Well, NIU’s honeymoon as America’s Team has come to an end after losing in overtime to Buffalo. After its big win over Notre Dame, the Huskies reveled in being the talk of the town.
The largest crowd in several years at 18,000 showed up at Huskie Stadium only to witness an embarrassing loss to an average Buffalo team. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows – sports can be an emotional rollercoaster. In the high-paced world of college football, the loss has taken the Huskies off the national radar, something so hard to attain as a mid-level college.
One football team that has stayed on top of the state’s radar is Byron. In all corners of Illinois, the Tigers are receiving acclaim. Relatively speaking, other than East St. Louis, Byron may be considered the most revered team this far.
I look forward to seeing them play this week and comparing them to last year’s juggernaut. I’m also curious to see if Oregon can keep them from a running clock. Anymore, that is considered a win when opponents face them.
Everyone except Lombard Montini, that is. However, with a 2-2 record and an ongoing brutal schedule, the Broncos are in danger of missing the playoffs. Right now, they appear to be the only 3A opponent that could challenge Byron.
Some feel traditional power Wilmington may give Byron a game, but I’m not seeing it. Additionally, at 409 enrollment, Wilmington may end up in 2A.
If Oregon (417 enrollment) makes the playoffs, a 2A berth is what they are hoping for. If that’s the case, they would likely be the largest school.
While standing next to Jon and Diane Murray of Mt. Morris and watching Oregon’s homecoming parade, we began to wonder when the art of float making went away. Diane vividly remembered the excitement of her sophomore class at Beardstown winning the award for best float among all the classes.
But, that was back in the early 1970s when floats were elaborately decorated, with much thought going into them. A few days later while perusing Facebook, I came upon some Mt. Morris floats from the mid 1980s that were still decorated.
It doesn’t seem like class floats are a thing anymore. Maybe there are schools that do them up in an elaborate fashion, but I’m not seeing it. That’s okay. Times change.
In eight-man football, it continues to be the haves and have-nots, as blowouts abound. Amboy, Milledgeville and Polo are making claims as the three best teams in the state.
The “Battle of the Blacktop” with Polo traveling the 12 miles to Milledgeville is on Oct. 4. Should be a great atmosphere with both squads like coming in undefeated.
Forreston’s 13-year run of playoff appearances appears to be coming to an end and there is no shame in that. The Cardinals (1-3) play good ball, but sometimes you don’t have the talent to keep up with all the elite teams in the NUIC.
Credit to Forreston for such an impressive run and all the success in the post season.
It isn’t just football where the NUIC shines. In volleyball, Durand, Galena, Eastland, Le-Win and Stockton have all been highly ranked.
With the Oregon Hall of Fame ceremonies concluded, a couple thoughts:
It is a ton of work for the athletic department and the committee to put it all together, from soliciting nominations, making selections, arranging a halftime presentation and facilitating a banquet. A truly complex affair, with Forreston and SV probably experiencing the same in their initial year.
After visiting with some of the HOF members that I used to cover, it once again reminded me of how fortunate I am to live in a small rural community. Though I am not kinfolk to them, there remains a shared bond from being the same sporting arena in another place and time.
Here is one difficulty I envision down the line. How do you separate a whole bunch of good athletes from one another?
Can anyone name a great performer from Oregon/Mt. Morris over past 50 years? I can’t, but know a whole bunch of really good ones.
If I had to pick a couple of potential names in my time of covering Oregon athletics, it would be Jeremy Benesh in wrestling and Jordan Thomas in track. Both were among the very elite statewide in their respective sports throughout their career.
But, then I start thinking about other kids and their achievements and more names pop into my head. No doubt, there is a delicate balance to putting together a HOF.
Regarding Stillman Valley’s HOF, I’m putting in a plug for the 1967 undefeated football team, that I just learned about from chatting with former player Mark Wills at the Oregon HOF function. If I heard correctly, no one scored on the Cardinals until the final game of the season and a team reunion is being held in October.
With all the state championship teams at SV, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Additionally, the state champs had a 14-game slate to navigate; the 1967 team from the old Route 72 conference only played seven games.
Andy Colbert is a longtime Ogle County resident with years of experience covering sports and more for multiple area publications.
