It’s never too early to talk football

The Rant is enjoyin’ summer break but still can’t stop thinkin’ about the pigskin.

The Rant has been lookin’ over the schedules and tryin’ to sort out a few things. One thing for sure, the action starts hard and heavy in Week 1, which is Aug. 27, just nine weeks away.

In that first week, The Grove takes on CL Community, and I have been told that the Tigers might have a few surprises for the Trojans. The Burg faces Grayslake Old, and Woodstock travels to The Ridge in a couple of big Fox Valley Conference Fox Division games right out of the gate.

The non-conference games seem to be gettin’ stronger for our local teams as well. The Rant is happy to see the level of competition pick up.

South plays at Grant in Week 1 and hosts Bartlett in Week 2, which should help get them ready to face the FVC.

The Grove takes on Lake Zurich in Week 2, and don't forget, it was the Bears who knocked the Gators out of the playoffs last season in the second round. Jacobs starts out at Joliet West, McHenry has Larkin and St. Charles North the first two weeks, and Central plays Peoria Richwoods in Week 3.

The Ridge has Lake Forest Academy in Week 6, Richmond-Burton hosts Mendota in Week 2, Glenbard South comes to Woodstock in Week 8 and Harvard takes on a formidable Big Foot team from north of the border in Week 1.

The biggest regular season game in the area will once again take place in Week 8 when the Trojans travel to South to face the Gators, who might go into this game as the favorites after C-G lost almost its entire offensive backfield to graduation.

There are some games that could mean something in Week 9. Harvard plays a Big Northern Conference East Division game against Hampshire, McHenry plays South and CL Central goes to Woodstock.

The middle of the schedule looks pretty tough for Marian Central with Marmion, Immaculate Conception, Montini and St. Francis in Weeks 4-7.

The Rant thinks that maybe CL Central, CL South and McHenry have some of the tougher schedules this fall, especially with their non-conference games.

Another of the big stories goin’ into next season will be the new faces at the head coachin’ position. CL Community, Jacobs, Huntley and CL South will have new guys pullin’ the strings, but The Rant will talk more about that soon.