If you're looking for something to cut out for your scrapbook, keep moving.
If you're looking for something to hang on your looker room bulletin board, this is it.
The following are my honest, non-sugar coated predictions for how this season is going to go for every one of the Herald & Review-area teams.
Here is a link to last year's predictions and the actual results.
APOLLO
Charleston (2-7) – The rebuild continues. Expect an improved team and more competitive games this year, though.Effingham (3-6) – A promising start won't keep the Hearts from missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.
Mattoon (4-5) – Braden Smith will keep the Wave competitive, but making the playoffs will take an upset.
Mount Zion (9-2) – The Braves' offense became unstoppable last year. An improved defense could equal a playoff win or two, even with a lot of new faces on offense.
Taylorville (11-1) – The Tornadoes have a lot of questions, especially on offense, but there aren't any teams on their schedule they can't beat.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS
Clinton (5-5) – Clinton has a good enough team to win five games for the first time since 2004. It should be enough to get the Maroons in the playoffs.St. Teresa (10-3) – Playing in Class 1A, the Bulldogs will make it past the quarterfinals for the first time since 1986.
Meridian (3-6) – The Hawks will have an identity this year -- strong running game. But there's not enough yet to be a playoff team.
Central A&M (1-8) – Brent Weakly will eventually get A&M back to being competitive, but this year will be another tough one.
Shelbyville (8-3) – The Rams lost a ton of talent, but have enough back to go along with an awesome sophomore class to actually improve on last year.
Sullivan-Okaw Valley (6-4) – Make it two straight playoff appearances under Gerald Temples.
Tuscola (14-0) – This team has everything you look for in a state champion, especially if the Warriors drop to Class 1A.
Warrensburg-Latham (2-7) – Warrensburg has some solid lineman and some good, young athletes, but wins will be tough to come by.
CENTRAL STATE EIGHT
Eisenhower (3-6) – The Panthers took a step forward last year and should take another one this year.MacArthur (3-6) – The Generals will be more competitive than their record shows, and both hungry and capable of bouncing back from it next year.
Lincoln (0-9) – The conference is trending upward at a time when the Railers are trying to build from scratch.
LITTLE ILLINI
Casey-Westfield (11-1) – The Warriors bounce back from last year's second-round exit and make it to the quarterfinals.Flora (2-7) – The Wolves are a young team and their schedule doesn't do them any favors. If they have any confidence left by Week 8, they could finish with a couple wins.
Newton (8-3) – This team is loaded with talent and got some much-needed playoff experience last year. Expect another big step up.
Olney (4-5) – Olney has some nice weapons but probably not enough to get through an extremely tough conference.
Robinson (5-5) – It may take a late-season flurry, but even with major losses from last year the Maroons are still a playoff team.
LITTLE OKAW NORTHWEST
Arcola (11-1) – Arcola dominated the conference last year and will again this year. The Riders are a potential state champion, but 1A is loaded.Argenta-Oreana (4-5) – This Argenta team should be better than last year's, and other than the top dogs in the LOVC Northwest, there are some winnable games.
Cerro Gordo-Bement (6-4) – Last year's Broncos were better than their record, but it won't be easy cracking the top of the conference standings.
LSA (2-7) – LSA will take another step forward this year, even if it doesn't show in the win column.
Sangamon Valley (9-3) – A second-round win is uncharted territory, but the Storm is loaded with talent. As long as it doesn't run into a team with a dominant offensive/defensive line early, Sangamon Valley could make a quarterfinal run.
LITTLE OKAW VALLEY SOUTHEAST
Oblong (2-7) – The Panthers couldn't turn their talent into wins last season, and much of that group graduated. This will be a rebuilding year.Cumberland (7-3) – A hard-nosed group of returning players combined with some easy wins in the conference should lead to the team's most regular-season wins since 2005.
OKAW VALLEY
Maroa-Forsyth (9-4) – The Trojans may not have that wow factor this year Jack Hockaday and other top Maroa players from the past have provided, but they're a top-notch program -- steeled by a tough schedule -- that knows how to win in the postseason.Monticello (10-2) – The Sages have some winnable games non-conference and the talent to compete at the top of the Okaw. A good regular season record should equal some success past the first round.
PRAIRIE STATE
Nokomis (5-4) – Even with Monticello on the schedule, five wins might not be enough to make the playoffs in the Prairie State.SOUTH CENTRAL
Pana (7-3) – No conference is tougher to pick that the South Central -- it has more parity than any conference in the area. This is a talented enough Pana team to make some noise.Vandalia (6-4) – The Vandals will be one of the playoff teams out of the South Central, and could be a dark horse to win it.
No comments:
Post a Comment