Lincoln-Way East struggles to build success early this season
FRANKFORT, Ill. (BVM) — Frankfort, Illinois’ own Lincoln-Way East High School is known for the successful football program they have sustained over the last two decades. The Lincoln-Way East High Football program has won three IHSA state championships during that time, including victories in 2005, 2017 and 2019. The success of those teams is in large part due to the outstanding coaching and consistent collection of young student athletes attending the school.
The 2021 Lincoln-Way East squad is off to a 4-2 start and is coming off of its second loss of the season at home against the Sandburg Eagles. The Griffins trailed early in the game, but were able to take the lead before the half, controlling the score until the fourth quarter. In an attempt to regain the lead, Lincoln-Way East turned the ball over on downs with a minute to go in the game. The final score of the contest was 30-27, with Sandburg exiting victorious.
Lincoln-Way East first became a four-year high school in 2001 and with that, a new legion of athletics was introduced to the institution. This separation from a two-year school to four years opened up doors for many different sports teams, with football becoming a standout sport for the school.
This is one sports team that Frankfort, Illinois takes pride in and expects to be a perennial playoff team, which the Griffins have lived up to for the past 19 years straight. Two key contributors during the team’s run of success over the years include Nick Allegretti and Adam Gettis, who have since joined the NFL.
Lincoln-Way East is additionally home to other successful athletic programs that have accumulated sectional championships, regional championships and state championships. These accolades have spanned sports from the likes of badminton to gymnastics and from swimming to volleyball. Such success has been accompanied by an increasingly important academic standard and its association with athletics and the student population. It’s safe to say that Lincoln-Way East expects success from its athletic programs every year.
Since the Griffins’ considerable success during the 2017 and 2019 seasons, the team’s productivity has seemingly stalled. The 2020 season was majorly impacted by COVID-19 and resulted in many teams not completing a full-season schedule. Lincoln-Way East, however, finished the shortened season with a record of 6-0, amounting to a No. 2 spot in the state of Illinois rankings. But, this shortened, yet perfect season did not make for a solid transition to the 2021 school year.
Lincoln-Way East has long been under the direction of head coach Rob Zvonar, who was an integral piece in the Griffins’ three championship runs. Zvonar had the difficult duty of transitioning into the 2021 season with new faces leading his team. While all of Zvonar’s previous teams were built upon the junior varsity players working up to the varsity team, COVID-19 made for a more difficult transition than usual.
Lincoln-Way East’s ability to sustain success annually is impressive considering how little time athletes spend in high school. This is a major reason that quality coaching and consistent local talent are primary factors in continuing any high school sports team’s success.
Lincoln-Way East has had an underwhelming season so far based on its typical run of success. The team hopes to go on a winning streak beginning in its next matchup on Oct. 8 at home against the Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings.
