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Each year when I sit down to do the preseason rankings and try to list the true players to watch, I always have to figure out which coach is sandbagging and which ones think they are better than what they really are.
Trust me, coaches have track records and I keep track. It's actually pretty funny at times when you see the patterns.
People need to remember that just because you played well over the summer or have 101 seniors back doesn't mean you deserve to be ranked. The summer season is nothing compared to what it was five years ago or even 10 years ago.
I used to always preseason rank the summer champion of the Western League, which is a competitive high school summer league. But as club has grown, there are many high school teams that field a second-class team during the summer - which isn't a bad thing. It allows coaches to see other kids in action and gives them more time to evaluate.
As I said to Naperville Central coach Jay Konrad on Saturday, this is a flip-a-coin season. Just like in the spring where Waubonsie Valley was the hands down, clear cut favorite on paper to the start the season, Neuqua Valley is Grade A while everyone else is Grade B, C and even D+.
So is it a down year?
I think it's way too early to say that. This is a year when new stars will be born.
According to one reader, Bradon Loncar from Neuqua Valley is a sleeper to watch this season.
Who else should people be watching for?
- Joe Trost
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I think Saint Charles North is a team to watch. Their run to the elite Eight last season was no fluke. They will miss graduated Senior Alex Bergmann who helped them throughout the playoffs but look for Juniors Noah Anthony and Zack Matusik both on Campton United's high powered u-17 team to make some noise.