| The biggest item of outcry against a four-class system was the way it was voted upon. The IHSA conducted a poll of all 752 member schools and asked in what was called a non-binding survey if classes should be expanded. A grand total of 481 schools responded and 273 schools answered in the affirmative. That�s 36 percent of member schools that have said, �yes� to expanding to four-classes. "Apparently, many of the schools that didn't respond thought this change didn't affect them, or they just didn't care," IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman said. Principals cast in the vote for the schools. Coaches and athletic directors did not have a say in their decisions. Take that into consideration, and the fact that not 100 percent of the member schools voted on it. "They're nuts. They're totally whacked out. You know what aggravates me? Only 326 schools responded and I'd be willing to bet most of the time the administrators didn't consult with their coaches and athletic departments,� said Westchester St. Joseph Hall of Fame boys basketball coach Gene Pingatore. �They make the decisions, and so now you can have situation that Indiana has and they hate it over there. Tiny little schools love it." Poll the coaches? That�s what Rock Falls boys basketball coach Mike Winters says. A majority of the coaches would have voted against it if it had have been done that way. "I'm a little disappointed that the IHSA would take a survey and turn it into this,� said Winters. �I think had everybody known it was this serious, everybody would have voted. I know it wasn't close to being 100 percent voting. Just like the multiplier the first time, they didn't do it the right way. If they had done it the right way - I'm against it - I think I would have accepted it a little better. They kinda slipped this one by us and it's a little disappointing. �If you poll the coaches, a majority would be against it.� |
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| Area Coaches Sound Off On Four Classes: South of Interstate 80 |
| Speaking of roads, three-quarters of Illinois is south of Interstate 80. Chicagoland people consider that �downstate� and the IHSA is �run by downstate schools,� according to a post on Chicagosports.com. The new system doesn�t change or help sixteen schools that are south of Interstate 80 and outside of the Chicago area (Minooka is more towards the Chicago area). Those schools are: Ottawa, Moline, Rock Island, United Township, Pekin, Edwardsville, Collinsville, East St. Louis, Belleville West, Belleville East, Normal, Quincy, Alton, Bradley-Bourbonnais, O'Fallon and Granite City. Four of the 16 schools lie within the NISB coverage area. From United Township to Belleville East is 264.7 miles according to Yahoo Maps, a four-hour drive. It is the longest trek of any of the two schools. "After attending several IHSA meetings and seeing geographic proposals, there could be some bad travel problems for a school such as ours,� Tracey said. �A 4A school in this part of the state could conceivably play in a basketball sectional that ranges from the Quad Cities to Belleville." The sixteen teams would have all fit under one sectional. A Super-Sectional game would be played against teams around the Joliet, New Lenox and Lincoln-Way District areas. |
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