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1. Middle school volleyball is in full swing -- Many of
you probably didn't realize that once the high school season ended,
area coaches like Donna Dulle (Mount Pulaski), Jennifer Hayes (Hartem),
Charissa Howe (Lincoln) and Megan Nissen (Illini Central) don't take
the winter season off. Instead, these proven winners can be found
most days in tiny grade school gyms coaching up the varsity starters
of the future. Saturday, from 1 p.m. until close to 10, I watched up
close as their teams, along with squads from C-EL, WL-B, Clinton and
several others competed in the annual eighth-grade tourney at Mount
Pulaski. Congrats to the Chester-East Lincoln Panthers on their
undefeated 4-0 run on Saturday to secure the title. 2.
Middle school boys basketball crowns regional champs --
Congratulations to coach Brent Gresham's 7-2A champs at Mount
Pulaski, the Illini Central 7-2A champs, the Warrensburg-Latham 7-3A
champs and coach Darren Worth's 7-3A champs at Lincoln Junior High.
Mount Pulaski will play host to Blessed Sacrament of Springfield;
Illini Central will meet Heyworth; and W-L will play at Lincoln
Junior High for the chance to go to state. All three of these games
will be played Wednesday evening.
3. Lincoln H.S. beats Southeast, then slips up against
Canton -- Friday night's win at home against Southeast was huge
for a couple of reasons. First, it vaulted the Railers back to the
.500 mark in conference play at 5-5. Second, it marked a signature
win against a really good Spartan team. Finally, it allowed Lincoln
to creep within two games of second place in the Central State Eight
-- who would have thought that was possible four weeks ago? Saturday
night at Canton was another story, but hopefully the strong play of
2008 is here to stay and the Railers are ready to make some February
noise!
4. Warrensburg-Latham continues its perfect season --
The Cardinals are a perfect 19-0 and continue to make their claim at
being the best small-school team in the state of Illinois. Of
course, with the change to a four-class system this year, I need to
say the best 1A team in the state. Zack Boyd is the best player in
the Okaw Valley, and the Cards are absolutely loaded from top to
bottom. And don't forget, this is the conference that put three
teams in the Sweet Sixteen in 2006-07 (W-L, Maroa-Forsyth, Central
A&M). What will 2008 bring? It sure looks like a state championship
could be in the works for coach Vic Binkley and crew.
5. The Illini try to avoid a lost season completely
-- OK, let's be honest -- no one gets overly excited about a down
year like this one. I don't enjoy watching teams like Miami of Ohio
and Penn State win at the Assembly Hall, and a losing season record
is almost unheard of. But, one thing is really evident -- the true
fans are obvious and the fair-weather fans should probably go fly a
kite. It's pretty hard to believe someone who wants the 2005
national coach of the year fired immediately is a true fan. It's
pretty hard to believe someone who believes this year is anything
other than a blimp in the legacy (similar to 1999 during Lon
Kruger's reign) is a true fan. Next year will be different and
better -- can't wait to see Jamar Smith back and Alex Legion in
orange and blue. Hang in there -- true Illini fans!
6. The Bulls battle the injury bug -- Speaking of
lost seasons, how about those Chicago Bulls? Just three months ago,
days before the start of the regular season, talk of a trip to the
NBA finals was making the rounds in the Windy City. Finals fever
quickly evaporated after another very slow start in the Scott Skiles
era, and Skiles' Christmas present from the organization consisted
of his walking papers. Now, stars Luol Deng and Ben Gordon are
missing games like Ben Wallace is missing free throws, and the Bulls
appear to be heading from bad to worse. A team with players like
Deng, Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Wallace, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah
shouldn't be nestled several games under .500 and outside the
playoff race and looking in.
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7. Tiger Woods continues to amaze -- Woods shot a
19-under-par 269 to win the Buick Invitational by eight strokes on
Sunday. Woods was far from his best, and it didn't matter in the
least, as he tied Arnold Palmer for fourth all-time in tour history
with his 62nd career win. I readily admit, I don't know much about
the game of golf, and you won't catch me on your local course
anytime soon, but Tiger Woods is an athlete who transcends sports
and demands to be noticed. Like Muhammad Ali in boxing, Babe Ruth in
baseball and Michael Jordan in hoops, Woods is more than just a
golfer -- he's become a legend at such a young age.
8. OK -- Super Bowl XLII -- Giants vs. Patriots --
Let's start by comparing and contrasting the offenses for each team.
New England has maybe the greatest clutch QB of all time in Tom
Brady, along with superstar receiver Randy Moss and several
excellent role players. The Giants feature up-and-down QB Eli
Manning, along with solid receivers Plaxico Burress (Michigan State
grad) and Amani Toomer (Michigan grad). The running game would seem
to favor the Patriots and Lawrence Maroney, although the Giants have
been able to run the ball during the postseason. And while the
Giants have looked good in making the run to the Super Bowl, the
advantage on offense goes to New England.
9. What about defense, special teams and
coaching? -- I think the defenses are pretty much a push. Both
teams have been able to shut down teams when it was necessary, and
both teams can put pressure on the QB. I do think, however, that New
England could possibly rattle Manning much more than New York will
rattle Brady, so I'll give a slight edge on D to the Patriots.
Special teams and coaching would seem to favor New England
heavily, although I find it fascinating that the very unlikable Bill
Belichick seems to be coaching against one of his few friends in the
NFL in Tom Coughlin. The Giants' kicker, Lawrence Tynes, needed
three tries against Green Bay before finally putting away the Pack
and will not have opportunities to waste Sunday against the
undefeated Patriots.
10. Prediction time --
This is the moment you have all been waiting for -- the official G.T.
Super Bowl 2008 prediction (keep in mind -- I went just one for four
in semifinal predictions three weeks ago): New England makes
history, wins their 19th straight game, and the '72 Miami Dolphins
are finally shut up once and for all. Randy Moss wins the game MVP
award, and Bill Belichick actually cracks a smile 30 minutes after
the game. Final score? How about this:
New England 38
New York 17
Have a great week and enjoy the big game. Next Tuesday is the
first-ever Super Duper Tuesday, when 20-some states, including
Illinois, have their primary elections. Plan now to exercise your
right to vote and be active in the political process. Isn't it
wonderful to live in a country where freedom rings?
[By GREG TAYLOR] |
