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Friday, August 28 at Soldier Field

2:30 pm: De La Salle vs. Lane
5:15 pm: Mount Carmel vs. Simeon
8 pm: Brother Rice vs. Morgan Park

The 2009 Providence schedule which looks insane

Week 1 at Lincoln-Way East
Week 2 vs.. Joliet Catholic
Week 3 at Loyola
Week 4 vs. . Brother Rice
Week 5 at St. Laurence
Week 6 vs. . Fenwick
Week 7 at St. Rita
Week 8 vs. . De La Salle
Week 9 vs.. Mount Carmel

Time to come in out of the cold and watch some basketball.
The Super 25 is a ranking of teams in the circulation area of the Chicago Sun-Times. To the fans of East St. Louis, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Bloomington Central Catholic, your teams all performed like champions and that's why they won championships, but to rank teams that are out of our area that we don't cover on a regular basis wouldn't be fair.
My own thoughts are that the IHSA should scrap the multiplier. I can understand football enrollment, which went away this year. The problem with the multiplier is that larger schools move up a class or two. But when small numbers are multiplied, thet still produce small numbers.
Was it fair that Immaculate Conception played in Class 2A when its schedule for the nine game regular season consisted of 4A and 5A schools, with one 6A (Marmion). Multiplying their enrollment might have moved them up from Class 1A, but football enrollment would have moved them up more.
And what about IC's opponent Casey. Three or four times an exchange of game films fell through. We held up our end of it every time," IC coach Bill Schmidt said.
With the multiplier, non-boundaried schools won four of the eight classes in football, a far higher percentage than the number of schools that have no attendance boundaries. And it wasn't that far-fetched to think that Mount Carmel or Brother Rice could have been in the Class 8A title game -- both lost on last minute field goals to Hinsdale Central -- or that St. Rita could have been in the 7A final, after all, the Mustangs had a 28-7 lead at East St. Louis. And the Flyers won the 7A championship.
In my opinion, the answer is simple, either have two or three non-boundaried school classes and five or six for public schools; or keep the current eight classes, can the multiplier and go to football enrollment.
My final word on the Catholic League vs. DVC debate -- this year's winner as the top conference goes to Suburban Catholic, which produced two state champions in St. Francis and IC. Funny thing, every preseason prediction I saw had Marian Central (before the Jon Budmayr injury), Driscoll and Montini as the top three teams in the SCC.
Even though Montini lost to St. Francis in a quarterfinal rematch, the Broncos beat three state champions -- Sacred Heart-Griffin, St. Francis and IC -- during the nine-game regular season.
The DVC had no team in the quarterfinals and the Catholic League had two teams in the semifinals, Mount Carmel and Providence, and they both lost. Funny thing, every preseason prediction I saw had Marian Central (before the Jon Budmayr injury), Driscoll and Montini as the top three teams in the SCC.
The Mount Carmel jinx continued. Only one team that defeated the Caravan in a state semifinal, Providence, has gone on to win the state title.
Now, it's time for football's second season, recruiting. Before long the seniors will have their colleges picked and it will be time to look at the juniors. Just wondering, does anyone have directions to Johnsburg?

Here are my final rankings of the season:

STEVE TUCKER¹S FINAL SUPER 25
(Preseason ranking)

1. Maine South 14-0 (2)
2. Glenbard West 12-1 (21)
3. Hinsdale Central 11-3 (16)
4. Geneva 13-1 (12)
5. St. Rita 10-2 (4)
6. Mount Carmel 10-3 (1)
7. Bartlett 12-1 (NR)
8. Brother Rice 9-3 (15)
9. Naperville North 10-1 (7)
10. St. Francis 13-1 (NR)
11. Lemont 13-1 (NR)
12. Wheaton Warrenville South 8-2 (9)
13. Bolingbrook 10-1 (14)
14. Antioch 12-1 (NR)
15. Loyola 11-3 (NR)
16. Aurora Christian 13-1 (NR)
17. Providence 8-5 (NR)
18. Crystal Lake South 10-3 (NR)
19. Lincoln-Way East 9-2 (13)
20. Immaculate Conception 10-4 (NR)
21. Cary-Grove 11-1 (NR)
22. Carmel 10-2 (6)
23. Marist 9-3 (NR)
24. Montini 11-1 (NR)
25. Lane 11-3 (NR)

With nine games remaining, including the Prep Bowl of Friday. here's a llok at the Super 25 for Week 14

1 Maine South 13-0 1
Hinsdale Central in Class 8A an Saturday night in Champaign
Charlie Goro, Matt Perez and the offense score a lot of points. But the unheraldded defense has set this team apart. The Hawks have allowed just 14 points in their last three playoff games, and Bartlett's touchdown Saturday came very late.

2 Geneva 13-0 (3)
East St. Louis in Class 7A on Saturday in Champaign
The Vikings will be looking to avenge a 24-26 quarterfinal loss to the Flyers last year. East St. Louis is big and fast and strong and skilled. But Geneva RB Michael Ratay has found a way to win.

3 Hinsdale Central 12-2 (6)
Maine South in Class 8A on Saturday night in Champaign
David Lutz has tried three field goals in his career. The first one was blocked, the next two won state playoff games against Brother Rice and Mount Carmel.

4 Lemont 13-0 7
Sacred Heart-Griffin in Class 6A on Saturday in Champaign
Last year, the Indians learned the routine. That team depended on some big-timers. This team all 22 starters depend on each other. Sounds like a formula for success.

