WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.080 Schweiker, Gannison, Krazak Rundio Proudley sponsors to Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike 2 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:07.240 Krazak. If you've been injured, we are ready to take on the insurance 3 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.480 company and get you to the end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of 4 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:23.679 dollars for our clients. Visit ga nassi n dot com. What's up everyone, 5 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:27.359 Welcome back to the Friday Night Drive podcast. I am Kyle Neighbors along 6 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:32.159 with Steve Susy, and it is officially week one of the twenty twenty three 7 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:37.240 season. We are recording this on Tuesday morning, August twenty second. We 8 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:39.759 are well, I would say, three days away from the start of high 9 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:43.079 school football the first Friday Night. But SEUs, we got more games on 10 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:47.920 Thursday night than I don't know. I feel like we've had games on Thursday 11 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:52.159 night before, but certainly not this many. Well, I think the first 12 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:55.679 rink goal that you have to consider is that there aren't there haven't been any 13 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.759 Thursday games in week one. Really, I thought maybe this is CBS would 14 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:03.399 do it now. This is a new thing. For the first time, 15 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:07.760 you were allowed to schedule Thursday games in week one. You've never had that 16 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:14.280 capability before, so that's one thing that feels a little bit different. I 17 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:18.799 think we were at least originally scheduled for about ten to twelve games on Thursday 18 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:22.640 this year. A couple of them have already been moved because of the fact 19 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:26.879 that the weather forecast looks like it maybe one hundred degrees that day. But 20 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:30.959 I mean, basically that's the first wrinkle. But as a whole, there 21 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:37.519 are more Thursday games this year that have been already scheduled. I've noticed over 22 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:42.400 the course of the summer that we're starting to see games that were originally scheduled 23 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:51.439 for Friday earlier in the calendar to also be scheduled for you know, for 24 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:56.000 Saturdays. They're moving them around, and it's largely due to officials concerns. 25 00:01:56.840 --> 00:01:59.680 Yeah, we've been talking about it for the better part of a decade. 26 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:05.640 We've seen some movement post pandemic in terms of games being moved around because the 27 00:02:05.719 --> 00:02:09.680 official shortage being exacerbated by the pandemic. But this year was really the first 28 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:15.319 time I felt like we were starting to see I think the teams are still 29 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:19.000 hesitant because when I talk to coaches and ads, they don't want to move 30 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:22.319 these games off the Friday nights. But I think they're starting to accept that 31 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:25.719 this is the new normal. Suits yeah, I mean it's We had a 32 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:32.479 little instance last year where a couple of conferences actually agreed to playing Thursday nights 33 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:38.240 as a rule, basically to ensure that they wouldn't get bumped to a Thursday 34 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:46.080 later in the season. To my knowledge, all those conferences did not continue 35 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:50.919 that process into this year. I think primarily because they were irritated that they 36 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:54.719 felt like they were the only ones making a sacrifice. But basically, you 37 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:59.520 know, it is I think it is the new normal. I think eventually, 38 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:02.759 I think we might reach a situation if we don't see some sort of 39 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:08.400 improvement here where it almost becomes mandated where you know, conferences are required to 40 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:14.960 have at least one week during the season where they're playing on Thursday nights, 41 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:21.120 just to allow for some of these schools that are having trouble, real trouble 42 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:25.560 finding officials the opportunity to where they're not being forced to do it all the 43 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:31.360 time, and it's more of a spread out effort. It's so I really, 44 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:36.360 as a football fan, you know, the opportunity to see more games 45 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:38.280 is great, Like I love the idea of Thursday football, give me Thursday 46 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:42.319 Friday, and then my favorite is Saturday afternoon high school football. I love 47 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.159 being on a sideline when it's nice and warm out, you know, particularly 48 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:46.719 early in the season. I think Glenbard West Merris week one, that's where 49 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:53.840 I want to be. But the Thursday night games, you know, we're 50 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:59.759 talking about high school football games that a lot of times don't end until ten 51 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:02.360 clock, sometimes ten thirty, and then you're asking kids to go to school 52 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.479 the next day if they have. You know, some of these kids are 53 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:11.599 let's say you're talking, let's just go uh really randomly northwest northwest, upstate 54 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.879 Ali night. Let's say you have an hour bus ride right coming back from 55 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:19.199 you know, forced into I don't even know. But yeah, now you're 56 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:23.240 talking about you're getting kids home at eleven eleven thirty at night. I mean 57 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:27.959 that certainly has to be a concern for administrations. Yeah, I would imagine 58 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.040 it is. I Mean, the one thing that I noticed when we did 59 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:32.680 do those Thursday games is a lot of schools were doing them earlier. We 60 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:36.639 had six o'clock kicks and and things of that nature. That we're very helpful 61 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:41.199 in that in that realm, and like you just said, I mean, 62 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:45.199 the more football, the better. I'm I'm super fired up about the fact 63 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:48.040 that I get four games this weekend that I can be at live, and 64 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:54.560 that's that's tremendous. I'm real happy about that. But you know, from 65 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:59.439 a logistics sense, it does become a problem, not only in what you're 66 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.839 talking ab about, but even from a if you're talking about Thursday games that 67 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:06.639 are later in the season, I mean schedule quirks. You could potentially have 68 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:12.319 a Saturday afternoon game somewhere and the schedule lines up where you've got to flip 69 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.480 and play a game the next week on a Thursday. And you don't really 70 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:21.439 think about that in the construct, but you know that's essentially four days including 71 00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:26.639 a Sunday, when most programs kind of take the day off to refresh and 72 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:30.839 revitalize. I mean that that's a really tight window. They have tight windows 73 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:34.079 for planning now, but I mean you essentially, I mean, in that 74 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:39.360 scenario, you've limited yourself to in most situations, you've limited yourself with three 75 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:44.319 days of practice for a game, and you know how important each game is. 76 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:48.160 It's you know that that could be a potential problem too. Yeah, 77 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:54.199 definitely, it's going to be somebody to monitor throughout this season because I mean, 78 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:57.160 as we're saying, this is going to become the new norm, a 79 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:00.959 lot of people are paying attention to see how this goes this year. But 80 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.720 all right, we're gonna go ahead and start getting into our preview for this 81 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:06.639 week. But first, if you're not going to a game on Friday night, 82 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:11.319 we'd love to have you join us at Friday Night Drive dot com. 83 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:15.759 We are launching a three hour live stream from eight to eleven pm with live 84 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:18.680 look in from our reporters, postgame interview with coaches. It's gonna be a 85 00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:21.680 lot of fun. I'll be co hosting that with Jimmy Musual Susy be jumping 86 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:26.079 on after he gets done with his game that he'll be doing that each week, 87 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:29.160 kind of going through his first thoughts when it comes to building out his 88 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:32.399 bracket projections each week. Feel free to join him there, and of course 89 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:36.399 go to Friday Night Drive dot com to get all of our content. We 90 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:41.120 have a ton of football coming up this weekend for you, and of course 91 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.079 you can find all of our preview content still up at Friday Night Drive dot 92 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.959 com. We just launched our preseason power rankings, and as we go into 93 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:51.800 this week's podcast or this edition of the podcast, I will be using our 94 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:56.160 conference previews to kind of prop myself up here as I learned these teams throughout 95 00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:58.839 the season. Today we are going to talk. We're going to kind of 96 00:06:58.839 --> 00:07:00.959 do what we've done the last couple season for this first episode of Week one, 97 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.680 which it will go class by class and talk about some of our favorite 98 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:09.079 teams, some of our expectations. And then on Thursday, if you come 99 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:12.360 back, we'll have a full Week one preview for you. Joe Stevenson, 100 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:15.920 Michael Joel Jacoby joining us to talk about the Fox Valley Conference in the Chicago 101 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:19.560 Cathol League, Catholic League in East Suburban. But seuss Class one A. 102 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:25.240 That's where we're gonna start, and that starts with Lena Winslow, and I 103 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:30.519 was reading through our Northwest Upstate A LINEI Conference preview. Lena Winslow. While 104 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:34.439 I don't expect to fall off because it's what they do. They do. 105 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:39.600 Have to replace ten starters on defense and eight on offense. That's a lot. 106 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:43.800 