Cougars to welcome Santa

 

The Kane County Cougars will host an opportunity for children to visit with Santa Dec. 13 at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Children can meet Santa and Ozzie Cougar, the team’s mascot, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. The event also will include a variety of children’s activities. Admission is free, but there is a $5 fee for those participating in the ornament and cooking decorating activities. Visitors are encouraged to bring gently-used winter coats and clothing for donation to local families in need. For more information about the event, call the Cougars at 630-232-8811.

Redbirds to play in FCS quarterfinals Dec. 13
The Illinois State University Redbirds will play Eastern Washington University Dec. 13 in  the FCS quarterfinals. The game will begin at 3 p.m. CT and will be aired on ESPN3. the football team finished the 2014 regular season 11-1 overall, 7-1 in conference play. Coach Brock Spack’s Redbirds defeated Northern Iowa, 41-21, Dec. 6 in the NCAA Division I FSC playoffs to advance to the quarterfinals. The Redbirds and Northern Illinois University, which will play Marshall in the Boca Raton Bowl Dec. 22, provided football fans in Illinois something to cheer about during the 2014 season. We can't say as much about the NFL team that plays in Chicago.

Train show to stop at DuPage County Fairgrounds
The Great Midwest Train Show will be conducted Dec. 14 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton. The show be open 9:30 a.m. to 3 pm. and will feature more than 100 vendors. The show includes train displays and attractions for all ages. Admission is $7 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. Parking is free. 

 

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Redbirds' success worthy of more attention

Brock Spack, Illinois State University football coach.

Illinois State University’s football team is 6-0 (3-0) as of Oct. 18, but many in Illinois, including many football fans, are not aware of the Redbirds’ success.

That’s too bad. Success should be applauded and studied, I think, and Brock Spack, ISU’s head coach, has the school’s football program on a winning path. Spack, a Rockford native, took over the ISU program in 2009. In 2012, Spack’s Redbirds posted a 9-4 record and their fourth consecutive winning season. ISU stumbled in 2013, finishing 5-6 overall. However, 2014 sees the Redbirds back to their winning ways.

ISU is ranked No. 9 in the nation in the FCS Coaches’ Poll and is tied with undefeated North Dakota State at the top of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. 

The Redbirds’ stats are impressive. The team posts points in every quarter of every game, and has outscored opponents 253 total points to 83. The Redbirds have a red-zone scoring average of 86% (61% touchdowns). ISU averages 42.2 points per game, mostly through rushing. 

I think it’s important to note Spack also recruits heavily in the state. Illinois residents make up nearly half of the team's player roster. Fox Valley residents might be interested to know the ISU team includes Barry Brannon of St. Charles, Christian Gibbs and Scott Kuehn of Aurora, Bryce Holm of Oswego, and Matt Biegalski of Winfield.

The Redbirds will host Missouri State, 4-3 (1-2) at 6 p.m. Oct. 25. It’s one of the games we will be following this weekend. Win or lose Saturday, we plan to follow the Redbirds through the remainder of the season.

We hope Spack and his Redbirds keep posting wins, and we hope the team receives the support and attention it deserves.

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