Last year, I went to Glenbard West...

...to watch a football game and wrote a post about it afterward. It received over 1,000 pageviews, more than any other post I've written about high school football and the third-most in the entire (almost) three year history of this blog. That's a tough act to follow!

Today, I'll be traveling back to beautiful Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and -- according to USA Today -- one of the best places in America to see a high school football game. (They're right.) The contest pits Hinsdale Central (2-1), the alma mater of Bill Veeck*, against the home team Hilltoppers (3-0), the alma mater of Sean Hayes, above. Whom do you think will win? (Hint: Glenbard West will remain undefeated; they're one of the very best teams in the state.)

I'm looking forward to getting a second look at Glenbard West defensive lineman Tommy Schutt, above. (Schutt will be attending Penn State next year after being one of the most heavily recruited players in Illinois.) Also, the "Hitters" defense features identical twins Mike and Matt Marston at cornerback. And on offense, Avery Balogh is the go-to running back (six touchdowns in three games, by my count).

As for the Red Devils, first year head coach Rich Tarka has to decide on a quarterback: junior Brian Owens or senior Danny Callahan. (Tarka replaced Mike DiMatteo after Hinsdale Central failed to make the playoffs last year for the first time in ten years. DiMatteo is now the quarterbacks coach at Glenbard West. Hmmm.) Division I prospect Ryan Callen anchors an inexperienced offensive line; junior Andrew Pyle and defensive captain Mike Fikaris are solid at linebacker. (And -- pssst! -- watch out for Nick Sellinger. He's a threat on punt returns.)

It could be a good game. And, if nothing else, there's a great Vienna hot dog cart just beyond the end zone where you can score some lunch at half-time. (I may have to suspend my vegan diet for a day.)

Incidentally, for you young people, Bill Veeck, above, was a baseball owner who was known, among other things (a lot of other things -- just read the link), for planting the ivy in Wrigley Field (no kidding!). He was also known (and I never witnessed this personally) for sitting shirtless in the bleachers at Cub games, drinking beer, smoking and flicking the ashes into his wooden leg, which he had taken off for just that purpose.

BOWG prediction: Glenbard West 35, Hinsdale Central 7.

*Veeck attended Hinsdale Central but didn't graduate.