5 Glenbard West 12-1 (2)
Season is over
The Hilltoppers did everything but ring the bell against East St. Louis. Coach Chad Hetlet has dome an amazing job.

6 Mount Carmel 10-3 (5)
Season is over
An uncharacteristic three turnovers hurt the Caravan in a semifinal loss at Hinsdale. After a 2-2 start, a revamped offensive line helped make this one of Frank Lenti's best coaching jobs

7 St. Rita 10-2 (14)
Season is over

8 Bartlett 12-1 (4)
Season is over
The Hawks set a standard that future Bartlett teams will strive to equal. An unhearalded defense separated this team

9 Brother Rice 9-3 (15)
Season is over

10 Naperville North 10-1 (16)
Season is over

11 St. Francis 12-1 (11)
Metamora in Class 5A on Saturday in Champaign
Tought draw with the reigning state champions who really have hardly had to break a sweat. The Spartans will need to control the ball and the clock.

12 Aurora Christian 13-0 (12)
Bloomington Central Catholic in Class 4A on Friday night in Champaign
The Eagles have a coach who was on theams thagt went to six Super Bowls and a quarterback who set state records for career touchdown passes and yardage.

13 Wheaton Warrenville South 8-2 (17)
Season is over

14 Bolingbrook 10-1 (18)
Season is over

15 Antioch 12-1 (8)
Season is over
Talk about miracles, the Sequoits were 0-9 in 2006 and in the semifinals in 2008.

16 Loyola 10-3 (20)
Lane Friday at 11 a.m. in the Prep Bowl at Soldier Field
The state series draw didn't do the Ramblers any favors, first Glenbard North and as a reward, a trip to Maine South.

17 Providence 8-5 (9)
Season is over
From 2-4, the Celtics came a long way against a brutal schedule. How many teams have beaten Mount Carmel and Joliet Catholic in ths same season?

18 Crystal Lake South 10-3 (10)
Season is over
Gators gave Geneva all it wanted in a Class 7A semifinal. "I give them props, They hit every single play," Geneva lineman Cory Hofstetter said.

19 Lincoln-Way East 9-2 (19)
Season is over

20 Cary Grove 11-1 (21)
Season is over

21 Carmel 10-2 (22)
Season is over

22 Marist 9-3 (23)
Season is over

23 Montini 11-1 (24)
Season is over

24 Immaculate Conception 9-4 (25)
Casey in Class 2A on Friday in Champaign
Diet of 4A and 5A opponents make IC a favorite over unbeaten Casey (unless a fast-pitch softball game breaks out)

25 Lane 11-2 (NR)
Loyola on Friday in the Prep Bowl at Soldier Field
Indians started the season at Soldier Field against Fenwick and will end it in the 75th Prep Bowl.

On the bubble: Kankakee, Barrington, Schaumburg, Downers Grove North,
Glenbard South, De La Salle, Hubbard, Simeon,Glenbrook South, Joliet
Catholic, Morris.

Now there are 32 teams left, the 32 that proved to be semi-tough.
Four teams in each of the Illinois High School Association's eight classes will battle in semifinals this weekend for berths in the state finals Thanksgiving weekend at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
I promise no one will make a living -- or more than likely not break even -- using my predictions, but all four the teams that I picked to win the four largest classes -- Maine South, East St. Louis, Lemont and Metamora -- are still alive.
There was no shortage of drama in the quarterfinals. In Class 7A, East Louis Louis rallied from a 28-7 deficit to knock off St. Rita and unbeaten Cary-Grove fell in overtime to a Crystal Lake South team it defeated 24-7 in a Fox Valley Valley game.
In Class 6A, Antioch eliminated Glenbard South 28-27 in overtime when an extra point went wide left. The shocker in Class 5A saw St. Francis, which lost to Montini 41-21 in the regular season, end the Broncos unbeaten campaign with a 28-14 upset to put the Spartans into the state semifinals for the first time.
But there probably wasn't a game around the state that sent out the shock waves that Aurora Christian did. The Eagles ended the season for seven-time reigning state champion Driscoll. The Highlanders, who have eight state titles including seven in a row, had a state-record playoff winning streak of 37 snapped on Saturday night.
Three area conferences sent two teams to the state semifinals -- the Catholic League Blue (Mount Carmel and Providence), the Suburban Catholic (St. Francis and Immaculate Conception) and the West Suburban Silver (Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central).

Here's a look at this week's Super 25:

1 Maine South (12-0) 1
Bartlett at Streamwood
Charlie Goro and coach Dave Inserra have talked about one game at a time since the season opener. Another one game and the Hawks will be back in Champaign. Goro has been like a surgeon in the playoffs as he dissects defenses.

2 Glenbard West (12-0) 2
Hosts East St. Louis on Saturday
The Hilltoppers defense prides itself on speed. It will need it against an East St. Louis team that would like nothing better than a track meet. The Flyers line play isn't what it was in the glory days, but the speed of the skill position players is sensational.

3 Geneva (12-0) 3
Hosts Crystal Lake South
Vikings and RB Michael Ratay have their eye on a first trip to the state finals. Geneva has scored 27 or more in every game except one -- a 14-7 Week 4 win against state quarterfinalist Glenbard South.

4 Bartlett (12-0) 4
Maine South at Streamwood
Can a defense that allowed 35 points to Schaumburg hold down Charlie Goro & Co? Can the offense do enough against a defense that shut out Barrington? It's going to take the Hawks best game to get to Champaign.

