Pantagraph.com | Sports | NCHS, CCHS, Flanagan-Woodland No. 1 seeds in football playoffs

Reader comments on this story - 29 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

RT wrote on Oct 25, 2007 10:41 AM:

" TO YOUTH FOOTBALL: No where in my comments was there a statement about the number of youth players. You listed two FACTS, but offered no proof, just statements. By the way the playoffs started in 1974. How many more teams and how many more players? What reliable source are you getting your info from? No where in the high school website does it say that youth football players enabled the Intercity teams to qualify more often. For at least 14 years a team had to win least 7 games or a conference championship to qualify. Now a team needs to win only 5 games to qualify. This is better and this is the reason more teams qualify. I go the high school website a least twice a week to keep up high school athletics throughout the state. If you don't know who RT is, then you may want to go the high school website and do some research. My last name maybe the only former Intercity coach that starts with a T. "

To 2A wrote on Oct 23, 2007 2:32 PM:

" I thought we were discussing football here? CCHS has a smaller population of students than public schools in the same playoff bracket available to come out for football, plain and simple. The next smallest school in the Cornbelt has roughly 40% more students than CC. The talent/work ethic per player and coach is thus that much more impressive if they are at the top in the class as they are this year. "

Youth Football wrote on Oct 23, 2007 2:24 PM:

" RT, where is the proof in your post? I'll keep putting out facts while you toss baseless "what if's" to the wind. FACT: Since the state playoff system started in the 1970s the number of youth football teams in the cities and youths who play football has increased. Just as you wonder how much better those athletes could have been I could easily wonder how sad it would have been if they did not get a start in youth football and missed out on playing in the NCAA. FACT: As the number of youths playing football has risen the average number of teams that qualify for the playoffs in the city has risen through that time period on average. Break it down by decade on IHSA.org for yourself. "

RT wrote on Oct 23, 2007 9:35 AM:

" To YOUTH FOOTBALL: All are great football players, but it makes a person think how good they REALLY could have been had they not had to be retrained when they got to high school. Experience can be good, but not one year experience six times. "

tri-point supporterII wrote on Oct 23, 2007 2:13 AM:

" dear tri-point supporter that is only a small part of the picture. i am not a coach but a sport booster. when you do go to other schools please check to see how many kids are working in the off season. i know. i checked the weight room out this summer. what a lack of effort. same goes with basketball,track,baseball,etc........... drive around your community and see how many kids are playing sports in the yard,driveway,parks,etc....... this community is of the understanding that the season starts when the coaches show up at practice. ask around at the other places you wish to visit. i bet they do a lot more in the OFF season than you see the "parents/athletes" here do!! second. how many players did we get from the coop with donovan that put football into 2A. if tri-point wants success on the field,court,diamond,etc..... than it needs to get into a conference that better suits its enrollment of 167. but a bigger issue would be what it really takes from parents/athletes to have a successful program. because at its current state it will NOT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!! "

Indianbacker wrote on Oct 22, 2007 9:23 PM:

" Way to go PTHS...see ya all at Williamson on sat. night...Go Indians!! "

2A??? wrote on Oct 22, 2007 7:48 PM:

" If you should be in 2A then go play in a 2A conference. Better yet. You should be in a parochial league that's where you should be!! You want a private school then you should have a private conference, a private playoff, and a private state tournament. You have 160,000 (McLean County) people that live in your "district"; the school you are playing this weekend has about 8,000 in their district. I would say that is really fair!!! Just decrease the # of kids you let in and you could be 2A or 3A... Maybe they should move you down so you guys could win a state trophy. I do believe the last state trophy in ANYTHING was in 94-95. That is pretty sad. Just remember you move down and so does Addison Driscoll (do they ring a bell???) You want me to count their state trophies for you. 6 soon to be 7. BCC just chokes every year. Last two years in BBB. Last 6 years in GBB. (Those were in 1A, they can’t move you down any further) Keep the tradition alive. Good teams, but not good enough for the big trophies. "

Ha-ha!!! wrote on Oct 22, 2007 1:02 PM:

" Yeah, the Saints should be in 2-A...riiiiiiiight! "

Youth Football wrote on Oct 22, 2007 11:19 AM:

" Billy Dicken, Dwayne Ware, Bob Brady, Marquis and Chip Mosely, Brandon Hughes, Michael Ho are some of the most talented players from the community to go onto college and even play professionally. All of these players started their careers in youth football. Further, take each years all-city teams and tell me the percentage of players who played youth football. No way youth football does not help the high school system just as much as the talented coaching staffs. "

Go Saints wrote on Oct 22, 2007 11:11 AM:

" Congrats to the Central players and coaching staff. Even though the keeps trying to make it harder and harder for the private schools, Central keeps rising to the occasion against bigger competition. Not bad when a school that should be playing 2A ball can be the best there is in 4A. "

RT wrote on Oct 22, 2007 10:18 AM:

