My weekend of football...

...was a combination of firsts, lasts, constants and one interesting contrast.

The "firsts" included an Egyptian fast food restaurant I drove past in Carol Stream, above. I'd never heard of that before. Egyptian fast food? Really? (It was closed too. Can't imagine why.)

Another "first" was my first-ever trip to Gately Stadium on the South Side for Mount Carmel's 20-15 victory over St. Rita on Friday night.

This is what the Rita side looked like when I got there. With plenty of time to kill, I struck up a conversation with the guy who parked next to me. He was a Rita grad from 1970 although he looked much, much older. (Maybe he thought the same thing about me.) He sounded marginally connected to the team so I asked him how it was that Tommy Mister happened to transfer to St. Rita for his senior year. He went into the whole story of how he wanted to play quarterback for Richards but realized he wouldn't and so went shopping for a new team. I knew all that, but why St. Rita?

"I don't know," he said. "But Marist, Brother Rice and Providence wanted him too. Marist really wanted him. They wanted him bad. But we got him!"

Indeed they did, but in the end it wasn't enough to defeat the big, bad Caravan, who notched their second victory of the year over the Mustangs. (In Pat Disabato's excellent piece in the Sun-Times he mentions that the two storied programs have met 92 times since 1924 with Mount Carmel prevailing in two-thirds of them.)

The Caravan was up, 14-0, at halftime on Friday and it seemed like a repeat of their 24-3 drubbing of the Mustangs in Week Five. But Rita came alive at the end of the third quarter and scored 15 unanswered points to take the lead. (I asked one of the guys next to me why some of his buddies had left at the half. He just shrugged his shoulders.)

So with 7:56 remaining in the game, Mount Carmel had the ball and according to Mike Helfgot's report in the Tribune, Matt Domer (my emphasis):

...was handed the ball on five consecutive plays and eight of 10.

The Illinois-bound Domer (30 carries, 259 yards) had 73 of the 87 yards on the winning drive and erased Rita's 15-14 lead on a 10-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 34 seconds to play.

"When it's on the line you have to be ready to ride Secretariat," Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti said. "And that's exactly what we did."

I want to come back to that quote in a minute.

But first I want to say something I was tempted to tweet at halftime on Friday night: No one in 7A is going to beat Mount Carmel. No one.

It's funny how Carmel is in 8A when it's weaker than 7A and in 7A when it's weaker than 8A. Still, make no mistake: these guys are a juggernaut.

On Saturday I drove past that Egyptian restaurant on my way out to Glenbard North for the game against Stevenson. I parked next to the guy above, whom I could only think must be a real treat to have around the house. "I'm the greatest, I tell ya! I'm unbeatable!" Sheesh.

It was another good contest, not unlike the one from the night before. The lead changed hands several times before the Patriots went up, 20-16, with 4:53 left in the game. And this is where that quote from Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti comes in:

When it's on the line you have to be ready to ride Secretariat.

Now, admittedly, Stevenson had contained Panther running back Justin Jackson in the second half after allowing him two beautiful touchdown runs in the first quarter. But Jackson was arguably the best running back in the state this year and in spitting distance of the single-season rushing record of 3,325 yards. So what did GBN coach Ryan Wilkens do? Ride his Secretariat? No, he chose to pass on an extremely windy day on the next three possessions. And what was the result? Two ended in interceptions and the other on downs. The Panthers' and Jackson's seasons were over. Strange contrast, I thought.

So the Caravan will play Downers Grove North on the road next week while Stevenson travels to Barrington. It was the last time I'll see Jackson or Mister play in high school although the Mustang quarterback reminded me that he may have three games left if St. Rita makes it to the Prep Bowl. (And then there's always Northwestern and Iowa State, respectively.)

But I'm already looking forward to next week. This afternoon I'll select my games, but I'm already eyeing Joliet Catholic at Montini, Lincoln-Way West at Sycamore, Lincoln-Way North at Richards and Maine South at Loyola. It all depends on when they're scheduled.

Oh, and the constants? At least one ski band and the obligatory guy in shorts, below:

Pat Disabato of the SouthtownStar...

...predicted Marist over Bolingbrook and almost the exact score of the St. Rita - Mount Carmel game. (I tweeted back to him, "The Brook will meet up with GBN in the finals." Ouch.) Ed Crotty, meanwhile, begged to differ with my call of Homewood-Flossmoor over Naperville Central, "Central over H-F!! Go RedHawks!!" And Wheaton Warrenville South was upended by Downers Grove North. All in all, it was not a good night for my bracket.

