The West Central

In what figures to be a one season thing, Mendota, Hall, and Princeton have each joined the West Central Conference for football. As an IHSA fan, all I'm certain of is that a lot of gas is going to be consumed and Illini West is still the team to beat in either division (The WCC will split into divisions for football). With the addition of Mendota, Hall, and Princeton, the 12-team West Central Football Conference will look like this

WCC (North)
Mendota Trojans
Hall Red Devils
Princeton Tigers*
Orion Chargers
Sherrard Tigers
Rockridge Rockets

WCC (South)
Illini West Chargers
Camp Point Central Panthers**
West Hancock Titans***
Macomb Bombers
Monmouth-Roseville Titans
Pittsfield Saukees****


*Co-op with Ohio High School
** Co-op with Southeastern High School
*** Co-op between Hamilton and Warsaw High Schools
**** Co-op with Griggsville-Perry High School

The re-alignment actually went over well geographically. I feel that this alignment works better for the nine existing teams in the conference and I would imagine that the West Central would like to keep a twelve-team, two-division format. The problem being, is that I would imagine that Mendota and Princeton would like to join the Big Northern sometime soon. Also, I feel that Hall would be a better fit, geographically and enrollment-wise, in the Big Rivers (which has a good thing going with 10 teams). So here's my suggestion for the near future that could keep everybody happy, competitive, and with good numbers.

West Central

South Division
Pittsfield
Camp Point Central
Illini West
West Hancock
Macomb
Monmouth-Roseville

North Division
Orion
Rockridge
Riverdale
Sherrard
Fulton
Mercer County (Lincoln Trail)

Big Rivers

Bureau Valley
Hall
Amboy-LaMoille
Erie-Prophetstown
Kewanee
Morrison
Newman Central Catholic
Marquette
St. Bede
West Carroll (Northwest Upstate Illini)

Big Northern

West Division

Rock Falls
Mendota
Stillman Valley
Byron
Oregon
Princeton
Winnebago
Rockford Lutheran

East Division

Burlington Central
Genoa-Kingston
Richmond-Burton
Harvard
North Boone
Marengo
Rockford Christian (Northeastern Athletic)
Sandwich (Interstate Eight)


If my logic here is flawed, please let me know. However, this years West Central is going to be solid conference. I can see about 2 or 3 teams from the West Central making solid playoff runs. Mendota is capable of knocking off a team or two in 4A, Hall is as solid as they come for a team of their enrollment, and Illini West is the defending 3A champion. Look for Rockridge, CSC (Central-Southeastern Coop), and Macomb to make some noise in their respective divisions. Here's where I see the teams finishing

North
1. Mendota
2. Rockridge
3. Hall
4. Sherrard
5. Orion
6. Princeton

South
1. Illini West
2. CSC
3. Macomb
4. Pittsfield
5. Monmouth-Roseville
6. West Hancock

This conference is probably the re-aligned conference that I'm most excited about in 2011. Especially because this conference alignment is most likely temporary and borne of the the dissolution of the historic NCIC.