Easing our way into the season
Oh...you again?
Welcome back, all you fine football friends! Glad you could join me for another season of Eyes on Five — the weekly column (in every Wednesday's Daily Herald from here on out) discussing the pertinent issues facing DuPage County's 28 football teams.
This week we'll ease into the season with some things to think about as we head into the 2017 campaign.
1. Numbers game:
We've said it before in recent years, and we're saying it again.
Participation numbers remain down for prep football. It's a problem everywhere, not just here in DuPage County.
I attended last week's preseason West Suburban Conference meeting for the 18th straight year, and it always serves as a barometer for the general state of the sport. After conducting an informal survey, freshman level numbers are trending down across the board.
Lyons Twp. and Downers Grove South — two of the WSC's biggest schools — report freshman numbers in the low 40s. That's a stunning level considering both programs used to have more than 100 players at that level.
Fifteen years ago teams in the WSC talked about arranging freshman C and sophomore B games to allow everyone a chance to play. This year a handful of teams announced they wouldn't be playing junior varsity games due to shrinking numbers.
Again, stunning.
Throughout the season we'll probe the reasons for the drop and the ramifications. Trust me, there's a lot to talk about.
2. Conference update:
This is the last season of DuPage Valley Conference football as we know it.
At the end of this school year, Glenbard North, Lake Park, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South will depart to form the DuKane Conference with Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North from the Upstate Eight Conference.
That'll leave Metea Valley, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley as the remaining members of a DVC in flux...to say the least.
As it stands now for the 2018 season, the remaining five may have to play two conference teams twice to account for gaps in the schedule. It's similar to what the DVC did in 2014 when the league stood at six schools.
Not ideal, but also not set in stone. There's still time for the nonconference gaps to be filled.
Let's hope it happens.
3. Playoff process:
Speaking of which, another proposal might be submitted to the IHSA for a statewide vote to overhaul the playoff process. Like previous efforts, the goal is to allow more teams — if not all teams — to qualify.
Proposals like this haven't been met with success in the past, but this attempt might gain traction. It'd solve numerous problems with the current system, not the least of which is difficulty of scheduling nonconference games.
One of the reasons the DuPage Valley Conference might have to play teams twice is because of the struggle they have filling their schedules. No one is eager to play DVC teams and risk a loss that might cost them a playoff berth.
Ease the burden of qualifying, and you'll ease the burden of scheduling.
More on this in the coming weeks.
4. Expectations:
Six days a week we'll bring you football coverage in the DuPage County edition of the Daily Herald.
Here's a rundown of what's to come:
On Tuesdays we'll have conference standings and bring back our weekly conversations with area linemen. You'll want to check those out. They're a hoot.
As mentioned at the top of this column, Eyes on Five runs every Wednesday between now and Thanksgiving.
Our notebook — a giant collection of news items from throughout the county — runs Thursday. We'll also announce our offensive and defensive players of the week. There's a no repeat rule, so you'll see new names every week. Dave Oberhelman's Sidelines column, which spans all sports, includes its share of football information.
Friday we'll bring you game previews. The five best games will be featured in the High Five, the remaining games in the Rest of the Best.
Starting the Friday of Week 3 we'll also run a list of area offensive and defensive leaders. It's the only place you'll find football stats representing all of DuPage County.
Saturday and Sunday, of course, feature wall-to-wall game coverage. On game days you'll want to follow me on Twitter @kevin_schmit for live game updates. You'll also get live updates from throughout the county at the handle @dhdupfootball.
While we're on the subject, do yourselves a favor and bookmark football.dailyherald.com. Every DuPage County team has its own page complete with rosters, results, stories, pictures...everything you need.
Check it out. And keep checking it out throughout the season.
5. Stat time:
Thanks to IC Catholic Prep's dominant run to the Class 3A title last November, DuPage County now boasts a whopping 30 championships since the IHSA state series began in 1974.
Anyone out there ready to add to that list? I know we're ready to follow the drive to DeKalb.
Best of luck to all this season!
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