By Steve Spiewak
MaxPreps.com
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It has been an intriguing first three weeks of football in Illinois, filled with a mix of surprises and disappointments.
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Entering the season, Lincoln-Way East (3-0) was the consensus No. 1 team, and they have done little to detract from that title. Since coming from behind to edge Providence in week one, the Griffins have played much better, including a 33-0 drubbing of Bradley-Bourbounnais last week.
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Mount Carmel (3-0) is used to being on or near the top in Illinois, but had to get through Joliet Catholic to get there. After edging the Hilltoppers, 13-6, at Soldier Field, the Caravan has rolled behind quarterback Carter Kopach. Junior linebacker Steven Filer is drawing the attention of college scouts, and continues to anchor the defense.
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Bolingbrook, led by running back Dale Martin, has turned some heads early on. Left out of most state preseason polls, the team has jumped out to a 3-0 start and is starting to gain the respect of teams around the state.
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Fenwick has been another surprise. The Oak Park school also sports an undefeated record at 3-0. Led by senior signal caller Brien Rooney, the Friars started off the season with a big win over Martez Wilson's Simeon squad. Since then, Fenwick has rattled off two more victories, including an upset over St. Rita's last week that has its fans as excited as they've been in a long time.
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Wheaton South, Carmel, and Libertyville are three more teams aiming to protect perfect 3-0 records. Look for the next few weeks to be crucial in determining the contenders from the pretenders.
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On the opposite side of things, it has been an unusually rough start for perennial powerhouse Joliet Catholic. After suffering the aforementioned opening loss to Mount Carmel, the Hilltoppers stumbled in week two against Morris, before salvaging a week three win against St. Patrick's.ÿ
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Halfback Tyler Hudetz, only a sophomore, has been a bright spot on the team along with defensive standout Kevin Rouse. Regardless, Hilltopper fans are hoping the team can recover from a 1-2 start as a matchup with Carmel looms next month.
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Maine South has also hit a rough patch to start the season, mirroring Joliet Catholic's 1-2 record. Coach David Inserra's squad is coming off an 8A title game loss to Lincoln-Way East last year, and has not played well early on this season, including a 61-12 loss to Warren Central, Ind.
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Other teams to keep an eye on the rest of the way include Hubbard and Evanston Township. While neither team seems to be in serious contention for a state title, both squads feature several Division I-A caliber prospects, most notably Hubbard halfback Robert Hughes, who is mulling offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State among others.