CHAMPAIGN — The optimism surrounding the Unity and St. Joseph-Ogden football teams this season apparently isn't limited to Champaign county. The Rockets and Spartans were announced as the No. 4 and No. 5-ranked teams in the IHSA pre-season football poll released by the Associated Press Tuesday.
Both teams enter this fall with high hopes after playoff seasons in 2009, and the two school remain in the hunt for their first state championship. The Rockets fell in the state title game for the third time last year when they were defeated 52-22 to Stillman Valley. SJ-O lost in the second round last November, and is 0-4 in state title games in school history.
Stillman Valley is ranked in the Class 4A poll entering this season, though the Cardinals enrollment on the IHSA Web site shows they should remain a 3A team. The rest of the poll is as follows (first-place votes in parentheses):
AP Class 3A Pre-season poll
1. Illini West (5) 101
2. Wilmington (5) 85
3. St. Teresa 76
4. Unity (1) 75
5. St. Joseph-Ogden 59
6. Greenville (1) 46
7. Nashville 43
8. Auburn 40
9. Monticello 23
10. Mount Carmel 22
Others receiving votes: Hillsboro 17, Elmhurst Immaculate Conception 15, DuQuoin 11, Winnebago 11, Red Bud 10, Williamsville 9, Sherrard 7, Sesser-Valier 4, Carterville 3, Oregon 3.
The Okaw and Sangamon Valley Conferences were well represented throughout the polls. As shown in the 3A poll, the OVC's black division has three representatives. The conference also has Maroa-Forsyth (2nd) in the 2A poll and Tuscola (1st-unanimous) and Central A&M (4th) in the Class 1A poll. The Trojans finished second in 2A last year, while the Warriors are looking to defend their 1A crown.
Clifton Central is ranked fifth in 2A out of the Sangamon Valley. Last season's champion St. Thomas More did not make the rankings. The Sabers could be a 3A or 4A school this year.
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