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Pag* 2 THURSDAY, AUG. 29,19S3 »ww.w j Football-wise it would be fine with me. They have a Crystal Lake South 'Gators' Coy-Grove 'Trojans' Woodstock ^]B1u6 Str6dks' * * » » » « « v f : V * « ( » » » • « v»- J | How we shot the cover The cover photograph for Grid Scene '85 was a dual effort between Herald sports editor Sam Natrop and sports writer Chris Juzwik. As seen in the photo, Juzwlk's left leg served as the model. Natrop \ised a Canon AE-1 Program camera with a 24mm lens and shot the photo from extremely close range. The photo was one of 36 taken using Kodak ektachrome slide film with an ASA of 400. The aperature setting was 22 and the shutter speed was l-60th of a second. The idea, going into the photo session, was to create motion by blurring Juzwik's foot and keeping the ball in solid focus on the kicking tee. Several photos captured this moment, but the slide finally selected was the one taken at the moment the foot hit the ball. No, the photo is not out of focus. (Thanks to Jim B rucker for the use of his flat-toed kicking shoe.) Riverside-Brookfield begins its drive for FVC r^Afrf V> " j(J «*ft1 ? Herald News Service photo by Cliff Ward UBO'Kqj »(- By Chris Juzwik Herald sports writer RIVERSIDE -- Bill VandeMerkt makes no bones about it. The Riverside- Brookfield High School athletic director says flatly: "We want Fox Valley Conference for football." Riverside-Brookfield jumped frotn the West Suburban Conference to the Des Plaines Valley two years ago, and will play as an independent in 1965. Five Fox Valley teams -- Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove, McHenry, Crystal Lake Central and Crystal Lake South -- will square off against the Bulldogs this season. "The schools up your way are all about our size," VandeMerkt explained. "We're looking at about 1,040 students this year, but we may be under 1,000. Football-wise, we'd really like to get in. We're about ah hour from McHenry, so it would be a long drive. That's the bad thing." ^FVC athletic directors often have scheduling problems trying to work around the odd-numbered seven-team league. Often, schedule-makers have yearned for that eighth team. The only problem is, Riverside-Brookfield's addition would ease those planners' woes only for football. "If their school were a lot closer, I'd be all for it," said Bob Hight, coach of defending FVC champion Crystal Lake South. "But the distance factor is way out of line. It would make it very difficult to play JV games or evfcn Monday afternoon track meets." Crystal Lake Central coach Bill Mack, the dean of the FVC mentors, said he's also in favor of adding that eighth team to the conference, but not at the price R-B is asking. "I would like to see an eighth team in the league, but the thing I hear about Riverside-Brookfield is that they want to be in the league for Just football instead of all sports," Mack said. "I've always looked forward to playing them, but I wouldn't want to see league involvement in just one sport. It would only create scheduling differences in other sports. Either you're a league team or you're not." R-B, which was 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the DPVC in 1964, scfves two communities: the city of Riverside, with a population of about 10,000, and the city of Brookfield, with 20,000 people. "The Fox Valley would be a really good conference for us, because it's a good brand of football." VandeMerkt said. "But we would just want to get in for football. It wouldn't be good for girls' sports, because the transporta­ tion costs of traveling that far for every sport would be quite high, as you can imagine. "We're an independent this year, and we've got five Fox Valley schools scheduled, and we're just going to see how that all works out. "I was the football coach here for 26 years, so I've been around long enough to know that a lot of schools close, or merge. There will be openings around here if things with the Fox Valley don't work out. Things like this tend to have a domino effect. "But we'd look forward to getting into the Fox Valley. That would really be nice," VandeMerkt said. Woodstock coach Bob Bradshaw. whose Blue Streaks have played R-B Bob Bradshaw Woodstock If their school were a lot closer, I'd be all for it. But the distance factor is way out of line. Bob Hight South ...We would Just want to get in for football. It wouldn't be good for girls' sports, because the transportation costs of traveling that far for every sport would be quite high... Bill VandeMerkt Riv.-Brookfield the past two years and lost both games, would like another team in the FVC. "We need another team pretty bad in the league. I don't like a seven- team league, it's tough for scheduling. It's more convenient to have eight," Bradshaw said. But, the travel. "Yes, that's a problem for sports where you play another school two or three times a year. But in football, you only go there once every two years. Football-wise, it would be fine with me. They have a good program, they play good football. The two times we've played them their kids represented themselves well. They have some class." McHenry coach Joe Schlender will trot his Warriors out against R-B in McHenry's season opener Aug. 31. "We're real excited about playing them," Schlender said. "They play an exciting, open brand of football, and they've got a good program at Riverside-Brookfield, no question about it." Whose move is next is anyone's guess. But if Riverside-Brookfield were to come and beat up on all five of its Fox Valley Conference opponents, don't count on seeing the Bulldogs as part of Fox Valley Conference football, 1966. But Hight may have a plan. "As for having them in the conference, I'd love to have them. If they're willing to move their whole town over here. (Phil English and Sam Natrop contributed to this story.) m WISH YOU 600D LUCK & VICTORY IN THE 1985 SEASON! DENNIS CONWAY STATE FARM INSURANCE 3319W. ELM ST., McHENRY, IL. 815-385-7111 BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN 1985 CHINA LIGHT MSTAURANT & LOU NO! 1266 N. GREEN ST., McHENRY 815-344-3220 CRUNCH THE COMPETITION IN'85 JIM ADAMS AUTO BODY 11 W. Rte. 120, McHenry 385-4640 GOOD LUCK Pizza IN'85 LOCAL flut TEAMS McHenry 4301 W. Elm (815)344-1520 Best of Luck For inning Season! KB PARTS 