and they never looked back.

Although they didn't match the remarkable 12.4 points per sport they achieved in 2006-07, the Fillies still came in with a strong 11.25, or the equivalent of an average of third place in all the MSL sports.

Barrington now has won the Paddock Trophy for girls 11 times in the past 14 years.

Mike Obsuszt is the athletic director at Barrington.

Paddock Cup

BOYS SPORTS

Average points per sport (14 is maximum)

1. Prospect 9.62

2. Barrington 8.85

3. Fremd 8.77

4. Conant 8.69

5. Schaumburg 8.42

6. Palatine 8.27

Prospect was a little slow out of the gate in the fall, but the Knights more than made up for that with a strong winter and spring.

Overall, Prospect's varsity boys program had seven sports with 10 or more points, the equivalent of a fourth-place finish in the MSL.

Tom Martindale is the boys' athletic director at Prospect.

Prospect now has won five Paddock Cups. The school had a streak of three straight titles from 1978-81 and then added No. 4 in 1984-85.

Arlington, Hersey, Prospect, Fremd, Schaumburg and Barrington have all retired a Paddock Cup because of at least three straight victories.