" Congratulations to all Intercity players and coaches on a job well done. The coaching staffs in this community are excellent. Good luck in the playoffs. "

RT wrote on Oct 22, 2007 10:13 AM:

" As a former intercity coach I agree with WHATEVER'S first two sentences. Many habits have to be changed that are taught by well intended voluntary coaches. Many players come to high school with egos larger than their talent. Instead of using our snap, we had a QB that reverted back to the snap count he used in little league during one of our games. Needless to say this confused everyone including the QB. This was his third year in our program. "

Go Iron wrote on Oct 21, 2007 6:34 PM:

" Let's win another State title. It is yours, now go get it! "

To Whatever and the other Bashers wrote on Oct 21, 2007 5:45 PM:

" When you spend 10% of the time these youth coaches donate on any volunteer activity, you have the right to complain. Thanks to all the coaches, youth and HS for their hard work this season. To those still playing, best of luck. "

Bloghog wrote on Oct 21, 2007 5:41 PM:

" Congrats to all the intercity schools!! Who says there is no quality programs outside of Chicagoland? "

Whatever wrote on Oct 21, 2007 12:05 PM:

" Feel good story? The feel good story is about the high school kids...not about youth football. You want to get your facts straight...ask high school football coaches how they feel about the youth football programs. "

Tri-Point supporter wrote on Oct 21, 2007 10:49 AM:

" Even though our team stinks and we went from 44 kids to 23 in the end and a death of one of them, we still stuck together with support from our school. Its great that we have the CIFL to help teach the kids the basics even though some coaches get out of hand. Most of our kids are great players just have had some bad coaching this year at our school. Our players, well only the varsity get to practice and not the JV, they only sit and watch while 7 coaches stand and do nothing. I have seen this numerous times, I go there daily when practice was on. This is why we are moving to a better community next year, to better programs. We are going to go and watch Lexington, and maybe Pontiac too. Great job to all the teams who made it to the next round, I wish we had a chance too but its been since 1989 when we were a whole other team, we actually won into the next round. "

Normal resident wrote on Oct 21, 2007 10:10 AM:

" to "Whatever". Where do you get your information? Do you have facts to back up your claims that most kids on high school football teams did NOT play youth football? Didn't think so. I would venture to guess most kids did play youth football and were taught the right way. A feel good story and you have to mess it up. "

To Whatever wrote on Oct 21, 2007 9:52 AM:

" Get your facts straight. I'll guarantee you wouldn't be able to back up your claim that a majority of the kids didn't play youth football. While the high school coaches are doing a great job, it is helping these kids to have 6 years of football knowledge coming into high school. "

Whatever wrote on Oct 21, 2007 9:14 AM:

" Youth football has nothing to do with it. The high school coaches in the area spend more time breaking kids of their youth football habits than reinforcing them. A larger percentage of the kids on these teams never even played youth football. "

indygrad wrote on Oct 21, 2007 8:05 AM:

" IHSA sure didn't do NCHS, BHS or West any favors in the bracketing. Congrats to BHS for their 21st consecutive playoff run. I wish all the twin town teams good luck. NCHS is the third largest 6A school. Could 7A be a possibility next year? "

mark j. in Orlando wrote on Oct 21, 2007 7:53 AM:

" 1980 NCHS grad - GO IRONMEN!!! "

Iron Fan wrote on Oct 21, 2007 7:37 AM:

" Go IRONMEN! Congratulations on a great regular season! 9 and 0, 5 to go! One team, one win at a time! There is more work to do! N-C-H-S, IRON! IRON! IRON! "

mrr wrote on Oct 21, 2007 7:34 AM:

" To Intercity Football Fan: Ditto! Congratulations to all the student/athletes, coaches, and parents of the intercity high school teams and the youth football organizations. Your hard work and dedication are paying off. Are there quality high school football programs outside of Chicagoland? You better believe there are! Good luck to all the area teams in the second season! "

WAY TO GO !!! wrote on Oct 21, 2007 12:52 AM:

" CONGRATS TO HEYWORTH FOR MAKING THE PLAYOFFS... GO HORNETS !!!!! "

Intercity Football Fan wrote on Oct 20, 2007 11:25 PM:

" Congrats to all 5 of the Intercity schools for making the playoffs, that's awesome! Not only says alot for the high school programs and coaches but also the entire youth football organization in this area. Many of these kids played together or against each on the Tigers, Knockers, Irish, Mites, Cardinals, Black Knights & Cougars for years now. So hats off to the youth football programs and the coaches who taught these kids the fundementals at an early age. Good luck to all teams! "

tony lockwood wrote on Oct 20, 2007 10:27 PM:

" Bloomington all tha way "

Jaclyn's mom~ wrote on Oct 20, 2007 10:20 PM:

" Go get em Elpaso-Gridley!!!! "

Go B-N wrote on Oct 20, 2007 7:46 PM:

" Congrats to all the intercity teams. Go SAINTS and Ironmen! "

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