Still, comments continue to come in on the Illinois High School Association proposed format to begin with in the Autumn 2021 when varsity football conference play will be eliminated and teams will be put into district competition. Comments were in The Voice the last two weeks.
“I think it’s a terrible idea,” West Aurora High School head coach Nate Eimer said earlier this week. “This will probably end conference shuffling, but it will cause schools to be stuck in a schedule where they cannot compete and will cause schools to cancel football. I predict 30 to 40 schools will drop football in the next five years. Figuring out the rest of our lower levels will be a mess.
“If people voted for this (format) in our area it is probably because they think they have a better chance to win in the new district format than they do in the old conference format….Our program will continue to get better and compete with the best teams in the State.”
• Scott Hennig, head boys basketball coach at Geneva High, which improved to 15-0 with a buzzer-beating three-point shot Friday in a 66-65 overtime victory over visiting Wheaton North in a first-place DuKane Conference showdown: “(Our) team comes to practice every day looking to improve. (Our new DuKane) is a great conference. Every night is a challenge.” Geneva, 15-0 overall and 4-0 in DuKane is the only undefeated large school in the Chicago area.
• Waubonsie Valley Warriors boys are 13-2 and 2-1 in the DuPage Valley: “We have been strong at scoring in transition and defensively.” Head coach Jason Mead.
• West Aurora is 14-3 overall and 7-0 in the Upstate Eight: “I can count on Traevon Brown (see page 10) to show up every day with outstanding effort on both side of the floor. He is our leader. (Reserve) Dimitrios Bazos has come into games all year with a ton of energy. He is a versatile defender. (Reserves) Logan Mont (steady) and Axel Motola have come on strong.” Head coach Brian Johnson.
• East Aurora is 4-12 and 2-4 in the Upstate Eight: “Elgin (7 p.m. Friday at EA) is better than the first time we played (East Aurora won, 65-52) and will be ready for or primary guys (Jules Williamson and Josh Pryor).” Head coach Rick Robinson.