On the 2A-3A Bubble, Indians are Ranked in Pre-Season Again
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Four of the state's most storied programs in Illinois high school football earned top spots in The Associated Press preseason polls.
Chicago Mount Carmel, East St. Louis Senior, Joliet Catholic and Addison Driscoll have combined to win 37 state championship trophies and were among the eight projected champions in a poll of sportswriters from across the state compiled by Marty Maciaszek of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Mount Carmel got the top spot in Class 8A with Division I bound players in quarterback Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), defensive lineman Anthony Battle (Northwestern) and linebacker Dimitrius Carr (Purdue).
East St. Louis Senior is No. 1 in 7A ahead of last year's state runner-up Wheaton Warrenville South and Mundelein Carmel. East St. Louis, which won the last of its six titles in 1991, is led by two of the nation's top wide receivers in Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton and safety Tommie Hopkins.
Claiming the top spot in 6A is defending champion Joliet Catholic, which will be trying to add to its state-record 13 titles behind running back Tyler Hudetz. Rock Island was a close second in the poll.
Woodstock Marian Central, which won the last of its four titles in 1989, is No. 1 in 5A behind Wisconsin-bound quarterback Jon Budmayr and two-way lineman and Division I prospect Cody O'Neill.
Addison Driscoll will be looking to continue its record-setting run of seven straight titles and is the 4A favorite.
Brandon New takes over the program and tries to continue the streak as Mike Burzawa left for Evanston after a three-year title run. Bloomington Central Catholic and Aurora Christian tied for the second spot.
Columbia is looking for its first title and claimed the No. 1 spot in 3A after losing in last year's championship to Plano.
Du Quoin is #7 in Class 3A, marking the 23rd time in 25 years the downstate powerhouse has been listed in the pre-season rankings.
In 2A, Orion was selected No. 1 after reaching the semifinals for the first time last season.
Separated by a point in the 1A poll are defending 1A champion Galena and defending 2A champion Dakota. Both teams finished 14-0 last season.
Some classes are likely to change when the IHSA selects its 256-team playoff field in late October.
The championship games are Nov. 28-29 at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
The Pre-Season Rankings
By The Associated Press
Here is The Associated Press preseason football poll compiled by Marty Maciaszek of the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights.
CLASS 8A
1. Chicago Mount Carmel (12-1)
2. Park Ridge Maine South (10-2)
3. Carol Stream Glenbard North (9-5)
4. Chicago St. Rita (10-4)
5. Downers Grove South (9-1)
6. Palatine Fremd (11-1)
7. Naperville North (13-1)
8. Homewood-Flossmoor (8-5)
9. Frankfort Lincoln-Way East (9-3)
10. Brother Rice (9-3)
Others receiving votes: Bolingbrook, Bartlett, Barrington, New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central
CLASS 7A
1. East St. Louis Senior (11-2)
2. Wheaton Warrenville South (13-1)
3. Mundelein Carmel (10-3)
4. Geneva (11-1)
5. Mount Prospect (5-5)
6. Glen Ellyn Glenbard West (5-5)
7. Rockford Boylan (11-1)
8. Lake Zurich (13-1)
9. Oak Park Fenwick (5-6)
10. (tie) Wheaton North (5-5)
St. Charles East (8-3) Others receiving votes: Rolling Meadows, Chicago DeLaSalle, Crystal Lake South, Moline
CLASS 6A
1. Joliet Catholic (13-1)
2. Rock Island (10-2)
3. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (8-2)
4. Chicago Morgan Park (11-3)
5. Cary-Grove (9-2)
6. Normal Community (12-1)
7. Batavia (5-5)
8. Oak Lawn Richards (11-1)
9. New Lenox Providence (7-5)
10. Bloomington (7-4)
Others receiving votes: Peoria Richwoods, Lemont, Danville, Oak Forest, Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge, Country Club Hills Hillcrest, Chatham Glenwood
CLASS 5A
1. Woodstock Marian Central Catholic (10-3)
2. Metamora (14-0)
3. Morris (11-3)
4. Jacksonville (5-5)
5. Geneseo (8-3)
6. La Grange Park Nazareth (8-4)
7. Washington (7-4)
8. Pontiac (9-3)
9. Lombard Montini (9-2)
10. Sterling (6-4)
Others receiving votes: Marion, Effingham, Champaign Central, Rochelle, Mattoon, Normal U-High, LaSalle-Peru, Troy Triad, Belvidere North
CLASS 4A
1. Addison Driscoll (14-0)
2. (tie) Bloomington Central Catholic (13-1)
Aurora Christian (12-1)
4. Mount Carmel (12-1)
5. Breese Mater Dei (9-2)
6. Quincy Notre Dame (8-3)
7. Coal City (12-1)
8. Mendota (9-2)
9. Plano (13-1)
10. Chicago Leo (6-5)
Others receiving votes: Dunlap, Harvard, Charleston, Chillicothe IVC, Palos Heights Chicago Christian, Mahomet-Seymour, Anna-Jonesboro, Herrin, Mascoutah, Braidwood Reed-Custer, Kankakee McNamara
CLASS 3A
1. Columbia (12-2)
2. Aledo-Westmer (9-2)
3. Sterling Newman (8-3)
4. Decatur St. Teresa (10-2)
5. Carthage Illini West (7-3)
6. Spring Valley Hall (5-5)
7. Du Quoin (8-3)
8. (tie) Tolono Unity (7-4)
Greenville (12-1)
10. St. Joseph-Ogden (11-1)
Others receiving votes: Carterville, Pittsfield, Amboy-LaMoille, Carlinville, Marshall, Wilmington, Oregon, Petersburg PORTA, Newton
CLASS 2A
1. Orion (12-1)
2. (tie) Casey-Westfield (12-1)
Maroa-Forsyth (11-1)
4. Westville (13-1)
5. Minonk Fieldcrest (8-2)
6. Auburn (7-4)
7. Morrison (11-1)
8. Forreston (9-2)
9. Momence (4-5)
10. (tie) Lena-Winslow (5-5)
Lanark Eastland-Pearl City (6-4)
Others receiving votes: Red Bud, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, Macon Meridian, Elmhurst Immaculate Conception, Flanagan Woodland, Tremont
CLASS 1A
1. Galena (14-0)
2. Dakota (14-0)
3. Greenfield (11-1)
4. Sidell Jamaica Salt Fork Co-op (8-3)
5. Milledgeville (8-3)
6. Cambridge (9-3)
7. Alden-Hebron (9-2)
8. (tie) Cerro Gordo (8-3)
Jacksonville Routt (10-1)
10. Mt. Sterling Brown County (5-5)
Others receiving votes: Tuscola, Heyworth, Lewistown, Polo