Let's talk about high school football...

...for a moment, shall we? The Chicago papers are in the midst of their annual Dance of the Seven Veils -- the Countdown to Number 1 -- and Providence has come in at number 6 in the Tribune and 5 in the Sun-Times. This caught my attention because the Celtics will host the Loyola Academy Ramblers in Week 3 on September 10.

The 2010 season begins this Friday when the Titans of Glenbrook South travel to Minooka. Other key matchups for the Glenview squad should be against Stevenson at home on September 3, at New Trier on the 24th, and of course, Maine South at home on Friday, October 15.

The Ramblers open their season on Saturday as they play host to Evanston. Loyola has its typical bruising schedule this year, traveling to Montini (number 16 in the Sun-Times poll) on September 4, Providence on the 10th, Mt. Carmel (number 8 in the S-T) on the 18th in Wilmette, and St. Rita on the South Side on October 22.

But the biggest game on the horizon is on September 3, when the defending 8A champs Maine South make their way to Wheaton-Warrenville South for a rematch of last year's game in which the Hawks defeated the 7A champion Tigers, 27-9, in the second week of the season.