5 Mount Carmel (10-2) 6
At Hindale Central
The decision making of QB Jordan Lynch is what makes this team so good, according to coach Frank Lenti. Lynch's line has grown into a strength. The semifinal at Hinsdale figures to be a shootout.

6 Hinsdale Central (10-2) 10
Hosts Mount Carmel
Out of the frying pan ... Red Devils junior QB John Whitelaw said that a 9-0 loss to Glenbard West in a driving rain (complete with a lightening delay) was a wake-up call. A matchup of the best senior and the best junior option QB should be a dandy in the semifinals.

7 Lemont (12-0) 11
Hosts Antioch
The Indians, who reached the title game in 2007, are versatile have a lot of weapons on both sides of the line. Their defense has been the difference all season.

8 Antioch (12-0) 13
At Lemont
No surprises from the Sequoits, they run and run and run. Not many have been able to catch RB-KR Cameron White, who also showed he can throw the ball in a win at Glenbard South.

9 Providence (8-4) 14
Hosts Sacred-Heart Griffin
Providence winning a playoff game against previously unbeaten Rock Island was not as big a surprise as the 38-0 margin. The Celtics were once 2-4, not they are two wins from a 10th state title.

10 Crystal Lake South (10-2) 24
At Geneva
A lot of demons were removed with the Gators overtime win against Cary-Grove. Can a defense that limited the Trojans to seven points slow down the Geneva juggernaut.

11 St. Francis (11-1) 25
Hosts Kankakee
Spartans avenged their only loss at Montini and now get to play a semifinal at home. After a stunning upset over Driscoll and a loss to Montini, the team regrouped but has flown under the radar.

12 Aurora Christian (12-0) NR
At Richmond-Burton
In ending Driscoll's 37-game playoff winning streak, coach Don Beebe's Eagles have answered a lot of questions about a weak schedule and a weak conference. Remember, the eye-popping stats are for 11 games since Luther North forfeited in Week 8.

13 Kankakee (9-3) NR
At St. Francis
Who are these guys? After knocking off 2007 state finalist Morris, a trip to Wheaton puts the Kays 48 minutes from a trip to Champaign.

14 St. Rita (10-2) 5
Season is over
Heartbreaking loss at East St. Louis for the overachieving Catholic League Blue champions, who had a 21-point second-half lead.

15 Brother Rice (9-3) 7
Season is over
Crusaders were opportunistic all night, but in the end, Hinsdale Central and junior QB John White were in the red zone one time too many.

16 Naperville North (10-1) 18
Season is over

17 Wheaton Warrenville South (8-2) 19
Season is over

18 Bolingbrook (10-1) 20
Season is over

19 Lincoln-Way East (9-2) 21
Season is over

20 Loyola (10-2) 22
Hosts De La Salle Saturday for Prep Bowl
Ramblers have been untouchable at home and that's bad news for De La Salle who head to Wilmette Saturday for the Catholic League championship game and a Prep Bowl berth.

21 Cary-Grove (11-1) 9
Season is over
Trojans offense never put many points up in the playoffs and this time, there was no game-winning field goal.

22 Carmel (10-2) 8
Season is over
Like 11 other teams, the Corsairs couldn't match Geneva's offensive output.

23 Marist (9-3) 15
Season is over
RedHawks owned the first 10 minutes against Mount Carmel but the Caravan's offense was too quick for the Marist defense.

24 Montini (11-1) 12
Season is over
No answers for St. Francis is the second half as surprising season ends.

25 Immaculate Conception (8-4) NR
At Clifton Central
The Knights are one game from a second trip to the championship game. Playing a steady diet of Class 5A and 4A teams has this squad well prepared for Class 2A.

On the bubble: Barrington, Schaumburg, Downers Grove North, Glenbard South, De La Salle, Morgan Park, Hubbard, Lane, Simeon

Guess which area conference has been perfect in the state playoffs through two weeks.

No, it's not the Catholic League Blue, though 9-1 pretty impressive.

It's the Suburban Catholic, which is 8-0 with Montini, St. Francis, Driscoll and Immaculate Conception all still going.

Montini and St. Francis will face off Saturday in a Class 5A quarterfinal. Driscoll, which is shooting for an eighth consecutive state title, will play at Aurora Christian and record-setting quarterback Jordan Roberts in Class 4A, and I.C. will play at home in Class 2A.
Bolingbrook and Naperville North fell from the ranks of the unbeaten is the second round.
Bolingbrook's loss at Hinsdale Central shouldn't have been a shock. If you go back to the season opener, the Raiders beat Downers Grove South at home when a two-point conversion was intercepted in the last monute. In the playoff opener, the Red Devils pounded Downers South on the road.
Naperville North's loss was a lot harder to figure. It took two touchdowns in the closing minutes by Marist to send the game to overtime, where a field goal won it.
The DuPage Valley, which had a lot of good things happen to it in 2007 with three teams in the state championship games, had no luck in this post season. When is the last time the DVC was out of the state playoffs before the quarterfinals?

Better than advertised? -- My fave five are Bartlett, Lemont, Montini, Antioch and Aurora Christian. And they are all 11-0.