Oh, and I was also informed that "You could not have chosen two worse colors for your colorblind readers. I can barely, barely, barely tell them apart." So instead of red and green I'll use brown and blue from now on.

After Friday night's games I'm at -3 and -7 over all. Today it's off to Carol Stream to see Stevenson at Justin Jackson Glenbard North. 

Here's another look at my Round Two bracket:

8A

Loyola over Notre Dame
Maine South over Oak Park River Forest
Barrington over Warren
Glenbard North over Stevenson
Bolingbrook over Marist -1
Waubonsie Valley over Oswego
Homewood-Flossmoor over Naperville Central -1
Neuqua Valley over Simeon

7A

Lake Zurich over Hononegah
Wheaton North over Fenwick
Schaumburg over St. Patrick
Conant over Glenbard West
Wheaton Warrenville South over Downers Grove North -1
Mount Carmel over St. Rita 0
Edwardsville over Bradley-Bourbonnais
Lincoln-Way East over Oswego East

6A

Boylan over Cary-Grove
Prairie Ridge over Marmion
Batavia over Rolling Meadows
Lake Forest over De La Salle 0
Richards over Argo
Lincoln-Way North over Rich Central 0
Providence over Quincy
East St. Louis over Normal 

5A

Montini over Marian Central
Joliet Catholic over Kaneland
Nazareth over Sycamore
Lincoln-Way West over Glenbard South
Sacred Heart-Griffin over Glenwood
Highland over Limestone
Washington over Mt. Vernon
University over Jacksonville

My two Games of the Week...

...were easy to pick: No. 3 St. Rita (8-1) at No. 2 Mount Carmel (8-1) on Friday night and No. 6 Stevenson (7-2) at No. 2 Glenbard North (8-1) on Saturday afternoon. (What about Saturday night? Don't think I can swing it this week.)

Before I get to those games, though, I'd like to share a conversation I had in the stands of the Warren - Glenbrook South game on Saturday night. I stood next to a guy I used to know and mentioned that it was my first GBS game of the year. "Really?" he said incredulously. "Why?"

"Well, the truth is, they don't play the best schedule in the world." He looked at me like I was nuts. "I've been to a couple Loyola games though."

"Oh," he said. "Those can be good too."

Gee, do ya think? I wanted to say. The Ramblers were ranked No. 1 by both local newspapers and MaxPreps for several weeks.

When I got home that night I went over the results for the weekend and realized that six of the seven schools that made it to the playoffs from the Central Suburban Conference lost. Only one, Maine South, got past the first round. Why? Because the Hawks played Niles West, another member of the conference. In other words, at least one team was assured of advancing to the second round. At that's exactly how many made it -- one.

Niles West, Glenbrook South, Evanston, New Trier, Highland Park and Glenbrook North all lost in the first round. Is there another conference in the state that fared so poorly?

Maine South (7-2) now has to play at No. 4 Oak Park River Forest (8-1) on Saturday. The reputation of the Central Suburban Conference is on the line. Should be a good game.

But I'll be out in Carol Stream to see the Panthers host Stevenson in what should be the Game of the Day. GBN, you may recall, lost to Batavia (8-1) in Week One before rolling the table in the DuPage Valley Conference. The Panthers beat Naperville North (5-4), Naperville Central (6-3), Wheaton Warrenville South (7-2) and Wheaton North (7-2). (Those last three, by the way, are all still in the playoffs.)

Stevenson, after losing its first two games -- to a team from Wisconsin no one had ever heard of and Homewood-Flossmoor (8-1) -- defeated Warren (6-3), Lake Forest (7-2) and Lake Zurich (8-1), all of whom are still alive in the postseason.

Have these two schools ever met before? Yes, at least twice in recent years (home team in CAPS):

2012: GLENBARD NORTH 23, Stevenson 14
2011: Glenbard North 28, Stevenson 0 (home team not given)

So what happens on Saturday? I think it all depends on whether or not Stevenson can contain Panther running back Justin Jackson. And I'll guess not a whole lot better than anyone else has this year. If Jackson scores his usual three touchdowns or so the final score should look a lot like the two above.

