Big Ten power Ohio State has already grabbed at least two Chicago-area football stars, Brian Bobek of Fremd and Evan Spencer of Vernon Hills. The University of Illinois has verbals from a state-championship quarterback (Reilly O‘Toole of Wheaton Warrenville South) and a state finalist running back (Josh Ferguson of Joliet Catholic).
Maine South‘s Luke Mottley doesn‘t have a college scholarship in his back pocket, but he does have back-to-back state titles. He‘d like to help the Hawks achieve a three-peat.
And Chicago‘s always powerful Chicago Catholic League includes Providence quarterback Joey Houlihan, who led the Celtics to a league title last year, and St. Rita running back Jahwon Akui, who helped the Mustangs win the Prep Bowl when the state tournament didn‘t work out.
Football practice begins Aug. 11 in Illinois, with season-opening games to follow two weeks after that.
Chicagoland will not be lacking for football heroes in 2010. Here are a look at just 10 of the seniors not to miss this year:
Brian Bobek, Fremd (Palatine, Ill.)Position: Center
Ht/wt: 6-foot-2, 278 pounds
College: Verbaled to Ohio State; other offers included Michigan State, Purdue, Colorado.
The skinny: A powerful offensive lineman, Bobek will be the anchor for a team that finished 11-1 in 2009 and won the Mid-Suburban West championship. The Vikings‘ only loss last year was to Chicago Marist in the Class 8A quarterfinals.
DaVaris Daniels,
Vernon Hills (Vernon Hills, Ill.)Position: Receiver
Ht/wt: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
College: Uncommitted; Has at least a dozen major-college offers, including Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Michigan.
The skinny: A son of Washington Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels, DaVaris remains the highest-recruited uncommitted player in Chicago. And could be a Georgia commit, if the Dawgs ever offer -- Phillip Daniels is a former Bulldog. Daniels should lead Vernon Hills to a second consecutive North Suburban Prairie title and into contention for a Class 6A title.
Josh Ferguson,
Catholic Academy (Joliet, Ill.)Position: Running back
Ht/wt: 5-foot-8, 169 pounds
College: Verbaled to Illinois.
The skinny: Ferguson ran for 1,585 yards and 20 touchdowns last year for Class 6A finalist Joliet Catholic, including 96 yards in a one-point title-game loss to Lombard Montini. One of three returning starters in Catholic‘s offensive backfield, the Hilltoppers should be in title contention again.
Minnesota-bound Matt LaCosse is a third-year starter.
Photo by Dennis Wierzbicki
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Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.)Position: Quarterback
Ht/wt: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds
College: Verbaled to Minnesota; other offers included Illinois and Purdue.
The skinny: In LaCosse’s first year as starting quarterback at Naperville North, the Huskies slipped from DuPage Valley champs in 2008 to a miserable 5-5 in 2009. LaCosse must deliver if the Huskies are to challenge defending Class 7A state champ Wheaton Warrenville South in the DuPage Valley, probably the toughest league in the state. Key date: The Huskies and Tigers meet Sept. 24.
Nick Lifka,
Naperville North (Naperville, Ill.)Position: Linebacker
Ht/wt: 6-foot-2, 235 pounds
College: Verbaled to Boston College; other scholarship offers included LSU, Indiana, Iowa State, Duke.
The skinny: If Naperville North is to re-establish itself as a defensive monster, it will do so behind the inside linebacker play of Lifka. He is a two-time All-DuPage Valley selection.
Luke Mottley,
Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.)Position: Receiver
Ht/wt: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
College: Uncommitted.
The skinny: Mottley is just one of four offensive starters returning for the Hawks, who lost star running back Matt Perez to Indiana. But he’ll play big into the plans for a team that has won two consecutive Class 8A state titles and just seems to reload year after year. Mottley led Maine South in receiving last year, catching 30 passes for 461 yards and six TDs.
Reilly O'Toole,
Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.)Position: Quarterback
Ht/wt: 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
College: Verbaled to Illinois; others offers included Northwestern, Minnesota, Toledo.
The skinny: O’Toole threw for more than 2,000 yards and 24 TDs in 2009 and was intercepted just three times, leading WW South to the Class 7A state title and a DuPage Valley championship. Can he do it again? The Tigers lost eight offensive starters to graduation, but this is a solid program coached by Ron Muhitch; in four years, they‘ve lost just four games.
Michael Rouse III,
Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.)Position: Defensive tackle
Ht/wt: 6-foot-4, 300 pounds
College: Verbaled to Purdue.
The skinny: At 300 pounds, Rouse is a monster of a defensive lineman and will be entertaining for high school fans to watch. He’ll see plenty of action. The Vikings won just one game last year and had one of the worst offensive squads in the Southwest Suburban Blue.
Evan Spencer,
Vernon Hills (Vernon Hills, Ill.)Position: Receiver
Ht/wt: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
College: Verbaled to Ohio State; offers included Notre Dame, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa.
The skinny: Combined with teammate DaVaris Daniels, also a receiver, they should make Vernon Hills an offensive machine. And maybe defense, too, considering both Spencer and good friend Daniels also play in the defensive backfield. The Cougars are 16-5 over the past two seasons.
Mark Szoot,
Waubonsie Valley (Aurora, Ill.)Position: Tight end
Ht/wt: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds
College: Verbaled to Northwestern; other offers included Central Michigan, Air Force, Marshall.
The skinny: Szott impressed Northwestern coaches after a 7-on-7 camp in June. He’ll be an offensive threat for a Warriors team that finished 6-4 last season and placed third in the Upstate Eight Conference.
Recruiting: Shaw, Davis visit DePaul
*
Michael Shaw, a rising senior at
De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) of the Chicago Catholic League, made a visit to DePaul this week, according to the
Chicago Sun-Times. Shaw, a 6-foot-8 power forward, has seven scholarship offers, including DePaul, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Texas.
* Also visiting DePaul and new head men’s basketball coach Oliver Purnell was the highly recruited Anthony Davis of Chicago Prospectives Charter. However, Kentucky, Ohio State and Syracuse appear to be the front-runners, and there are multiple reports that he has already decided and just not yet announced his decision.
Paul Bowker, a sports journalist for 25 years who has worked at newspapers nationwide, covers the Chicago area for MaxPreps. He may be reached at bowkerpaul1@aol.com.