Here's a look at this week's Chicago Sun-Times Super 25:

1 Maine South (11-0) 1
At No. 16 Barrington
Loyola win showed that the ground game, and junior Matt Perez, makes this a whole different Maine South team

2 Glenbard West (11-0) 4
At No. 17 Downers Grove North
Chad Hetlet's team is firing on all cylanders. A potential semifinal against the St. Rita-East St. Louis winner will be in Glen Ellyn

3 Geneva (11-0) 5
Hosts No. 8 Carmel
This will be the Vikings' toughest test to date. So far, no one has had an answer for RB Michael Ratay. And the defense is stronger than people think.

4 Bartlett (11-0) 6
At No. 23 Schaumburg
Hawks just keep winning. The defense was the difference against Fremd as Bartlett continues it journey through the Mid-Suburban West.

5 St. Rita (10-1) 8
At East St.Louis
Mustangs and the Flyers played back-to-back games to open the season in Ohio. You can bet that both coaches were paying attention.

6 Mount Carmel (9-2) 9
No.15 Marist Friday at Gately
Jordan Lynch is on a mission, and since the Week 5 turnaround, it looks like anything but mission impossible. Adonis Filer (yeah, Steve's brother) is a sophomore linebacker building an impressive resume.

7 Brother Rice (9-2) 10
Hosts No. 10 Hinsdale Central
Survived a road trip to Belleville. Now a rematch of a 2007 playoff game against a Hinsdale Central team that opened a lot of eyes against Bolingbrook.

8 Carmel (10-1) 12
At No. 3 Geneva
I keep hearing about how beat up coach Andy Bitto's Corsairs are. But they keep finding ways to win football games.

9 Cary-Grove (11-0) 13
At No. 24 Crystal Lake South
Can coach Bruce Kay's Trojans earn a second trip to the state finals? A field goal was the difference against St. Charles East.

10 Hinsdale Central (9-2) 14
At No. 7 Brother Rice
Rich Zajeski ran wild against Bolingbrook, and QB John Whitelaw might be the best of all the juniors at his position. But it was the defense that made the loudest statemment against Bolingbrook.

11 Lemont (11-0) 16
Hosts Grant
This team is loaded with talent and linebacker Ryan Fejedelem and the defense is playing with confidence gained from last year's state final appearance. The job that coach Eric Michaelsen has done is underrated.

12 Montini (11-0) 18
Hosts No. 25 St. Francis
All four Suburban Catholic playoff qualifiers are still alive. The Broncos have home field advantage for Saturday's quarterfinal matchup .

13 Antioch (11-0) 20
At Glenbard South
When the Sequoits were 4-0, they had played teams that had combined for zero wins. Now people need to take Cameron White & Co. seriously.

14 Providence (7-4) 20
Hosts Rock Island
From 2-4, the Celtics have come on like gangbusters and ended the season for Joliet Catholic, who many thought would win another state title. Unbeaten Rock Island comes to New Lenox this week.

15 Marist (9-2) 24
No. 6 Mount Carmel Friday at Gately
The RedHawks have been hard to figure. They looked like world beaters against Carmel, and were never really in the games against Joliet Catholic and Nazareth. A fourth quarter rally to knock off defending 8A champion Naperville North had them looking like the team that beat Carmel

16 Barrington (9-2) 22
Hosts No. 1 Maine South
Two close losses to Palatine and Fremd are all the separate the Broncos from a perfect season. They'll need more than the seven points they scored at New Trier to have a chance against the high-scoring Hawks.

17 Downers Grove North (7-4) 24
Hosts No. 2 Glenbard West
The last time the West Suburban Silver rivals met, the score wasn't close, but the game was a lot more even than the result. The Trojans beat Wheaton Warrenville South in the playoff opener so anything is possible.

18 Naperville North (10-1) 2
Season is over
Would a healthy Nick Mlady have made a difference down the stretch? A tough loss to Marist ended another great season for the DuPage Valley champions?

19 Wheaton Warrenville South (8-2) 19
Season is over

20 Bolingbrook (10-1) 3
Season is over
The Raiders made a living off turnovers all season. But Hinsdale turned the table with a 3-0 advantage in take aways.

21 Lincoln-Way East (9-2) 7
Season is over
Another fine season for coach Rob Zvonar's Griffins ends at home against Mount Carmel. Exra Thompson turned in a great performance of defense.

22 Loyola (9-2) 11
Regular season is over
The Ramblers were better than expected all season, and were unbeatable at home.

23 Schaumburg (7-4) NR
Hosts No. 4 Bartlett
Saxons' first-half offensive explosion was too much for Warren. The team puts up a lot of points and will be a dangerous opponent.

24 Crystal Lake South (9-2) NR
Hosts No. 9 Cary-Grove
Blowout win over Boylan in Rockford has the fans excited for a quarterfinal against an old rival.

25 St. Francis (10-1) NR
At No. 12 Montini
Spartans can avenge the only blemish on their record. Not too mant people expected St. Francis to handle Nazreth they way they did, roaring to a 28-0 halftime lead.

On the bubble: Glenbard South, Morris, Driscoll. Aurora Christian, Grant, Kankakee, Immaculate Comception, Hubbard, Lane, Warren, St. Charles East, Thornton, Joliet Catholic, De La Salle, Glenbrook South.

STEVE TUCKER'S SUPER 25

1 Maine South 10-0 1
Hosts No. 11 Loyola on Saturday
Home field will be an advantage for Charlie Goro and Co. against a tough Catholic League Blue team. Last year, Mount Carmel knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs.

