There’s little doubt prep sports have a place in the Naperville community—especially when it comes to football, boys’ basketball and baseball.
As someone who has spent most of their life in Naperville and as a 2001 Naperville Central graduate, I’m well versed in the quality of the most visible and followed prep sports in the Naperville community.
I know all too well what the Naperville Central-Naperville North rivalry means, the passion and respect Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley have for one another in its rivalry, the addition of Metea Valley into the District 204 triumvirate and the burgeoning programs that Benet is exhibiting with the likes of leaders like Pat New, Gene Heidkamp and Scott Lawler.
The prep scene around here will get even better next fall when the three District 204 schools join both Naperville schools in the DuPage Valley Conference as the DVC will aim to become the premier football conference in the state.
Coupled with my B.A. in journalism from Michigan State University, that knowledge and familiarity helped tremendously while serving as the lead prep writer for the Naperville Sun from March 2010-July 2013.
Acting effectively as a one-man show, I did everything you could imagine while controlling the Sun’s prep football, boys’ basketball and baseball beats. If you name it, I’ve probably done it—from season previews, game previews and capsules, notebooks, features, recruiting pieces, gamers, season recaps and All-Area packages.
Stephanie Penick, her son, Tim Penick, and I are hoping to do something similar here with Positively Naperville.
From covering the likes of Naperville Central’s 2010 Class 4A state title-winning baseball team, Benet’s 29-1 basketball team in 2010-11 that reached No. 1 in the state behind David Sobolewski and Frank Kaminsky and the 2013 Neuqua Valley baseball team that won 30 games for a second straight year amidst getting to Joliet, if there was a big game going on, I was there covering it.
It’s my sincere hope that in beginning this new venture, that will continue.
With your help, readership and possible sponsorship dollars, the sky is hopefully the limit.