It is a lot, but I mean it's one of those situations where 107 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:48.439 you kind of look at that program and year after year they seem to have 108 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:54.639 either freshmen and souphomore those that are playing heavily. They're maybe not listed as 109 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:59.040 starters, and in some cases they are starters, but they're guys that are 110 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:01.920 getting in the game, getting experienced. And with Lena, it's weird too, 111 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:07.519 because if you're a second or a third stringer on Lena Winslow, you 112 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:11.319 might have played more than the starters did last year. I mean, it's 113 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:15.319 not like it's not like you that those guys are just green and have absolutely 114 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.839 no experience, you know, playing at the varsity level, because I mean 115 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:22.720 there were games obviously that they came out at halftime and they were, you 116 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:26.519 know, in the process of steamrolling someone, and that was the you know, 117 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:31.120 those guys were getting lots of playing time, so you don't have it's 118 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.320 not the same situation. That's one thing that I think gets overlooked a lot 119 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:37.519 with some of these power programs that are winning a lot of games comfortably, 120 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.840 is you know, sometimes there's starters played less than the reserves. So I 121 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:46.440 would not expect a there's going to be a little bit of a fall off, 122 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:48.879 I think, because that was an awfully good team last year, but 123 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:54.720 I still expect them to be the dominant team in their conference. And by 124 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:56.960 being the dominant team in their conference, that in my mind makes them the 125 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.360 favorite and one A yeah, the obviously the defending one eighth day champion, 126 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:07.159 they have to be the favorite when you're talking about particularly Lena Winslow. But 127 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:11.480 I will say just in their conference, there are a couple of teams in 128 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:16.759 forrested in Fulton suits that I think can give Lena Winslow a challenges here. 129 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:18.919 Oh, I would agree. Both of those programs, you know, are 130 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:24.159 in pretty good shape. I think heading into the season. It's another situation 131 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:28.440 where you look at that conference obviously the premier small school conference in the state, 132 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.480 you know, and how Lena has dominated it, but those schools that 133 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:39.000 are just behind them are awfully good football teams usually find themselves in the midst 134 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:43.039 deep in the postseason run. Both of those teams have a lot of experience. 135 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.960 I like forrest In quite a bit. I think people might be sleeping 136 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:52.120 a little bit on Fulton, you know, you're not hearing them as much 137 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:54.120 in that conversation at the top. I think they deserve to be there. 138 00:09:56.679 --> 00:10:01.399 I just put together. You know my top ten pole for those classifications, 139 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:05.519 I have Forest in at number two. I have Fulton at number four. 140 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:09.679 So that kind of tells you where I'm at on those two teams. You 141 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:15.120 know, I don't want to make it just the nui C show for one 142 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:18.360 A here, but we talked about those top three teams, but you start 143 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:22.039 looking for other contenders, team that can surprise you in one A And I'm 144 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:24.159 looking through last year's Bracken and kind of laughing because, like we both liked 145 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:28.360 Hope Academy came into the postseason at nine and oh they lost to Forest in 146 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.639 Ottawa Marquette had an eight and one regular season last year, won their first 147 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:37.039 round matchup against Morrison, then ran in Dakota and UIC team who won thirty 148 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:43.120 to nineteen, knocked out Ottawa Marquette in that game. It's just everything in 149 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:46.639 one A North has to start with the n u C. Is there any 150 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:50.440 team suits outside of that conference that you do have an eye on though? 151 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.919 Well, There's is one team, and it's a team that a lot of 152 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:01.360 people probably don't think of as a one A program. It's Belvio altof I've 153 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:05.639 heard a lot about them, their enrollment has dropped to the point where they 154 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:09.240 are. Yeah, you can't see me. The listeners can't see me smiling 155 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:13.840 over here. But the second you say won a Bellville ALTOF, I think 156 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:18.200 about watching them in the four A title game at Northern Illinois five or six 157 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.200 years ago. Now you tell me that in one A. Yeah, they're 158 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:24.919 They're in one A now. And the biggest problem that Altoff I think could 159 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:31.279 have is they're still playing a schedule like they're at the four A and five 160 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.440 A level. Are they still independent? Yeah, they are still an independent. 161 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:39.919 They've they've just basically just dropped out of their conference, the South seven, 162 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:45.039 but they're still playing a lot of those teams. So, I mean 163 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:52.080 they have teams like Centralia and Collinsville and Breeze Modern Day and although they're not 164 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:56.879 as strong Granite City, but these are all five A six A programs that 165 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:03.559 they're playing. And then they also played the cat Saint Teresa, they play 166 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:09.440 duran Pecatonica. So even the schools that are closer to their actual size that 167 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:13.320 are on their schedule are good too. But if these guys get to five 168 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:18.360 wins, I'll say it right now, I think they're probably on the South 169 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:22.879 bracket championship line. That's what I think of their talent level and from what 170 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:28.879 everything what I've been told about them. But I also don't think it's a 171 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:33.080 guarantee that they get to five wins in that schedule. It's just it's very 172 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:35.679 perilous. They play a couple of Missouri teams too, that honestly at this 173 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:39.600 point I don't know a lot about so maybe that will swing this one way 174 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:46.080 or the other. But their schedule I think is their biggest detriment because they're 175 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:50.080 very talented and from what I've been told by people I trust, incredibly fast, 176 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:56.159 like like shockingly fast for a one night football team. Really, yeah, 177 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:01.759 that'd definitely be a fun storyline to follow throughout the season. Who else 178 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:03.559 in the South brackt And I think our listeners know this at this point. 179 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:07.440 I make it pretty clear when we go into one A South, this is 180 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.159 your realm and seuits like I know Camp Point Central. By the time we 181 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.639 got to the postseason, I knew about Camp Point Central. I felt pretty 182 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:16.480 confident that they were going to be making a run to gool Is a very 183 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:18.240 good program. Those are the two names that stuck out to me, but 184 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.600 Honestly, Sue's this, like I said, this is your realm. Take 185 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:24.399 me to school here, man. Well, you know you just mentioned a 186 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:28.519 couple of them that obviously you kind of have to keep a radar on. 187 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.360 And one a another team that I've heard some pretty good buzz about in the 188 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:37.840 off season is Jacksonville Route, a program that kind of kind of went down 189 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:39.360 a little bit for a while, but looks like it's on the upswing. 190 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.440 I don't know if we're quite at the level that we're talking about that you 191 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:48.320 know, some of these other teams, but I do think Route makes for 192 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:50.960 at least a little bit of discussion out of the Western Illinois Valley, a 193 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:56.600 conference that that has been dominated over the last couple of years by Camp Point 194 00:13:56.679 --> 00:14:00.279 Central, But it looks like there are a couple of teams there that look 195 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:03.879 capable of at least given Camp Point a little bit of a run. All 196 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:07.519 right, let's move over to class to a Susan. We got defending state 197 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:13.039 champion Saint Theresa beat Try Valley twenty nine twenty two in that state title game. 198 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:16.559 I'm just gonna let you go ahead and start with two are where are 199 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:20.679 you looking to start in this class? Well, I think you know what 200 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.559 it comes down to is you always kind of have to look to the Sangamo 201 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:28.840 and see where the power lies in that league. This looks like a really 202 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:33.840 strong Morrow of forsythe group. But another team in that conference that I've heard 203 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:39.200 a lot about is Athens. So those two teams right now are the teams 204 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:45.000 that I look to out of the South. The North is very very interesting 205 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:50.519 this year because there are some names down here now and we've talked about this 206 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.200 team already in the in the off season. Mary and Central Catholic is a 207 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:58.519 very very interesting team to me now that they are in a conference where I 208 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:03.600 feel they have comparative opponents and an opportunity to get themselves to the win level. 