Should I go...

...to the Nazareth - Joliet Catholic game instead of the Glenbard West - Hinsdale Central contest? After all, JC's Ty Isaac, above, is arguably the best running back in the state of Illinois. He's headed to Southern Cal next year. Southern Cal!

Here's the Hilltoppers' (the ones from Joliet, not Glen Ellyn) record so far (home team in CAPS):

PROVIDENCE 40, Joliet Catholic 34
JOLIET CATHOLIC 34, Robeson 26
Joliet Catholic 33, ST. VIATOR 20

And here's the Roadrunners':

NAZARETH 37, Proviso East 14
NAZARETH 48 Julian 12
Marist 24, NAZARETH 21

What happened between these two teams last year? The Roadrunners (10-2 in 2011) beat the Hilltoppers (12-3) in Joliet, 24-21. (Joliet Catholic went on to finish second in 5A.)

How about 2010? (Don't ask.) Joliet Catholic beat Nazareth -- again in Joliet, for some reason -- 57-0. Yikes!

Before that, it was all Hilltoppers.

2009: Joliet Catholic 51, NAZARETH 21
2008: JOLIET CATHOLIC 40, Nazareth 12
*
2005: Joliet Catholic 43, NAZARETH 16
2004: Joliet Catholic 55, NAZARETH 0

What about Friday night? I don't know, but it could be a shoot-out, not unlike last year's 5A final, in which Montini defeated Joliet Catholic, 70-45.