The Upstate Eight Conference is looking for a new member to take the place of Lake Park, which decided earlier this week to depart for the DuPage Valley Conference.
The moves will be effective the 2013-14 school year. In a news release, Lisa Hichens, Batavia principal and acting president of the UEC, indicated "the first preference" is to find a school to replace Lake Park in the larger enrollment Valley side of the UEC, alongside Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Metea Valley, East Aurora, Bartlett and South Elgin.
"Obviously if we don't find a school that fits that description we'll open up the entire conversation," Batavia AD Dave Andrews said Friday.
The four Tri-Cities schools – Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North – are in the UEC's River Division with Elgin, Larkin and Streamwood. The UEC expanded to two, seven-team divisions when Batavia and Geneva joined the conference for the 2010-11 school year.
The UEC will accept applications until Nov. 1, with Hichens serving as the contact person. Along with geography, finding a school that offers a compatible number of levels in its programs to other UEC members is a high priority.
Lake Park considered itself a better geographic fit in the DVC, according to Andrews. Lake Park will replace West Chicago, which recently decided to leave the DVC for the Metro Suburban Conference.
FOOTBALL
Marmion 14, St. Francis 6: At Glen Ellyn, Marmion intercepted St. Francis three times at College of DuPage to extend the Spartans' losing streak to four.
"A game of old-fashioned, ugly football between two evenly-matched teams," Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. "We threw only two passes all game, but we made sure to strike when Francis passed."
Marmion (2-5, 2-3 Suburban Christian Conference Blue) led, 7-0, at halftime. The Cadets stopped St. Francis' two-point conversion run attempt after the Spartans (3-4, 1-4 SCC Blue) scored midway through the third quarter.
Limiting Spartans fullback Jack Petrando – who has missed much of the season with an MCL injury – the Cadets used defense and field position to set up the game's final touchdown with six minutes to play.
Richmond-Burton 28, Burlington Central 0: At Burlington, BC faced constant pressure from Richmond-Burton's defensive line and secondary as its offense never could find a foothold. t
Senior quarterback Tyler Majewski completed 6 of 18 passes for 71 yards for Central (5-2 overall, 4-1 Big Northern Conference East) but was sacked three times in the game. Joshua Sherman returned a Central fumble in the first quarter for a touchdown to set the defensive pace for Richmond-Burton.
"A lot of issues [tonight] have to do with [Richmond-Burton's] ability," Burlington Central coach Rich Crabel said. "We didn't do the things we set out to do."
Junior Reilly Marino took the bulk of Central's carries, amassing 74 yards on 17 rushes.
GIRLS TENNIS
Upstate Eight Conference River Division meet: At Elgin and Streamwood, Batavia and St. Charles East both advanced four entries to today's finals at Elgin.
The two-time defending conference champion Bulldogs, who held a one-point edge on the field after the dual season, sent two singles and two doubles entries, including the top doubles team of Amelia Cogan and Jenny Mizikar and No. 2 singles player Liza Fruendt.
"As long as we win our matches, we shouldn't have anything to worry about," Batavia coach Brad Nelson said, "even though this could come down to the wire. We still control our own destiny, is the biggest thing."
East, which suffered its lone league loss to the Bulldogs last week, advanced each of its doubles pairings, led by the No. 1 tandem of Haydyn Jones and Kelsie Roberton. For Geneva, Kirby Einck leads a field of three Vikings singles players in the finals.
• Chris Burrows contributed to this report.