209 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:09.600 Elite talent for almost any level at the skill positions there, there's not 210 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:11.879 there's not a lot of two way programs. I can say. They have 211 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:16.919 a Clemson commit line up at wide receiver. Yeah, So it's just it's 212 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:20.600 it's one of those things where you look at that you look at their postseason 213 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:24.639 record, you know their record over the last couple of years, and you're 214 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:28.559 like, what are you talking about? But the circumstance has changed there it's 215 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:35.399 it's really that simple. I would be very surprised if that if this team 216 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.200 is not, you know, high up in the mix at the end of 217 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:41.240 the season. You know, a couple of other teams out of that area 218 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:48.080 that I like. I really like Seneca a lot, provided that they end 219 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:52.320 up in the Class two A field. Uh. This is a very experienced 220 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:58.480 team. I saw them at a seven on seven lineman challenge earlier this summer 221 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:04.000 and the thing that stood out to me about Seneca was they were in a 222 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:08.559 field with four A, five A, six A schools and their linemen were 223 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:15.720 pulling those schools all all over the all over the field. I mean, 224 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:19.759 it was really impressive. So I mean that line, with the skill players 225 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:26.960 that they have back, I think that's a very good team. And also 226 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:32.679 winner of the offseason award for Best Team T Shirt. Their linemen were walking 227 00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:38.519 around it with Eyehop T shirts which indicated Irish House of Pancakes rather than International 228 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:42.840 House of Pancakes. I enjoyed that immensely, So, you know, they're 229 00:16:44.039 --> 00:16:47.960 a very interesting team. Another team from the North that I think is pretty 230 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:52.279 strong out of the three rivers is Rockridge, and we've gone through this conversation 231 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:57.120 at this point without mentioning the defendings Class two A state champions Decatur Saint Theresa. 232 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:02.159 They lost a lot to graduate, but they're still going to be a 233 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:07.200 pretty good football team. Like ALTOF, they're now an independent. They got 234 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:12.960 knocked out of their conference. They are basically playing very similar to what ALTOF. 235 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:18.960 Is a very difficult schedule for a one A school. They're playing, 236 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:22.920 you know, bigger schools. They open the season with a pretty good small 237 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:26.400 school out of Indiana. They're traveling over to Linton Stockton. They play ALTOF 238 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:32.039 in week two. They've got Colonna Unity on their schedule. They play Lena 239 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:37.759 Winslow in week five. They finished the season with a four A Stronghold Highland. 240 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:41.559 I mean, when you look at that on paper, five wins is 241 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:45.839 not a guarantee. I mean, that's just that's a rigorous schedule for them, 242 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:49.640 especially considering they lost quite a bit to graduation. So they're going to 243 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:53.599 be a team that's gonna be on my monitor the entire season long. But 244 00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:00.640 I could see a scenario where maybe they're not. They maybe to have to 245 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:03.000 sneak into the back door of the playoffs. If they get in at all. 246 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:07.160 Yeah, that's certainly a tough schedule. I got two more teams for 247 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:12.200 you, sus if they end up into a Wilmington. Jeff Rereen's running a 248 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.799 terrific program over there. So I'm knocked out in the second round last year. 249 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:19.839 That is actually an early exit from the playoffs for the Wildcast. I 250 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:23.759 don't expect, you know, I would be a bit surprised not to see 251 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:27.279 them make a quarter final run. It's just what just what Jeff Reen's and 252 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.559 that staff is able to do with what they put in place there over the 253 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.240 years. And then Newman Central Catholic had a new coach last year. They 254 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:37.400 won three games late in the season to sneak into the playoffs. They lost 255 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:41.720 handily to Rock Ridge in the first round. That is a rematch here in 256 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:47.000 week one. We'll talk about that more on Thursday, the Thursday episode. 257 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:52.160 But I'm interested interested to see if Newman has made any progress here now that 258 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:56.319 they're going into the second season under the leadership of LeMay. Okay, when 259 00:18:56.359 --> 00:19:00.240 we look at these two teams, you've you've made a point on Wilmington's. 260 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:04.400 Wilmington is currently right now, right on the fence between the two A and 261 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:08.599 three eight fields, So if they were to make the playoffs and sneak into 262 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:14.160 that two A field, completely agree with you. I feel like this is 263 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:18.599 a team that last year had a few things that just didn't click for them, 264 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:21.559 but this year they have a lot back in the trenches, and you 265 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:25.640 have to like a Wilmington team that has an experienced group in the offensive and 266 00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:30.200 defensive lines, they tend to dominate the line of scrimmage. When when you 267 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:33.039 talk about a Wilmington team that was young last year and learning on the job 268 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:37.720 and still was able to do what they did and now have a lot back 269 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:41.160 like back coaching staff, they're gonna be ready to go. Oh yeah, 270 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:42.599 no question about it. And like I said, the only reason I didn't 271 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:45.279 bring them into the discussion is that right now I have them projected as a 272 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.559 three A team, but I could easily see a scenario that gets them back 273 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:53.200 into two A. So, as for Sterley Newman got to correct you there, 274 00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:57.279 they're no longer multiplied, so if they did make the playoffs, it 275 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:02.279 would clearly be in the one eight. There's no discussion. I forgot about 276 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:06.519 that. So so there that they've they've dropped down to one they are. 277 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:11.599 They would be clearly a one A actually non multiplied. They're one of the 278 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:15.839 smallest football programs in the state, so so yeah, they would go down 279 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:18.559 to one A. All right, SEUs Well, let's go on to Class 280 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:25.559 three A here where you know immediately the defending champion here, Icy Catholic. 281 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.240 Let's go ahead and throw them out. They've been bumped up because of the 282 00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:33.960 multiplier. The place I want to start, sus is the number one seed 283 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:42.000 last year, which was Princeton. They lost an incredible talent there and Tigana 284 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:47.759 help me out, Susan Davis. Teagan Davis, thank you there. I 285 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:51.000 would blank it on the last name. Lost an incredible talent and Tiagan Davis. 286 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:53.480 But this Princeton program has really put things together over the last four or 287 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:57.880 five years. I really like this Tiger squad, Susan, Yeah, I 288 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:02.400 do too. I mean, you know, Ryan Pearson's crew over there has 289 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:07.160 kind of established a bit of a machine. I mean they've gone year to 290 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:10.640 year to year where you look at them on paper you're like, well, 291 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:12.759 I don't know if they're good enough to make a run. They're over there 292 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:18.599 dominating one and two A teams on a regular basis. But this this is 293 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:22.200 a program now that I think you have to take seriously and you have to 294 00:21:22.279 --> 00:21:27.720 put them especially now that one of the obstacles has been removed from from their 295 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:32.839 path in regards to possibly getting to a state championship game in ic Catholic. 296 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:40.160 They're very interesting. The somewhat fun thing about their schedule this year is you're 297 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:45.200 going to get an opportunity to see how good Princeton is in the course of 298 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:48.200 the regular season, even if the Three Rivers isn't that strong. With Peru 299 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:53.559 Saint Bede leaving that league, you know, like fairly late in the game 300 00:21:55.000 --> 00:22:00.400 to go join the Chicagoland Prairie, it left a non conference vacancy in their 301 00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:06.440 schedule. So in a week five they're hosting Sterling. So that makes for 302 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:10.440 a really interesting kind of measuring stick game right in the middle of the year, 303 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:15.680 to show us how good Princeton, you know, is in the grand 304 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:18.680 scheme of things, because sometimes you look at Princeton and I'm not meaning to 305 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:22.160 make this sound badly of the Three Rivers Conference, but it is a lot 306 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:26.720 of smaller schools, so you don't know how Princeton really stacks up with three 307 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:32.279 AM four A because they're playing pretty much those those schools all year long. 308 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:33.960 They've done a pretty good job in the playoffs the last couple of years. 309 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:41.000 But I find that really fascinating about Princeton schedule this year. Elsewhere in three 310 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:45.680 A, Byron, I mean, ye, Byron's always going to be in 311 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:51.319 the conversation. You know, you Seneca was the in three A last year. 312 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:53.359 You said two A, Wilmington probably are possibly coming back up to three 313 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:56.920 A. Suits who else in this class do you like in the north side 314 00:22:56.920 --> 00:23:02.279 at least? You know, the North side is kind of a hard thing 315 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:06.400 to figure out because you've got so many teams that are kind of bubbling around 316 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:11.160 that two A three A line a team that I'm interested in, But I 317 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:17.599 just it's another one of these schedule discussions. Lombard Montini was so young last 318 00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:22.200 year but and got it kind of put together at the end of the season. 