Steve Soucie
@thesouc
Followers
9K
Following
4K
Media
394
Statuses
12K
Managing Editor at Friday Night Drive, contributor to The Herald-News, baseball park nut and general malcontent.
Joined February 2010
Illinois State University has been selected to host the IHSA State Football Finals for the next five years, beginning with the 2023 championship games.
9
42
325
256 magnets. Only eight will survive the elimination refrigerator. We start the journey tonight. Enjoy the playoffs everyone!
6
23
182
Just for clarification, and I know it doesn't help anything right now, but Althoff's last game in 1A is today. They will be at least a 3A team next season.
28
22
151
The IHSA ruled recently that Peoria is forfeiting its seven victories in the 2023 season for use of an ineligible player. Peoria's wins were over Danville, Urbana, Peoria Manual, Richwoods, Bloomington, Normal West and Peoria Notre Dame.
12
23
144
Sitting in a Dairy Queen parking lot figuring out second stage tiebreaker points. This is the life I have chosen for myself. Am about to get a blizzard though. .
12
4
138
The eight surviving magnets which will hold a place of prominence on the refrigerator that holds my Dr. Pepper until next August.
6
12
126
One more time, this is a project I did using 2017 numbers this summer. I am currently in the process of firing up the spreadsheet with new numbers and redrawing some stuff. Shooting for the weekend. And yes, I'm a dork.
15
46
119
For the first time in 27 years, not packing my Friday night football bag for Week 1.
5
6
118
This game's public service announcement: Montini will be in 5A next season. I know, I know. .
19
8
115
Final match-ups set in 1a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a and 8a. 1A: Lena-Winslow vs. Camp Point Central.3A: Mt. Carmel vs. Byron.4A: Rochester vs. St. Laurence.5A: Joliet Catholic vs. Nazareth.6A: East St. Louis vs. Cary-Grove .8A: Loyola vs. Lincoln-Way East.
6
17
114
.@lemont_football is the first team in the state to complete the regular season undefeated.
0
17
102
Pretty wiped out, but did need to build the playoff refrigerator out. 256 teams hanging on for as long as they can. it's playoff time!
3
6
94
These are the eight magnets that will reside in a place of great honor until next August. On the side of my office refrigerator that holds my Wild Cherry Pepsi and Mountain Dew. It's a pretty big deal.
8
3
97
Interested in how a district system would work for high school football in Illinois? I surely am, so I put together a projection for @nwherald and @McHenryCoSports .
18
75
93
I don't even need to research this one. Plainfield East the first 13 seed to reach the state tournament after beating Brother Rice 3-0. Mercy.
2
15
89
This game's public service announcement: DePaul Prep will likely be a 7A (possibly 8A) team next season.
14
12
90
Far from the only one I've seen that's offered. Love the high school football community in Illinois.
If any CPS Football teams are looking for a lighted field to use tonight, @StRitaFootball @StRitaHS is willing to host you. Message @StRitaAthletics if interested. We want to help get your practices in so you can compete in the Playoffs! @michaelsobrien @Tim_OBrien10 @disabato.
3
8
89
Let's save some time here: No, I don't know what your district will look like. LOL.
2
12
83
Is it August 26th yet? Mercy.
It will be Mount Carmel vs. East St. Louis at ISU in Week 1 of the football season.
6
6
87
Lemont has hired @williehayes47 to be the school's next head football coach. He has been the school's defensive coordinator for the last five seasons. Hayes replaces the retiring Bret Kooi, who was 82-18 over nine seasons at Lemont.
3
16
83
IHSA districts are a no-go. Vote was 379-272 (with 76 abstentions).
1
15
84
Class 5A final: @FootballNaz 38, @HilltoppersFB 20.Nazareth first team in state history to win state title after starting season 0-4 and after accumulating five regular season losses.
4
12
79
It's been a great weekend of championship games. But this day is always a bittersweet one because it is the longest time I must wait before more high school football. Only 272 more days to go. Yes, I counted.
3
26
76
Touchdown St. Laurence 24 20 lead over IC Catholic, 21.6 to play.
1
14
76
That's it for me in Champaign. Thanks to all have followed along and supported @FNDrive and most importantly appreciated the magnets. It's one of my least favorite moments of the year because it's now the longest time until more high school football. But I will survive. Maybe.
3
2
76
Schutt helmets, which are produced in Illinois (Litchfield) has introduced a new protective shield for helmet facemasks.
A popular helmet maker has introduced a new Splash Shield for facemasks.
3
27
74
Football season will begin on February 15, and the first contest can be held on March 5.
6
49
74
The Chicago Prairie League will consist of Dwight, Seneca, Ottawa Marquette, Westmont, Walther Christian, Ridgewood, St. Bede and Elmwood Park. This solves most of the question of where the teams left out of the Chicagoland Christian Conference would land.
3
19
68
ESTL coach Darren Sunkett indicated that the Week 1 contest between Mt. Carmel and ESTL was a one-year contract. Since I love scheduling things, how about we re-up that and put together a little jamboree event with other willing teams to kick off 2024? Who wants in?.
6
6
67
"It will be different, but the only thing that I didn’t want to have to get up in front of the kids and tell them there was nothing." - Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar.
0
6
67
Open invite to coaches and AD's who would like to get a look at how I believe a fb district system could look. If you'd like to talk and are at the state football finals, please pop into my DM's and I'll find you. I'd like you to have as much info as possible before the vote.
