Colbert Column

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media In temperatures more akin to ice hockey than baseball, the Byron Tigers downed the Oregon Hawks 11-1 on March 25. At left, Byron’s Ryan Tucker pitches. At right, Oregon’s Issac Reber rounds second base after hitting a triple.

SPORTS COLUMN

Head coaching changes for OHS boys basketball, football

Big news coming out of the Oregon athletic department with the announcement of Jarrett Reynolds as boys basketball coach and Nick Schneiderman resigning as head man in football.

As has always been the case in high school and colleges, these are the two h i g h p r o f i l e p o s i t i o n s , w i t h h e a d coaches often carrying more clout than the city mayor. That is, if a prog r a m i s w i n n in g , s o m e t h i n g t h at hasn’t been happening at Oregon.

During Schneiderman’s five years, the Hawk grid record was 9-31. You notice I didn’t say “his” coaching record.

With a lack of players and talent, there is no use attaching a person’s name to it. I doubt if Bill Belichick could have done any better.

Even in Hall of Famer John Bothe’s last two years, the records were 3-6 and 2-7. So it’s been a struggle the last seven years at Landers-Loomis Field.

Except for winning campaigns in 2016 and 2020, there also has been a drought on the hardwood, with perhaps the lowest point in the history of Oregon basketball this past season.

The only wins were against 0-25 West Carroll and in overtime over 3-29 AFC.

On a side note, the towns that feed into WC and AFC have had success as stand-alone schools.

Around here, memories of good Mt. Morris and Oregon teams abound. The West Carroll consolidation has a pair of state trophy teams in Thomson and Mt. Carroll. Before they combined with Ashton, Franklin Grove did quite well on its own.

How times have changed, as have demographics and enrollments in these three expanded schools districts.

Winning and losing can be cyclical in nature, but one has to wonder when that change will take place at Oregon?

The freshman football team had its largest turnout in recent years and had success. More than one person told me that good basketball is being played at the junior high.

But the real test is what happens on the varsity level. Too many times, all-star lower level teams have fizzled out.

Here is how is sometimes plays out i n b a s k e t b a l l . T h e e i g h t h g r a de 6-footer with facial hair stops growing. Another player loses interest, w h i l e a n o t h e r g e t s i n j u r e d a n d another turns to drugs. By senior year, there might be only a starter left from the junior-high squad.

Far-fetched you say. In today’s world, not really.

On the positive, what also can happen is kids that didn’t play much because they hadn’t matured become key components. Everything shakes out by the junior or senior year.

For boys, that is. The maturation process for girls is different, with an earlier peak.

Bottom line: It is tough being a head coach.

After watching the determination Jarrett Reynolds demonstrated as a guard on the 2016 Hawks basketball team, I look forward to his tenure as head coach. Certainly, things will be on an upswing.

It will be interesting to see the pool of candidates for football. Oregon has good facilities, a good athletic department, community support, a prestigious conference and plenty of able assistants.

And don’t forget about the upcoming freshmen class.

By the way, it is not just football and basketball that Oregon has had troubles. Cross country, baseball and track and field also have been down.

Although we have been speaking more on the negative side this week, remember that Oregon is the smallest non-private school in a very competitive Big Northern conference.

In basketball, there are traditional powers Lutheran, RC, Winnebago, besides occasional strong teams at Dixon, Byron and Rock Falls. In football, Byron, G-K, Dixon and SV also make life tough on the Hawks.

Additionally, there is the emotional toll of constantly getting beat. For kids, that has to be a chore showing up for practice week after week with little hope for victory.

I applaud the young men that stick it out and give it their all for good old O H S . I n m a n y w a y s , t h a t c a n b e harder than being on winning teams.

GUEST VIEW

Andy Colbert

• Andy Colbert has been a sports writer for Shaw Media and has covered high school sports in Ogle County for more than 30 years.