With the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference all set for its first school year of competition, it’s time to take a look at some of the new faces the league has to offer.
Those around Ottawa, Streator and La Salle-Peru already know about schools in the NIB12 West (formerly the NCIC Reagan Division). So here The Times will give you a glimpse into the new conference rivals for the locals. These five schools will join Morris in the NIB12 East in sports with a divisional format.
DeKalb Barbs
Enrollment: 1,772.
Notable alumni: Mel Owens (NFL linebacker from 1981-89); Mike Mallory (current special teams coach for New Orleans Saints); Doug Mallory (co-defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers); Cindy Crawford (former supermodel).
DeKalb is traditionally strong in: Wrestling has been strong at DeKalb ever since Hall of Fame coach Don Flavin began the tradition back in the 1950s, this while DHS was still a member of the NCIC. The Barbs won a state title in 1968 in wrestling and have 10 top-10 state finishes. Also, boys basketball has been steady since the 1996-97 school year with many of those coming in the ultra-competitive Upstate Eight Conference. The Barbs were 24-9 last year with a regional title.
Look out for DeKalb this year in: Baseball. DeKalb finished second in Class 3A last year and 27-11 overall, losing to Chatham Glenwood 11-1 in state title game. The team had just six seniors. Brian Sisler was one of the leaders on that team, hitting .513 with 15 doubles as a sophomore. Blaine Parson was 7-1 as a junior pitcher for the team. Jake Louis hit a team-high six home runs as a junior.
Maple Park Kaneland
Enrollment: 1,293
Notable alumni: Don Beebe (NFL wide receiver from 1989-1997); P.J. Fleck (NFL wide receiver in 2004); Casey Crosby (current minor league pitcher in Detroit Tigers organization).
Kaneland is traditionally strong in: Track and cross country. The school was a state power in the 1990s when the school was still small enough to be 1A. Now, with the split to three classes, the power has returned. Boys track was second in the state last year and the boys cross country team was fifth. The girls team was ninth in 2009. Kaneland also has one of the most well-established traditions in the pole vault, having a state qualifier for more than 25 years consecutively.
Look out for Kaneland this year in: Football. Last year in the regular season, the Knights beat the four teams that followed them to the NIB 12 99-32. They lost in league play only to Glenbard South (21-7) and Geneva (17-14).
Rochelle Hubs
Enrollment: 1,176.
Notable alumni: Carson Brooks (NFL and Canadian Football League), Brandon Creason (former Division-I basketball player and coach at Streator and Ottawa).
Rochelle is traditionally strong in: Those familiar with Rochelle’s tenure in the NCIC know that the school is known for football. The Hubs have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last 12 years under coach Kevin Crandall. The Hubs basketball program, too, has been strong.
Look out for Rochelle this year in: Football. Rochelle wants to make up for missing the second round of the state playoffs for the first time since 2000. The Hubs, Sycamore and Kaneland will bid for this year’s NIB12 East footbal title.
Sycamore Spartans
Enrollment: 1,184.
Notable alumni: Gail Olson (two-time state champ in high jump).
Sycamore is traditionally strong in: Boys and girls bowling. The girls team won a state title in 2003, and the boys team has qualified for state in each of the last three years with a ninth-place state finish last year.
Look out for Sycamore this year in: Sycamore will be the team to beat in both boys and girls soccer. The girls team has won consecutive sectional championships and finished fourth in Class 2A in 2009. The wrestling team will have revenge on its mind. The Spartans advanced to the state quarterfainals in the dual competition but lost the final Western Sun Conference title to Yorkville.
Yorkville Foxes
Enrollment: 1,470.
Notable alumni: Dennis Hastert (wrestling coach and former U.S. Speaker of the House); Andy Richter (comedian, former co-host of Late Night with Conan O’Brien).
Yorkville is traditionally strong in: Wrestling. The Foxes have won three straight regional championships and were second in Class 2A in 2009. Yorkville also won the final WSC title last year.
Look out for Yorkville this year in: Yorkville cross country hardly even registered five years ago. However, the girls team last year was the state runner-up after winning the school’s first regional title in 2008. The freshman/sophomore boys won the Western Sun title last year and should be good again this year.
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