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Post Info TOPIC: What's it going to take? State Finals


Varsity member

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What's it going to take? State Finals


RSVP right now for the state finals.

Are you going to be there?

Why or why not?

Every year I see some big crowds for one class, but it drops off the next game. I'm waiting to see some numbers like the first year the games were in Champaign, or if we're lucky, the 25,000 or so that were at NU back in the early 80's.

What are the match up that you want to see? And what do you think might bring more people to the state finals?

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Vincent Johnson/Editor-in-Chief www.IHSFW.com Somebody has to cover the entire state.


Pop-Warner member

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The absolute best place to hold the state finals would be Soldier Field. I would think that most every player in the state would cherish the opportunity to play on the Bear's home field for the state championship. As a parent, who wouldn't want to see their son play on such a wonderful football field. Would attendance double or triple? Chicago or Champaign? No brainer.


Another location? Wrigley Field. It would be absolutely wonderful to see the state finals in the "Friendly Confines". One can only imagine how much attendance would multiply.


Illinios high school football is first class all the way across the state. Chicago is a first class city. It would make it a truely first class finals.


...just imagining what memories would be made for all the special teams fortunate enough to be able to say they remember playing their state finals game at Soldier Field or at Wrigley Field...



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The Hebron folks will be pulling for Alden-Hebron, of course, but also sending the good vibes out to Harvard in 4A, Marian Central in 5A and Cary-Grove in 6A.


I'm sure no matter what happens, there'll be interesting stories to tell come next week.  Time for me to get rested up for the long drive to Aledo tomorrow morning!  200 miles...



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I will go only if my LZ BEARS go down there. Gotta root for some team and might as well be the school I attend. It's my senior year and this is the farthest we have gotten in playoffs since 2002 where we reached semis. The match I would like to see: LZ v. East St. Louis. The 2 fastest teams in the state playing against each other, in what I believe to be the most competitive class this year. I wish the game would not be held at Champaign, but instead Soldier Field. Much nicer, but then, it would be hard to get a good student section feel going with numbered seats. Maybe NIU or NU.

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>BART>


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I to would love to see the games in Soldier Field, but I don't want that to happen for one of two reasons.

The first is. This is the Illinois state finals not the Chciago area finals. I don't for see a move to Chicago helping bring more fans out for any of the smaller classes and maybe just 7A & 8A to tell you the truth. From 1 to 5A there is basically just one Chicago area team, Driscoll. (I'm sorry, Woodstock & Maple Park are past the burbs. So is Plano).

Second, I think it's fiiting that the games be played in a quality stadium, which is why I hope they never get moved to NIU or back to ISU. With the renovation of Memorial Stadium next year, I think U of I will be the best venue in the state, including Soldier Field.

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I   will  go to the  state  finals unless  I am  offered to  work overtime on Friday. 


I   think  the  state   championship  should  stay   in Champaign. It   is  centrally  located


and  it  just seems  right   that  they are  at  the   University  Of  Illinois.


I  vote  a  big   NO    for soldier  field,   but  I  am  not a  bears  fan. ;)


As   far as  small school   finals I   think  Aledo vs.  Tuscola  would  be  a  great  State  Championship  final.   After  Aledo   beat  Dakota  I thought  they  were  a  shoe  in for  1A champion,  but   after  seeing how  well Lexington played at  Stockton  saturday, I am  a   bit   more  concerned.


A great   class   2A   final    would  be   Morrison  vs.  Maroa-Forsyth,   I  was a   big   fan of  Jeff  Query    when  he  played   in the   NFL,  but   Id  have  to   pull  for  Morrison,  the   most   local   of   area  teams   left.


anyone  else  have  anythoughts  on  1A and  2A ?     



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Vince,


I would love to go, but unfortunately the nature of my business has me working long hours over the Thanksgiving break (i work in the Holiday industry) and getting to Champaign on Friday or Saturday is nearly impossible.  Hopefully I will have some time to catch a local Thanksgiving tournament or two.


