Every year one of the highlights of the football season is when DGS faces DGN in the annual cross town game. The bright lights of the stadium shine on players, students and community members. But due to a new policy, DGS will not be required to play DGN in the 2023 football season.

Generally DGS must play two non-conference games every season–one against DGN and the other against a different school in the Silver Division.

Next year, the DGS football team only has to play one of these non-conference games. They will be required to play a team in the Silver Division, but not DGN.

Junior William Potter is on the varsity football team and still wants to play DGN next season.

“DGS versus DGN is the most important game I have ever played in my life. I think everyone that knows a single thing about Downers Grove football thinks there needs to be a DGS versus DGN football game, or it’s almost not a season,” Potter said.

According to varsity football head coach Mark Molinari, DGS will be playing DGN in football next year.

“We have agreed that we are going to continue our crossover [game]. It’s a good tough game, but a lot of the kids know each other, so we want to continue to do it for the community and for each other,” Molinari said.

Traditionally schools in the Gold Division, which includes DGS and the rest of the conference, do not win against Silver Division schools. Last year DGN beat DGS 7-0, and this year DGN won again 27-7. Glenbard West also beat DGS in a non-conference game this year 42-7.

When other schools in the Gold Division, such as Addison Trail and Hinsdale South, lose to non-conference teams significantly, this can cause DGS to get a lower seed in the playoffs.

Now that schools only have to play one crossover game, DGS could get a better seed for the playoffs and be in a better position to win and advance. Hinsdale South has already decided not to play Hinsdale Central, and will play Riverside Brookfield instead.

“These teams can help give us points. If we got one, two, three points, there’s a big difference there and that could move our seed quite a bit up and down,” Molinari said.

Hinsdale South varsity head football coach Mike Barry elaborated on how this rule could help Gold Division schools make the playoffs.

“Football is the only high school sport where the postseason is earned. All other sports make the playoffs regardless of record. In football, five wins or a conference championship is needed for playoff qualification,” Barry said.

Now that Gold Division schools are only required to play one non-conference game, they will be more likely to have more wins every season, which increases their chances of making the playoffs.

Barry also described how this new rule will affect Hinsdale South football.

“We have the opportunity to schedule a school of similar size. We are a school that routinely plays against teams twice or more than three times our enrollment size. Scheduling similar size schools allows for a better opportunity of outcome,” Barry said.

DGS Freshman football coach Zachary Holtzman described some of the benefits this new policy could have for DGS football.

“Playing elite non-conference teams can help in preparation for the postseason, but can also make it challenging if you lose to these teams as you would then need to go on a winning streak to finish out and potentially still get a lower seed for the IHSA playoffs,” Holztman said.

However, Holztman thinks that the DGS and DGN game is important, and should be played next year.

“Personally, I’d like to continue seeing a crosstown game against DGN. This is a quality rivalry and players leave it all on the field every time we compete against DGN,” Holtzman said.

DGS will play DGN week two of the 2023 football season.