Monday, August 28, 2017

Waubonsie Valley, Glenbard West...

...and Loyola all lost over the weekend, while Prairie Ridge won by only a run point. Other than that, the rest of the top teams in Illinois took care of business in Week One. In the new polls, Maine South took over the top spot in the Tribune and Sun-Times based on its "statement" win over Glenbard West (I was there). Prairie Ridge, meanwhile, kept its No. 1 ranking in MaxPreps.

Glenbard West and Loyola remain in the Chicago papers' top ten due to their "quality" losses (the Ramblers fell to Phillips, 20-14), while Waubonsie dropped out after losing to Lake Park -- who? (The Lancers finished 2-7 last year and were ranked No. 83 in MaxPreps' preseason poll. Ouch!)

Here are the top ten in the three polls I follow, beginning with the preseason rankings. (All teams undefeated unless otherwise noted.) I like to compare the current polls with the preseason ones not to "show up" the pollsters but rather to demonstrate how the rankings -- and teams -- evolve over the course of the season.

WEEK ONE

Tribune:

1. Glenbard West
2. Maine South
3. Waubonsie Valley
4. Lincoln-Way East
5. Prairie Ridge
6. Loyola
7. Lyons
8. Homewood-Flossmoor
9. Naperville Central
10. Lake Zurich

Sun-Times:

1. Prairie Ridge
2. Maine South
3. Loyola
4. Waubonsie Valley
5. Lyons
6. Glenbard West
7. Lincoln-Way East
8. Phillips
9. Homewood-Flossmoor
10. Marist

MaxPreps:

1. Prairie Ridge 
2. Loyola 
3. Marist 
4. Maine South 
5. IC Catholic Prep 
6. East St. Louis
7. Sacred Heart-Griffin 
8. Rochester
9. Lyons
10. Waubonsie Valley 

WEEK TWO

Tribune:

1. Maine South
2. Lincoln-Way East
3. Prairie Ridge
4. Naperville Central
5. Phillips
6. Homewood-Flossmoor
7. Lyons
8. Glenbard West (0-1)
9. Loyola (0-1)
10. Lake Zurich

Sun-Times:

1. Maine South
2. Prairie Ridge
3. Lincoln-Way East
4. Phillips
5. Loyola (0-1)
6. Lyons
7. Homewood-Flossmoor
8. Marist
9. New Trier
10. Glenbard West (0-1)

MaxPreps:

1. Prairie Ridge
2. IC Catholic Prep
3. Maine South
4. Sacred Heart-Griffin 
5. Rochester
6. Marist
7. East St. Louis
8. Lyons   
9. Huntley
10. Benet

P. S. Yes, I stole that picture of Maine South running back Fotis Kokosioulis at the top of this post from the Sun-Times because it's an incredible shot. (And I remember that play -- it was also incredible.) Kudos to photographer Allen Cunningham.

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