319 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:26.400 But just a brutal schedule for them in the in the Catholic League, 320 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:30.880 they would be non multiplied. They are a three A team if they find 321 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:34.039 their way into the field. But boy, it is a tough tough schedule 322 00:23:34.119 --> 00:23:37.440 for them, you know, once they get into conference play. I mean 323 00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:44.480 they have to play Nazareth and Providence Brother Rice is on their schedule. I 324 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:48.240 mean, right, there is three real big problems and then they've got you 325 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:51.799 know, other games on there too. If they somehow get to five and 326 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:56.160 get themselves in and I think an argument can be made that that schedule would 327 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:59.759 make them a contender for a four win at large team if we need them. 328 00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:04.559 But it's it's an uphill climb. But three A is really really difficult 329 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:07.799 right now because of the quality of the teams that sit both on the two 330 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:12.720 A three A border and the three A four A border, So it becomes 331 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:18.200 kind of really tricky there to matriculate who will actually be in this field in 332 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:22.440 the long run. But I think your Princeton's and your Byron's are at the 333 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:26.920 top of the conversation. Don't sleep on Stillman Valley. They are usually in 334 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:32.400 there as well, but from there it'll just kind of be a hodgepodge, 335 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:34.839 you know. One of the teams that obviously has made a lot of noise 336 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:41.359 over the last few years. And three A read Custer lost a ton of 337 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:48.279 players to graduation, so I think the down swell is probably unfortunately coming for 338 00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:52.680 the Comets. Uh they have like they have a lot to figure out in 339 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:56.400 regards to getting themselves back up to the level that they have been in the 340 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:00.440 last few years. On the south side of the bracket, we had a 341 00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:07.440 semi final game between Williamsville and Tolono Unity last year, two programs that you 342 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:12.519 and I both really like. Sus Are they both expected to be in three 343 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:17.319 A this year? Yeah, I think so. It's you know, when 344 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:22.039 it comes right down to it, those schools are kind of stable enrollment wise. 345 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:25.720 What you see with these teams that move around a lot, there are 346 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:30.519 teams that maybe experience a tend to twenty student shift when we have the new 347 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.319 enrollment numbers. These schools don't tend to do that. They tend to stay 348 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:36.680 kind of right where they are, which is right in the middle of the 349 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:41.160 three A mix. So I would expect them to both be both both and 350 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:45.119 three A and both factors as far as the season goes. Yeah. Tolono 351 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:49.000 Unity in particular, Scott Hamilton has done a great job with that program over 352 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:53.759 the years. I can't say that I personally know a lot about this roster, 353 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:59.039 but I've heard through the grape vine that the Rockets are looking pretty solid. 354 00:25:59.720 --> 00:26:02.599 Yeah, I've heard that as well. It's one of those things when 355 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:04.359 you don't get a lot of opportunity to see them, you know, during 356 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:08.119 the summer or anything line along those lines. But people I trust from down 357 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.119 in that area have told me that they feel like this is this is one 358 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:15.279 of the better Tolono units that they've had in a while. And to say 359 00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:17.920 that means that they've got a really good football team, because I've had a 360 00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:22.000 lot of good ones there. All right, Well, one more class and 361 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:25.920 then we're going to take a quick commercial break here. We'll go over to 362 00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:29.839 Class four A, where we have another instance of a defending state champion that 363 00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:33.400 will not be in this class, in Sacred Heart Griffin SEUs. There are 364 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:37.480 so many ways we can go. For a anyone who's listened to us over 365 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:42.039 the last few years has know how deep this class has become. Now I 366 00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:45.000 don't see that changing much, Sus. Where do you want to start here? 367 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:49.599 Well, this is this is I think one of the most interesting situations 368 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:53.960 when you look at some of the enrollment shifts that we have had. Obviously 369 00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:59.400 we talked a little bit about IC Catholic in the three A class, they 370 00:26:59.559 --> 00:27:03.240 move up to four but what you have to look at in regards to this 371 00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:07.359 class as a whole, I actually think it's a little bit thinner this year 372 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:12.599 because Sacred Heart Griffin moves up to five, Joliet Catholic moves up to five, 373 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:17.559 Wheat in Saint Francis moves up to five. I think not Weed in 374 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:21.279 St. Francis moved up as well. So there's there's that's what you're looking 375 00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:23.160 at right there. You're looking at three teams that we were talking about as 376 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:30.440 being elite in four A, including the defending state champions, all moving up 377 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:33.160 to a different classification. Granted, you bring in a really good team in 378 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:37.599 I see Catholic, But I think for me, when I was like going 379 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:41.920 through trying to put together at top ten of this classification, I think this 380 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:47.279 is now the thinnest class of And I would usually say that for five A 381 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:52.440 over and over and over again. But but I think that the construction of 382 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:56.519 the class, with the teams that are leaving against the teams that are coming 383 00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:00.759 in, make this a little bit thinner than it's been in the past. 384 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:07.039 Some interesting additions to the class outside of Icy Catholic, this has been happening 385 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:11.880 for a couple of years, but it looks more likely that Morris could skew 386 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:17.400 into the four A classification, which is very interesting because Morris is a really 387 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:21.119 good team, has a lot coming back on the offensive side of the football, 388 00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:25.160 and at four A I think they're extremely dangerous. And another team that 389 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:29.599 has made some pretty decent playoff runs in five A and six A in the 390 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:36.079 past lost its multiplier in Rockford Boylan. So that's another team once again in 391 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:40.720 the north side of that bracket that should make things interesting. Yeah, they 392 00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:42.960 will give a little more depth to that north side of the bract that will 393 00:28:44.039 --> 00:28:48.839 also include Richmond. Burden has been on a tremendous run once again is having 394 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:52.079 to reload. But Mike Noel and that staff, I expect the Rockets to 395 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:56.720 be in good shape. There was someone else I was looking through here. 396 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:00.160 I can't find him now, But I mean, at the end of the 397 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:07.680 day, I feel like we're looking at probably IC Catholic as a favorite in 398 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:11.160 the North SEUs. Yeah, I would agree, I think so, yeah, 399 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:14.799 yeah, all right, Well how about on the south side of the 400 00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:17.640 bracket, Well, I think I mean, you have to go back and 401 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:22.160 consider Rochester. You always have to consider Rochester. You know, I saw 402 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:26.960 them a couple of times live last year. They were they were a team 403 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:30.319 that you know, had some young players in positions, look like they have 404 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:33.759 a lot of talent. Uh, I think they're you know, as far 405 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:40.119 as you know. Whenever you're talking South for a Rochester starts that conversation, 406 00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:45.359 it's it's definitely kind of a weird situation down there with some of the teams 407 00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:52.160 that you're used to having in you know, and basically in the mix now 408 00:29:52.359 --> 00:29:56.680 either you know, with Sacred Heart Griffin going to five A. A team 409 00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:00.400 that I'm kind of sleeping that I think a lot of people are leaping on 410 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:03.720 in for a is Mount Zion. There's an awful lot of talent on that 411 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:08.240 team. J C. Anderson, Bradon Tremble, a couple of guys that 412 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:15.960 are at the wide receiver position that are special and are already drawing you know, 413 00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:19.279 Division One interest, despite the fact that Anderson Anderson's only a freshman or 414 00:30:19.319 --> 00:30:23.279 I mean a salphamore, I excuse me, Tremble a junior. So that's 415 00:30:23.319 --> 00:30:26.720 an interesting team down south that I think a lot of people aren't really talking 416 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:32.119 about that probably will be down the line. You know, a pretty strong 417 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:36.079 look of a team there. Effingham is another team that I like. But 418 00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:40.680 from there it's kind of I think it's one of those years where like I 419 00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:42.640 said, I think four A is a little thin. I think some of 420 00:30:42.680 --> 00:30:45.640 the teams that are going to be in this mix, we don't know who 421 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:48.119 they are yet. I think we're this is the best class. If you 422 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:52.640 have an opportunity to break through, there's gonna be some some chances for you 423 00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:56.480 there to make some noise. All Right, we're gonna take a quick commercial 424 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:00.480 break. Stay with us here on the Friday Night Drive pocast. We have 425 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:04.279 Class five A through eight A to break down for you. Schweiker, Gannison, 426 00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:07.880 Krazak, Rundio Proudley sponsors to Friday Night Drive. I'm Mike Krazak. 