18
15
65
I've set my field of 256 teams. All 5-4 teams that have 37 points (I have five teams projected to reach this point) are in. All 5-4 teams with 36 points or fewer are out. It takes a long time to break seed ties, so I would guess I'll have final project done some time Monday.
5
18
64
Just about done with this bad boy. check it out in Thursday's Daily Journal
1
33
63
I assure you. I have lots of thoughts. Trying to put some words to it now. I'm also planning to redo might district projections based on recently released enrollment numbers. This will take awhile. But since it is no longer hypothetical, might as well get the ball rolling. .
8
11
63
Wow. Byron with two tds last four minutes to beat IC Catholic 15 14. The Tigers will play Tolono Unity in the 3a final.
1
10
62
I'm starting to get a pretty clear picture of what the projection will look like this week. let's just say some STUFF happened.
16
1
63
Playoff Classification projection: Class 1A: 0-329; Class 2A: 330-412; Class 3A: 413-592; Class 4A: 593-906; Class 5A: 907-1357; Class 6A: 1358-1840; Class 7A: 1841-2322; Class 8A: 2333 and up.
3
36
60
What did you do at work today?. Judged a watermelon eating contest, how about you?. At the Battle of the Big Butts in West Aurora.
2
9
58
Time to move them over to the elimination mini fridge. Let's go!
5
3
60
Bradley-Bourbonnais is off to its first 5-0 start since 1992. The QB on the 1992 team? Current coach @mikekohl1993.
0
22
56
Never had a head coach submit a photo in their playing uniform before. Joliet Central goes young with coaching hire.
5
6
58
I'm seeing multiple things thrown around in regards to what these schedules might look like. I saw one that suggested it could be a set number of games and a plus +1 (A Bowl Game, Rivalry Game, etc.). Can I be a Bowl Game czar?.
9
8
59
I've had some ask me what their district might look like if the district proposal goes through. here's a hypothetical I did this summer with 2017 enroll numbers. Coaches, AD's any questions please ask, I'd like you to be as informed as possible.
14
41
56
Damn, 53-yard FG for SCN's Luke Barresi. A new state record regardless of class for a championship game.
1
8
55
The following 15 FB schools will have a multiplier or success formula applied to them: Brother Rice, Marist, Chi. Mt. Carmel, St. Teresa, IC Catholic, JCA, Bishop McNamara, Nazareth, Benet, Montini, Providence, Niles Notre Dame, SHG, Newman CC, Loyola. That's it.
10
27
53
Season is over 😢 OK, where are my 2022 schedules. Seriously, I want them.
4
3
53
I enjoyed the last few games of the WBC, but now back to my regular focus of complaining about any playing time given to Leury Garcia.
2
4
45
The hopes of teams getting into the field as a 4-5 are now officially over. There are 257 teams that are at either five victories or have an automatic conference bid.
2
22
53
6a FINAL: Nazareth 38, St. Francis 31. Nazareth first team in state history to reach title game with five losses.
4
2
50
Saw that Streator hired Kyle Tutt to lead its football team. If he's half the coach he was as a quarterback leading Iroquois West to 2003 Class 1A title, good things are coming for the Bulldogs.
5
8
51
I see the downstairs painting project by my daughter progressed well when I was sleeping.
2
0
51
That's all from me in Champaign. See you in November. This is a football tweet.
1
1
50
Home run ball wall update day. 88 of the top 100 all time home run leaders autographed balls. As always Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx donations are always appreciated.
8
3
50
Cary-Grove does it again. Interception for the Trojans. Cary-Grove 23, East St. Louis 20, final.
2
2
50
.@IHSASID told me I'm only allowed to tweet about football. Monticello and Nashville both have great football programs. They are also both playing in the 2A state title game of the sport we are playing today, Monticello leads 7-6 at the end of 1Q. Does this count?.
1
1
49
Ryan Ritter of @LWEastBaseball was just taken in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs.
1
10
48
Dual rallies scheduled for Saturday in attempt to garner support to allow all sports to return to play.
2
23
47
I am up until 4 a.m. (at least) most times on this day every year. I will miss it terribly. .
Things can get a bit weird in Week 9, but since we don't have any games to keep us up late this year, @thesouc decided to look back at five times Week 9 led to a memorable playoff pairings night.
5
6
48
244 11-man football schools now eligible to compete in contests. 48 percent of total.
2
7
48
The projection with the new enrollment numbers are dropping tomorrow afternoon. Some of them are quite compelling. Some of them are.
2
11
48
Alright, I'm back on the proverbial horse. After further review, I've got a new team 256 going back in the bracket which is going to change multiple brackets. I'll inform when the work is done.
11
5
48
Pending school board approval this evening, George Czart will be the next head football coach of the Lockport football program.
2
12
47
So I made an adjustment based on ONE school moving to 8-man. Four teams changed classes and 17 teams were moved to different districts. Yeah, these two years are gonna be SUPER fun.
9
6
46
340 schools remain playoff eligible for 256 spots. 41 of those teams are undefeated.
1
14
46
So the Illini are apparently in like the 17th overtime, and I'm scouring the web trying to find an Urban-Prep Bronzeville/Von Steuben score while my daughter drives me through Onarga so I can work. Yup, that's my life.
8
2
45