7A Sleeper Teams
Hersey 2019 Record: 9-2 Hersey had a strong 2019 campaign and was given a tough draw in round two against a very talented Lake Zurich team. Their 2020 schedule is very favorable, and their game against Prospect may determine if…
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Continue ReadingHersey
2019 Record: 9-2
Hersey had a strong 2019 campaign and was given a tough draw in round two against a very talented Lake Zurich team. Their 2020 schedule is very favorable, and their game against Prospect may determine if they enter the playoffs with an unblemished record. They return some serious star power this fall in JR WR Ben Clawson Ben Clawson 6'0" | 190 lbs | WR Hersey | 2022 State IL , SR OL Ryan Gudaitis, SR DB Quin Carpenter, and SR OLB Max McCall. I think they’ll get a much better playoff draw, and I fully expect them to make a deep playoff run this fall.
Dekalb
2019 Record: 7-4
DeKalb’s 2020 schedule won’t be an easy one. They play multiple teams with Division one talent, including Evanston, Naperville North, and Naperville Central. All three teams will be much improved from 2019. However, DeKalb is no slouch and features a very talented roster itself with SR QB Trenton Kyler Trenton Kyler 6'0" | 170 lbs | QB Dekalb | 2021 IL , SR RB Trenton Mccollum Trenton Mccollum 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Dekalb | 2021 IL , JR WR Toriano Tate Toriano Tate 6'1" | 195 lbs | WR Dekalb | 2022 State IL , and JR DL Christian Lorenzo Christian Lorenzo 6'5" | 285 lbs | DL Dekalb | 2022 State IL . Their schedule may be tough, but when it comes playoff time, they’ll be more than prepared. To me, this team is very dangerous team and could pull off a few bigtime upsets in Class 7A. Don’t sleep on the Barbs.
Wheaton-Warrenville South
2019 Record: 8-4
Wheaton Warrenville South Head Coach Ron Muhitch has done a fantastic job with the Tigers program, leading them to 3 State Titles and has had multiple NFL Draft picks. His 2020 team could sneak up on some people, much like his 2011 State Runner-Up team did. They return a solid core, led by SR QB Parker Brown, SR LB Tommy Barnett Tommy Barnett 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Wheaton Warrenville South | 2021 IL , SR OL Nick Walker, SR DL Jaylen Brown, and SR DL Micah Roberts. Their week six game at Batavia could be a playoff-like test. Two hard-nosed, tough programs going at it, and it should be a good one. The Tigers aren’t a team that needs favorable playoff positioning, as they’re known to make deep runs and pull off upsets early and often.
Prospect
2019 Record: 8-3
I’m very interested in Prospect’s week one matchup against Niles Notre Dame. Two of the state’s premier QB’s, Alex Moeller Alex Moeller 6'0" | 165 lbs | QB Prospect | 2021 IL of Prospect and Anthony Sayles Anthony Sayles 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Niles Notre Dame | 2021 IL of Notre Dame, will battle it out. I think that game could say a lot about their 2020 season. Prospect’s 2020 team is no joke and returns, SR ATH Luke Zardzin, SR TE Tyson Splinter, and SR WR Noah Marx. Their offense will be among the state’s best and should the focal point of their 2020 playoff run. Head Coach Dan DeBoeuf took Johnsburg to a state title game in 2016, don’t be shocked if he does the same for Prospect this fall.