We’re through six weeks of the regular season and ready for October football. That’s the month where things will really start to get serious.
Conference titles will be decided, playoff spots will be locked up and the postseason will begin with more teams than ever.
Week 6 created a great deal of intrigue about where things will stand when we get there. A trio of big Catholic League games changed how I’m looking at contenders across several playoff classes.
Meanwhile, things shook out perfectly to build the hype for a South Suburban Red showdown.
Here are my takeaways from Week 6.
Stage set for biggest crosstown battle Oak Lawn has seen
This is the week they have been waiting for in Oak Lawn, where the Spartans have a chance to prove they are far more than just a cute little Cinderella story.
Oak Lawn nearly had its perfect season derailed Friday night by Evergreen Park, which led 14-6 in the fourth quarter. But junior quarterback Danny Strelow ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns and senior running back Jayden Schlosser added 111 yards on the ground and a TD as the Spartans survived 21-14 in overtime.
Now comes the biggest test Friday night when the Spartans visit Richards.
Sharing the same town, the schools of course have a natural rivalry. But the truth is Oak Lawn has not been competitive enough on the football field to make it a true rivalry.
The teams have played 29 times in the last 30 seasons and the Bulldogs are 28-1. Oak Lawn’s lone win came in 2008.
Last season, the Spartans also came into this game at 6-0 but Richards left no doubt about its in-town dominance, rolling to a 59-29 win.
This year feels different, though. I expect Oak Lawn to be very competitive and have a solid shot at winning this game.
The Bulldogs (4-2), however, have gotten better every week while winning four straight games. Senior Eric Jacobs has settled in at quarterback and scored TDs in a wide variety of ways in Friday’s 35-6 win over Eisenhower — on a pass, a run and a kickoff return.
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It’s fun to see some real excitement in this crosstown rivalry. I’ll be there and you can look for my pick later this week in the Daily Southtown’s five games to watch.
Providence and St. Rita take down defending state champions
The Celtics and Mustangs both pulled off huge victories Friday night.
Providence (5-1) edged defending Class 6A champion Fenwick 28-21. Junior quarterback Dominic Vita bounced back from a tough game in Week 5’s 17-7 loss to Nazareth by throwing a TD pass to DeAngelo Coates and running for another score.
After all the turmoil of the last couple weeks, this is a big-time win to stabilize the Celtics. They get an angry Mount Carmel team next, but regardless of how that one goes, there’s no doubt Providence is still a major title contender in Class 5A.
St. Rita has had quite the roller-coaster ride against a very tough schedule, alternating losses and wins every week. A 42-16 defeat to St. Ignatius in Week 5 was surprising and concerning, but the Mustangs (3-3) bounced right back to top reigning Class 4A champion Montini 39-38.
Senior running back Brandon Johnson Jr. and senior quarterback John Fennell both ran all over the Broncos. St. Rita is battle-tested and still dangerous.
Most eye-opening score
Brother Rice 35, Mount Carmel 24.
This showdown between the defending Class 8A champion Caravan and reigning 7A champion Crusaders did not go the way I — or pretty much anyone else — expected.
Brother Rice winning was not a total shock in itself, but the way it happened was certainly surprising. The Crusaders shut out Mount Carmel in the fourth quarter and it was freshman quarterback Sam Holcomb who made big play after big play late.
Holcomb is a poised winner who clearly is already ready for all the brightest spotlights. I’ll let senior receiver Anthony Cartolano break it down for you.
“Sam is amazing,” Cartolano said. “He’s an amazing player, an amazing athlete. He comes out and plays with aggression all the time. It’s so fun to watch. Those are the kids you hate to play against but love to have on your team.
“He’s just a baller. He’s the best QB I’ve ever played with.”
And the Crusaders’ chances of repeating in Class 7A — even with East St. Louis in the way — are improving with every week of experience Holcomb gets.