Working backward, we also have St. Rita at Mount Carmel on Friday night in the second meeting of the year between these two storied South Side Catholic League programs. The Caravan was able to stop Mustang quarterback Tommy Mister, above, in a 24-3 Week Five victory at St. Rita. Can they do it again?

Let's look at the two teams' recent history first:

2012: MOUNT CARMEL 27, St. Rita 0
2011: ST. RITA 17, Mount Carmel 7
2010: ST. RITA 35, Mount Carmel 14
2009: St. Rita 54, MOUNT CARMEL 18
2008: ST. RITA 35, Mount Carmel 21
2007: MOUNT CARMEL 35, St. Rita 19
2006: ST. RITA 7, Mount Carmel 6
2005: MOUNT CARMEL 21, St. Rita 20; MOUNT CARMEL 32, St. Rita 21 (twice)
2004: Mount Carmel 42, ST. RITA 35 ; Mount Carmel 20, St. Rita 14 (twice, home team not given)

It's a mixed bag, isn't it?

But there's one thing I've noticed about Mount Carmel: they are particularly good at shutting down your star player. Last year, for example, the Caravan contained Neuqua Valley running back Joey Rhattigan in the semifinals and GBN's Jackson the following week in Champaign. (The only team to beat Carmel in the last two years was Loyola and they rarely field a true D-1 prospect in the backfield. Instead, the Ramblers have a capable quarterback and running back and several receivers who can hurt you. That's the only way to beat Mount Carmel, I guess: have a multidimensional offense.)

So what does this mean for the game on Friday night? Even though I'll be sitting on the Rita side and cheering for Tommy Mister and the Mustangs I'm afraid the result will be much like the earlier one this year. Mister will score this time, but the final will probably be something like Mount Carmel 28, St. Rita 14. Should be a heck of a game, though.

And, as always, I'll be live tweeting both contests @BoringOldWhtGuy.

My Game of the Week...

...will be on Friday when Wheaton Warrenville South (6-1) travels to Glenbard North (6-1).

Last year, in Week Nine, I had a dilemma: Should I see the 8A game between two 7-1 teams, Schaumburg and Palatine, or the 5A matchup between two undefeated schools, Morris and Kaneland? Since my motto has always been The Best Game Between the Best Teams I leaned toward the 8A contest. After all, 8A is better football, right? Besides, Kaneland, which is in Maple Grove, is a long way from my house; Palatine is not. But ... Morris and Kaneland were both undefeated and it's a big rivalry. And I was curious: what's it like out there?

I ended up going to the game I wanted to attend, not the one I thought I should attend. Kaneland beat Morris, 33-30, in a nail-biter and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. And that other game? Yawn. Palatine won in a walk, 51-18. Clearly, I made the right decision.

This week I'm faced with a similar choice: Should I go to the 7A/8A game between two 6-1 teams, Wheaton Warrenville South and Glenbard North, or the 5A matchup between two undefeated schools, Kaneland and Sycamore? Since my motto has always been The Best Game Between the Best Teams I lean toward the first contest. After all, 7A/8A is better football, right? Besides, Sycamore is a long way from my house (farther even than Maple Grove!); Carol Stream is much closer. But ... Kaneland and Sycamore are both undefeated and fighting for the conference title. It could be a great game. And I'm curious: what's it like out there?

Now, if someone asked me, Should I go to the game I want to attend or to the game I think I should attend, I'd quickly say: Go to the game you want to attend.

So which one will I see? The one I think I should attend, Wheaton Warrenville South at Glenbard North. Why? Well, mostly to see GBN's Justin Jackson, above. As I'm sure you know, the Northwestern-bound running back rushed for 405 yards and scored five touchdowns last week against a high-quality opponent, Naperville Central. Not only did he break the DuPage Valley Conference single-game rushing record (he held the old one, too), but Jackson also played the whole game on defense. Amazing.

So Friday's game will feature Jackson and two schools that are highly-ranked in all the polls and vying for the conference title. What's more, I haven't seen Jackson all year. Shame on me! (In my defense, though, I did go out to Batavia in Week One but the game was postponed due to lightning.)

And that other game out in Sycamore? I'll bet it will be great. I wish I could be there.

So why am I going to watch the game I think I should instead of the one I want to see? Because the universe is messy and rules of thumb don't always work out. What turned out to be the right decision last year may not be the right one this year. We'll see.

Besides, my gut is telling me to go to this game. And another good rule of thumb is to trust your gut.

