Thanksgiving Day means the convergence of college football and college basketball and high school football and high school basketball and it is all good. It is relief, perhaps for long-suffering Bears’ fans who have suffered through five consecutive defeats and wanted to take it out on the 0-9-1 Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day.
In sports, consequential games can mean championships, playoffs, bowl games, and confrontations with rivals. In basketball there are high hopes for good starts and fast finishes.
North Central College’s football team, ranked No. 1 in the Nation in Division III will play a second-round game at home in Napervlle at high noon Saturday, Nov. 27 against the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.
The name Thorne is synonymous with successful football. Head coach Jeff Thorne has been the North Central head coach since 2015 and led the 2019 team the national championship. He was an all-State quarterback in 1989 at Wheaton Central High School under his father, John Thorne, the latter head coach at North Central 2002-2014, where his won-loss record was 118-30. The Thorne name gains continuity with son and grandson, Payton Thorne, is the starting quarterback at Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference. The redshirt sophomore, 6-2 and 210 pounds, won the Spartans’ starting job last year and has helped steer the team to success. Michigan State is ranked No. 12 for college football playoffs. Payton Thorne played at both Metea Valley High School in Aurora and Naperville Central High School. On those teams was Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed, a Michigan State redshirt-junior. Connections continue.
Anticipation of success is widespread with the Thornes and North Central.
• High School State football championships in eight classes Friday and Saturday, following Thanksgiving Day, will conclude the season.
• High school basketball Thanksgiving tournaments are fun and barometers to measure teams’ success and less climactic. Thanksgiving tournaments bring thoughts of long-standing high school coaches from years past, in Ron Johnson, John McDougal, and Ernie Kivisto, all with Fox River Valley connections. Each late coach has memories etched in many fans’ minds. The St. Charles East Thanksgiving Tournament has been named in Ron Johnson’s memory.
• College basketball will shift into high gear following Thanksgiving and early indications reveal the University of Illinois’ high hopes must move into recovery mode with a 3-2 record following a 72-64 victory against Kansas State earlier this week. There is a long way to go.
• All-State high school players, according to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) include many players with successful seasons this year to include schools such as Lockport Township, Oswego, Batavia, Yorkville, Marmion. We will plan to use the list next week.
• As matter of record we seek to focus on our teams’ success in The Voice region of interest and Chicago Red Stars soccer finished in second place:
Quarterfinals
Chicago 1, NJ/NY 0
Washington 1, North Carolina 0
Semifinal
Washington 2, Tacoma 1
Chicago 2, Portland 0
Final
Washington 2, Chicago 1