Maine South has dominated the Central Suburban League football scene for decades, so much so that it might have hurt the Hawks.
They typically open as a highly ranked team, play a few tough nonconference games, then spend the rest of the regular season winning blowouts.
That might not be the case this season. Maine South got a tough challenge from New Trier and Purdue-bound quarterback Jackie Ryder on Thursday. Indiana-bound quarterback Jameson Purcell was excellent, and the Hawks pulled out a 35-28 victory.
Keep an eye on what the rest of the CSL South does against Maine South. Evanston is 3-1 with a nice victory against Palatine, and Glenbrook South, which beat Evanston 33-9 in Week 4, has been on the rise for a few years. The Titans are 2-2 but opened the season with competitive losses to York and Fremd.
‘‘Definitely, the conference is more competitive than when I got here,’’ Purcell said. ‘‘The teams are stepping up. New Trier has been off-and-on. This is our 11th year winning against them, and every year they come out and get better.
‘‘Evanston is showing stuff. I’m happy about it. It is cool to see other teams succeeding. Sometimes the CSL doesn’t get much respect.’’
Abrams sparkles again
Maybe it’s because the Sun-Times hasn’t covered enough of his games, but it feels as though Montini quarterback Israel Abrams isn’t receiving the attention he deserves locally.
Abrams, a Miami recruit, is one of the most thrilling players in the country. He made two jaw-dropping plays in the Class 4A championship game last year and put up video-game numbers in the Broncos’ victory against Nazareth in Week 4. And Montini needed every yard to squeak out a 47-42 victory.
Abrams was 25-for-35 for 411 yards. He threw four touchdown passes and ran for three touchdowns.
Streak-breakers
There were two historically notable results in Week 4.
Hersey, led by Kentucky recruit Jake Nawrot, beat Barrington for the first time since 1994. Nawrot is ranked as one of the top five quarterbacks in the country. He was 25-for-32 for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the Huskies’ 38-7 victory.
Hersey’s nonconference schedule hasn’t turned out as tough as expected, with Carmel and Barrington not living up to their preseason rankings. The Huskies have an excellent chance to be undefeated when they arrive at Prospect for a showdown in Week 9.
Metea Valley only has been open since 2009, but it never had beaten DuPage Valley rival Neuqua Valley until Friday.
The Mustangs won 34-29 on the road in thrilling fashion. Iggy Amorrortu connected with Charlie Larson on a 29-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left to secure the victory for Metea Valley. The Mustangs scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to earn the comeback victory.
New-look Fox Valley
Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove have dominated the Fox Valley and have been perennial state-championship contenders for the last decade.
That stranglehold started to slip last season, when Burlington Central finished second in the conference ahead of Cary-Grove, and it is totally gone now.
Cary-Grove has a young team and is hanging on in third place at 3-1. But Prairie Ridge is winless and in last place. The Crystal Lake school’s enrollment has been shrinking for years, and it might struggle to compete in the Fox Valley in the future.
Jacobs and Huntley are tied for first place and undefeated through the first two weeks of conference play. The Golden Eagles were expected to challenge for the Super 25 and are on track to do so. The Red Raiders, who compete in Class 8A, have scored 218 points and have allowed only six.