2 Naperville NORTH 10-0 2
No. 24 Marist at Benedictine
Nick Mlady and Co. want another first-place trophy for bookends.

3 Bolingbrook 10-0 3
At No. 14 Hinsdale Central
Roosevelt Holliday and the Raiders defense will be tested by talented junior QB John Whitelaw

4 Glenbard West 10-0 4
Hosts Fenwick on Saturday
Hilltoppers have shutouts in three of their last four games -- Downers North, Hinsdale Central and Wheaton North -- all state playoff teams.

5 Geneva 10-0 5
At Hononegah
The defense doesn't get headlines, but Cory Hofstetter and Co.do get the job done

6 bartlett 10-0 7
No. 21 Fremd at Streamwood
On an off day, the Hawks survived and advanced and that's the name of the playoff game

7 Lincoln-Way EAST 9-1 8
Hosts No. 9 Mount Carmel
Same place as a memorable 2006 state semifinal. Griffins QB Spencer Stanek has put up some mind-boggling numbers

8 St. Rita 9-1 10
Hosts Thornton
Mustangs won't look ahead, but East St. Louis will be playing in the neighborhood at De La Salle this weekend.

9 Mount Carmel 8-2 11
At No. 7 Lincoln-Way East
Has coach Frank Lenti ever had a quarterback who ran the option with the smarts of Jordan Lynch?

10 Brother Rice 8-2 12
At Belleville East
Crusaders earn a long bus ride after demolishing Sandburg. QB Tom Gibson belongs in every discussion about the area's top signal callers

11 Loyola 8-2 13
At No. 1 Maine South on Saturday
The Ramblers defense has been special in Wilmette. It will need to be in top form Saturday in Park Ridge.

12 Carmel 9-1 14
At Woodstock
Corsairs got over some early bumps against Wheeling. Is a showdown with Geneva on the horizon?

13 Cary-Grove 10-0 15
Hosts No. 23 St. Charles East
Coach Bruce Kay's Trojans have quietly dominated opponents while staying under the radar.

14 Hinsdale CentRAL 8-2 16
Hosts No. 3 Bolingbrook
Comparing scores, the Red Devils were a lot more successful against Downers South in Week 10 (46-12) than the Raiders were back in Week 1 (21-20). And the game is in Hisdale.

15 Joliet Catholic 8-2 17
At No. 20 Providence on Saturday
This might not be the best team the Hilltoppers have produced, but they get an opponent sure to bring out the best in them. JCA has the most state titles and Providence is third.

16 Lemont 10-0 19
Morgan Park at Gately Stadium
Lemont has been dominating, but physically, this will be the biggest challenge the Indians have faced.

17 Warren 9-1 20
At Schaumburg
Warren has got to be surprised that Schaumburg knocked out Glenbrook South. The Blue Devils only loss was back in Week 2 to Maine South and the game was competitive.

18 Montini 10-0 21
At Hillcrest
The Broncos face one of the three 6-4 teams reaming in their half of the 5A draw. A lot of eyes from Montini and Hillcrest will be on the Nazareth-St. Francis matchup.

19 WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH 8-2 6
Season is finished
Two losses by one point is a tough way to end the season

20 Providence 6-4 NR
Hosts No. 15 Joliet Catholic on Sat.
I would guess that this is the game that the Celtics' killer schedule was supposed to prepare them for.

21 Fremd 8-2 NR
No. 6 Bartlett at Streamwood
Viking won the battle of Palatine and have a lot better track record in the early rounds of the state playoffs.

22 Barrington 8-2 NR
At New Trier
Cody Seeger and Co. will test the Trevians defensive backfield. The winner will get the Maine South-Loyola winner next week.

23 St. Charles EAST 8-2 NR
At No. 13 Cary-Grove
Wes Allen knocked out defending 7A champion Lake Zurich and now will test Cary-Grove.

24 Marist 8-2 NR
No. 2 Naperville N. at Benedictine

RB Billy Seiler will need to bring his A game against the reigning Class 8A champions

25 Downers GROVE North 6-4 NR
Hosts Proviso East
The Trojans pulled off a shocker against WW South, now it would be a shocker if they can't knock off surprising Proviso East.

On the bubble: Morgan Park, Hubbard, Nazareth, St. Francis, Crystal Lake South, Thornton, De La Salle, Driscoll, Fenwick, Schaumburg

Week One of the state football playoffs are in the book and there are more teams left from the Chicago Public League than the DuPage Valley
Public League teams advancing were Morgan Park and Hubbard
The powerful DVC, which landed three team in Champaign in title games last year was 1-4
Conference champion Naperville North won, But Glenbard North and WW South, the 2007 runners up in 8A and 7A as well as Naperville Central and Wheaton North are finished for this season

The Catholic League Blue, which sent all five of its teams to the playoffs was a perfect 5-0 and the Suburban Catholic was 4-0, while the West Suburban Silver was 3-1 with Downers Grove North, which upset WW South, unbeaten Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central, which put a hurt on Downers South, all advancing

Chicagoan who didn't watch the games on CBS College Sports back in August will get a first look at powerful East St, Louis Saturday afternoon at De La Salle

While Brother Rice will head to the St. Louis area and a date with Belleville East at a site to be determined since the Belleville field might not be playable

OK, so I know there were like a thousand records set at Huntley's 70-63 victory over Batavia.
My question is, with Nick Fruendt, the former Batavia basketball star now at Northwestern, would a Huntley-Batavia basketball game see as many points scored?
I doubt it

What I wish I had seen was a quote from the winning defensive coordinator from that game.

