The start of college football and high school football always draws a focus of interest, even with hard times for many of the teams of interest in our northern Illinois sports and with the dominant sport interest for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League. Interest must not necessarily be limited to an either or, approach. Friday night high school football, Saturday college football, and Sunday NFL can keep fans focused, buzzing, and both joyous and disappointed.
Modern schedules are not quite so neat. The NFL has games on days other than Sunday and college football is played on Thursday, Fridays, and other days.
Those who are not football fans in September can continue with the Major League Baseball races and in high schools there are cross country, boys and girls, boys soccer, girls tennis, girls volleyball, girls and boys golf, and girls swimming and diving. In high school sports it is salutary to see support from boosters beyond parents, although parental support is encouraging.
Notes, here and there, include:
• Professional competition last weekend between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay area prevailed. Chicago won. Game capsules: White Sox 3, Oakland 1, ; San Francisco 2, Cubs, 1; Bears 1, San Francisco 0, for a total of Chicago 5, Bay area, 3. Keep up the good work. The Bears, especially, reflect growth in preseason games mentally that the coaching staff members and players have made commitments to make progress.
• The shortsighted prevailing preseason predictions for the Bears guessed at a nearly uniform lack of victories. What has been revealed is a strong mental approach from the team and throughout the organization. There can be moderating success, one game at a time.
• The White Sox this week moved into fifth place for top three placements in wild-card baseball playoffs.
• East Aurora High Football Old Timers Committee will hold induction ceremonies for classes celebrating 50th and 25th year teams, 1972 and 1997. The annual dinner will be Thursday, Oct. 20. Scholarships, awards, good times, camaraderie, all are part of the Club, in its 77th year. Special salute for those who perpetuate the process. Stephen (Benny) Kenyon is a leader.
• Special salute to the (Neal) Ormond family for the naming of the West Aurora (Ormond) Stadium after the involved family Thursday, Sept. 15 prior to the game against Joliet West. Showing is a commitment, more involvement, in meaningful high school sports.
• “We must finish games,” West Aurora head coach Nate Eimer said. “We did not finish on either side of the ball in the second half (in the 28-16 defeat at Plainfield Central.). “We are a better football team.”
• Montini Catholic defeated host Marmion Academy in Aurora Friday of last week, 26-3. “Montini really took it to us on both offense and defense, said veteran Marmion head coach Dan Thorpe said. Marmion will play at St. Ignatius in Friday’s CCL/ESCC White opener.