 


 



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JV Team member

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Now that Cary-Grove has been eliminated, I'll be spending that weekend at home.


You'll never see 25,000 at the finals unless they're moved back to the Chicago area. Even though Champaign is centrally located geographically, it's a simple fact that Chicago is the population center of the state. Many people are willing to drive 3 or 4 hours or more, to see their local team play in the championship game; however, only a relatively small number of die-hard high school football fans will drive that far if their own team is not involved.


Looking at the distribution maps on the IHSA website, classes 2A - 4A would be most affected by a move to Chicago; many of these teams are located in central and southern IL. 1A would be less affected, as many of these teams are located in the northwest corner of the state and along the I80 corridor. 5A - 8A are mostly located in the Chicago area.


I doubt that a move to the Chicago area would have a major negative impact even for the smaller classes; people will still come out to see their own team. The difference would be in the number of casual HS football fans who might want to catch the finals if they don't need to travel too far. Obviously, you'll get many more of these in the Chicago area.


I, for one, probably would go to the finals if they were at Soldier Field, NU, NIU, etc.


I was really looking forward to a CG - Normal matchup, but now I guess I gotta go with Batavia; at least we could say we lost to the champs. Good luck this week against Geneva, Bulldogs!



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I will be making the trip to chambana if Bureau Valley makes it back to the 3a finals. It would be great to see Morrison there as well with them being in the same conference. I believe the attendance has dropped because the games are on TV, and it is usually cold out and the real true fans only sit out in the cold.

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I   agree  with  stormchasers comments  about   TV and the  cold  weather affecting   the   attendance at  State  Finals.   I   went to  Champaign  last  year and  was  in line  before the  doors  opened, and by the  time  the  class  2A  game  was   completed  I  was  ready to  get  to a  warm  spot.   Sorry, storm, I  left   right  before  your  game  started.


I   have never  been to  Saturday's   games,  but  I   thought   attendance   for  the Class 1A and  Class 2A   games  was  well attended for the  size   of the  schools involved.


Freeport   Aquin  is  one  of the  smallest 1A  schools and was  well represented, as  well  as  Dakota,   which   school  district is   comprised   of   4   small     farming   communities.  I   know  our  local  radio station wondered if the  last  person  to  leave   Dakota   remembered  to  to  turn off the  lights.   LOL


By   the  way  Stormchaser,   my  son  was   leaving the  field  as  your   boys were getting ready   to   come   out  of the  locker  room,   and  commented  that   you   had  the   "coolest uniforms"  he   had  ever  seen.   I thought   you  might   enjoy that comment.


 


 


 


 


 


    



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Dakota, you sort of proved my point with your comment about the turnout at your game last year. Loads of people will come out to support their local team regardless of the location, weather, TV, etc. However, I think a Chicago area final would draw many more passive onlookers, even for the smaller classes (believe it or not, some of us Chicago area fans actually do follow the smaller schools). For all you perennially tough small schools up in the NW corner, a Chicago final would actually be closer. For Bureau Valley I think it'd be about a wash.


Stormchaser, I have a personal connection to BV and have been closely watching their success for the last few years. Hope to see you in the finals again this year. You're a perfect example of my argument; I've never actually seen a BV game and would go for sure if the finals were held nearby. Best of luck against the Reapers, it may be one of the best games this weekend, in any class!


I'm really bummed that most of the games are on Saturday evening. I'll have to flip a coin to decide between BV/Plano, Geneva/Batavia, or Kaneland/Marian Central. It may be possible to catch most of the BV/Plano game (5 PM start), then rush back to Woodstock to catch the second half of Kaneland/Marian Central (7 PM start). One thing I can say for sure; I'm real tired of hearing about Lincoln-Way East / Mt. Carmel. They seem to think that's the only meaningful game being played this week.



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I'm glad someone else noticed that to CGFBdad.  The Provi/St. Rita and LWE/MC games are good, but you're right, I'm so incredibly sick of hearing about it. 

