Here's a numbers comparison between East Suburban Catholic Conference football playoff success and North Suburban Lake playoff success in the five years that we've had the current East Suburban Catholic Conference and an NSC Lake.
In that time, the ESCC has had 5 teams reach the semifinal round of the IHSA playoffs and the NSC Lake has had 4 teams reach the semis.
They are: Joliet Catholic in 2003, 2004 & 2007; and Carmel in 2003 & 2007.
They are: Libertyville in 2003 & 2004, and Lake Zurich in 2006 & 2007.
In those five years, two NSC Lake teams have won state titles, and FOUR ESCC teams have won state titles.
And while there obviously are pushovers in the ESCC, there's also cannon fodder floating around every other league, as well.
Recently in Carmel High sports Category
Maybe the steam from the shower in The Locker Room has fogged things up, but we just don't see how the East Suburban Catholic Conference can be considered over-rated in football.
1) Joliet Catholic is one of the best programs in the state. Period.
2) Our Carmel Corsairs have won at least one playoff game in 6 of the last 7 years that they qualified
3) Marian Catholic's overall won-loss playoff record in football is 24-17
4) Marist has won at least one playoff game in each of the last five years it has qualified
5) St. Viator has won at least one playoff game in 4 of the last 5 years it has qualified
That's a pretty strong top half of the league. while St. Joseph is feeble, you can find a doormat in every league, including the North Suburban Lake.
Year in and year out, the Corsairs are consistently good ... and sometimes very good. The ESCC is not a cupcake league, witness Joliet Catholic's stack of state grid titles.
And if you're scoring at home, another solid two-run of big success is coming up for the Brown & Gold on the gridiron.
Besides, they are the only are high school with 30-second play clocks visible behind both end zones which enhances the fans' enjoyment of the game.
What is interesting is that both Joliet Catholic and Carmel are powers in football and baseball, and both struggle in basketball. St. Joseph can't beat anyone in football or baseball but is a basketball power. Apparently, it's impossible to be really good consistently at all three.
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Especially the school's football program, which has opted to schedule a non-conference football game in each of the next two years against super-power Joliet Catholic because those two East Suburban Catholic Conference powers aren't scheduled to play during the regular season.
InThe Locker Room, we love it when powerhouse teams step up to meet a challenge rather than try to avoid it.
Carmel didn't HAVE to play Joliet Catholic... they WANTED to play Joliet Catholic.
What's that saying about how if you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best?
When it comes to prep fb around here, Carmel is the best!
As we count down the hours to the end of another prep sports season, a tip of the Carmel High cap has to go in the direction of the Corsairs.
The school's girls soccer team is playing tonight at Buffalo Grove and is just one win away from qualifying for the Elite Eight state tournament.
The school's softball team was a surprise winner of a Class 4A regional title last weekend and will now try to defend the sectional crown it won last spring.
And the school's baseball team has at least a 50-50 shot of winning the Libertyville Sectional this week.
That's three pretty darn good spring sports teams coming from a football school.
