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Joliet Catholic
2022 record: 8-3, 3-0 Orange
Coach: Jake Jaworski
Worth noting: Joliet Catholic returns eight offensive starters from last season’s team that lost in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs to Providence. Despite featuring a relatively inexperienced team, Jaworski is excited for the experience he does return. The Hilltoppers will try to win their 16th state title and their third since Jaworski took over in 2017. ... Senior HJ Grigsby returns at running back after earning CCL/ESCC Orange Offensive Player of the Year honors last year. He rushed for 1,362 yards and 16 touchdowns and is ready to take more of a role as a leader. ... Senior Andy Munoz will get the first crack at the quarterback position, but sophomore Lucas Simulick could see some time this fall. They’ll throw to seniors Drew Wills and Adrian Washington, who have big-play potential. ... Senior Brady McKeon and junior Cameron Juricich will lead an offensive line that will start four juniors. ... Senior defensive lineman Dillon Johnson, who is committed to Wisconsin and a dominant wrestler, will be a key returner in the middle of the line. Senior Max Hrvatin and juniors Daniel Rouse and Griffin Alessio will bring back experience in the middle, while senior Tai Sesta should shore up the secondary. ... Senior Patrick Durkin will return as a three-year kicker. ... The Hilltoppers will travel to Iowa to start the season against Iowa City on Aug. 25.
Marist
2022 record: 7-4, 1-2 Blue
Coach: Ron Dawczak
Worth noting: Marist returns four starters from last season’s team that lost to York in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs. Dawczak is excited to see how the RedHawks develop despite having the least experience during his tenure. The RedHawks reached the Class 8A semifinals for three straight postseasons before their second-round exit last year. ... Dontrell Jackson takes over as the offensive coordinator after spending time on the Marist coaching staff since 2020. Jackson previously was the head coach at Thornton. ... Senior running back Marc Coy will be a key returning offensive leader who rushed for 478 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games. Coy worked on his footwork this offseason and should create long runs with his vision. ... Senior Owen Winters takes over as the starting quarterback after Dermot Smyth threw for 1,924 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Winters completed one of his two attempts last year for 7 yards. ... The defense will need to replace graduated Division I talent in defensive lineman Jamel Howard (Wisconsin) and John Nestor (Iowa). Senior linebacker Duke White returns after being a key signal caller last year with 85 total tackles, seven for a loss, while junior defensive lineman Brad Fitzgibbon has earned offers from Mid-American Conference schools. ... The RedHawks will play two defending state champions – Loyola (8A) and IC Catholic (3A) – and two semifinalists – Glenbard West (8A) and St. Ignatius (6A).
Niles Notre Dame
2022 record: 8-4, 1-2 Green
Coach: Michael Hennessey
Worth noting: Niles Notre Dame returned to the playoffs last season, reaching the Class 6A quarterfinals in a loss to St. Ignatius. The Dons have qualified for the playoffs 14 of the past 16 opportunities and reached the 6A semifinals in 2018. Notre Dame will try to build off playoff success after reaching the Prep Bowl championship in 2021 and last season’s quarterfinal appearance. ... Notre Dame will have an experienced offensive line. Seniors Jimmy Donnelly, Ryan Losik, Ricky Russ and Max Cerrado return and should keep up the pace for an offense that averaged 20.8 points per game. ... Senior Leo Fraterrigo and sophomore Luke Dickey will battle for the starting quarterback spot. Hennessey is confident in both quarterbacks and said both will have playing time throughout the year. ... The Dons return talent from a defense that allowed an average of 16.2 points per game. Senior defensive linemen Luiz Freitas and Eduardo Pescatore provide speed up front, senior linebackers Carter Roberts and Daniel Sherry should secure the middle, while junior safety Ryder Raya and Fraterrigo will shore up the secondary. ... Notre Dame is the only returning team in the Green after the CCL/ESCC realignment. The Dons will rekindle old rivalries with Marist and Joliet Catholic and start a new one with St. Ignatius after losing to the Wolfpack last postseason.