1600 N. Industrial Drive McHenry 385-701 HERE'S TO A SUPER YEAR! CHAPEL HILL COUNTRV CLUB * 'iv at* 2500 N. CHAPEL HILL ROAD McHENRY, ILL. 81S-3«S-0333 GRID SCENE '85 New playoff scheme makes contenders out of also-rans By Chris Juzwik Herald sports writer If coaches ever used the excuse that unlucky 13 was the reason their teams weren't winning state high school football championships, they'll have to come up with a new alibi. Thirteen was the number of games a team in the state championship game would have played in a season. This year, it's 14 games. Any more excuses? The scenario, however, has changed. How about this one: It's Thursday night, week No. 9 of the high school football season, and sweaty brows are the norm in coach's households across Illinois. The last weekend of the regular football season, and more than 200 teams are still in contention for a post-season playoff berth. In our own area, five Fox Valley Conference teams are trying to reserve a spot, while a handful of Northwest Suburban Conference schools have a legitimate shot, as do a half-dozen independents and Big Eight squads. There is one common denominator: All the teams have 6-2 or 5-3 records. A win could put them in. A loss could yank them out. The bottom line? Extra excitement, as if high school football really needed it, right? The Illinois High School Association is experi­ menting with a hugely-expanded football playoff system. In 19B4, 96 high school football teams played in post-season playoff games. In 1965,192 teams will qualify for playoff action. But no matter how hard the IHSA tries, it can't please everyone. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely in favor of it," said McHenry coach Joe Schlender. "But really what they should do is let every team into the playoffs, like they do in basketball. It would make more money for the IHSA, which it needs for football, and it would be much more incentive for a lot of teams in the state." Actually, the new system was designed for coaches like Schlender and teams like McHenry. The Warriors are the FVC's perennial third- or fourth-place team. In the past, those positions and a 50 cents still got them nothing but a can of New Coke. But now, a third-place conference finish could be enough for a playoff berth. "It's a great chance for a lot of teams, ours included," conceded Schlender. "We could go 6-3, and make the playoffs. That would really be something for this town." BUI Mack's Crystal Lake Central squad missed out on the playoffs last year with a 7*2 record, but Mack isn't entirely sold on the new concept. "I have mixed feelings about the playoffs. I hear the argument that it's better for smaller groups in the playoffs for exclusive purposes, because it's a better, more select group," Mack said. "But I think this way is fair. This allows a good team to lose early season games, and still come back and make the playoffs," he added. There will be a 32-team bracket in each of the six classes. The expanded system called for the season to start in late August as opposed to early September, as in past years. Woodstock coach Bob Bradshaw, like Mack, had a 7*2 club in 1964, but failed to qualify for the strict IHSA playoffs. The Blue Streaks cruised to the Class 4A state title in 1963, but repeating such a feat could prove to be difficult, what with an added playoff game. Bradshaw doesn't, however, mind the shortened pre-season. "It you have an experienced quarterback, it helps," he said. "You feel like you're pressured to get everything in in such a short period of time. You work on certain phases and then you have to refine them." Bob Hight of Crystal Lake South watched his Gators mow down the Fox Valley Conference en route to a 6-0 record a year ago, before being humiliated at home by Warren, 31-0 in round line of the playoffs. "There's really two ways of looking at it. The first way, the good way, is that it will allow a lot of good teams that don't win the conference to get involved in the playoffs," Hight explained. "We've had that happen a few times in the conference, especially with Central. They've had some good teams, some good 7-2 teams that haven't made it into the playoffs. So in that aspect, I think it's great." On the other hand, there's a certain privilege to making the playoffs. It's the best team in the conference to make it there. I really don't know which side of the fence I'm on. If you're the second-place team, you know which side you're on, and if you're the third-place team, you know which side you're on," Along those same lines, the first-place team is in no matter the playoff format, so consequently, things can only get better. The new coach on the block in the Fox Valley is Jacobs' Ron Ellett, but Ellett's no stranger to winning football -- or the IHSA playoffs. Ellett won two Class 1A championships at Hampshire High School, and also finished second once. In his first year at Elgin High School last season, the fiery Ellett guided the Maroons to the Class 6A quarterfinals. And the survivor of a host of playoff wars in the old style, likes the new style. "I think it's long overdue. I love it. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 7-2 team go all the way. The new system's going to help teams that get off to a slow start." said Ellett. "I remember a team at Hampshire that lost its first two games and then lost its third game in a \ triple overtime to Genoa-Kingston. Genoa went on to win the state title and we stayed home. It'll give a team more time to develop and those that pick up a couple of quick losses will not be in a hole right away." "There have been situations in the past," re­ called Mack, a 23-year coaching veteran, "such as Marian Catholic, which had an outstanding team a few years ago and didn't get into the playoffs. "Then there was our team in 1960 when we finished 8-1 and did not make it. That same year, Antioch got the quarterfinals, and we had beaten them earlier in the year, 23-7. "I wouldn't want to compare it to a basketball regional, but that would make for a great second season. I would still not like to see a 1-8 team or an 0-9 team make the playoffs," he said. So if your team gets off to a sluggish 0-3 start, don't worry. There's still hope. But 0-4? Now there is cause for concern. (Mark Meyer and Phil English < contributed to this story.)