Football arrived a week earlier than normal this season — and so did chaos.
A plethora of upsets across the state included two huge ones involving Southland teams as both defending Class 8A state champion Mount Carmel and reigning 7A champion Brother Rice fell.
More Top Picks Best Folding Treadmills
Elsewhere, new stars emerged and a couple past powers made opening statements that showed they may be on their way back to the top.
All that in Week 1 of what’s now a 15-week season. Here are my takeaways from opening weekend.
A major shakeup at the top
The past few years, things have been mostly smooth when it comes to the very top of the Daily Southtown’s football rankings.
The teams ranked in the top two or three in the preseason have mostly stayed there. Last fall, Mount Carmel opened as our No. 1 team and easily kept that spot all season while going 14-0.
Well, it’s not so simple in 2026.
With Mount Carmel and Brother Rice, the preseason top two teams, both going down in Week 1, things have quickly changed.
While the Caravan’s loss to ridiculously talented East St. Louis is nothing to be ashamed of, and to me, it is clear that Lincoln-Way East earned the No. 1 spot — at least for now.
The Griffins pulled out a 22-21 win over a more-talented Brother Rice team through sheer toughness — and smart football. While the Crusaders were sloppy and done in by penalties, Lincoln-Way East played a mostly clean game. That’s never easy to do in Week 1, especially this fall’s early one.
But the Griffins have coach Rob Zvonar, and someone on the Lincoln-Way East sideline said it well Friday night, telling me, “That guy can coach, and he’s coaching the hardest he’s ever coached right now.”
I’d have to agree.
Meanwhile, Providence winning on the road at No. 5 St. Rita earned the Celtics the No. 2 spot.
Mount Carmel and Brother Rice slot in at Nos. 3 and 5, but both will be totally fine.
Junior receiver Marshaun Thornton was an absolute monster for the Caravan on Saturday. Thornton and Michigan recruit Quentin Burrell are pretty much an unstoppable duo.
The Crusaders, meanwhile, have an absolute star in freshman quarterback Sam Holcomb, who led the team on a 96-yard touchdown march on the first drive of his career.
He’s the real deal, and it will be a pleasure to watch him play these next few years.
It might be Knight time again
Two seasons ago, Chicago Christian engineered one of my favorite stories ever, coming virtually out of nowhere to win the Class 2A state championship.
More Top Picks Aquariums
That team was led almost entirely by seniors, and last fall was certainly a rebuild as the Knights finished 3-6.
Well, it’s time to put an eye on Chicago Christian again in 2026 after a 14-7 season-opening win over Seneca.
Tyce Hamstra tossed two TD passes, including the game-winning scoring pass to Emmett Van Dellen, who also had two interceptions.
Seneca is a small-school power that has won at least nine games in each of the last four seasons. In last fall’s season-opener, the Irish smacked Chicago Christian 47-6.
So, while it’d be premature to consider the Knights a title contender again, this was a noteworthy start.
Most eye-opening score
Homewood-Flossmoor 31, Bolingbrook 0.
This is Year 3 of this segment being the closing part of the column and this is, undoubtedly, the most eye-opening score in all that time.
I fully expected the Vikings to take a big leap and be very good in their second season under coach Troy McAllister.
But Bolingbrook made the Class 8A quarterfinals with a young team last season and was widely considered a major contender this year. The Raiders were No. 11 in the baiduhai’s preseason rankings.
Well, H-F went on the road and completely dominated. The Vikings’ defense, led by Wisconsin-bound lineman David Hill, held Bolingbrook to 37 yards rushing.
Theodore WIlliams ran for a pair of TDs and senior quarterback Rahsaan Coleman made plays all night through the air and on the ground.
The impressive victory earned the Vikings the No. 4 spot in this week’s rankings.
H-F showed flashes of greatness last season, but was too hot and cold on its way to a 6-5 record.
If the Vikings can find consistency this fall, look out.