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Luckily we children of the corn do not have to listen to the chicago talking heads much. The only one i hear anything from is Bob Sako, and thats just in one ear and out the other, so many things i could say about him. Anyway,CGFBdad how are you connected to the Storm? Im involved with BVTV, where we show the BV games on tapedelay, and always like to share stories of people we talk to and have moved away but still follow the team.


BV's fans would travel anywhere their team is playing. BV just played at West Handcock in Warsaw, a 3 hour drive, and outnumbered the home crowd. The problem with a chicago finals is many things. The far south teams, like DuQuoin, Herrin, Decatur, Breese, all would have a very far journey to make, in the 6-7 hour travel range.


The point of the state finals is to have as many of the teams family, friends, and fans at that game to be apart of the finals. For many teams having the finals in chicago would severely hurt the following. One other factor i believe, is just the ease of getting around champaign verse trying to fight traffic in chicago. Champaign is simple, spacious, and central.



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Oh by the way, BV beats Plano to make it back to state. Plano really helped out the Storm by having the game just about the time the wind dies down, 5pm. The BV passing attack will be out in full force. And yes, the BV unis are real cool. A lot better than what i played in. CGFBdad, you dont want to miss this game if at all possible, it will be a great one.

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I agree that a move to Chicago would be a major inconvenience for many downstate teams, and I'm not advocating that the games be moved; Champaign is fine with me. I'd go see my team even if the games were held in Carbondale. Besides, Memorial Stadium brings back some good memories for me.


I simply was responding to IHSFW's comment, "I'm waiting to see some numbers like the first year the games were in Champaign, or if we're lucky, the 25,000 or so that were at NU back in the early 80's." I don't think we'll ever see 25,000 without a move to Chicago. But, like you said, it's more important to consider the needs of the teams involved than those of unattached fans.


As for my connection to BV, I have some cousins from that area whose kids attend(ed) BV. One is John Elliott, who played on the 3rd place basketball teams a while back; another is Janelle Danielson, who ran track a few years ago. A few more are still in school; I'm not sure whether they play on any of the teams.


I've decided to try to make the rounds with BV/Plano and Kaneland/Marian. Hate to miss out on Batavia/Geneva, but I can't be in 3 places at once. Still, I'd rather be sitting at Al Bohrer field in Cary, but the stands would be awfully empty. It's tough, going through the pain of football withdrawal.



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The younger Elliot boy is on the football team. All the sophs dress varsity so he will be on the sidelines:) GO STORM

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Thanks for the info; I'll be looking for him. Good Luck, Storm!

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Finals at Champaign are nice.  The crowd doesn't begin to fill and warm the stadium.  You can't hardly hear the cheering on the field because the crowd is up and back.  Particularly if attendance is down due to weather-  The finals at Normal were a much more frenzied atmosphere- closer and the stadium fills easier.  More celebratory.  The finals are a bigger fish in a smaller pond at Ill. State's field type of thing.  It's cool to play at U of I, it's cool to play anywhere like that.  But for atmosphere, I don't think you can beat ISU. 


 


Moving any state final to Chicago would be a HUGE error on the part of the IHSA.  We'd have the same problems doing that as the state of Illinois has with Chicago based governors.


 


Never mind the geographic advantages of a centrally located tournament, either in Champaign or Normal, or even (God forbid) Peoria.  That's a no brainer.



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As someone who was in the stands for a state finals game at ISU, I hope the finals never go back there. I know they've enlarged it some since I was in school, but the number of problems that was cuased by fans showing up early and not be able to find a seat was horrible.

Also, I was on a section of railing that collapsed when we won and people rushed forward to the front of the vitors' stands. leaving some kids hanging or falling several feet to the ground.

ISU even with the endzone bleachers will never be big enough for the state finals, Solider Field & Northwestern and maybe NIU, are really the only other venues in the state large enough, I feel, for the event. With the Prep Bowl already in place for 85 years at Solider Field, it's Northwestern or U of I in my mind. Unless Chicago builds a stadium for the Olympics that could have a football use after words.

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Vincent Johnson/Editor-in-Chief www.IHSFW.com Somebody has to cover the entire state.
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