Letter to the editor: Alleman deserves ‘wiggle room’ before being ousted from WB6

To whom it may concern:

It is 11:26 p.m. on the first Monday in May.

As you can tell, I have made the decision to address a recent column by Matt Schuckman. My name is John (“Johnny’’ if you know me) Marx. I am a retired newspaper columnist for The Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/Quad City Times. I spent 35 years in the business, 27 as a columnist and my first eight as a sports writer. I still pen two columns a month just to keep my ink-stained foot in the journalistic pool.

Today I am the storyteller for Rock Valley Physical Therapy, the largest therapist-led, private physical therapy company in the country. A company founded in Moline by my best friend 36 years ago.

For the record, I have coached football and baseball at Alleman Catholic High School for 25 years, retiring from football in 2021 to chase my college-football-playing son across the western portion of the United States.

I retired from coaching baseball in 2021, but returned to assist the program this year at the request of head coach Jerry Burkhead, who had also retired, but returned at the behest of the school’s new administration.

I have also served on the board of the Rock island Vicariate (Alleman/feeder schools school board)  and on the school’s  parent advisory board. I am an Alleman graduate and sent my son – in the fall of 2020 – to play football at Iowa City Regina because of the Illinois’ governor’s COVID mandate. I made sure he returned to play football and baseball and graduate from Alleman in the spring of ‘21.

 I share this to let you know I am an Alleman guy.

It must be noted, I know Matt, but only through his days at the Quincy Herald-Whig,  where he would share Western Big 6 school stories with the two — three for the last three years of my career — newspapers I worked for

We could always trust Matt to be thorough, be accurate in his account of the games and above reproach. He is a gifted wordsmith and a class act.

Today, though, I am writing in regards to his column about Alleman leaving the Western Big 6.

While entitled to his opinion, he should have remembered where he is and a little history before kicking an original member of the conference to the curb. 

It is true the previous administration darn-near destroyed the place. 

It is true football and boys basketball were horrid. 

It is true the second-most decorated softball team in the state did not field a team this season.

It is true enrollment is down.

That said, have you looked at other sports? Girls basketball, soccer, track, and the baseball team that just beat Quincy the other night? A baseball program that — in my quarter century of coaching — has won more than it lost against the Blue Devils. There are struggles everywhere in that building, but strides have been made.

Football is going to continue to struggle, but the right man and staff are in place to turn things around. Boys basketball has the best man in pace to change its fortunes. It will, however, take time.

I find it funny that as soon as Quincy basketball gets really good again, Matt takes a shot like this.

And let us not forget…

Did the Western Big 6 kick Quincy to the curb when it was horrible in football for two-plus decades? I am a huge fan of Coach Little and the tremendous job he has done. He is also a class act,  but last time I looked, Quincy football is not Alabama.

Alleman has played in five state championship games. How many has Quincy?

Schools in the Quad Cities drive three hours to play simply out of loyalty to Quincy. It’s not because the food at 11 p.m. on a Thursday, Tuesday or Friday is better in Quincy than it is elsewhere.

Show me another conference in the state that drives a minimum 2-to-4 hours to play.

I can tell you there would be some happy ADs, coaches, parents and administrators that would welcome Quincy going elsewhere. That’s not personal, that’s the truth because of cost and convenience. Matt should know what a winter night’s drive is like from Quincy to the Quads.

Did the Western Big 6 throw Quincy out for its basketball recruiting scandal? Has that been erased from Matt’s memory?

Are things teetering at Alleman? Yes. Things, however, are no longer on the brink.There is an amazing leadership team in place, one that is determined to return the school to prominence. 

And it will. I promise you that. But it will take time. Alleman, if it chooses, deserves time.

Before Matt goes tossing folks from the Western Big 6, you might want to see who really should be the odd school out in all of this.

I get Matt’s point and that day may come, but not now. Alleman Catholic High School has earned a little wiggle room in the conversation.

Thank you for reading.

With great respect,

Johnny Marx

PS. It’s Alleman Catholic. Has been for years. Not Rock Island Alleman.

Editor’s Note: No media outlet within the WB6 coverage area, the Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus included, refers to the school as Alleman Catholic. Like other schools from outside the Muddy River Sports coverage area, the city name is used as a point of reference, such as Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.