Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008

East St. Louis, Columbia top football rankings

Mater Dei ranks No. 5 in 4A poll

East St. Louis and Columbia will start the season atop their respective classifications in the Associated Press' preseason state football polls.

The Flyers, 11-2 last season, finished ahead of last year's state runner-up Wheaton Warrenville South, and Mundelein Carmel.

East St. Louis -- ranked 45th nationally in the ESPN/Rise Fab 50 preseason poll -- won the last of its six titles in 1991. The Flyers are led by two of the nation's top wide receivers in Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton, along with safety Tommie Hopkins and quarterback Detchauz Wray.

Hawthorne, Appleton and Hopkins are all University of Illinois recruits.

The Flyers open up at 2 p.m. Sunday against Wayne High of Huber Heights, Ohio, at the Kirk Herbstreit/Burger King Varsity Football Series in Cincinnati.

Columbia is looking for its first title and claimed the No. 1 spot in 3A after losing in last year's championship to Plano. The Eagles were 12-2 last season and possess one of the most explosive spread offenses in Southern Illinois.

Coming off a 9-2 season, Mater Dei was ranked fifth in the Class 4A poll. Mascoutah also received votes in the 4A poll.

Greenville (12-1 last season) was tied for eighth in the 3A poll. Red Bud, which won two playoff games for the first time in school history, received votes in the 2A poll.

Four of the state's most storied programs in Illinois high school football earned top spots in the preseason polls.

Chicago Mount Carmel, East St. Louis, Joliet Catholic and Addison Driscoll have combined to win 37 state championship trophies and were among the eight projected champions in a poll of sportswriters from across the state compiled by Marty Maciaszek of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Mount Carmel got the top spot in Class 8A with Division I bound players in quarterback Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), defensive lineman Anthony Battle (Northwestern) and linebacker Dimitrius Carr (Purdue).

The team is trying for its 11th title and first since 2002. Park Ridge Maine South and Vanderbilt-bound quarterback Charlie Goro and Carol Stream Glenbard North and Northwestern-bound quarterback Evan Watkins were ranked second and third respectively.

Claiming the top spot in 6A is defending champion Joliet Catholic, which will be trying to add to its state-record 13 titles behind running back Tyler Hudetz. Rock Island was a close second in the poll.

Woodstock Marian Central, which won the last of its four titles in 1989, is No. 1 in 5A behind Wisconsin-bound quarterback Jon Budmayr and two-way lineman and Division I prospect Cody O'Neill. The 2-3 spots are teams which met in last year's championship game which Metamora won 17-14 over Morris.

Addison Driscoll will be looking to continue its record-setting run of seven straight titles and is the 4A favorite. Brandon New takes over the program and tries to continue the streak as Mike Burzawa left for Evanston after a three-year title run. Bloomington Central Catholic and Aurora Christian tied for the second spot.

In 2A, Orion was selected No. 1 after reaching the semifinals for the first time last season.

Separated by a point in the 1A poll are defending 1A champion Galena and defending 2A champion Dakota. Both teams finished 14-0 last season.