D3football.com named North Central College quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe (Naperville North) and linebacker Matt Wenger first-team preseason All-Americans. Offensive lineman Kyle Antos (Wheaton Warrenville South) and cornerback Derek Sulo were on the second team.
The Cardinals' four selections to the teams match last season's national champion -- Mount Union College (Ohio) -- for the most representatives on the two squads.
If there ever was such a thing as a football offseason, it is melting away quickly. Downers Grove South's Chandler Whitmer, who has verbally committed to Illinois, was in California this week for the Elite 11 quarterback camp. ESPN.com has a nice Whitmer feature off the event.
Mike Gehr was the first to comment on the vandalism at Naperville North's field:
It is very sad that someone put vulgar images on the NNHS football field. What a lack of respect for the school, the athletic program and all the students who go to and have gone to NNHS. North's football program has come so far from when the school started and we played our home games at NCHS into the early 1980's. The program has built such a great tradition starting in 1983 it is pitiful that someone tried to disgrace the new field. I hope this type of activity gives all the athletes that participate at North more reason to compete at their best this season and going forward. And I hope that anyone who has information on who did this will turn them in asap.
What's your reaction?
Cops reporter Bill Bird broke an interesting story on Monday - police are investigating property damage at Naperville North, where obscenities were spray-painted on the stadium's new turf.
"We don't have any suspects at this time, and our investigation is continuing," Naperville police Cmdr. Mike Anders told Bird.
Read Bird's report here.
Offensive lineman Tyler Mizwicki (Naperville North) and defensive back Michael Oliver (Neuqua Valley) are among the 48 freshmen that make up Benedictine's incoming class. According to Monday's announcement, the list of newcomers includes: 28 from Illinois; nine from Michigan; seven from Indiana; as well as one each from Florida, Iowa, Georgia and Texas. Benedictine, which went 4-6 last year, opens its season on Sept. 5 at home against Elmhurst College.
Check out the full list after the jump...
Naperville North, Naperville Central and Waubonsie Valley are all expected to be at Bolingbrook on Saturday for a 7-on-7 passing camp. Here are a few links to get you caught up:
--North has been a regular at The Brook.
--Waubonsie is making the most of its contact days.
--Justin McCareins is uncertain about a return to the NFL this season.
--Ron Kremer takes a look at the lineman challenge at The Brook.
As we reported again here, Naperville Central might be stuck with only one home game this season as it awaits the renovation of Memorial Stadium. These things eventually happen. The Bears played their 2002 home schedule in Champaign. And whoever buys the Cubs might need to find an alternate site at some point if the new ownership group decides to fix up Wrigley Field.
Central coach Mike Stine doesn't think it will be an issue. Of course, he's supposed to say that, but he's been pretty consistent. Whenever the topics of potential seeding or home playoff games come up in conversation, Stine always says it doesn't really matter. The primary benefit is having the team together from the final bell to opening kickoff.
"Home-field (advantage) in high school sports is a little bit overrated - maybe in all sports," Stine said. "It doesn't really bother me at all playing on the road. (Sometimes) it's actually better. You have the kids' attention from the time school gets out. They don't have time to go home. (Maybe) they're focused a little longer.
"We're not dreading that at all."
What do you think? Is home-field advantage overrated? Will this create problems for Central? In the meantime, look for more football coverage in the print editions later in the week.
The Next Level Foundation, which was started by brothers Levelle and Chris Brown, is eligible for a community grant from Nike. The shoe company will retain final say over which organizations receive the money, but it's encouraging people to vote online to help influence the decision. Check it out here.
In what's shaping up as a banner year for Chicago-area quarterbacks, Lake Forest's Tommy Rees has verbally committed to Notre Dame. Tuesday's announcement means that Rees will join Downers Grove South's Chandler Whitmer (Illinois) and Wheaton North's Taylor Graham (Ohio State) as BCS-caliber quarterbacks. Rees' father Bill is a former UCLA assistant and front-office staffer for several NFL organizations.
When Washington University in St. Louis opens camp on Aug. 13, its incoming 26-man class will include Michael Olp, a running back out of Wheaton Warrenville South, and David Sufranski, a linebacker from St. Francis. They represent two of six freshmen from Illinois.
In Thursday's print edition we look at Levelle Brown and his foundation work, as well as give an update on his younger brother Chris, who sounds ready to contribute to the Houston Texans.
Here's the Q&A session between Chris and HoustonTexans.com in May.