427 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:11.000 If you've been injured, we are ready to take on the insurance company and 428 00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:15.279 get you to the end zone. We've recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for 429 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:22.079 our clients. Visit GA nassi n dot com. All right, welcome back 430 00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:25.079 to the show now, and we're gonna go over to Class five A suit 431 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:30.200 and we'll start with the defending stage champion, Nazareth, which got into the 432 00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:34.240 postseason at five and four was a young squad ran all the way to the 433 00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:40.359 state title, beat Poria forty five forty four in a fun title game. 434 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:47.559 The Roadrunners looking pretty good SEUs. Yeah, I mean, it is hard 435 00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:52.200 to not look at this roster and be wowed by the level of underclassmate talent 436 00:31:52.880 --> 00:32:00.440 that excelled last year for them, freshman's southmores all over the field for them 437 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:05.160 last year, and key positions. Uh lost a few things to graduation, 438 00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:09.519 but you know, it feels like they have ample replacements for those losses. 439 00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:15.640 So you know, a young quarterback and developing quarterback and Logan Malichuk. Just 440 00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:22.519 a really good team just in general. You know, they they too are 441 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:25.880 another school that you know, has that Catholic League schedule in front of them. 442 00:32:28.039 --> 00:32:31.000 Might be a situation where their record might have a few losses on that 443 00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:35.559 because I mean, just because of the quality of teams that they play all 444 00:32:35.640 --> 00:32:39.039 year long. But they're good enough that even though they're one of the smaller 445 00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:44.599 Chicago Catholic League teams, I think they could still put together a pretty good 446 00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:49.119 record with the with the talent base that they have coming back. But it's 447 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:51.960 hard to say that too when you look at their schedule and they play brother 448 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:55.920 Rice, you know, they play Icy Catholic, they play York. I 449 00:32:57.000 --> 00:33:01.200 mean this is this is a loaded schedule. So I mean you're going Kankakee 450 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:06.319 to start week one, you got Lamont week two, marriage week three. 451 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:09.079 They don't have Lamont and a week two anymore. No, what happened there? 452 00:33:09.640 --> 00:33:13.759 That's uh no, it's York. Now, Oh it's York. Okay, 453 00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:17.480 yeah, no, that's uh that that arrangement ended after last season, 454 00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:22.559 so they don't play Lamout a week two. Ah okay, yep, yep. 455 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:27.319 So that's that's what's going on here. I clicked on the wrong preview. 456 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:30.599 I'm looking at that schedule and Kankakee and Lamont and you said that, 457 00:33:30.680 --> 00:33:34.079 all right, that makes more sense. Yeah, so no, that's uh 458 00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:37.400 That's basically what it comes down to is that, you know, they're very 459 00:33:37.480 --> 00:33:42.279 good. They're very good, but it could be conceivably, once again that 460 00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:47.079 they could enter the postseason, you know, with a eleven seed by their 461 00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:52.279 name or something along those lines, and everybody knows they're not the eleventh seed, 462 00:33:52.359 --> 00:33:55.319 but the way that the system works, you know, they could be 463 00:33:55.400 --> 00:33:59.880 a very they could potentially end up with a double digit seed with that schedule, 464 00:34:00.440 --> 00:34:04.039 I could also see them, you know, putting together a strong season 465 00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:06.799 on the end of the ledger, you know, within eight and one or 466 00:34:06.880 --> 00:34:12.280 something like that. But logic seems to dictate that they'll probably they'll be in 467 00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:19.920 the playoffs, but probably as a fairly low seed. Who else in the 468 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:23.000 five A potential North bracket do you like because I'm I means obviously, as 469 00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:28.920 we just talked about, is a pretty heavy faret. I feel like Sterling. 470 00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:31.400 I mean, it's it's a solid program. Can they score? You 471 00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:37.079 know, you look at the usual suspects you know that are usually around here, 472 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:40.239 and you got Sterling, you got Sickamore. And then then it becomes 473 00:34:40.280 --> 00:34:45.639 a geography question, you know, like what side of the bracket does Joliet 474 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:51.400 Catholic end up on? Yeah? You know it like they've been on both 475 00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:57.480 sides in recent years and now they're in five A sou. The geography changes 476 00:34:57.559 --> 00:35:00.920 for each class, but the break line four or five A typically ends up 477 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:06.400 being somewhere around Joliet, So I mean, which side are they going to 478 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:09.199 end up on? And then my next question in the North bracket is something 479 00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:13.960 that you can probably make a better answer to you than I can at this 480 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:17.599 point, because I've heard varying reports on this team. You're used to them 481 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:21.559 in six A. Prayer Ridge is going to be a five A team this 482 00:35:21.719 --> 00:35:25.119 year. You know, there's a lot of people that question whether or not 483 00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:30.519 they have enough to be a serious contender after what they lost. But I've 484 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:36.199 also heard that they have, you know a lot of talents still on that 485 00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:39.320 roster. So I mean answering the prayer Ridge question is going to be pretty 486 00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:45.880 interesting. And that's that's to me speaks to not only what's going on in 487 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:50.519 their program, but also that I think the Fox Valley is gonna be wild 488 00:35:50.559 --> 00:35:53.599 this year. The Fox Valley is going to be wild this year. So 489 00:35:53.719 --> 00:35:59.639 what we've seen in recent years when it comes to the Fox Valley Conference and 490 00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:04.840 particularly two district rivals in Prairie Ridge and Carry Grow, because they've kind of 491 00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:07.079 been trading back and forth, the more dominant one one of those have been 492 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:13.239 in the six A title game well every year since twenty seventeen. Prairie Ridge 493 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:20.360 in five A is interesting. You're losing Tyler Vasey, who was just incredible 494 00:36:20.599 --> 00:36:22.079 for a Prairie Ridge on the way to the six a title game at quarterback 495 00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:25.960 last year running the triple option offense. I have questions about that, but 496 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:30.480 the thing is, they usually find athletes to run the triple option, and 497 00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:35.280 what a lot of times it comes down to is the trenches. And everything 498 00:36:35.320 --> 00:36:38.079 I'm getting out of Prairie Ridge is that they feel their offensive and defensiveligned are 499 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:40.320 some of the best that they've had in a while. So if that is 500 00:36:40.360 --> 00:36:44.960 indeed the case, I expect the Wolves to be in contention again. Yeah, 501 00:36:44.960 --> 00:36:46.960 I'll put my chips on that scenario. That's I mean, that's one 502 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:52.199 of those programs that you're gonna have to twist my arm pretty hard and show 503 00:36:52.280 --> 00:36:58.239 me lots of evidence before I don't consider them in the mix for whatever classification 504 00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:01.599 they end up in. So yeah, that's that kind of confirms what I've 505 00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:05.920 heard from some people, but I've heard some conflicting reports. So it's interesting 506 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:10.360 to see what's going on with them as we go along here. But once 507 00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:14.800 again, I think I've just mentioned it before. I think the depth in 508 00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:17.079 the Fox Valley Conference is going to lead to some interesting results this year. 509 00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:22.760 So you know, I don't think we have a locked in, sort of 510 00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:27.599 stacked in one two three four in this conference. I think there's going to 511 00:37:27.639 --> 00:37:30.360 be some barnburners on a weekly basis. No, we'll talk with Joe Stevenson 512 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:35.000 more about the Fox Valley on Thursday. But I can tell y'all hand like 513 00:37:35.880 --> 00:37:38.519 he thinks Crystal Lake Central could win that that conference, and they certainly have 514 00:37:38.599 --> 00:37:42.360 a lot of talent. It's just when you talk about you kind of look 515 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:45.360 at it. Over the last four or five years, even a little further 516 00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:47.880 back than that, it's been Prairie Ridge, Carrey Girl, Huntley and Jacobs, 517 00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:51.760 and then kind of a fifth team rotates in there, whether that's Crystal 518 00:37:51.880 --> 00:37:54.519 Lake South, they're Central. Sometimes it's depend McHenry. Joe Stevenson feeling really 519 00:37:54.519 --> 00:37:58.960 good about Central Christa Lake Central. We'll talk to him about that on Thursday. 520 00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:01.519 Sus Another team I want to mentioned, and Joe Stevenson actually wrote about 521 00:38:01.760 --> 00:38:07.360 their freshman starting quarterback and Trey Taylor Carmel seven win team. I don't know 522 00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:10.360 exactly where they're going to be this year, but I gotta tell you, 523 00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:15.840 I'm intrigued by a freshman quarterback who already has seven Division one offers. Well, 524 00:38:16.199 --> 00:38:20.320 you know this is this is kind of my pet team. This year. 525 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:23.679 I mean one of the I ranked them in my top ten. I'm 526 00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:30.960 pretty comfortable that they are going to be pretty good. I sound like a 527 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:35.360 broken record with these Catholic schedules though. I mean they open up non con 528 00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:40.360 with Creetmoni in Lake Forrest, which you know that that's two challenging games in 529 00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:45.639 season. They've got Mount in conference season, They've got Mount Carmel in Providence, 530 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:52.119 and along with some other teams that are certainly capable. So if Carmel 531 00:38:52.199 --> 00:38:57.480 punches their ticket, I think they're extremely dangerous, especially in this five Ay 532 00:38:57.559 --> 00:39:02.800 feel it's just getting that ticket punch that maybe The challenge on the south side 533 00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:07.280 of the bracket five A seems to me sus just about as hard as it 534 00:39:07.400 --> 00:39:13.440 usually is. Two teams that stand out. You'll get to see Peoria here 535 00:39:13.519 --> 00:39:16.199 week one, right, Uh no, I don't. I don't get to 536 00:39:16.239 --> 00:39:20.599 see Pory. I think they have an intriguing matchup with Rochester, but I'm 537 00:39:20.639 --> 00:39:22.719 not going to that. Oh no, you're not. Okay? Yeah, 538 00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:25.199 Well, anyway, so two teams that stood up Peoria. The question is 539 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:28.519 always gonna be they're gonna score a lot of points. Can they stop anyone? 