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Maine South, the defending Class 8A champion, could be the bracket's top seed by Saturday night. It's ranked second in the Midwest by the National Prep Football Poll and has to be considered the favorite in Class 8A. You might remember Cathedral -- the Indianapolis school pounded Neuqua Valley 63-34 at the beginning of October.

Midwest
1. Cleveland, St. Ignatius, 8-0-0
2. Park Ridge, Ill., Maine South, 8-0-0
3. Fort Thomas, Ky., Highlands, 8-0-0
4. Cincinnati, Moeller, 8-0-0
5. Cincinnati, St. Xavier, 7-1-0
6. Cleveland, Glenville, 7-1-0
7. Steubenville, Ohio, 8-0-0
8. Indianapolis, Cathedral, 8-1-0
9. Novi, Mich., Catholic Central, 8-0-0
10. Dublin, Ohio, Coffman, 8-0-0

Here are the latest state rankings from the Associated Press:

Class 8A
1. Maine South (2-0)
2. Chicago Mt. Carmel (2-0)
3. Bolingbrook (2-0)
4. Naperville North (2-0)
5. Hinsdale Central (1-1)
6. Fremd (2-0)
7. Lincoln-Way East (2-0)
8. Belleville West (2-0)
9. Warren (2-0)
10. Belleville East (2-0)

Class 7A
1. St. Rita (2-0)
2. Glenbard West (2-0)
3. Wheaton Warrenville South (1-1)
4. Geneva (2-0)
5. Prospect (2-0)
6. Boylan (2-0)
7. Crystal Lake South (2-0)
8. Carmel (1-1)
9. Lake Zurich (1-1)
10. Huntley (2-0)

This week Wheaton Warrenville South enters the National Prep Football Poll at No. 25 after a 34-26 win over Hinsdale Central. The poll, which has St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) ranked first overall, is distributed in part by the Associated Press.

Locally, Naperville North remained seventh in the Chicago Sun-Times rankings, while Naperville Central moved up to No. 15.

Here's an ambitious way to start the season: Wheaton Warrenville South -- the region's top-ranked team by the Chicago Sun-Times -- opens its nonconference schedule with Hinsdale Central and Maine South. Those programs are slotted third and second, respectively, on the same list and met in last year's Class 8A state title game won by Maine South.

According to EdgyTim, Mack Tracey will start at quarterback for WW South. The DuPage Valley Conference rotation matches the Tigers up against District 203 in Weeks 4 and 5. Wherever the versatile Tracey lines up, WW South will look to get the ball in his hands. He'll be a focus for Naperville Central and Naperville North defenses.

"Position-wise it's really no big secret now. I'm going to start at quarterback but I'm fully expecting to be moving around a bit like I have in years past," Tracey told EdgyTim.com. "I'm totally fine with doing that because if it helps us be a better team then I'm all for it. I played some quarterback and then moved over to receiver in our scrimmage last week and it went really well. Personally I just want to go out and play. If the coaches want me to be a slash type of player I'll do that as well. Whatever the team needs I'm good with as long as I'm playing."

Quarterbacks Matt LaCosse (Naperville North) and Nick Linne (Naperville Central), Waubonsie Valley wide receiver Scott Kuehn and North linebacker Nick Lifka are among the Chicago area's top 100 players, according to the list compiled by Steve Tucker of the Sun-Times.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) is ranked No. 1 in the season's first National Prep Football Poll, which is distributed in part by the Associated Press. There are no Illinois programs featured in the organization's national rankings.

Mount Carmel and Wheaton Warrenville South are slotted seventh and eighth, respectively, in the Midwest regional poll.

Coming off an 11-1 season, North Central College is getting some national recognition. The Cardinals are ranked third in the Lindy's Sports preseason Division III Top 25 poll, while The Sporting News has them at No. 8 nationally.