I was planning on attending...

...the Oak Park and River Forest at Lincoln-Way East game on Friday, August 29, but after reading this piece in the Sun-Times, "First day of practice: Phillips gets down to business," I just might have to call an audible.

Mike Clark writes (my emphasis):

Here was Dewayne Collins, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the state, throwing again to his favorite receiver, Quayvon Skanes.

Collins (4,107 total yards, 49 touchdowns) and Skanes (1,100 receiving yards, 22 total touchdowns) put up video-game numbers last year.

And I remember watching Collins, above, dazzle a Soldier Field crowd in the middle game of an opening day triple-header against De La Salle last year in which the Wildcats came up short in a shoot-out, 51-48.

Who is this Collins kid?, I thought at the time. And why haven't I heard of him?

But Phillips lost the following week to Evergreen Park, 35-32, in another close game and I wrote them off for the rest of the season.

Big mistake.

The Wildcats went on to finish the regular season 6-3 and got their revenge against the previously undefeated Evergreen Park, 31-21, in the second round of the playoffs. (The Mustangs, you may recall, were the only team to beat Richards in the regular season, 35-34.) Phillips lost to 4A runner-up Geneseo the following week to end the 2013 season.

I originally had the Naperville North at Phillips game at Lane Tech in Week Three on my calendar. But now that I read that Collins (who doesn't get the respect he deserves, as far as I'm concerned) will lead the Wildcats in the 2014 season opener at defending 3A champion Stillman Valley, I don't think I can wait that long; I may have to drive out there and see that game!