540 00:39:28.599 --> 00:39:30.920 And Cank of Key going to be good defensively? Can they score? 541 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:36.199 Well? Once again, we've got another enrollment snap who there. Cake is 542 00:39:36.280 --> 00:39:40.119 not clearly a six eight team. So they've been a five A team for 543 00:39:40.199 --> 00:39:45.719 like a decade. Well, if you've if I know you're from this area, 544 00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:49.760 but if you've seen the amount of construction that they put on Kanky High 545 00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:52.559 School, you would understand the enrollment increases that have been going on over there 546 00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:58.480 over the last five years. Significant enrollment increase at that school over the last 547 00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:01.920 two enrollment period, no idea. I can't really explain it. But if 548 00:40:01.960 --> 00:40:08.000 you were to take a list and look at who had the largest increases over 549 00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:12.719 the last two years from enrollment, he would be in the top five of 550 00:40:12.760 --> 00:40:15.840 that list of statewide in schools. So they are clearly a six A. 551 00:40:16.039 --> 00:40:19.440 So a lot of the discussions, okay, so I'm going to rip them 552 00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:22.519 out of the five A South bracket here, which makes it even more difficult 553 00:40:22.559 --> 00:40:27.800 to discuss this one. I mean series, I mean you mentioned Highland earlier, 554 00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:31.079 Centralia. I don't know, man, what do you think here? 555 00:40:31.719 --> 00:40:36.519 Well that once again, I think this is where you get into the geography 556 00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:42.000 argument. I was talking to some coaches recently about why we should seed one 557 00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:47.000 to thirty two and five A and four A are kind of my pet projects 558 00:40:47.079 --> 00:40:53.800 towards that, because we have so many schools that you would consider when looking 559 00:40:53.920 --> 00:40:59.880 at a map that they should be in a north bracket, but in reality, 560 00:41:00.280 --> 00:41:02.960 when you look at you know where five A is on the map and 561 00:41:04.039 --> 00:41:07.519 where the schools are actually located. A lot of teams that you would strongly 562 00:41:07.599 --> 00:41:13.639 consider north end up in the South bracket and end up creating a lot of 563 00:41:13.719 --> 00:41:21.239 long trips which supposedly one to sixteen eliminates but or at least lessons. And 564 00:41:21.440 --> 00:41:27.400 last year we had some ridiculous road trips in five A first round because the 565 00:41:27.679 --> 00:41:31.400 concentration of the good teams in five A is largely in the northern portion of 566 00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:36.760 the state. That and then I mean, now you've got Sacred Heart Griffin 567 00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:39.679 in there to feel some of that void in five A since they moved up 568 00:41:39.719 --> 00:41:44.679 from four A. But I'll be honest when I look at that and say, 569 00:41:44.760 --> 00:41:49.880 okay, give me the top five programs in five A in the South, 570 00:41:51.039 --> 00:41:53.320 I'm going to struggle to do it in a way that, like I 571 00:41:53.480 --> 00:41:59.880 feel like there are teams that are actually if the brackets weren't North and South 572 00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:06.679 with legitimate threats to winning a state championship, Like I have a hard time 573 00:42:07.159 --> 00:42:12.480 coming up with five or six of them. You know, I think Mohammed 574 00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:16.559 Seymour will still be pretty good. I think they've established themselves now. I 575 00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:22.440 think they've got enough back to where they're going to be a fairly solid team. 576 00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:28.679 But after you know, Peoria and Sacred Heart Griffin, it's kind of 577 00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:35.360 rolling dice in regards to, you know, what teams that are like really 578 00:42:35.440 --> 00:42:37.840 operationalist. I know there are some good teams down there, but in terms 579 00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:42.519 of teams that I think can make a run, there's not a lot of 580 00:42:42.599 --> 00:42:45.840 them. No, I agree with you. So we're gonna go ahead and 581 00:42:46.039 --> 00:42:52.440 move on to Class six A, and we're just gonna go ahead and start 582 00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:55.559 with the Saint Louis fifty seven to seven win over Prairie Region the state title 583 00:42:55.599 --> 00:43:00.960 game last year. There's no doubt about it. So's the Saint Louis is 584 00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:05.639 the favorite once again. I'll go ahead and spoil it. In the Friday 585 00:43:05.719 --> 00:43:08.880 Night Drive Power rankings are top twenty five, much like they were last year, 586 00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:14.280 sitting there at the top spot. Yeah, I mean they have questions 587 00:43:14.519 --> 00:43:20.239 there obviously are questions. You can't lose the quality of offensive line play that 588 00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:24.039 they had last year and the largest, the largest offensive line that I've ever 589 00:43:24.079 --> 00:43:29.719 seen it. I mean, it's just it was incredible, and it was 590 00:43:29.800 --> 00:43:32.800 one of those things where you know you would watch that and if maybe they're 591 00:43:32.840 --> 00:43:38.159 passing attack wasn't working, you knew that eventually all they had to do was 592 00:43:38.239 --> 00:43:43.639 put the plow down and run people over and in the in there three times 593 00:43:43.679 --> 00:43:46.719 that I saw them last year, Eventually they got there, and eventually that 594 00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:50.639 was it was just too much for anybody at the high school level to try 595 00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:53.800 to deal with an incredible offensive line. You know, you can't lose that 596 00:43:54.039 --> 00:44:00.199 much talent and expect everything to go off without a hitch. However, all 597 00:44:00.280 --> 00:44:04.239 five offensive lineman that's guarded in the state championship game, including Miles McVeigh and 598 00:44:04.280 --> 00:44:09.079 Paris Patterson now in college. Yeah, so it's just it's just one of 599 00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:13.039 those things you just can't expect it to go off of it. There's but 600 00:44:13.199 --> 00:44:15.559 there's still so much talent on that roster. I mean, it is, 601 00:44:15.880 --> 00:44:22.079 it's pretty incredible. As long as they get adequate offensive line play. I 602 00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:27.840 just have a hard time believing that, you know, there's anybody in this 603 00:44:27.960 --> 00:44:32.119 classification that can bridge the gap of the talent that these guys have on the 604 00:44:32.199 --> 00:44:36.880 defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary and the linebacking group. 605 00:44:37.440 --> 00:44:42.480 Uh, you know, the skill positions are still absolutely loaded, you know. 606 00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:45.880 You know Pops battles back at quarterback, Tayren Martin in the backfield. 607 00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:52.079 This is just this is a program that yeah, like no, absolutely, 608 00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:57.119 yeah. I think this is a team you know we're used to. I 609 00:44:57.159 --> 00:44:59.119 mean and trust me, they're still going to score a lot of points, 610 00:44:59.159 --> 00:45:01.079 but I think this is an offense at it's gonna be able to pound the 611 00:45:01.079 --> 00:45:04.840 football at teams a little bit more than we maybe we've seen in the last 612 00:45:04.840 --> 00:45:07.159 couple of years. Well, the one thing about Martin that I that I 613 00:45:07.239 --> 00:45:12.519 recognized last year when you see him live when they did go into those situations 614 00:45:13.039 --> 00:45:19.199 such a smart runner as a southamar last year, just utilizing the people in 615 00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:22.519 front of him to give him more opportunity to run. It's always great when 616 00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:27.280 you when you get when you're getting six or seven yards before anybody touches you. 617 00:45:27.760 --> 00:45:30.880 But it kind of takes a skillful running back to understand how to set 618 00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:35.239 up blocks down the field, and he's already got that in his bag of 619 00:45:35.320 --> 00:45:37.159 tricks. He knows how to do that. So as long as he Saint 620 00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:40.079 Louis has some good line, you know, some solid linement out in front 621 00:45:40.079 --> 00:45:44.519 of him, Martin will help those guys. I mean he has that ability. 622 00:45:44.760 --> 00:45:50.360 Sounds weird to say that about such a young runner, but he's yeah, 623 00:45:50.400 --> 00:45:53.440 yeah, yeah, he's a skilled individual. I mean I saw him 624 00:45:53.480 --> 00:45:59.000 in that LaMotte game and I watched a couple of series from behind the goal 625 00:45:59.079 --> 00:46:01.960 post because I was curious as to how it looked lining up down field, 626 00:46:02.559 --> 00:46:07.840 and and he was just doing an incredible job of, you know, letting 627 00:46:07.880 --> 00:46:12.840 the lineman lead running to the block, using it to get space, create 628 00:46:12.920 --> 00:46:16.800 extra yardage for himself. He's a special kid. I really enjoy watching him 629 00:46:16.800 --> 00:46:20.360 play. And he's lifted. At least last year, going into that title 630 00:46:20.400 --> 00:46:22.079 game, they had him listed at five eight, one hundred and ninety pounds. 631 00:46:22.119 --> 00:46:27.119 He's I would't want to say, a big kid, yeah, but 632 00:46:27.280 --> 00:46:30.639 he's just well built one hundred and ninety pounds. Off more running back, 633 00:46:30.679 --> 00:46:34.880 I mean, he he has speed. He can run over you. I 634 00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:38.920 think that offense and between him and pop Battle and they had a pretty young 635 00:46:39.000 --> 00:46:43.599 receiving corps last year. It's gonna be a lot of fun. Yeah, 636 00:46:43.719 --> 00:46:45.320 I mean, like I said, this is a this is an interesting team. 637 00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:49.760 I'm really really really interested to see what happens on Saturday Night. We'll 638 00:46:49.760 --> 00:46:53.360 get into that a little bit more in our next podcast, but opening with 639 00:46:53.440 --> 00:46:57.880 Mount Carmel is pretty fascinating. And once again, this is a team that 640 00:46:58.079 --> 00:47:02.280 just doesn't fool around when they schedule, so we're gonna have ample opportunity to 641 00:47:02.320 --> 00:47:06.239 see what they can do against elite programs. They're going to Texas this year, 642 00:47:06.599 --> 00:47:09.360 they're playing Saint Francis out of Baltimore, Maryland. Again, this is 643 00:47:09.480 --> 00:47:15.639 just this is a This is a fantastic program and the expected I set the 644 00:47:15.679 --> 00:47:20.440 expectations for them pretty high and they usually need it, so that's uh. 645 00:47:20.880 --> 00:47:23.679 I'm just interested to see how they put it all together. Again, six 646 00:47:23.800 --> 00:47:28.079 A, even if we take Prairie Ridge out and put them into five A 647 00:47:28.239 --> 00:47:34.039 two six A is looking like a loaded class this year. Yeah, it 648 00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:37.400 very well could be. I mean, you have a lot of kind of 649 00:47:37.920 --> 00:47:45.480 interesting teams that I think could be really really good, and that's that makes 650 00:47:45.480 --> 00:47:47.280 it kind of fun. I mean, the one thing that I noticed right 651 00:47:47.320 --> 00:47:51.760 away that a lot of people, you know, kind of lost in the 652 00:47:51.800 --> 00:47:55.159 shuffle. We were talking about enrollment spikes, Well one of the bigger enrollment 653 00:47:55.320 --> 00:48:01.519 drops was Saint Rita, So they are not They're clearly a six A program 654 00:48:01.639 --> 00:48:07.119 now, so when you look at that, that adds another kind of really 655 00:48:07.199 --> 00:48:12.239 strong program into that six A mix. New coach with Martin Hopkins. But 656 00:48:12.440 --> 00:48:16.480 I think they have a lot of talents still there, so I think they 657 00:48:16.639 --> 00:48:22.440 have to be brought into this conversation pretty quickly. I really liked what I 658 00:48:22.480 --> 00:48:25.119 saw from Lake Zurich last year. I think they're probably gonna end up in 659 00:48:25.159 --> 00:48:30.679 the six A field based on their enrollment number, So they're interesting. Lamont 660 00:48:30.840 --> 00:48:36.360 another team that is going through a coaching change type of situation, but a 661 00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:39.239 lot of unity in that program. They hire an assistant to replace, you 662 00:48:39.360 --> 00:48:44.159 know, Brett Cooey, and so I don't really think there's gonna be a 663 00:48:44.239 --> 00:48:47.079 lot of change in that program. And they have a lot coming back, 664 00:48:47.239 --> 00:48:51.719 especially in the trenches. So I think we're going to see a lot of 665 00:48:51.800 --> 00:48:57.159 what we always see from Lamont, good solid defense. They will miss Peyton 666 00:48:57.199 --> 00:49:00.679 Solomon at the quarterback position. But I still expect this team to be a 667 00:49:00.760 --> 00:49:06.079 major player as the season goes along. Yet another coaching change of note in 668 00:49:06.159 --> 00:49:10.960 the Chicago Public League with Chicago Simeon. So there's just a lot of interesting 669 00:49:12.239 --> 00:49:15.679 things that we have to watch before we can figure this all out. And 670 00:49:16.159 --> 00:49:20.440 we mentioned it a little bit. Five A Knake, another team with a 671 00:49:20.519 --> 00:49:23.679 coaching change, probably a little bit of philosophy philosophy differences going on there. 