It's Opening Day!

Are we in for another Bolingbrook - Loyola showdown?

Let's compare the Top Ten from MaxPreps with the two major Chicago newspapers.

MaxPreps

1. Loyola
2. Mount Carmel
3. Sacred Heart-Griffin
4. Joliet Catholic
5. Montini
6. Naperville Central
7. East St. Louis
8. St. Rita
9. Stevenson
10. Schaumburg

Chicago Tribune

1. Bolingbrook
2. Stevenson
3. Loyola
4. Homewood-Flossmoor
5. Mount Carmel
6. Naperville Central
7. Glenbard West
8. Lincoln-Way East
9. St. Rita
10. Nazareth

Sun-Times

1. Bolingbrook
2. Loyola
3. Stevenson
4. Homewood-Flossmoor
5. Glenbard West
6. Neuqua Valley
7. Mount Carmel
8. Cary-Grove 
9. Naperville Central
10. Richards

The first thing to note, of course, is that MaxPreps includes the entire state of Illinois in its rankings.

The second thing, I suppose, is that only four teams made all three Top Ten rankings: Loyola, Mount Carmel, Naperville Central and Stevenson.

Interestingly, Montini -- which almost always ends up vying for the Class 5A crown -- came in at only No. 14 in the Trib and No. 11 in the Sun-Times. Schaumburg (Schaumburg?) made it to No. 10 in MaxPreps but is completely absent from the Chicago papers' rankings. The Saxons were 10-2 last year and finished the season No. 27 in MaxPreps. (I would argue, however, that Schaumburg played a "favorable" schedule and its conference, the Mid-Suburban - West, isn't one of the stronger ones in the state.)

The two papers rank Bolingbrook No. 1, but the Raiders are only No. 15 in MaxPreps. Homewood-Flossmoor is No. 4 in both Chicago papers' rankings, but only No. 21 in MaxPreps. And while Glenbard West gets its usual respect locally, it only comes in at No. 18 in MaxPreps. Lincoln-Way East is another anomaly; the Griffins just missed Mike Clark's top ten at No. 12, but they're ranked way down at No. 42 in MaxPreps! Neuqua Valley is a similar case: No. 11 in the Trib but only No. 35 in MaxPreps.

So who's right? Who's wrong? I guess we'll just have to wait and find out.

In the meantime, I'll be at:

Oak Park and River Forest at Lincoln-Way East tonight;
Wheaton Warrenville South at Glenbard West tomorrow; and
St. Joseph's Prep (PA) at Mount Carmel on Sunday.

See you at the game!