In the meantime, here's Wheaton Warrenville South's record so far (home team in CAPS):

WHEATON SOUTH 17, Glenbard West 14
Wheaton South 28 MAINE SOUTH 13
WHEATON SOUTH 17 Wheaton North 13
WHEATON SOUTH 42 Aurora West 7
NAPERVILLE NORTH 21, Wheaton South 14
WHEATON SOUTH 14 Naperville Central 7
WHEATON SOUTH 28 Lake Park 0

And here's the Panthers':

BATAVIA 29, Glenbard North 26
GLENBARD NORTH 35, Carmel 14
GLENBARD NORTH 37, Naperville North 28
GLENBARD NORTH 41, Lake Park 12
Glenbard North 40, GLENBARD EAST 0
GLENBARD NORTH 34, Aurora West 13
Glenbard North 40, NAPERVILLE CENTRAL 34

How have they done against each other in recent years? Before 2012 it was all Wheaton South:

2012: Glenbard North 27, WHEATON SOUTH 21
2011: Wheaton South 13, GLENBARD NORTH 7
2010: WHEATON SOUTH 49, Glenbard North 6
2009: Wheaton South 35, GLENBARD NORTH 7
2008: WHEATON SOUTH 16, Glenbard North 14
2007: Wheaton South 13, GLENBARD NORTH 7
2006: WHEATON SOUTH 34, Glenbard North 7
2005: Wheaton South 48, GLENBARD NORTH 17
2004: Wheaton South 6, GLENBARD NORTH 3

Who do I think will win? Even though Tiger coach Ron Muhitch is a football genius, I have to go with Jackson and the home team.

And, of course, I'll be live tweeting it @BoringOldWhtGuy.

I went to two football games...

...this weekend, Wheaton North at Glenbard North on Friday night, and Brother Rice at Loyola on Saturday afternoon.

In the first game, the home team Panthers spoiled the Falcons' perfect season with a last-second field goal by Hector Ortiz, above, 17-15. (There were actually five seconds remaining on the clock, but you get the idea.) It was a great game and definitely worth the drive out to Carol Stream.

The second contest ended with a running clock as the Ramblers dominated the visiting Crusaders from the get-go. I left after Loyola went up by the final score, 45-0, in the middle of the third quarter.

My thoughts after Week Eight are all over the place, so I'll just recount them in no particular order.

* Wheaton North looked big and tall and strong and athletic. (Maybe it was the white uniforms.) Starting quarterback John Peltz has the best arm I've seen all year and has a bevy of talented receivers in which to throw, including Matt Biegalski and junior Clayton Thorson, who also plays quarterback on some downs (don't ask). But the receivers had trouble catching the ball on Friday night and penalties ended up killing the Falcons. (How, I thought, could a previously unbeaten team get penalized so much in Week Eight?)

* As for Glenbard North, they're a scrappy bunch, including quarterback Brian Murphy, wide receiver Ryan Storto and running back Justin Jackson. (Each of the three played offense and defense.) The Panthers played their hearts out and upset the mighty Falcons, but I'm not sure if either of these squads will go very deep in the playoffs.

* Oh, and don't expect too much from Glenbard North next year; the sophomores got crushed, 49-8, in the undercard on Friday.

* It's getting almost predictable, but a guy in the stands told me before the game that the DuPage Valley Conference was the best in the state in the same matter-of-fact tone you would expect from someone reminding you that the earth was round. And it made me think, does everyone think theirs is the best conference in the state? Ask yourself, if the DVC and the Catholic League Blue are so great, why didn't either Loyola or Wheaton Warrenville South win their championship game last year?

* Which brings me to the Loyola game. There was an awful lot of giddy high-fiving around me Saturday for a team that was beating lowly Brother Rice. The Crusaders are now 4-4 and have lost to Marist, 49-35, Mount Carmel, 56-7, and Providence, 42-21. I wanted to tell the folks around me, "Loyola's not that good; Brother Rice may just be that bad." (But I didn't want to get punched or anything.)

* And that reminds me, so who is good this year? Who are the teams to beat in the playoffs? Well, Loyola and Mount Carmel in 8A, certainly. Maine South? They haven't played anyone since Wheaton South in Week Two. (At one point on Saturday I thought to myself, what happens when the Hawks meet someone like Loyola in the postseason? Then what? Remember, Maine South lost in the second round last year.) What about Marist? Or Palatine? They both lost to smaller schools that they should have beaten. How about Neuqua and Waubonsie? Yeah, I'd be afraid of those two. Very afraid.