672 00:49:23.800 --> 00:49:30.079 So usual suspects here, but a lot of questions to be answered inside the 673 00:49:30.119 --> 00:49:32.679 class. And there's a lot of teams you didn't even mention here. And 674 00:49:32.760 --> 00:49:37.639 first off, I'm gonna confirm this before I two teams, let's see where 675 00:49:37.679 --> 00:49:40.199 they end up this year, saying Ignatious and Niles Notre Dames. Who's are 676 00:49:40.199 --> 00:49:45.800 they looking at six A or were they bumped up? Saying Ignatious now faces 677 00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:50.119 the multiplier. They climbed all the way to eight. That's gonna be tough 678 00:49:50.159 --> 00:49:52.960 for saying Ignatious, Just why get back down? I like that team, 679 00:49:52.280 --> 00:49:57.079 but that's that's a tough draw. Nile's Notre Dame is still in six, 680 00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:02.840 okay, So and then another their wrinkle with the bubble between five and six 681 00:50:04.719 --> 00:50:10.320 is Providence sits right on the line between five and six, currently the smallest 682 00:50:10.400 --> 00:50:15.559 team in the projected six A field. So that's another team that's added to 683 00:50:15.639 --> 00:50:20.880 this mix that we haven't talked about yet. We could easily be having this 684 00:50:20.960 --> 00:50:24.639 conversation about Providence in five A as well, a team that kind of broke 685 00:50:24.719 --> 00:50:30.320 out last year, lost some key pieces in graduation, but I was really 686 00:50:30.400 --> 00:50:35.280 impressed with what I saw for them a limited time this summer. This does 687 00:50:35.400 --> 00:50:37.599 not look like a flute from Providence. I think they're going to be heard 688 00:50:37.679 --> 00:50:44.000 from a couple more teams will go through the FEC one more time here since 689 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:50.519 again an FBC team has been the North representative going back to twenty seventeen. 690 00:50:50.599 --> 00:50:53.920 Prairie Ridge out of the looking to be in five A. We mentioned Chris 691 00:50:54.079 --> 00:50:57.840 Lake Central is a team that I think and makes a run there for the 692 00:50:57.960 --> 00:51:02.320 FBC. Kerry Grove Heady, who decade long playoff streak snap last season. 693 00:51:02.639 --> 00:51:07.159 I fully expect the Trojans to bounce back and be in this conversation. And 694 00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:10.840 then Sue's about Kenwood. What do you think of Kenwood? You know that's 695 00:51:10.840 --> 00:51:15.000 another I got you again, Kyle, Damn. You know so that's they're 696 00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:19.400 a seven eight program now, so when you talk about that in a minute, 697 00:51:19.559 --> 00:51:22.760 Yeah, how about that was the last team I was going to before 698 00:51:22.800 --> 00:51:25.840 I moved over to seven eight. So let's start with Kenwood because I tell 699 00:51:25.840 --> 00:51:30.039 you I like them. Yeah, it's hard not to. I mean, 700 00:51:30.599 --> 00:51:37.280 it's it's a very interesting situation with them. You know who they added, 701 00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:42.800 you know, be a transferred to an already talented team. Uh makes me 702 00:51:43.159 --> 00:51:46.920 just really really you know, I'm interested. I'll just put it that way. 703 00:51:46.920 --> 00:51:52.159 I'm just very interested in what I'm gonna see because you know, it's 704 00:51:52.199 --> 00:51:55.400 hard to not look at the top end talent of that roster and think, 705 00:51:57.280 --> 00:52:00.519 you know this, this is a potential team that can make a really really 706 00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:07.760 deep run in in the big classifications. So, uh, it's they have 707 00:52:08.239 --> 00:52:12.880 they have a lot of talent putting it all together. Adding I Marian Stewart 708 00:52:12.920 --> 00:52:20.559 from Bowling Brook, adding Ethan Middleton to the backfield mix. That's that's two 709 00:52:20.920 --> 00:52:27.440 huge talented offensive players that they added to a mix that was already pretty good 710 00:52:27.480 --> 00:52:31.320 to begin with. You know, That's that's one of those things where I 711 00:52:31.440 --> 00:52:37.719 look at it and say, is there enough footballs to go around here? 712 00:52:38.719 --> 00:52:45.559 That's a genuine concern. So I can't recall the quarterback's name, but he's 713 00:52:45.639 --> 00:52:50.239 also back from them, had an injury issue last year. But I liked 714 00:52:50.320 --> 00:52:52.960 what I saw from him early in the year. I believe it was Week 715 00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:58.400 two when I saw them live and he was still in their lineup. They 716 00:52:58.559 --> 00:53:02.519 just I think this is a team that is going to be fascinating to watch 717 00:53:02.599 --> 00:53:07.800 over the course of the season. Open the season with a tremendous matchup for 718 00:53:07.880 --> 00:53:10.280 them to see measuring stick to see exactly how good they are with Lincoln Way 719 00:53:10.360 --> 00:53:15.360 East. But they're a fun team. I think the seven A is a 720 00:53:15.440 --> 00:53:21.159 loaded class. I couldn't help myself from ranking them in my top ten, 721 00:53:21.239 --> 00:53:24.880 which kind of surprises me. All right, sus While we are very intrigued 722 00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:28.760 with ken Wood seven A as, I was just saying, a lot of 723 00:53:28.880 --> 00:53:31.079 good teams in here. Who are some of the favorites? You think, 724 00:53:32.079 --> 00:53:35.880 well, I think you have to start with the defending state championship from Mount 725 00:53:35.960 --> 00:53:38.920 Carmel. Obviously, you know, pretty good program, Yeah, pretty good. 726 00:53:42.239 --> 00:53:46.239 They lost some key pieces Lannie Dowling, obviously a big loss to their 727 00:53:46.320 --> 00:53:50.360 offense. But you know, when I didn't see them this summer. They 728 00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:55.360 looked really, really proficient, you know it on both sides of the football, 729 00:53:57.159 --> 00:54:00.719 particularly on the defensive side of the ball. You know, I do 730 00:54:00.920 --> 00:54:05.599 not think they're going to take a dramatic step back. Another fascinating Week one 731 00:54:05.639 --> 00:54:07.320 matchup, you know, obviously playing East St. Louis down at I SU, 732 00:54:07.880 --> 00:54:13.000 but you know, getting on that train real early and finding out what 733 00:54:13.079 --> 00:54:19.199 they're about. So, h really really solid team. So I expect them 734 00:54:19.280 --> 00:54:22.360 to kind of, you know, be the favorite. I won't slap the 735 00:54:22.440 --> 00:54:27.119 co favorite label on this team, but I really really like them a lot. 736 00:54:27.840 --> 00:54:30.679 I like what Batavia has coming back. I think this is a really 737 00:54:30.800 --> 00:54:36.320 sound program that doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I think they're going to 738 00:54:36.400 --> 00:54:40.719 be pretty dangerous, uh in the in the grand scheme of things. So 739 00:54:42.159 --> 00:54:45.920 you know, real good team there. So you know, those two I 740 00:54:46.039 --> 00:54:50.920 think are the clear ones, and then I think we've got a whole bunch 741 00:54:50.960 --> 00:54:55.639 of teams after that that you can enter into the conversation as threats. And 742 00:54:55.760 --> 00:55:00.039 that's what makes this class I think the deepest. To be honest with you, 743 00:55:00.159 --> 00:55:05.119 it was the easiest one to come up with ten candidates four also the 744 00:55:05.239 --> 00:55:07.639 easiest one to list another six or seven teams that I thought are capable of 745 00:55:07.719 --> 00:55:14.159 being ranked. So a lot of depth in seven eight. Yeah, just 746 00:55:14.599 --> 00:55:19.480 just in the Duquene Conference alone. I mean you're looking at weedon North, 747 00:55:19.639 --> 00:55:23.119 a seven eight playoff team a year ago, Saint Charles North, Uh Jane, 748 00:55:23.119 --> 00:55:28.519 where does Geneva fall? SEUs? Geneva is a six A program most 749 00:55:28.599 --> 00:55:31.599 likely. Okay, so I mean going back to six A. Geneva is 750 00:55:31.920 --> 00:55:37.400 a team that I'm intrigued in this year. SEUs. You just went garble 751 00:55:37.440 --> 00:55:44.480 on me. Okay, yeah, sorry, yeah, all right, coming 752 00:55:44.519 --> 00:55:50.320 back down in three two one. Yeah, I mean we're looking at the 753 00:55:50.400 --> 00:55:55.280 Duquene Conference Batavia, Uh, weed and North in the playoffs last year. 754 00:55:57.199 --> 00:56:00.280 We didn't weed in North, Saint Charles North in the playoffs last here, 755 00:56:00.880 --> 00:56:04.920 the Duquee Conference is going to have a factor in these upper classes once against 756 00:56:04.960 --> 00:56:07.559 its Yeah, it really does look that way. And it's another one of 757 00:56:07.599 --> 00:56:12.639 those leagues where it looks like there's gonna be some really good football teams that 758 00:56:12.719 --> 00:56:16.519 don't get to five victories. Those programs have to be careful in the non 759 00:56:16.599 --> 00:56:21.199 conference schedule, and some of them, to be Frank, haven't been. 760 00:56:21.760 --> 00:56:27.440 So it's it's almost it's almost it's almost a situation where you feel like you 761 00:56:27.639 --> 00:56:30.840 have to get out of the box too and oh to give yourself a chance 762 00:56:30.920 --> 00:56:35.320 to get you know, the best chance to get to the playoffs. So, 763 00:56:36.239 --> 00:56:37.639 I mean, and then when you look at these non conference games, 764 00:56:37.719 --> 00:56:42.960 it's like Saint Charles North is playing Palatine and Creepmone I was I was just 765 00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:45.639 going to ask you, does Saint Charles North have the most difficult schedule in 766 00:56:45.679 --> 00:56:49.679 the state. I think that case can easily be made. I mean, 767 00:56:49.719 --> 00:56:52.760 I mean it's it's a top five or there's there's no doubt in my mind 768 00:56:52.800 --> 00:56:55.599 there's a top five. Right, I'll run through the first five week for 769 00:56:55.840 --> 00:57:00.719 our listeners, Palatine, Creepmone Weed and North butvia Wheat in Warrenville's South. 770 00:57:01.039 --> 00:57:06.800 I'm not saying that the North Stars can't can't perform well with those five games, 771 00:57:06.880 --> 00:57:09.920 but man is at tough. Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's 772 00:57:10.000 --> 00:57:13.800 brutal. I mean, that's but that's what I'm saying. I mean, 773 00:57:13.920 --> 00:57:17.280 you've got every one of these teams that are that I expect to be in 774 00:57:17.360 --> 00:57:22.079 the mix at the end of the season has at least one extraordinarily difficult non 775 00:57:22.159 --> 00:57:27.519 conference game if not too. I mean Geneva's playing Lamont, Wheat North is 776 00:57:27.559 --> 00:57:30.320 playing Downers, Grow South and Lockport, but Tavia has Lincoln Weight East and 777 00:57:30.400 --> 00:57:36.599 week two Weet Warrenville South has Sinean and Lions. So it's just like every 778 00:57:36.639 --> 00:57:43.280 one of these teams has has obstacles just to get to the five hundred mark 779 00:57:43.440 --> 00:57:47.480 through two weeks and then they have to enter their conference schedule where they're beating 780 00:57:47.559 --> 00:57:51.400 up on each other. So I mean, the Duke came this year, 781 00:57:51.559 --> 00:57:54.960 I'm certain is going to produce at least one team that we're looking at at 782 00:57:55.000 --> 00:57:59.480 the end of the year as going how did they not make the playoffs? 783 00:58:00.000 --> 00:58:04.119 And it's this schedule that will be the reason for that. Is there any 784 00:58:04.239 --> 00:58:07.559 team that we haven't mentioned so far that we would look like idiots for not 785 00:58:07.679 --> 00:58:10.599 mentioning. I don't know if you can go as far as to say idiots, 786 00:58:10.760 --> 00:58:15.599 because like I said, I think it's an open group, A couple 787 00:58:15.679 --> 00:58:20.920 of mid suburban teams Hersey and Prospect. I have my eye on kind of 788 00:58:21.000 --> 00:58:24.039 a wild card, a program that a lot of people do not talk about. 789 00:58:24.079 --> 00:58:29.480 A lot is Quincy out of the Western Big Six. You know, 790 00:58:29.920 --> 00:58:35.719 a lot of underclassmen contributors. Last year. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Little put up 791 00:58:35.960 --> 00:58:39.039 monster numbers in the playoffs last year before they were finally ousted by Lamont. 792 00:58:40.400 --> 00:58:45.039 Very talented team and just a team that I finally just decided I'm going to 793 00:58:45.079 --> 00:58:49.880 put on my radar and watch what they do, even though I wonder how 794 00:58:49.960 --> 00:58:52.599 they're doing it. I think he's still got to keep an eye on Yorkville. 795 00:58:53.400 --> 00:58:58.239 This is a program and a very tough conference as well, but they 796 00:58:58.400 --> 00:59:02.360 have just figured out a blue to get it things done. They have to 797 00:59:02.400 --> 00:59:06.559 replace quite a bit, but they still have some key people in some key 798 00:59:06.679 --> 00:59:10.920 places. I still like Yorkville quite a bit. You mentioned all four teams 799 00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:15.800 that I was thinking about, Hersey Prospect, Quincy and then Yorkville there. 