Focus on events other than this year’s Super Bowl

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The sports whirl does not come to a standstill during the Super Bowl, or, Super Bowl week, however, it is the premier event at this time of the year. The Voice, a community-based newspaper offers its limited coverage on this year’s Super Bowl.

Who will win the Super Bowl game? There are no tips within this page between Cincinnati and the L.A. Rams. Both teams have played well and it is likely the team with the best defense will prevail. Sports victors often are teams that keep opponents to fewer points rather than out score opponents.

• Enjoyment, for example, includes high school Winter State tournament countdowns sectional wrestling meets in the upcoming weekend prior to the individuals State meet in three classes February 17-19 in Champaign at the site of the University of Illinois. The team dual State meet will be the following weekend, February 25-26, in Bloomington. Girls State bowling tournament will be February 18-19 in Rockford. Boys State swimming and diving will be February 25-26 at the spacious FMC Natatorium in Westmont. Girls basketball regional tournaments will begin Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14, and the boys regional tournaments in four classes will begin Monday, Feb. 21. New this year in boys basketball will be all four classes in the State tournaments in one three-day run, March 10-12 in Champaign. Strong fan turnout would be wonderful because community interests and allegiances are on the line. In the early 1970s the University of Illinois, site of more than 16,000 were sold out for the semifinals with the top four teams competing. Is that day gone with an emphasis on professional sports and college basketball televised games reaching 20 each Saturday? Memory steers this corner to one college basketball game on Saturdays each week in the 1950s and early 1960s, the 3:30 p.m. Bill Flemming broadcast of the Big Ten Conference basketball game of the week. One game per week. Thankfully there were several broadcasts of the Loyola University march to the NCAA tournament championship in 1963. Cable television has helped add to the college basketball list of games available.

• The University of Illinois men’s basketball team will be on the road for only one Saturday when there are tournaments in the Assembly Hall, the February 19 game at Michigan State. Tuesday this week, the Illini, 17-5 overall, were in a key game at Purdue, 20-3. A possible trap game for the Illini is the Sunday, Feb. 13 1 p.m. home game against improving Northwestern, 11-10 through Monday this week. The Big Ten Conference tournament will be March 13-19 in Indianapolis.

• Glenbard West High school boys team drew 10,000 fans Saturday to DePaul’s home court to see an intersectional game with a team from California. Glenbard West is one of the strong high school teams in The Voice circulation area with undefeated conference record. West is in the West Suburban Silver. Other undefeated conference teams are Wheaton Warrenville South in DuKane, Benet Academy in East Suburban Catholic, Burlington Central in the Fox Valley, Somonauk in the Little Ten, Oswego East in the Southwest Prairie West, Bolingbrook in the Southwest Suburban Blue, and Larkin in the Upstate Eight.

• There were many key boys basketball rivalry games last weekend, including Batavia’s 38-36 victory against rival Geneva.

• Geneva High School will honor its new Athletic Hall of Fame members, Olympic Games medalist Kevin McDowell, two-time State champion cross country coach Bob Thomson, and track star Whitley Jordan, Friday, Feb. 11

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