Maine South has dominated the Central Suburban League football scene for decades, so much so that it may have hurt the Hawks.
Typically, Maine South opens as a highly ranked team, plays a few tough nonconference games, and then spends the rest of the regular season winning blowouts.
That may not be the case this season. The Hawks received a tough challenge from New Trier and Purdue-bound quarterback Jackie Ryder last Thursday. Indiana-bound quarterback Jameson Purcell was excellent and Maine South pulled out a 35-28 victory.
Keep an eye on what the rest of the CSL South does against the Hawks. Evanston is 3-1 with a nice win against Palatine, and Glenbrook South, which beat Evanston 33-9 in Week 4, has been on the rise for a few years. The Titans are 2-2, but opened the season with competitive losses to York and Fremd.
“Definitely, the conference is more competitive than when I got here,” Purcell said. “The teams are stepping up. New Trier has been off and on. This is our 11th year winning against them and every year they come out and get better.
“Evanston is showing stuff. I’m just happy about it. It is cool to see other teams succeeding. Sometimes the CSL doesn’t get much respect.”
Israel Abrams sparkles again
Maybe it is because the Sun-Times hasn’t covered enough of his games, but it feels as if Montini quarterback Israel Abrams isn’t receiving the attention he deserves locally.
The Miami recruit is one of the most thrilling players in the country. Abrams made two jaw-dropping plays in the Class 4A state championship game last year.
He put up video game numbers in the Broncos’ win against Nazareth in Week 4. And Montini needed every yard to squeak out a 47-42 win against Nazareth.
Abrams was 25 of 35 passing for 411 yards. He threw four touchdown passes and ran for three touchdowns.
Streak breakers
There were two historically notable results in Week 4.
Hersey, led by Kentucky recruit Jake Nawrot, beat Barrington for the first time since 1994.
Nawrot is ranked as one of the top five quarterbacks in the country. He was 25-for-32 passing for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the Huskies’ 38-7 win against Barrington.
Hersey’s nonconference schedule hasn’t turned out as tough as expected, with Carmel and the Broncos not living up to their preseason rankings. The Huskies have an excellent chance to be undefeated when they arrive at Prospect for a showdown in Week 9.
Metea Valley has only been open since 2009, but it had never beaten DuPage Valley rival Neuqua Valley until Friday. The Mustangs won 34-29 on the road in thrilling fashion.
Iggy Amorrortu connected with Charlie Larson on a 29-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left to secure the win for Metea Valley. The Mustangs scored three consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to earn the comeback victory.
New look Fox Valley
Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove have dominated the Fox Valley and been perennial state championship contenders over the past decade.
That stranglehold started to slip last season when Burlington Central finished second in the conference ahead of Cary-Grove, and it is totally gone now.
Cary-Grove has a young team this season and is hanging on in third place at 3-1. But Prairie Ridge is winless and in last place. The Crystal Lake school’s enrollment has been shrinking for years, and it may struggle to compete in the Fox Valley in the future.
Jacobs and Huntley are tied for first place and undefeated through the first two weeks. The Golden Eagles were expected to challenge for the Super 25 this season and are right on track. Huntley is off to an extremely intriguing start. The Red Raiders, who compete in Class 8A, have scored 218 points and allowed just six.