800 00:59:15.840 --> 00:59:19.400 So if we look like idiots, it won't be because of you SEUs. 801 00:59:20.480 --> 00:59:22.760 At least we can say that one time, I say one time, we 802 00:59:22.840 --> 00:59:25.440 will. We can say that. All right, let's wrap this up with 803 00:59:25.679 --> 00:59:32.519 aid A and we're just you're you gotta start with the two team that played 804 00:59:32.519 --> 00:59:37.760 in last last year state championship game in Loyal and Lincoln Way East, SUSY. 805 00:59:37.880 --> 00:59:42.000 There are two programs that if we got to Bloomington, I wouldn't be 806 00:59:42.079 --> 00:59:45.480 surprised to see a rematch, you know, I wouldn't either. The thing 807 00:59:45.559 --> 00:59:50.480 that kind of always seems to astonish me about Lincoln Way East, I feel 808 00:59:50.519 --> 00:59:55.400 like they lose really valuable players to graduation. It doesn't go and then I 809 00:59:55.559 --> 01:00:01.639 go back and they still have like ten impact guys on the roster, and 810 01:00:01.760 --> 01:00:06.519 I don't know how they keep doing that, but that that's just the I 811 01:00:06.599 --> 01:00:08.719 guess that's what this program is now. So and that was what kind of 812 01:00:08.760 --> 01:00:12.960 wowed me about them when I went out there. I was like, still 813 01:00:13.039 --> 01:00:17.280 got Braden tissue at the quarterback position, still got a really good defensive line 814 01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:22.280 group led by you know, highly recruited kid No Roorke, David Wutsky, 815 01:00:23.079 --> 01:00:30.199 an experienced secondary. Just a lot of interesting pieces that they still have in 816 01:00:30.320 --> 01:00:35.039 place. And this is a program that if they get their running back situation 817 01:00:35.199 --> 01:00:38.480 figured out fairly early in the season. They lost both of the guys that 818 01:00:38.519 --> 01:00:43.559 were the primary ball carriers for them for graduation. And this team likes to 819 01:00:43.639 --> 01:00:47.239 run the football. I really like Junior's ion gist, but he still hasn't 820 01:00:47.280 --> 01:00:52.440 proven it on the varsity level. So but if they get that sorted out. 821 01:00:52.280 --> 01:00:54.599 I think this team is probably better than it is last year, and 822 01:00:54.880 --> 01:01:00.239 that's saying a lot. A team that I want to make sure to mention 823 01:01:00.400 --> 01:01:06.039 in eight as Palatine. You look at running back Dominic Ball. On the 824 01:01:06.119 --> 01:01:08.559 other side, you got Jalen Williams, who I've gotta be two dozen Division 825 01:01:08.639 --> 01:01:14.559 one offers now defensive end junior there. I really liked what I saw from 826 01:01:14.559 --> 01:01:20.480 Palatine last year a lot coming back here. You know, you got eleven 827 01:01:20.599 --> 01:01:23.800 players back. I think four of them. If I remember reading the Dick 828 01:01:23.880 --> 01:01:30.000 Quagliano and The Daily Herald, who we partner with put together that conference preview, 829 01:01:30.280 --> 01:01:35.440 I'm pretty sure they have four Division one commits already on Palotine. It's 830 01:01:35.440 --> 01:01:38.719 gonna be a really good squad. Well. I mean I often refer to 831 01:01:38.920 --> 01:01:42.920 a lot of the teams that I see, you know, during the offseason, 832 01:01:43.239 --> 01:01:45.840 I develop a little bit of a crush on the team just in regards 833 01:01:45.920 --> 01:01:52.639 to how much I liked them, and Palatine definitely qualifies on that grounds. 834 01:01:52.679 --> 01:01:58.039 Really really like these guys. I got an introduction to them in a playoff 835 01:01:58.079 --> 01:02:01.519 game last year where they came down and pretty much man handled what I thought 836 01:02:01.639 --> 01:02:07.199 was a pretty good Manuka team, and boy, oh boy, I think 837 01:02:07.239 --> 01:02:12.440 this team has quite a bit h You know, I when I ranked them 838 01:02:12.480 --> 01:02:15.840 in my top ten, I wanted to rank them higher and I had them 839 01:02:15.920 --> 01:02:20.679 ranked third. So that's that basically tells you how how good I think they 840 01:02:20.760 --> 01:02:23.159 can be. On the other side of that conference, I will say, 841 01:02:23.280 --> 01:02:29.360 don't sleep on Barrington. It was a program. It's a program that's obviously 842 01:02:29.519 --> 01:02:31.199 run very well. Joe Sanchez has done a nice job over there. They 843 01:02:31.280 --> 01:02:35.360 missed the playoffs last year at four and five, but they only had one 844 01:02:35.719 --> 01:02:37.719 kid back from twenty twenty one on that twenty twenty two team. That's not 845 01:02:37.840 --> 01:02:42.679 the case this year, Barrington with a lot coming back, I expect the 846 01:02:42.760 --> 01:02:47.079 Broncos to have a big bounce back this season. Yeah, and it's one 847 01:02:47.119 --> 01:02:51.519 of those teams that like, if you're if you're not careful, you can 848 01:02:51.599 --> 01:02:55.920 look at that schedule again and say, oh geez. But hopefully for them 849 01:02:57.079 --> 01:03:00.840 that bounce back is accurate. Because if I had to, we were talking 850 01:03:00.880 --> 01:03:04.400 about the top five most difficult schedules that you have out there. I think 851 01:03:04.440 --> 01:03:07.480 I can make an argument that Barrington belongs on that list too. I mean, 852 01:03:07.559 --> 01:03:10.000 if you look at their non con. The only thing that might save 853 01:03:10.079 --> 01:03:15.400 them is maybe their actual league isn't as deep as it's been in the past, 854 01:03:15.760 --> 01:03:19.199 because if it was, then you've got a problem, because I mean, 855 01:03:19.280 --> 01:03:22.480 you open the season with Warren prospect Glenn brook South in your first three 856 01:03:23.800 --> 01:03:27.679 nikes. I mean, that's just your non con and you have to deal 857 01:03:27.760 --> 01:03:30.840 with with, you know, Palatine for one inside your league. So right 858 01:03:30.920 --> 01:03:37.760 there are four legitimate top twenty five teams on your schedule, so you're not 859 01:03:37.880 --> 01:03:40.280 going to be given a lot of luxury to uh, you know, kind 860 01:03:40.280 --> 01:03:44.599 of ease yourself back into being a playoff caliber team. They don't have any 861 01:03:44.639 --> 01:03:47.320 breaks on the schedule. Did you just know all for their first four weeks 862 01:03:47.360 --> 01:03:54.320 opponents without looking at it? Maybe that's that's sick, I thought, not 863 01:03:54.679 --> 01:03:58.480 so for our listeners. Susan and I are recording this and we can actually 864 01:03:58.480 --> 01:04:00.480 see each other here, and I was pretty certain that he wasn't looking at 865 01:04:00.519 --> 01:04:03.760 his screen as he just spouted off the first four games for Barrington Football. 866 01:04:04.119 --> 01:04:06.840 And that is why you listen to this podcast, not for me, but 867 01:04:06.960 --> 01:04:12.079 because he is just an incredible fountain of information. See if there are more 868 01:04:12.159 --> 01:04:14.719 teams in eight A that we haven't even talked about. You just mentioned one 869 01:04:14.719 --> 01:04:17.960 of them that Barrington's playing early Warren, I mean, another really good program. 870 01:04:18.719 --> 01:04:23.199 You know, Warren kind of lies up in the weeds up there on 871 01:04:23.280 --> 01:04:27.320 the northern Illinois border. See, you never quite know exactly what's going on 872 01:04:27.480 --> 01:04:30.840 for them, but I've heard a lot of you know, talk about them 873 01:04:30.960 --> 01:04:33.400 in regards to they didn't do as well as they expected they were going to 874 01:04:33.440 --> 01:04:39.400 do last year, and they're angry. So an angry Warren team I wouldn't 875 01:04:39.440 --> 01:04:45.599 like my odds against them. Just has really established themselves as a defensive powerhouse 876 01:04:45.679 --> 01:04:48.000 over the past few years, and if they can get their offense going to 877 01:04:48.199 --> 01:04:53.039 that level, this is an extraordinarily dangerous team too. When I was talking 878 01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:56.440 about being having it kind of difficult to try to stack these top teams in 879 01:04:56.480 --> 01:05:00.320 this class, you know, figuring out where to place Warren that isn't in 880 01:05:00.400 --> 01:05:03.079 the top five, it felt like a mistake to me. So you know, 881 01:05:03.239 --> 01:05:06.239 it's just I mean, I expect quite a bit from them as well 882 01:05:08.159 --> 01:05:10.519 any other teams in eight A you want to touch on. You know, 883 01:05:10.679 --> 01:05:15.400 I think I'd be remissed if I don't mention York kind of another breakthrough season 884 01:05:15.639 --> 01:05:19.480 last year for them. I think they they will not take a violent step 885 01:05:19.559 --> 01:05:24.880 back, but you know, I kind of say that with a caveats. 886 01:05:25.559 --> 01:05:29.599 You know, the West Suburban such a deep conference again, uh, you 887 01:05:29.679 --> 01:05:31.960 know, with so many good teams in there. York another team that he 888 01:05:32.039 --> 01:05:36.760 needs to be mentioned here, Glenbard West Lions has kind of re emerged as 889 01:05:36.800 --> 01:05:41.920 a really strong program, a team of it. We haven't even mentioned the 890 01:05:42.000 --> 01:05:44.880 DVC yet, have we. No, we haven't. I was gonna get 891 01:05:44.920 --> 01:05:47.760 there next. But you know, it's it's basically, you know, there's 892 01:05:47.840 --> 01:05:51.920 just there's a lot of teams in here that you could make a case for, 893 01:05:54.559 --> 01:05:57.880 you know, in the top seven or eight teams in this classification. 894 01:05:58.440 --> 01:06:01.360 And the d Page Valley, like you just mentioned, there's another very interesting 895 01:06:01.440 --> 01:06:08.440 scenario. I think both Niqua Valley and Naperville North belong in this conversation, 896 01:06:09.679 --> 01:06:12.800 you know, just in regards to you know, what they have coming back. 897 01:06:13.639 --> 01:06:17.119 I really liked what I saw from Niqua Valley this summer. I just 898 01:06:17.280 --> 01:06:21.800 felt like every time I was watching them, I saw something good. It's 899 01:06:21.880 --> 01:06:28.519 just like that's it's really kind of an interesting churn that goes there. Real 900 01:06:28.719 --> 01:06:31.199 kind of a not so much fun for the people that are involved in it. 901 01:06:31.639 --> 01:06:35.239 But the fact the two Page Valley is now crossing over with the Southwest 902 01:06:35.280 --> 01:06:43.280 Suburban leads to some really fascinating games in week three of this season. Now, 903 01:06:43.400 --> 01:06:45.519 those two Page Valley teams don't have to go to Ohio to fill their 904 01:06:45.519 --> 01:06:49.360 schedule out, but I gotta say I'm really looking forward an Equa Valley and 905 01:06:49.440 --> 01:06:54.000 link Away East and week three. There are several other interesting games because of 906 01:06:54.079 --> 01:07:01.559 that crossover arrangement. But so many good teams in this classification. I reluctantly 907 01:07:01.679 --> 01:07:05.239 call teams sleepers in this division, but I could probably go twenty deep, 908 01:07:05.320 --> 01:07:09.599 to be honest with you, with teams that I think could have pretty good 909 01:07:09.679 --> 01:07:15.320 years, but their schedules are so rugged that I could also see scenarios where 910 01:07:15.400 --> 01:07:18.679 some of those teams might not even make the playoffs. Yeah, I absolutely 911 01:07:18.719 --> 01:07:23.440 agree with you there. All Right, Well, we have made it to 912 01:07:23.559 --> 01:07:27.360 the end of preseason. Suits this is kind of the last piece of content 913 01:07:27.440 --> 01:07:31.000 we put together before we really really shift our focus completely to Week one. 914 01:07:31.039 --> 01:07:34.719 Man, We've made it. Football is here. Yeah. I saw a 915 01:07:34.760 --> 01:07:39.360 tweet this morning from Lincoln Way East that said two more sleeps and I was 916 01:07:39.400 --> 01:07:44.360 like, wow, that's true, Like that's excellent. I'm very excited about 917 01:07:44.440 --> 01:07:48.000 that. So yeah, so about you know a little under fifty hours here, 918 01:07:48.079 --> 01:07:51.920 I will be at a high school football game. So as a result, 919 01:07:53.000 --> 01:07:56.920 I will be officially in my happy place. Yeah. Absolutely. Thank 920 01:07:56.960 --> 01:08:00.239 you everyone who's followed along during the preseason and ready for the twenty twenty three 921 01:08:00.280 --> 01:08:04.039 season. We can't wait to share the experience with you. Join us live 922 01:08:04.199 --> 01:08:08.760 on Friday night at Friday Night Drive dot com from eight to eleven pm. 923 01:08:08.840 --> 01:08:13.280 Will be live on YouTube, streaming all your week one information. Stick to 924 01:08:13.360 --> 01:08:15.239 Friday Night Drive dot com. You can follow us on Twitter at f and 925 01:08:15.319 --> 01:08:18.760 Drive. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram and TikTok. John Sally 926 01:08:18.840 --> 01:08:23.439 getting that going for us search for Friday Night Drive, Jake Barrowson, and 927 01:08:23.520 --> 01:08:26.640 Josh Wilkie. You will be along with you later this week to do a 928 01:08:26.720 --> 01:08:30.920 Western suburb podcast and then Sus and I will be joined by Michael Rojak and 929 01:08:30.039 --> 01:08:33.600 Joe Stevenson and we get you set for week one. Everyone. Thank you 930 01:08:33.720 --> 01:08:38.079 once again, it's been a fun time getting ready for this season. We're 931 01:08:38.880 --> 01:08:42.000 we can't wait, We can't wait for Thursday night and Friday Night. It's 932 01:08:42.000 --> 01:08:46.560 gonna be a fun time. Schweiker Gannison, Krazik Rundio Pradley sponsors to Friday 933 01:08:46.640 --> 01:08:49.560 Night Drive. I'm Mike Krazak. If you've been injured, we are ready 934 01:08:49.600 --> 01:08:53.560 to take on the insurance company and get you to the end zone. We've 935 01:08:53.600 --> 01:08:59.279 recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. Visit GA Nassi n dot com.