Illini-Heartland Conference Preview

I'm picking the Orr Spartans to finish atop the small school Illini-Heartland Conference.

The Illini-Heartland Conference is the top tier CPS conference for smaller enrollment schools. The smallest school is Al Raby with an enrollment of about 550 but goes upto 917 due to the IHSA multiplier. The school with the highest enrollment is Orr with 1268 students.

 Neilski’s conference predictions
1. Orr
2. Brooks
3. Raby
4. Dyett
5. Harper
6. Hope

The conference title will probably come down to the two biggest enrollment schools Orr and Brooks. The two clash on week 5 at Gately Stadium. Brooks may have the advantage in that Gately is much closer to home. Whereas Orr will travel away from it’s familiar confines of Orr Stadium. Newcomer to the conference Raby may have a say in the conference. Raby is coming off it’s best season in school history winning a Chicago Conference and getting promoted to the Illini-Heartland Conference. Raby shocked many people when it hung with downstate power Morris in the state playoffs, before finally losing by a score of only 19-6. Raby came into that game as a 30+ point underdog.

Week 1 non-conference schedules

Brooks

8/28   11:00  H         Chicago (Lindblom)            

                            @ Gately Stadium
expect Brooks to demolish Lindblom


Dyett

8/29    5:00  A         Chicago (Clemente)                      

                            @ Lane Stadium

This should be an even game.

Raby

8/28    7:00  H         Plainfield (South)                      

                            @ Hanson Stadium
Plainfield South makes a rare trip to the city. Raby may hang with Plainfield South for 1 quarter, but after that Plainfield South will overwhelm Raby. Plainfield South will have too many numbers and too many athletes.

Harper

8/29    1:00  H         Chicago (Douglass)                      

                            @ Gately
Harper will be the favorite in this game.

Hope

8/28    4:15  A         Chicago (Foreman)                       

                            @ Hanson Stadium
This will be a good game. 

Orr 

8/27    7:30  A         Chicago (Brother Rice)@ Brother Rice
Orr can keep the game close for a while if it can get it’s running game in gear - led by sophomore running back Carl Young. Orr has the speed edge but Brother Rice has so many bigger linemen. Morgan Park did beat Brother Rice last year so they can be upset.

Conference Players to Watch
Jonathan Selly (sr) – RB, Brooks
Ahmad Bradshaw (so)- QB, Brooks
Carl Young (so) RB, Orr
Jamal McDowell (so) – QB, Orr
Daniel Cleveland (sr) – QB, Raby

Comments

[The real real Harlan Fan]

Brooks 35 Lindblom 6
Clemente 20 Dyett 12
Plainfield South 48 Raby 12
Harper 18 Douglas 0
Foreman 19 Hope 6
Brother Rice 34 Orr 8

Of course Harlan can annihilate anyone in this conference

[Eagles]

What team did Harlan beat out of this group last year? Maybe hope, but not Brooks

[??]

How is it that Brooks is ranked higher than Raby and Dyett... none of the teams won playoff games, sad to say but their loses were better

[The real real Harlan Fan]

Dyett is a joke, Raby graduated everyone except for their QB Cleveland.

Harlan returns everyone, is senior laden and be 2nd in conference.

Dyett did not play anyone worth squat.

[The Informer]

Dyett will be playing Kelvyn Park H.S., with one of the top 10 backs in all of the CPS. Let's get a preview on them.

[Kevin simmons]

Do a profile of the Illini Heartland champion Orr Spartans

[Kevin simmons]

Don't beleive that Orr- brother rice score, come out and see August 27at 700 pm. At brothrer rice, think you will be suprised

[Kingyoungpimpin]

everybody knows brooks coming in 1st place

[Truth]

Is still do not understand how people are rating Brian Carter in the top ten Backs int he city and he did not even start on his own team...... Ranking is because of track!!! and Tony Gaddis still may not start him....

[carter fan]

Kelvyn Park plays Prosser this Saturday. We will see what position Carter plays and how effective he is.

[Truth]

Must be like playing spades where you can predict books... I have 3 and a possible then