* Now while 8A is a little light this year, 7A is loaded with strong programs: Lincoln-Way East, Glenbard West (although both got beat in the second round last year, too), Rockford Boylan, Batavia and Cary-Grove. I think they would all be very competitive in 8A.

* But first we have to get through Week Nine. And my Game of the Week may surprise you.

The Game of the Week...

...this week features (again) two teams I have never seen --Wheaton North (7-0) and Glenbard North (6-1) -- at a school (GBN) in a town (Carol Stream) I've never been. (Although I did write about it last year.)

Both teams compete in the DuPage Valley Conference, which, if you ask anyone in the DVC, is without question the toughest in the state. (You may get an argument for the Catholic League Blue from some people I know, and you may -- just may -- even get an argument for the Southwest Suburban Blue from me.) But suffice it to say, the DVC is really, really good. And the winner of this game should go deep in the playoffs.

The Falcons of Wheaton North are led by quarterback John Peltz, above, who has passed for over 900 yards this season, mostly to receiver Matt Biegalski. Meanwhile, running back Patrick Sharp has rushed for just over 500 yards.

A look at their schedule reveals that they've outscored their opponents, 299-49. Wow! But, with the exception of Bartlett (5-2), the Falcons really haven't played the toughest schedule around. Sure, the Naperville teams are usually among the more competitive in the state, but not this year. Central, for example, has been shut out the last two outings (by Wheaton North and GBN) even though they were Class 8A semifinalists last year!

Wheaton North 49, BARTLETT (5-2) 0
WHEATON NORTH 34, Geneva (2-5) 7
Wheaton North 21, NAPERVILLE NORTH (4-3) 7
WHEATON NORTH 52, West Chicago (0-7) 0
Wheaton North 57, GLENBARD EAST (1-6) 7
WHEATON NORTH 41, Aurora West (1-6) 28
Wheaton North 45, NAPERVILLE CENTRAL (3-4) 0

Glenbard North, on the other hand, lost by a point in Week One to undefeated Batavia, one of my dark horses in the postseason. The Panthers also beat Carmel, which, although having an off year, is usually a tough team to beat. Those two teams right there make up a good non-conference schedule. (And, as readers of this blog know, I love schools that schedule tough non-conference opponents.) After that, GBN beat Naperville Central and Wheaton Warrenville South, another perennially good team having an off year.

The Panthers are led on offense by Brian Murphy at quarterback, who has thrown for over 500 yards, mostly to Ryan Storto. Justin Jackson, above, needs almost no introduction as he is one of the finest running backs in the state this year. (And quite a student as well, apparently.) Jackson has rushed for a little over 1400 yards so far in seven games. (That's over 200 yards a game, according to my slide rule!)

Batavia (7-0) 42, GLENBARD NORTH 41
Glenbard North 31, CARMEL (2-5) 16
Glenbard North 48, WEST CHICAGO (0-7) 6
GLENBARD NORTH 56, Glenbard East (1-6) 14
Glenbard North 28, AURORA WEST (1-6) 14
GLENBARD NORTH 23, Naperville Central (3-4) 0
Glenbard North 27, WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH (3-4) 21

While I fully expect this to be one of the very best games of the year (I say that every week, don't I?), a look at recent history isn't terribly encouraging for the Falcons. Last year was the first time they beat the Panthers since ... I don't know when (my source only goes back to 2004). I was actually surprised; I would have thought the series had been more competitive in recent years.

2011: WHEATON NORTH 27, Glenbard North 17
2010: GLENBARD NORTH 17, Wheaton North 14
2009: Glenbard North 32, WHEATON NORTH 0
2008: GLENBARD NORTH 35, Wheaton North 14
2007: Glenbard North 36, WHEATON NORTH 13
2006: GLENBARD NORTH 29, Wheaton North 26
2005: Glenbard North 30, WHEATON NORTH 14
2004: GLENBARD NORTH 43, Wheaton North 7

Although I mentioned earlier in the year that Wheaton North would be one of my "sleeper" teams, I'm going to call an audible and say that the home team prevails on Friday night. I'm afraid this kid Jackson is just going to run all over the squad from Wheaton. But I'll say it'll be close, though.

BOWG prediction: Glenbard North 28, Wheaton North 24.