I think my friend Tim O'Halloran got it right when he told me that Geneva running back Michael Ratay "was a reincarnation of John Dergo."
Dergo led Morris to a state title and was the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year in 2005

I watched the Geneva-Rolling Meadows game. I saw 15 penalties called against Geneva. I just didn't see 15 infractions.

Joliet Catholic and Providence will play Saturday in New Lenox. The teams are first and third in state football championships. That game is a must see for me.
\and finally
The Kenny Rogers Award goes to Downers North coach John Wanderer -- This gambler "knows when to hold 'em, knows when to fold 'en, ...

Score one for the stripes.
The lightening delay of nearly on hour at Hinsdale Central Friday night was not uncommon around the area
But the delay came with less than two minutes to play in the half.
When the teams returned, the officials got the coaches to agree to no halftime.

The rain didn't stop an enthusiastic :White Out" by the students from visiting Glenbard West. Despite the rain and lightening, the white-clad Hilltoppers wouldn't let it be a wash out and stayed until the end.

A twist to Niles North's victory over Glenbrook North Saturday, Both teams came in 4-4. But neither made the state playoffs. Niles North was eliminated by playoff points, a lack of them, and Glenbrook North, which had the points after nonconference games against Maine South and Glenbrook South, didn't get to five wins.

1 MAINE SOUTH (9-0) 1
Hosts Stevenson on Saturday
The Hawks got a break as a No. 2 seed when Lane Tech edged Glenbrook South for the No. 3. If the defense can stop big plays, look for the Hawks in Champaign

2 NAPERVILLE NORTH (9-0) 2
Hosts Simeon
No one else had the Huskies ahead of WW South. A tough field in the bottom half of Class 8A with Bolingbrook, Brother Rice, Lincoln-Way East, Mount Carmel, Downers Grove South and Hinsdale Central.

3 BOLINGBROOK (9-0) 4
Hosts Curie
Is this the year for "The Brook" to go all the way? Bolingbrook's defense is as good or better than anyone in Class 8A. I'm with Edgy Tim -- John Ivlow is my Coach of the Week nominee.

4 GLENBARD WEST (9-0) 5
Hosts Wheaton North on Saturday
The Hilltoppers are 9-0 for the first time since 1991. This team can run the blow, throw it and has as good a defense as I've seen. The offensive line, even minus Notre Dame recruit Chris Watt, impressed.

5 GENEVA (9-0) 6
Hosts Rolling Meadows
After watching the Vikes against Batavia, Edgy called RB Michael Ratay this year's John Dergo (the former Morris star and Sun-Times Player of the Year. Close to 2,000 yards and 32 TDs so far.

6 WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH (8-1) 3
Hosts Downers Grove North
Like Naperville North a year ago, don't be surprised if a Week 9 loss is this team's last. When is the last time the Tigers lost when they scored at least seven points?

7 BARTLETT (9-0) 7
Hosts Notre Dame
The Hawks will try to end several years of playoff frustration for Upstate Eight teams. Notre Dame gave Joliet Catholic a tough game in Week 9.

8 LINCOLN-WAY EAST (8-1) 9
Hosts Waubonsie Valley
Turnovers against Bolingbrook was the culprit in the Griffins only loss. The reward for a win in the playoff opener is a second-round game against Mount Carmel or Naperville Central.

9 GLENBROOK SOUTH (8-1) 10
Hosts Schaumburg
Remember the Titans? This is one of those teams that no one is anxious to tackle in the state playoffs. Is a semifinal rematch against Maine South in the cards?

10 ST. RITA (8-1) 11
Hosts Bradley
Some banged up Mustangs got to week to recover. The question is, can St. Rita return to the form it showed in Week 4 against Mount Carmel.

11 MOUNT CARMEL (7-2) 12
No. 23 Naperville Central Friday at Gately
This isn't the same team that played the first month of the regular season. QB Jordan Lynch can be a difference maker in the post season.

12 BROTHER RICE (7-2) 13
Hosts Sandburg
I came away more impressed with the Crusaders when they lost at St. Rita than when I watched them beat Loyola in the mud. QB Tom Gibson makes things happen.

13 LOYOLA (7-2) 14
Hosts No. 18 Glenbard North Saturday
Loyola is a different team at home and that is where they will open the playoffs. The defense is big and fast and will be ready for RB Tyler Doll and QB Evan Watkins.

14 CARMEL (8-1) 15
Hosts Wheeling
Whatever happened at Marist was more than six weeks ago. The Corsairs and their tough running game are looking for a long tournament run.

15 CARY-GROVE (9-0) 16
Hosts Rockford Guilford
The Trojans have won 33 conference games in a row. Does this team have the magic that Bruce Kay's 2004 Class 7A runnerup had in the postseason

16 HINSDALE CENTRAL (7-2) 8
At No. 25 Downers Grove South
The weather really limited QB John Whitelaw's ability to throw on Friday night. There may not be a better playoff opener than Hinsdale-Downers South in the state.

17 JOLIET CATHOLIC (7-2) 18
Hosts Crete-Monee
The Hilltoppers can't look ahead, but Providence could be next if JCA wins and the Celtics get by Oak Forest.

18 GLENBARD NORTH (6-3) 19
At No. 13 Loyola on Saturday
One of two first-round battles between the Catholic League Blue and SDuPage Valley. Winning in Wilmette won't be easy for the Panthers.

