The Chicago Bears and the remainder of the National Football League (NFL) will begin the regular season the second weekend in September. The Bears will open in Los Angles against the Rams as a part of the Sunday Night Football special on NBC television. There is little to gauge the effectiveness of either team because victories and defeats in preseason take on little meaning.
Earlier than the NFL’s start, both high school and college football teams take center stage while the NFL teams solve the mystery of their football rosters, make additional plans for the season, and fine-tune the injuries suffered during the preseason games. Nonetheless football has arrived. One of the best months in sports will arrive in October when the Falls seasons are in full swing, Major League Baseball will play its World Series to the delight of its many fans, and the Winter sports, basketball and ice hockey, stop their slumber with workouts and welcome training camps.
High school sports started last week, both in football Friday, Aug. 27 and in all other Fall sports.
First games of the season in high school football often are minimally revealing. We will know much more by game three.
Nonetheless, there were noteworthy games Friday and one game Saturday in our corner of the world. Glenbard West High School, which has collected pre-season honors, Saturday, defeated visiting Grandville, Mich, 50-26.
Other games included host Batavia’s interesting 33-6 victory against Phillips High school in Chicago, the latter twice recently a State champion. Batavia will play a big non-conference game at Oswego Friday which is essential because a talented Neuqua Valley team defeated Oswego last week, 37-26.
East Aurora defeated host Elgin, 32-14, in an Upstate Eight Conference opener. Each team has been evolving from recent struggles. Glenbard South, Glenbard East, and Streamwood, each won an Upstate Eight game Friday.
West Aurora defeated Plainfield South, 28-14, and will play host to Romeoville Friday. Yorkville thumped Romeoville, 44-14.
“I thought we had a lot less mistakes than we did week one during the Spring,” Yorkville head coach Dan McGuire said. “Our offensive and defensive line play was much improved from the Spring, as well.”
DuPage Valley teams from Naperville showed strength. In addition to Neuqua Valley’s victory, Naperville Central defeated Hinsdale Central, 14-2, and Naperville North defeated Benet Academy, 35-12, both in non-conference games.
Kaneland beat Andrew, 27-23, Geneva beat Metea Valley, 20-15, and Plano blanked visiting Aurora Central Catholic, 44-0.