Not all of the sports world is fascinated or focused on the big-time situations such as the Bears, big-time college football, or other premier professional gigs. Yes, they are compelling. So are high school sports, Division III small-college football playoffs, and other situations out of the glare of television and big money.
• The Division III football playoffs will evolve into the quarterfinal round Saturday, Dec. 3 and include both Aurora University and North Central College. Each school has won two playoff games and two more, tough, grind-it-out victories, would put each team in the championship game, and yes, against each other. We should not look ahead. One bad bounce of the football, one bad break, one key injury, can put on the sidelines the best of teams. North Central won the D-III national championship last year and has been ranked No. 1 in the country most of this season. North Central will play host to Ithaca (N.Y.) at noon Saturday, Dec. 3 in Naperville with a berth in the semifinals on the line. Aurora University will play at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, at noon Saturday, Dec. 3 for a berth in the semifinals. North Central is undefeated and Aurora, 11-1, has not lost since the season-opener. Don Beebe is the head coach at Aurora University and originated at Kaneland High School. Following graduation from Chadron State in Nebraska, his speed on the field as a pass receiver took him to six Super Bowl games in the National Football League (NFL), four with Buffalo, two with Green Bay. Both D-III games with the schools in our geographic area are of interest. The national championship game will be Friday, Dec. 16 at the Navy Marine Corps Stadium n Annapolis, Md.
• High school football reached its conclusion Saturday, Nov. 26. State champions included Nazareth Academy in 5A and IC Catholic in 3A.
• Soccer is big in the world and the World Cup every four years is not small. It nearly matches the every-four-year-run of the Olympic Games. Soccer’s growth in the U.S. still has not matched the Super Bowl or World Series. Just be happy the U.S. survived this week.