See you at the game!

I saw three blowouts...

...this weekend, beginning with Naperville Central's thrashing of Homewood-Flossmoor Friday night. Yesterday, it was Prairie Ridge over Nazareth, 35-7, and last night it was Bolingbrook over Downers Grove South, 47-19.

Nazareth's offense didn't even score, and the Bolingbrook game wasn't as close as the outcome would indicate. Raider quarterback Aaron Bailey put on quite a show, scoring the first five touchdowns of the game. (The Redhawks may have their hands full with him next week.)

Elsewhere in 8A, Loyola beat Lyons, 33-10, in Wilmette. Charlie Dowdle caught ten passes for 194 yards. The Ramblers will now host Glenbard North next Saturday, who shut out Stevenson, 28-0, in Carol Stream. (The Patriots, you may recall, eliminated Maine South in the second round.)

In 7A, St. Rita defeated O'Fallon, 19-14, Friday night to set up a great game with Wheaton Warrenville South, who beat East St. Louis, 10-7. The contest will take place at 75th and Western.

God willing, I'll be at the Bolingbrook-Naperville Central game next Friday night, Glenbard North-Loyola Saturday afternoon, and Wheaton Warrenville South-St. Rita Saturday night.

Oh, and look for more detailed posts on the Prairie Ridge and Bolingbrook victories later today.

When Stevenson travels to Carol Stream...

...this Saturday to play Glenbard North, they shouldn't look out the windows of the bus too hard for a body of water. The town was named after the daughter of the developer, Jay Stream:

On Monday August 26, 1957, Carol and three friends were returning from Racine, Wisconsin in a 1949 Studebaker. While attempting to cross U. S. Route 45 in central Kenosha County, the car was struck in the right rear corner, killing 15-year-old Richard Christie of Chicago, the passenger seated there. Carol was ejected through the windshield and into a utility pole. Neurosurgeons at Kenosha Memorial Hospital said the comatose girl might never awaken or, if she did, would likely be severely handicapped. On advice of the doctors that her recovery might improve with good news, Jay decided to name the new community in her honor. After four months in a coma, Carol regained consciousness. Learning the new village bore her full name, Carol said she thought it "odd and silly" at first (as she told Chicago Tribune reporter Eric Zorn in 1991.)

After losing the season opener at Lyons (8-4), Stevenson has gone 9-1, with victories over Maine South (10-1) last week, York (6-4), Lake Zurich (8-2-1), Libertyville (5-5)  and Glenbrook South (8-3). The win over Maine South snapped the Hawks' 16-game playoff winning streak.

The Patriots' only other loss was to Lake Forest (8-3), but it should be noted that they squeaked past Wauconda (2-7) at home, 13-12, and won only narrowly over Warren (3-7), 24-21, in double overtime.

I've been to two of Stevenson's games, against GBS and Lake Zurich, both good contests. The Patriots' are coached by Bill McNamara and are led on the field by quarterback Matt Micucci (above), who is also one of the best placekickers I've seen in a good year for kickers. He hands the ball off to Kevin Foley, mostly, but also to Anthony Bozin, Nathan Kahn and senior Mike Ling (who is in his first year of organized football). Micucci can pass to Jonathan Way, Troy Radtke and Matt Morrissey.

Here's the complete schedule, with the most recent game first and home team in CAPS:

STEVENSON 24, Maine South 22
STEVENSON 31, York 28
Stevenson 41, MUNDELEIN 14
STEVENSON 13, Wauconda 12
STEVENSON 24, Lake Zurich 17
LAKE FOREST 10, Stevenson 7
STEVENSON 13, Libertyville 0
Stevenson 24, WARREN 21
STEVENSON 31, Zion-Benton 7
STEVENSON 17, Glenbrook South 7
LYONS 24, Stevenson 19

Glenbard North is 8-3 and plays in the DuPage Valley Conference. Before the Panthers beat Barrington (7-3) and Palatine (9-2) in the playoffs, they had defeated only one winning team, Fenger (6-5), in the regular season. North lost to conference rivals Naperville Central, Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North in Weeks 6, 7 and 8.

