Football

Daily Chronicle sports editor John Sahly and sports reporter Steve Nitz spend their days covering the area’s sports scene. Occasionally, they give their viewpoints on those local sports. In this in-stallment of their 2012 Take 2 column, they discuss former DeKalb football coach Marty Sanders’ recent resignation.

DeKALB – The most successful DeKalb High football coach in the past decade, Marty Sanders, sent in a letter of resignation as the Barbs’ coach Monday, Sanders confirmed to the Daily Chronicle late Monday.

Once again, conference realignment appears on the horizon in the region.

Bates resigns as DeKalb girls basketball coach

Anger, of DeKalb, signs letter to play at Valpo

DeKALB – When Northern Illinois put together its bid to host the IHSA state football finals, DeKalb High athletic director Dan Jones wanted to show there was support across the northern part of the state for the state football championships to come to DeKalb.

SIU, ISU also in the running

INDIANAPOLIS – High school football players must sit out one play next season if their helmets come off while the ball is live.

Kaneland football senior wide receivers Quinn Buschbacher and Sean Carter both have made their college decisions within the past week, each choosing a Wisconsin school.

SYCAMORE – It was easy to wake up Wednesday morning for Ryan Bartels. Sycamore’s senior quarterback knew what this day meant.

Changes in technology have caused dramatic shifts in recruiting

The IHSA is accepting bids for the state football finals, and Northern Illinois University will look at sending one in, Huskie Stadium director John Gordon and NIU athletic director Jeff Compher said Thursday.

John Gordon, the director of Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University, said NIU is exploring the possibility of putting in a bid to host the IHSA state football finals.

DeKalb freshman running back Dre Brown's official 40-yard dash times from this month's Proving Ground Combine in Phoenix, Ariz., were released today.

The notion of picking a college 10-plus hour away is somewhat unsettling for Kaneland senior Quinn Buschbacher.

DeKalb freshman running back Dre Brown clocked a 4.85-second time in the 40-yard dash at the Proving Ground National Combine on Monday in Phoenix.

DeKalb freshman RB will head to national combine in Phoenix

MAPLE PARK – Drew David just didn’t want to screw up.

FIRST TEAM Drew David QB, Kaneland, Soph.

Sycamore senior quarterback Ryan Bartels has given a verbal commitment to the University of North Dakota, Sycamore coach Joe Ryan confirmed to the Daily Chronicle on Friday.

Kaneland’s Buschbacher NI Big 12 Conference’s MVP

The Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference announced its all-conference team on Monday, with several local names appearing on the list.

MAPLE PARK – Kaneland quarterback Drew David apologized to reporters after declining interviews as he walked off the field following Kaneland’s 35-31 loss to Montini.

Scouting the Broncos: After a lukewarm start to the season without quarterback John Rhode – who has since returned – the Broncos have returned to the caliber of play that makes them back-to-back defending state champions.

ROCHELLE – When Kaneland saw the extra point blocked Saturday in the fourth quarter of its Class 5A quarterfinal at Rochelle, everyone feared the same thing.

No. 1 Kaneland (11-0) at No. 13 Rochelle (8-3)

Hiawatha had two players named to the Northeastern Athletic all-conference team. Senior center and defensive tackle Grant Nelson earned second-team honors and freshman tight end/defensive end Allen Letterer was an honorable mention player.

MAPLE PARK – Yellow is not part of the traditional Kaneland color scheme but it was certainly the favorite color of the Knights and their fans at the end of Saturday night's game.

SYCAMORE – It was hard to tell what was tougher for Sycamore's football team after its season-ending loss to Rochelle, saying goodbye to each other and the coaches, or leaving the field for the final time.

SYCAMORE – Sycamore felt like it just needed one more offensive drive.

SYCAMORE – Joe Ryan called it a sense of urgency. Ben Olson agreed.

No. 13 Rochelle (7-3) at No. 12 Sycamore (7-3)

SYCAMORE – Tj Tyrrell just wanted to hold onto the ball.

Tickets for the Sycamore football team’s second-round Class 5A playoff game against Rochelle go on sale today from 1-4 p.m. at the Sycamore athletic office. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Engh Community Field. Tickets are $5 for everyone, babies in arms are free.

Class 5A second-round football playoff times and dates are set.

CHICAGO – Saturday almost was the last high school game of Ryan Bartels' high school career. But middle school was one of the first things that came to mind just outside Sycamore's locker room at Lane Stadium.

CHICAGO – King wasn't going away, and Austin Culton knew it.

CHICAGO – Ryan Bartels knew the play worked.

MAPLE PARK – Drew David stopped a couple seconds, letting his first playoff start replay through his mind

NO. 16 BELVIDERE (5-4) AT NO. 1 KANELAND (9-0) Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

Daily Chronicle sports editor John Sahly and sports reporter Ryan Wood spend their days covering the area’s sports scene. Occasionally, they give their viewpoints on those local sports. In this installment of their 2011 Take 2 column, they discuss the first week of the playoffs.

Past berths have provided Spartans' upperclassmen extra practice time

Sycamore’s football team is back in the Class 5A playoffs for a third straight season. Led by senior quarterback Ryan Bartels, the Spartans are aiming to win their first-round game for the third consecutive season, too. While No. 12-seed Sycamore (6-3) prepared to face No. 5 Chicago King (8-1) at Lane Tech Stadium on Saturday, Daily Chronicle sports editor John Sahly caught up with Bartels at practice to talk about postseason preparation.

A weekly look at the area football scene

The IHSA released the dates and times for the first round of the playoffs on Monday. Here is a look at when and where the area teams will play:

The Indian Creek volleyball team finished in eighth place at the Stillman Valley tournament, losing to West Carroll, 25-18, 25-21 and Rochelle, 25-18, 25-6, but beating Freeport, to finish the regular season 21-12 overall.

No. 12 seed Sycamore travels to face Chicago King. Kaneland will play No. 16 seed Belvidere

Two local football teams – Sycamore and Kaneland – qualified for the playoffs and the IHSA announced the playoff pairings for Class 5A. Here they are:

MORRIS – Two years into the Northern Illinois Big 12 East Conference, it’s Kaneland, and then everybody else.

DeKALB – The DeKalb football team came into the season with a mission to make it past the first round of the playoffs.