19 LEMONT (9-0) 20
Hosts Lake Forest
The Indians are on the opposite side of the bracket from Joliet Catholic and Providence, two of the three top teams in terms of state titles. And Lemont got a taste of Champaign last year.

20 WARREN (8-1) 21
Hosts York on Saturday
The Blue Devils won a close game against New Trier, lost one to Maine South and then ran the table in the North Suburban Lake. The offense can pile up points in a hurry

21 ANTIOCH (9-0) 22
Hosts Harlan
Cameron White has monster stats. The Sequoits running back is averaging more than 18 yards a carry.

22 MONTINI (9-0) 23
Hosts Clark on Saturday
A lot of people in the western suburbs are hoping for a Montini-Nazareth matchup down the line. The Broncos capped a perfect regular season with a 14-13 win over rival Driscoll on Saturday.

23 NAPERVILLE CENTRAL (6-3) NR
No. 11 Mount Carmel Fri. at Gately
Another Catholic League-DVC classic. The Redhawks have exceeded preseason predictions and could easily by 8-1.

24 PALATINE (7-2) NR
At Fremd on Friday
A first-round matchup of district rivals figures to be a shootout. The Pirates have been the surprise of the MSL after knocking off Fremd and Barrington.

25 DOWNERS GROVE SOUTH (7-2) NR
Hosts No. 16 Hinsdale Central
Close losses to Bolingbrook and York are in the distant pass. The Mustangs have waited a year after getting upset in the first round in 2007 after a 9-0 regular season.

On the bubble: Robeson, Fremd, Plainfield Central, Prospect, Morgan Park,
St. Francis, Lane, Driscoll, Barrington, Nazareth, Thornton

Lightening might be in the are and the sophomore game a wayyyyy long

Looks like Hinsdale Central running back Rich Zajesky is out
And Glenbard West lineman Chris Watt will be held out too

Lightening has stopped sophomore games at St. Rita and Geneva

Could be a long night in Prepland

It's kind of a sad day when you hear that a school, Luther North, voted not to finish its season.
Sure, the numbers are down and the team was winless.
But St. Joseph went for years with a win and didn't vote to shut down.
Maine East has not won a game since 2004 and didn't vote to shut down.
Aurora Christian has its senior night scheduled for Friday against Luther North. And its quarterback, Jordan Roberts needed just 101 passing yards to become the state's all-time leader.
Sure, Roberts will get his record. But the Eagles play Wheaton Academy at West Chicago, so he won't have a chance to set the mark at home.
And Aurora Christian will open the playoffs at home, so the seniors will still get their due.

TEAMS I'D CHOOSE TO AVOID: With the playoffs set to start in less than two weeks, I thought I'd take a look at five teams I wouldn't want to meet up with early in the state series. My picks:

1. Palatine -- The Pirates have some guys back that were missing in early season losses to Lake Forest and Conant. After back-to-back upset wins over Fremd and Barrington, this is a dangerous team.
2. Brother Rice -- I can't possibly sort out the ups and downs for the five teams in the Catholic League Blue, but Crusaders' QS Tom Gibson makes big plays and with a decent draw, this team could go a long way.
3. Morgan Park -- It was a difficult week for coach Lexie Spurlock, with the tragic death of his step-daughter in a motorcycle accident. The first three weeks, the Mustangs played Brother Rice, Richards and Bolingbrook for a reason. The reason was to prepare for the postseason.
4. The Wheaton Warrenville South-Naperville North loser -- Last year, WW South won on a two-point conversion in triple overtime. But by the end of Thanksgiving weekend, it was the Huskies who won a state title. I still believe that the Week 9 loss took some pressure off.
5. Lincoln-Way East -- Turnovers killed the Griffins against Bolingbrook. But the Griffins have never missed the state playoffs under coach Rob Zvonar. And I wouldn't expect them to beat themselves again.

WEEK 9 VENUES: The first American football game at Toyota Park is on tap Friday night when Fenwick faces De La Salle. It is the second "home" night game for the Friars. The first was homecoming at Morton West.
And Mount Carmel will play Hales Franciscan at its school on Friday afternoon.

Here's a look at this week's Super 25:

1 MAINE SOUTH (8-0) 1
At Niles West on Saturday
The Hawks' offense, led by QS Charlie Goro, RB Matt Perez, WR Joey Orlando and an improving line, is going to put up points no matter what the weather is like, but it will be the defense that will determine the team's fate.

2 NAPERVILLE NORTH (8-0) 2
Hosts No. 3 WW South on Friday
Pat Waite, Nick Mlady and Co. brace for the DuPage Valley title game, but both teams will host playoff openers and be among the favorites, the Huskies to repeat in 8A and the Tigers in 7A.

3 WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH (8-0) 3
At No. 2 Naperville North on Friday
This isn't the same team that barely survived its opener at Hinsdale Central. There is some help back on defense, but sometime, perhaps Friday, RB Peter Jarrett will be missed.

4 BOLINGBROOK (8-0) 4
At Lockport on Friday
The conference title is secure. Now, coach John Ivlow's Raiders are tuning up for the Class 8A playoffs. The Brook is dreaming of an never before done trifecta -- state titles in football as well as boys and girls basketball.

5 GLENBARD WEST (8-0) 5
At No. 8 Hinsdale Central on Friday
Chris Watt said his goal is to return from an ankle injury and play in the West Suburban Silver championship game Friday at Hinsdale Central.

