Loyola Academy came in...

...at No. 4 today in the Tribune preseason football rankings. The Sun-Times had the Ramblers at No. 13 last week. (I think they'll finish the season somewhere in between.)

Loyola coach John Holecek, above, is entering his sixth year at the helm and has led the Wilmette squad to three consecutive 11-win seasons. The problem is they've been eliminated in the playoffs by Maine South in each of those years. (And they should have won the last two.) So the big question is, Can the Ramblers finally knock off the Hawks? (The Sun-Times has the Park Ridge team ranked No. 1.)

The season starts tomorrow night at Evanston.