While resting up in the comfort of home for an ultra trail run on the Hennepin Canal, I took the night off from covering football and watched a few games on the NFHS streaming network. Simultaneously, I followed Byron, Forreston, Oregon and Stillman.

Much was made of the Byron and Du-Pec tilt by local media, but make no mistake about it, Du-Pec, though leading 14-12 at half, is not at the level of Byron. The Tigers dominated action for much of the game and fell behind at half because of two turnovers and a long Du-Pec kickoff return.

On a sidenote, I preferred Byron’s YouTube version of the game over the NFHS with Evan Burris providing local banter. The picture was also clearer, though a higher sightline would have been helpful.

Missing its quarterback, a lineman and leading rusher, Oregon crushed North Boone, setting up this week’s battle for third place in the BNC with Stillman Valley. Regardless of the outcome, both teams are locks to reach the playoffs.

In looking at playoff projections, Stillman is close to 2A. It wasn’t too long ago the Cardinals were in 4A, albeit as one of the smaller schools.

In 2019, SV had 588 students compared to 419 now, a 28% drop. Maybe all those families moving into the new subdivisions in the 1990s and early 2000s are done having children.

Also on the NFHS, I viewed part of the IC Catholic-Wheaton St. Francis football game, as IC will be Byron’s biggest impediment to a state title. IC looked more like a 6A team instead of 3A.

They ended up beating Wheaton 35-28, who was No. 2 in 5A at the time. Leading up to that, they’ve only lost 29-28 to Marist (8A) and 24-21 to Nazareth, the No. 2 team in 6A. With its passing attack, they look better than Montini last year.

The 3A classification is shaping up into exactly what everyone warned about after the 2024 IHSA championships – an unfair private school advantage. If there is positive, Byron has shown the wherewithal to mix it up with IC and Montini, as evidenced by thrilling semifinals wins in 2021 and 2023 and a narrow loss last year in the second round.

My question to IC is this: If you are already competing at such a high level, why wouldn’t you petition up to play in a class or two for the post season?

I recall a Catholic League player telling me he felt the playoffs were a step down from the regular season. I would not dispute that. Remember two years ago when Nazareth snuck into the playoffs at 4-5 and ran the table to win 5A.

Other than Dixon, Byron is relegated to what the BNC has to offer and to be quite frank, the league is at its lowest ebb ever. Come post season, that lack of competition is detrimental.

It was scary news out of Rochelle with the serious head injury suffered by Dylan Manning in a football game against Morris. Manning was flown from Morris to Loyola Hospital and is improving after emergency surgery.

Before the season, Hub coach Kyle Kissack mentioned that Dylan had the potential to be the best player ever to come out of Rochelle. In the same breath, he also said Dylan was as good of a human being as he is a player.

Hundreds of people came to the Rochelle’s football field Saturday night to pray for Dylan’s recovery and this was no idle show of support. Through its youth Rock Ministries and adult Tres Dias movements, there is a genuine spirit of faith in that town.

“We are very blessed to have such a strong Christian community,” Kissack said. “They always show up in a big way. The prayers were loud and went straight up to heaven.”

Over the years, this column has been critical of fan behavior at high-school sporting events.

The previous week, European golfers and their entourage at the Ryder Cup were verbally berated by Americans. It wasn’t good-natured us-vs.-them nationalism, but ugly personal attacks, bordering on jingoism.

Some blamed it on the location near New York City, where vulgarity is a finely honed art. Others said alcohol fueled the flame.

Ironically, Europeans Rory McIlroy (Masters) and Tommy Fleetwood (Fed Ex Cup) were applauded for emotional wins earlier in the season by American audiences.

That same weekend at the University of Colorado, college students used profanity to deride the BYU football team and mock their Mormon faith. It was a pathetic display from a group of foul-mouthed brats who needed to be disciplined, something sadly lacking in today’s younger generation.

When I was a kid and used swear words, my mouth was washed out with soap. I didn’t care for that kind of discipline, but I eventually learned my lesson and my language was far less profane than Colorado’s.

The Mountain West did supply discipline in the form of a $50,000 penalty to the school. However, there were no consequences for the offenders, as the school had to pick up the tab for their bad behavior.

“Don’t indict us just based on a group of young kids that were probably intoxicated and high simultaneously. BYU, we love you, we appreciate you, and we support you,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said.

Rather than spewing hatred, Colorado could take a lesson from the way BYU treats visitors. Opposing fans are greeted with a warm welcome and friendship. Those sitting in the visitors section have even been treated to free brownies and ice cream.

Besides the faith-based approach to interacting with a rival, another difference at Provo, Utah compared to New York and Colorado was absence of booze and pot.

Andy Colbert is a longtime Ogle County resident with years of experience covering sports and more for multiple area publications.