We are now a month into the high school football season and things are pretty clear at the top of the Southland.
Brother Rice’s dominant 28-6 win over Loyola firmly established the Crusaders as a third powerhouse in a trio that includes Mount Carmel and Lincoln-Way East.
Lincoln-Way West also made a statement with a 17-12 victory over Lincoln-Way Central and is well-positioned to finish 9-0 — or at least 8-1.
Let’s talk rankings — and give a nod to some off-the-radar players and teams. Here are my impressions from Week 4.
Debating the top three, which appears to be historically strong
There’s certainly a long way to go before these teams get their chance to cement themselves in history among the Southland’s greatest. But through four weeks, Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and Lincoln-Way East form the best trio of area teams I’ve seen in nearly two decades of coverage.
Think about it. Right now, these three are clearly among the four best teams in the state regardless of class. Only East St. Louis is in the discussion with them.
I’m not sure I remember another time when you could say that about a trio of Southland schools.
So, how did I rank these three teams this week? Well, a lot of thought was put into it. The simple thing would have been to keep Mount Carmel and Lincoln-Way East as the top two. Both have been dominant.
But not bumping up Brother Rice after a three-touchdown victory over the three-time defending Class 8A champions? That felt wrong.
Yes, Loyola is young and may be down from its usual standard. But the Ramblers handled a strong Wheaton St. Francis 43-21 in Week 3, and until we get some solid evidence that Loyola isn’t elite again, I’m going to treat Friday night’s result much more as a validation of Brother Rice’s excellence than an indictment on the Ramblers.
Brother Rice’s defensive front is loaded. King Liggins, Brayden Parks, Kameron McGee, Michael Fitzgerald … these guys are nasty. And the offense certainly has surrounded senior quarterback CJ Gray with enough playmakers.
Now, if Lincoln-Way East and Brother Rice played on a neutral field Friday night, I’m still picking the Griffins. Narrowly.
But I believe teams should be ranked on their resumes, with personal opinion and the eye test as a tiebreaker.
Right now, in spite of Lincoln-Way East’s total dominance, the Crusaders earned the No. 2 spot with Friday night’s win.
And if Brother Rice can take care of business Friday night against St. Patrick, the Crusaders will get a shot at No. 1 when they visit Mount Carmel in Week 6.
I can’t wait for that one.
Another terrific trio — these quarterbacks have my attention
A trio of senior quarterbacks on teams that came into Week 4 with below .500 records did big things Friday night.
Marian Catholic’s Owen Askren threw for 175 yards and a TD and ran for another score as the Spartans earned their first win, 35-14 over Leo.
Those stats are modest compared to a couple of Askren’s earlier performances this season. He threw for 258 yards and three TDs in a 22-19 loss to St. Viator and 281 yards in a 43-19 defeat to DePaul Prep.
Andrew’s Camden Maniatis, a do-everything athlete who has shifted to quarterback after playing receiver and running back in the past, went off in a 42-40 win over Waubonsie Valley.
Maniatis ran for three TDs — including two marathon dashes of 87 and 80 yards, plus a 1-yard sneak — as the Thunderbolts improved to 2-2.
And Joliet Catholic’s Lucas Simulick? He’s been solid at quarterback all season but was heroic in his holder’s role Friday night.
Simulick ad-libbed after a low snap on a potential game-winning field goal and hit Declan Wagner for a 1-yard TD pass on the final play to give the Hilltoppers their first win of the season, 23-17 over Marist.
Most eye-opening score
Shepard 31, Evergreen Park 7
It’s rare to see an 0-3 team beat up on a 3-0 team like this.
Speaking of breakout performances from senior quarterbacks, Shepard’s Billy Massey ran for two TDs and threw another.
Massey broke his foot playing baseball and missed time this summer but appears to be rounding into form.
The Astros have their work cut out for a playoff berth with Richards and Oak Forest up next.
But don’t count them out yet.