St. Ignatius
2022 record: 10-3, 3-0 White
Coach: Matt Miller
Worth noting: The Wolfpack will have plenty of changes after a historic season. St. Ignatius qualified for the Class 6A semifinals for the first time last year and lost in the final seconds to Prairie Ridge on a field goal. The Wolfpack will need to replace 31 graduated seniors and move up to Class 8A after back-to-back historic seasons. ... St. Ignatius does return the No. 1-rated 2024 prospect in Illinois, Justin Scott. The Ohio State commit will play on the line on both sides of the ball after earning Illinois High School Football Coaches Association All-State and CCL/ESCC White Lineman of the Year honors. ... Junior Jack Wanzung and senior David Zmora will battle for the starting quarterback position. Graduated senior Jake Petrow threw for 623 yards and six touchdowns. ... St. Ignatius will need to replace All-State running back/linebacker Vinny Rugai, who set two program rushing records last season. Junior Joe Toney will try to step into Rugai’s place as a rusher after earning some experience last year. ... The Wolfpack will have only two returning players on defense. Junior linebacker Emmett Callahan will join Scott as a returner and should be a leader this season. ... Seven of the Wolfpack’s opponents competed in the playoffs last year.
5 PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Justin Scott, St. Ignatius, DL/OL, sr.: The 6-foot-4, 310-pound, lineman will be a force on both sides of the ball.
- Dillon Johnson, Joliet Catholic, DL, sr.: Johnson’s wrestling skills will make it hard for offensive linemen to stop him from getting to the quarterback.
- Marc Coy, Marist, RB, sr.: Coy worked on his feet and speed this offseason, which should make him one of the top running backs in the conference.
- Leo Fraterrigo, Niles Notre Dame, QB/S, sr.: The two-way player will play a big role for the Dons.
- HJ Grigsby, Joliet Catholic, RB, sr.: Grigsby is set to cap a strong high school career after an impressive junior year.
SCHEDULES
| Joliet Catholic | Marist | Niles Notre Dame | St. Ignatius | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | @ Iowa City; 6 p.m., Aug. 25 | @ Glenbard West; 1:30 p.m., Aug. 26 | vs. Willowbrook; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 25 | vs. St. Patrick; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 25 |
| Week 2 | vs. Providence; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 1 | vs. Brother Rice; 6:30 p.m., Sept. 1 | @ St. Patrick; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 1 | vs. Fenwick; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 1 |
| Week 3 | vs. St. Rita; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 8 | vs. Loyola; 6:30 p.m., Sept. 8 | vs. Mount Carmel; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 8 | vs. Brother Rice; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 8 |
| Week 4 | vs. Niles Notre Dame; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15 | @ St. Ignatius; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15 | @ Joliet Catholic; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15 | vs. Marist; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15 |
| Week 5 | @ Wheaton St. Francis; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22 | @ IC Catholic; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22 | @ Fenwick; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22 | @ Nazareth; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22 |
| Week 6 | @ Marist; 6:30 p.m., Sept. 29 | vs. Joliet Catholic; 6:30 p.m., Sept. 29 | vs. St. Ignatius; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 29 | @ Niles Notre Dame; 7:30 p.m., Sept. 29 |
| Week 7 | vs. Leo; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 6 | vs. De La Salle; 6:30 p.m., Oct. 6 | vs. DePaul; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 6 | vs. Marian Catholic; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 6 |
| Week 8 | @ Marmion; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13 | @ St. Patrick; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13 | @ Carmel; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13 | @ St. Viator; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13 |
| Week 9 | vs. St. Ignatius; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20 | @ Niles Notre Dame; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20 | vs. Marist; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20 | @ Joliet Catholic; 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20 |
5 CAN’T-MISS MATCHUPS
Week 1 – Marist at Glenbard West: These two played a thriller to start the season in 2022, and 2023 shouldn’t be any different.
Week 2 – Fenwick at St. Ignatius: Old White Division rivals meet in a crossover game that features two highly ranked prospects in the Wolfpack’s Scott and the Friars’ Nathaniel Marshall.
Week 2 – Providence at Joliet Catholic: The “Holy War” rarely disappoints, and this year’s matchup shouldn’t be different as the Hilltoppers look for revenge.
Week 6 – Joliet Catholic at Marist: These longtime ESCC rivals play each other for the first time since 2018.
Week 9 – Marist at Niles Notre Dame: The RedHawks and Dons renew their ESCC rivalry in a game that could decide the division crown.
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| Joliet Catholic | 7-2 |
| Marist | 6-3 |
| St. Ignatius | 5-4 |
| Niles Notre Dame | 4-5 |