Mac On Sports

       None of these MacArthur girls were born yet when a Decatur public high school girls team last advanced to a super-sectional. In 1983-84 the late Ida Brooks, led by her eventual two DPS61 Hall of Famers–Kim Harris and Dawn Pitman, took the Eisenhower Panthers to the super-sectional where they bowed out to Peoria Richwoods.…

         In less than three months, we will know if the Illinois High School Association will relocate its boys basketball tournaments from Peoria’s Carver Arena to State Farm Center, the old Assembly Hall, where it was played until 1996 when it moved to Carver. The IHSA has said it will announce April 21 who…

    By J. Thomas McNamara      For the last two weeks Irish Stew has given his views on who he felt was the top team/school of the year honor, the top school of the decade covering all sports, and the top team of the decade when only one sport is considered. Now, it…

       Before he began broadcasting a recent LSA Lions game in the recently-concluded 16th annual First Mid Bank and First Mid Insurance Group St. Teresa Christmas tournament, Cromwell Broadcasting’s Brett Zerfowski posed this question. “Who is your team of the decade?” asked Zerfowski, well aware of my interest in prep history as the…

        Central A&M is Irish Stew’s “School/Team of the Year” for what it achieved during calendar year 2019 in basketball in March and football during the fall. St. Teresa was right behind the Raiders for the seasons they had as well. Mount Zion is right there with them as the Braves enjoyed considerable…

     Santa Clara—We should have seen this coming when Justin Wilcox said he studied Lovie Smith’s defenses.      The California coach learned well as his Bears defense turned away Illinois, 35-20, to win the Redbox Bowl.       Wilcox’s defense held Illinois’ offense in check.            Illinois finishes the year 6-7 and played in a…

As expected, the Illinois High School Association members voted to rescind its bylaw to create football districts, starting with the 2021 season.    The margin was 374 to rescind, 241 against and 87 abstentions.  This was a wider margin than last year’s vote to create the districts which was 324-307.    The outcome did not…

           On the recommendation of head coach Jordan Hopman, the Decatur LSA administration and school board have approved 8-man football for the Lions instead of 11.      Even co-oping with Mount Pulaski, LSA still did not have the numbers to compete on a weekly basis in the Lincoln Prairie Conference. And everyone knows high…

         With the success he’s had coaching Argenta-Oreana football, one knew the day would come when he would leave the Bombers to coach somewhere else.      And that day has come with word that Steve Kirk is taking his knowledge to Monticello where he is becoming the Sages new defensive coordinator.      Argenta-Oreana has posted the…

       Angela Beck, one of the all-time great St. Teresa and Millikin basketball players and one of the more successful and decorated college coaches, is headed to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.      Beck earned her position in the prestigious Hall for her play on the court, her coaching of young women in…