Normal Community finishes regular season as undefeated Big Twelve Conference champions
NORMAL, Ill. — Navigating adversity, and a quick regroup is just what the Normal Community Ironmen needed to pull together a stellar regular season this fall as they finish 9-0 and Big Twelve Conference Champions going into the post season.
Having a shortened previous season, which was moved into the spring due to COVID-19 along with some key injuries, threw the Ironmen off their game a bit going 2-3 for its first sub-.500 season in 26 years. The spring season wrapped up and the Ironmen quickly regrouped with hard work over the summer to get ready for a full fall season which began in August. Coach Jason Drengwitz attributes this year’s success to having gone through that adversity together.
The Ironmen put together an undefeated regular season including three complete shutouts against Bloomington High School, Champaign Central and Granite City. The team’s offense has put on a show this season averaging about 45 points per game and their defense has held their opponents to an average of only 13 points per game.
A final regular season win on Friday versus cross-town rival Normal West on visiting turf meant Normal Community took away an undisputed Big 12 Conference Championship which otherwise would have been shared. The Ironmen head into the playoffs with a 9-0 record.
Normal Community has the No. 3 overall seed in Class 7A Regionals and faces No. 30 Blue Island Eisenhower in a first-round game at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at Dick Tharp Field.
Another local team, Tri-Valley also finished their regular season undefeated with a record of 9-0 and Heart of Illinois Conference Champions. Tri-Valley is the No. 2 seed in the Class 2A bracket and faces No. 15 Rockridge at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Downs.
Normal West (6-3) also made the playoffs and is seeded No. 11 in the Class 6A bracket. They travel to No. 6 seed Washington (7-2), which happens to be coached by NCHS graduate Darrell Crouch. Game time is 7 p.m. Friday in Washington.
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