Illinois College gets new life
| Michael Bates has stepped in
at quarterback as a freshman and has helped Illinois College to its
first-ever playoff bid. Illinois College athletics photo |
With coach Garrett Campbell at a Midwest Conference coaches
meeting in Beloit, Wis. and a bunch of teammates at home for the
weekend, a handful of Illinois College faithful joined senior wide
receiver Brock Thompson at his place on campus to watch the
Division III tournament draw.
The Blueboys finished the season 9-1, but second to the Monmouth
Fighting Scots in the MWC. Illinois College had never been ranked
and never even played a ranked team this season. The conference had
never been awarded an at-large bid to the playoffs, but Thompson
and a few of his teammates still believed and felt compelled to see
for themselves if Illinois College’s name would be
called.
“Some guys didn’t want the whole team to come together
because they thought what if we didn’t get in?”
Thompson said about last Sunday evening. “That would have
been a letdown. I will never forget the exuberance that went
through my body when I saw our name come across the board against
Wabash. A lot of people didn’t think we’d make it or
didn’t deserve it. Someone on that committee had to think we
were good enough. We can’t wait to play.”
In a season of firsts and improbable finishes for Illinois
College, the Blueboys added yet one more superlative – the
first Illinois College team to compete for a Division III national
championship in football.
“It has definitely created a buzz around campus and on the
team,” said freshman quarterback Michael Bates, who as much
as anyone made a difference for the Blueboys this season
“I’m just here to let the seniors and upperclassmen
take me along for the ride. It’s been a memorable season and
I’m enjoying every chance I get. I think it’s a tribute
to our work ethic and coach Campbell is an awesome
person.”
Campbell was returning from the coaches meeting with a football
and volleyball player when their cell phones lit up almost
simultaneously. The word had even found them on a road back to
Jacksonville, Ill.
“It was kind of crazy,” Campbell said of the flood of
phone calls and text...