6 GENEVA (8-0) 6
Hosts Batavia on Friday
From what I've seen, Geneva-Batavia is easily one of the three or four best rivalries in Chicago area high school sports. The Vikings have been blasting everyone its its way. But this game is always a war. RB Michael Ratay has 26 TDs and the defense has been outstanding.

7 BARTLETT (8-0) 8
At East Aurora on Friday
The Hawks and QS Josh Hasenberg should coast to the school's first unbeaten Upstate Eight varsity football title. How far this teams can go in the Class 8A playoffs could depend on its defense and special teams.

8 HINSDALE CENTRAL (7-1) 9
Hosts No. 5 Glenbard West on Friday
QS John Whitelaw has been spectacular at times. One of those times was Saturday when he passed for 237 yards and ran for 144 more. Both teams could go a long way in the state playoffs, Hinsdale in Class 8A and the Hilltoppers in 7A.

9 LINCOLN-WAY EAST (7-1) 10
Hosts Sandburg on Friday
Joliet felt the wrath of the Griffins, who bounced back with an exclamation point from a loss at Bolingbrook. It was 42-0 at halftime.

10 GLENBROOK SOUTH (7-1) 11
At New Trier on Friday
Both the Titans and New Trier had second-half leads against Maine South before falling. Something to watch is New Trier's history of success against Glenbrook South. The running game with Mike Hirsch and Michael Schroeder is solid, but QS Ryan Hopkins' arm will be a key.

11 ST. RITA (7-1) 12
Hosts Hope Academy on Friday
For the first time all year the Mustangs face an opponent with a better record. What will be interesting is seeing Class 1A Hope Academy, which I needed to Google to locate, in the playoffs against the smallest schools in the state.

12 MOUNT CARMEL (6-2) 13
Hosts Hales Franciscan on Friday
A lot of people wrote off the Caravan after back-to-back losses at Providence and St. Rita. But Jordan Lynch and Co. has made a lot of strides. Friday will mark the first varsity game played on campus for a school that opened in 1900.

13 BROTHER RICE (6-2) 14
Hosts Guerin on Friday
QS Tom Gibson and RB Frank Renardo make the Crusaders a team that not a whole lot of people are going to want to see in the state playoffs. Turnovers were costly at St. Rita. The Brother Rice freshmen knocked off St. Rita Saturday to win the Catholic League Blue title.

14 LOYOLA (6-2) 15
Gordon Tech Friday at North Park
If the team that dominated St. Rita shows up for the state playoffs, look out. The Ramblers have size, speed and play makers on both sides of the line.

15 CARMEL (7-1) 16
At No. 24 Nazareth on Friday
The Corsairs have crushed all comers since losing in the rain at Marist. But its win over Joliet Catholic in Week 1 was a nonconference game so this one is for second place in the East Suburban Catholic.

16 CARY-GROVE (8-0) 17
At McHenry on Friday
Trojans own the Fox Valley and should wrap up another unbeaten conference slate on Friday. The question is whether this team is good enough for a return trip to Champaign in Class 7A. A guess is that it could be.

17 THORNTON (7-1) 7
Hosts Bloom on Saturday
The athletically gifted Wildcats can cause people headaches. Dante Tolbert has come on and usually finds his way to the end zone.

18 JOLIET CATHOLIC (6-2) 19
At Notre Dame on Friday
Figure the Hilltoppers for Class 6A in the playoffs. An 0-2 start against Carmel and Wheaton Warrenville South was a long time ago. Tyler Hudetz and Co. have confidence heading to the playoffs.

19 GLENBARD NORTH (5-3) 20
At West Aurora on Friday
The Panthers losses were to teams that are 24-0. Tyler Doll makes big plays, and smart ones, for a team that showed a year ago that it can hits its stride in the postseason.

20 LEMONT (8-0) 21
At Bremen on Friday
With major graduation losses, a lot of people wrote this team off after an appearance in last year's Class 6A title game. That was a mistake. The Indians are 8-0 for the first time in school history and a second consecutive trip to Champaign could happen.

21 WARREN (7-1) 22
At Round Lake on Friday
The North Suburban Lake champion's only blemish was a loss to top-rated Maine South. Leonard Brady was a keyon defense. The offense burried Stevenson in the second half.

22 ANTIOCH (8-0) 25
Hosts Lakes on Friday
Has a team ever gone from 0-9 to 9-0 in two years? The Sequoits can with a win on Friday night. Coach Brian Glashagel was honored as the Chicago Bears coach of the week.

23 MONTINI (8-0) NR
Hosts Driscoll on Saturday
Showdown Saturday in the Suburban Catholic as Montini tries to finish an unbeaten regular season. Last year, both teams were unbeaten when they met and the Highlanders won and went on to a state title. But that game was in Addison.

24 NAZARETH (7-1) NR
Hosts No. 15 Carmel on Saturday
Tim Racki's Roadrunners can make a big statement that they have made it to the top echelon in the East Suburban Catholic as both teams tune up for the postseason.

25 HUNTLEY (8-0) NR
At Johnsburg on Friday
The Red Raiders are in the Super 25 for the first time after a field goal by Tor Larkin -- his first of the season -- capped a come-from-behind win against Prairie Ridge..

On the bubble: Naperville Central, Robeson, Palatine, Driscoll, Fremd,
Plainfield Central, Prospect, Downers Grove South, Morgan Park, St. Francis, Lane