Transition. Fall sports to Winter sports. Various levels from high school to professional. Male to female. They are all part of productive, joyful, sports.
Batavia High School football evaluated, cherished, reflected. The program is perpetually in the playoffs now. Just qualifying is inadequate.
In the Class 7A of eight classes, Batavia fell hard to Mt. Carmel of Chicago, a long-time program in excel. Mt. Carmel 64, Batavia, 26.
Batavia’s outstanding (DuKane Conference championship, overall 11-2 won-loss record, playoff semifinalist) season, was stung by the one-sided defeat. Nonetheless, the program, the expectation, the mindset, is firmly on high level.
“Our outstanding 2023 season,” wrote Batavia head football coach Dennis Piron in a widespread newsletter, “the support of the community, parents, fans, was outstanding, as always as our players battled, against one of the best teams we have faced in all my years at Batavia (35). Mt. Carmel was explosive and jumped out early and kept the pressure on all road game (in the semifinal, Saturday, Nov. 18.) There were other teams of concerns in The Voice area to advance to championship games. In Class 8A, the largest class, Lincoln-Way East will play Loyola Academy following last weekend’s 49-8 victory against Barrington. Downers Grove North will play Mt. Carmel in 7A. Cary-Grove will play East St. Louis in 6A. Nazareth Academy will play Joliet Catholic Academy in 5A.