EX-SAGES COACH IN TITLE GAMES

ZVONAR, VENERABLE STILL WINNERS
I spent about six hours Saturday watching IHSA state football finals on TV. I must admit I had two TV sets going Saturday night when the Illini basketball team game coincided with one of the football games. I normally do not watch these championship games. However, this year was different. Men, of whom I think highly, coached two of the teams.
Lincoln Way East won the class 8A football title with an overtime win Saturday over Maine South. Earlier in the day, Normal Community lost 14-9 to Morris in the Class 6A title game. Former Sage, Rob Zvonar, coached East to the title in the largest of the IHSA school classes. Hud Venerable, who had a very successful 5-year career as the Sages head coach, is the mentor at Normal Community.
The success of Zvonar and Venerable is not surprising. Venerable’s teams won 40 consecutive regular season games here at Monticello. Had it not been for facing powerful Belleville Althoff, a couple of his Sage teams might have been in state championship games.
Venerable came to Monticello in 1988. He had an uncanny knack for recognizing the talent of each player. He seemed to get the most out of everyone and his teams had an air of excitement that didn’t go unnoticed. Many adults, whose interest in football had waned, suddenly found themselves again loyal Sage fans. I have watched Okaw Valley football for 46 years and “Hud’s teams” were my favorites.
Zvonar was the middle linebacker on the 1988 team. After going 3-6 the year before, Venerable’s first team was 11-1. I recall Zvonar making many vicious tackles that could be heard as far away as the press box. He went to Illinois Wesleyan and was a standout on their football team.
Zvonar was an assistant at Lincoln Way when five years ago the school split. He was named the head coach of the new school.
I recall him as a high school student who seemed mature for his age. He seemed to have a direction in life. I would have predicted that he would have been successful.
Many times during the summers, I stopped and talked football with Coach Venerable as we sat on his front porch on Marion Street. He was always interested in what others thought. He didn’t learn much from me, but he seemed to enjoy hearing my opinions. He seemed very humble for a man so popular in a small community.
Both men were named Chicago Bears “Coach of the Week” during this past season. It was a great week for two of Monticello Sage fans all-time favorites. When the Boosters Club begins picking members for the new Monticello Sages Sports Hall of Fame, Zvonar and Venerable most surely will be among the nominees

ILLINI BASKETBALL PREDICTIONS

ILLINI BASKETBALL PREDICTIONS
I am not sure if my early season opinion on the Illini basketball team is much different than any others. Here is what I think—if I change my mind as the season progresses I will let you know.
Dee Brown-No question he will be a super star. James Augustine-Improved and will be excellent. Rich McBride-Has experience and should have a good year. Shaun Pruitt– Much improved and will be the best surprise of the season. Brian Randle– Might be most disappointing but if he reaches his potential he will be good. Jamar Smith– Three-point specialist and will be valuable in spots. Chester Frazier– Can’t shoot much but will give Dee an occasional rest. Warren Carter– Will be the extra big man and in case of foul trouble will help. Marcus Arnold– Will only become an important factor if inside players should become injured. Calvin Brock– Has too many guards playing ahead of him.
I will predict a 27-8 season with the team placing second in Big Ten and ranked 15th in the nation. They will win one game in NCAA tournament.

HONEYMOON IS OVER! 

IS ZOOK A GOOD COACH?

The jury is still out on the Illini football coach.
I felt the Illini got the best coach available when they hired Ron Zook. I was comfortable with him until the half of the California game.Since then, even understanding the talent level is low, I having my doubts about his coaching ability.
1. Young inexperienced teams generally make noticeable improvement during the season. (I think the Illini are worse.)
2. Young teams make fewer mistakes as they season progresses (Not the Illini, and it reflects on the coaching.)
3. Listed as a great recruiter upon arrival, I fail to see it. (Few outstanding recruits at Illinois and the Florida team he recruited lost their third game last week.)
4. Perhaps a minor point, but his sideline demeanor is not that of a confident coach. (His constant pacing looks like a man almost out of control. How can the players display control with that example.)
5. His teams play worse in the second half than the first half. (Coaches look bad when their teams fall apart.)I hope I am wrong. Zooks seems like a man who gives it all. I hope he can turn it around and I willing to wait a couple of years for improvement. I must admit I have my doubts that the “Zook era” will ever be rated as a success.

X-C FOURTH IN STATE MEET

Monticello's Boys cross country team finished fourth in the IHSA Class A Cross Country finals. In the meet, held at Peoria Heights, Keith Butler and Scott Phelps finished 13th and 17th respectively. By reason of their finish both are considered All State in Cross Country.
Andrew Colbert finished 55th, Brent Rhodes 60th, Josh Clark 155th, Wes Oberson 168th, and Jack Foley 181st.
There were 31 teams, who had qualified for the meet, and over 200 runners.
Kirby Waddell, running as an indivual, finished 33d in the Girls Cross Country state finals.

THREE EARLY STARS 

EARLY SAGE GIRLS SPORTS HISTORY

BRIEF HISTORY OF SAGES GIRLS SPORTS
This fall Monticello High School had close to 50 girls participating on golf, volleyball and cross-country teams. The number is typical. These girls, along with many others, will join basketball, soccer, track, and softball teams in the remainder of the school year. Athletic competition is available for girl athletes.
Things weren’t always that way. At one time High School sports belonged to boys only. A new law in 1972, opened the doors for women in sports.
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance. ( From the preamble to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972)
Monticello high school fielded its first girls’ extramural athletic teams in 1972-73. Prior to that time, girls who enjoyed sports, were members of the Girls Athletic Association and had intramural games and occasionally had a Saturday play day that included other schools. In that first year, Monticello had volleyball, basketball, and track teams for girls. Physical Education teacher, Julie Schmidt, coached all the teams.
Monticello girls had their only tennis team in 1974. None of the teams played a full schedule. The girls basketball team only played four games the first year and six games the second year.
Carolyn Williams, took over the program in the second year. She had just graduated from ISU where she was a sprinter on the track team. She coached for five years.
At the time there were many who questioned the need for girl’s sports. Suddenly sports facilities were crowded and school athletic budgets were expanding.
I must admit I was one who questioned. I was writing all the sports for the Journal-Republican and ignored the girls’ teams for the first few years. I was very wrong.
The early 70s were turbulent times, and to many, Title IX, was causing more problems than it was solving. Many people were having trouble accepting changes. Sharing gyms and athletic fields had to be worked out.
As the problems were being solved, and the quality of play and coaching improved, the popularity of girls’ sports increased. In 1979-80 Coach Tom Young took the Sages girls to the basketball super-sectional as the team posted a 23-5 record. The girls track team finished ninth in the state meet that spring. It was obvious to all that girls’ sports were here to stay.
Because it took so long for girls’ sports to get their deserved recognition, some of the early outstanding athletes got little publicity.
Kim Burke, a 1976 graduate, dominated girls’ basketball. She led the team to an 11-1 record and averaged 26 points per game. Burke, at one time, held individual one game scoring records for both Parkland and Northern Illinois University.
Melanie Perry, Kim Padgett, Teri Stoerger and other girls would have left a clearer mark, had these early teams played complete schedules and got the press coverage given to today’s female athletes.