Back at it for a 28th year of covering sports. As I write this, it is one of those 100-degree days and the practice fields are empty as teams adhere to the IHSA heat guidelines.
Which brings me the topic of a cool dip in a swimming pool, which is getting harder and harder to find these days. Recently, Sauk Valley News had articles on the demise of outdoor pools in Dixon and Sterling.
Both have been gone for many years, as have numerous other pools all over the country.
Extremely high maintenance costs, skyrocketing insurance and lack of staffing are major reasons for closures. Tis a shame, as I recall how instrumental an outdoor pool was for me as a youth in Galva and Rochelle.
A rite of passage for us second graders was to go off the high dive in the Galva pool. Scary, but rewarding. Now, many pools have gotten rid of any type of diving boards, opting for slides or climbing walls.
In the midst of all the obstacles in keeping a public pool up and running, credit to small-town Polo for keeping theirs’ open for all ages to enjoy. There are so many more complexities to it than when I was a kid in Galva back in the 1960s. Life was simpler then.
As you get older, there becomes a sense of nostalgia and a bonding with people of your own age group, as we relate to commonalities in our upbringing. Lately, there has been a clash with younger generations in respective mindsets. Kind of boomers versus snowflakes.
Rather than join in the fray, my goal is to refrain from that dialogue and keep this column a curmudgeon-free zone. So, I will not espouse the character-building virtues of having three-a-day football practices in weather like this in full gear with only a sip or two of water.
Here’s something that it much different than my era and a real plus. Rather than engaging in boring scrimmages with your own practice mates, football teams are inviting other schools over for this purpose.
For example, Oregon hosted EPC for a live scrimmage at the Red-White Night. The same was done between Byron and Stillman Valley. Very cool concept.
With perennial door mat Rockford Christian opting out of football, teams in the Big Northern were given a chance to upgrade their schedule, something was previously impossible as a 10-team closed football conference, one of only seven such leagues like that in Illinois.
Byron scored a coup by adding Williamsville, whom they lost to in a 2019 state-title thriller. In a remarkable track record, Byron has been in four state finals and two semis in last six years.
Oregon also got a marquee matchup. They will be hosting 2A state runner-up Athens, in the last week of the regular season. The Hawks could have taken the easy way out and gained a forfeit and potentially rest its players for the playoffs.
Let the kids play, even if it is against a more formidable opponent than RC. Oregon is favored to make the playoffs, but if injuries or bad breaks derail that dream, at least there would still be something at stake to play for in week nine instead of turning gear in a week early.
It was encouraging to see 20 seniors on the roster. A few years ago, Oregon barely had 20 total varsity players out.
After struggling for last decade, this was to be the year for the Hawks to break out of the slump, especially with a solid junior class backing up the seniors.
Of course, Byron remains the team to beat. Watch out for Dixon too, a team Oregon is still looking to get its first win over.
In its best performance last year, Oregon beat Stillman for first time in recent memory (what this means is I’m too lazy to look up the date). Let’s not forget Stillman handed Byron its last conference loss in being crowned co-champs in 2022.
Week one brings of three intriguing matchups that may set the tone for the league, as Oregon travels to North Boone, Stillman to Dixon and Lutheran to Winnebago.
As a private school in Rockford, Lutheran could be a real wild card. They have some skilled athletes returning and have the benefit of being 1A because of its 288 enrollment.
Stillman and Dixon will be the contest everyone will be paying attention to, as it will be a barometer for where each program stands.
More on the NUIC and eight-man football next week. One thing is certain though. The NUIC got even tougher with the loss of West Carroll and addition of Morrison.
West Carroll went eight-man, making a tidy 10-team northwest conference within a reasonable driving distance for Polo.
Andy Colbert is a longtime Ogle County resident with years of experience covering sports and more for multiple area publications.