Here's their schedule:

GLENBARD 35, Palatine 21
Glenbard 27, BARRINGTON 21
GLENBARD 34, Naperville North 10
WHEATON NORTH 27, Glenbard 17
Wheaton Warrenville South 13, GLENBARD 7
NAPERVILLE CENTRAL 10, Glenbard 6
GLENBARD 31, Aurora West 21
Glenbard 49, GLENBARD EAST 0
GLENBARD 42, West Chicago 0
Glenbard 48, FENGER 0
GLENBARD 40, Oak Park and River Forest 20

The Panthers are coached by Ryan Wilkens and they run the ball -- a lot. Look for senior Phil Jackson (above) and his brother, sophomore Justin, to rush most of the game. Quarterback Brian Murphy, meanwhile, can pass to receiver Logan Henshall to keep the Patriots' defense honest. Trevor Hackett is the Panthers' kicker, and the defense is led by Nicholas Maxwell.

Even though North is coming off two big victories (and they're playing at home), I think Stevenson is destined to play Loyola next week.

BOWG prediction: Stevenson 28, Glenbard North 24.

The Game of the Week...

...this Friday will pit two undefeated teams, No. 6 Glenbard North at No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South, in a battle for first place in the DuPage Valley Conference. Everyone knows about the Tigers and quarterback Reilly O'Toole, but what do we know about GBN?

Well, for starters, the Carol Stream school is the alma mater of Billy Corgan (above) of the Smashing Pumpkins. That's cool. Also, the Panthers have gone to the IHSA playoffs nine times in the last ten seasons, finishing runner-up in 2000 and '07. Last year they made it to the 8A semifinals.

The Panthers are coached by Ryan Wilkens. The offense is led by quarterback Mark Ng and running backs Evin Natick and Phil Jackson (above). GBN has been quietly ascending the rankings, beginning the season at No. 15 in the Trib:

Week 1: Glenbard North 12, Oak Park 6
Week 2: Glenbard North 34, Plainfield East 8
Week 3: Glenbard North 10, Naperville North 3
Week 4: Glenbard North 17, Wheaton North  14
Week 5: Glenbard North 42, West Chicago 14
Week 6: Glenbard North 41, Glenbard East 7
Week 7: Glenbard North 34, West Aurora 21

The Tigers, meanwhile, have dominated their opponents:

Week 1: WWS 28, Hinsdale Central 7
Week 2: WWS 44, Maine South 7
Week 3: WWS 49, Glenbard East 0
Week 4: WWS 38, Naperville Central 13
Week 5: WWS 41, Naperville North 13
Week 6: WWS 42, Wheaton North 14
Week 7: WWS 56, West Chicago 0

Is this the week that Wheaton Warrenville South gets beat?

The Game of the Night...

...was also the Upset of the Night.

After No. 4 Joliet Catholic scored three touchdowns before it ran three offensive plays, No. 11 Carmel (above, and no, not Mt. Carmel) found its footing and went on to stun the Hilltoppers, 31-28.

Second place in the Upset of the Night Award goes to No.9 Glenbard North. The Panthers defeated No. 5 Wheaton North, 17-14, in Carol Stream.

And in still another jaw-dropper, Providence fell to Brother Rice, 26-18. The Celtics are now 0-4 on the season. That is not a misprint. (How many more weeks will I have to write that?) This is the first time since 1969 that a Providence team has gotten off to an 0-4 start -- probably before some of the Celtics' parents were even born.

Another great game must have been Notre Dame over Benet, 35-31, on Homecoming night in Niles. Montini, meanwhile, improved to 2-2 with a victory over St. Francis, 28-14.

In the yawner category, No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South bested Naperville Central, 38-13; and Homewood-Flossmoor crushed Lincoln-Way Central, 42-7.

And in the game that featured what is rapidly becoming my favorite Cinderella team, No. 14 Minooka beat Plainfield East, 41-10. The Indians are now 4-0 and sure to move up in the Chicago Tribune's rankings.

In other high school football...

...Marist upset Fremd, 28-16, for the right to play Glenbard North in the 8A semifinals. The Panthers defeated Downers Grove South, 7-3, in Carol Stream last night. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Maine South-Loyola game in the 8A championship Thanksgiving weekend.

In 7A, it was East St. Louis over O'Fallon, 27-14. The Flyers will now play Wheaton Warrenville South in the semifinals. Glenbard West defeated St. Charles North, 45-12, and will now face Lake Zurich, who beat Wheaton North, 24-17.

In 6A, Providence rolled over Crete-Monee, 44-14, on the way to their inevitable showdown with Cary-Grove, who beat De La Salle, 42-0.