Aug. 30--The first hint of Providence's championship-caliber level came on opening night last season, when the 2014 Class 7A champs took care of Joliet Catholic 21-10 in a battle of tradition-rich programs.
The potential for greatness was apparent as the teams met again in the opener on Friday night.
It's been nearly a decade since Joliet Catholic's 13th and last state title in 2007 -- the Hilltoppers second-longest drought since the playoffs began in 1974 -- but early indications are No. 14 might not be far away.
No. 16 Joliet Catholic did a whole lot of things well in its 35-13 victory against Providence on Friday, and No. 13 Providence coach Mark Coglianese said it's the best Joliet Catholic team he's seen in the four years since the resumption of the nonconference rivalry.
"We think they're a very good team," Coglianese said. "They're a very physical team with a lot of size, a good combination of size and speed.
"They had a little more experience coming back. We watched film and we made a lot of mistakes, but I don't want to take anything away from them. They came out with great intensity and got us back on our heels early."
Joliet Catholic hit Providence with big plays in the passing and running games, and the Hilltoppers were tough at the point of attack on both sides of the ball.
Michael Johnson rushed for 204 yards and had a 77-yard touchdown catch. Harry Davis had 104 yards receiving and 54 rushing, and quarterback Cade Earl was outstanding in play-action. The Joliet Catholic defense recorded six sacks.
With its recent playoff nemesis, Montini, and Sacred Heart-Griffin, the winner of the past two Class 5A titles, being moved up to Class 6A because of the new IHSA rule known as the "success factor," Joliet Catholic may have established itself as the early favorite in Class 5A.
"They're going to be tough to beat," Coglianese said.
West Suburban Platinum: Nobody is about to question Glenbard West's status as the prohibitive favorite in the West Suburban Silver after its 28-7 win against Bolingbrook on Saturday, but the league looks awfully strong this year if Friday night is any indication.
Oak Park-River Forest, Hinsdale Central and Lyons all won nonconference games against good opponents in extremely impressive fashion.
If the jury was out on Oak Park following the graduation of quarterback Lloyd Yates (Northwestern), it is no longer after the Huskies stunned No. 5 Lincoln-Way East 14-13.
Oak Park limited Lincoln-Way East running back Liam Morrissey, who rushed for 1,500 yards last season and has his entire offensive line back, to 105 tough yards on 28 carries, while new Oak Park QB Jeremy Hunt threw for 142 yards. Antonio Cannon rushed for 129 on 11 carries.
Hinsdale Central's Michael Sessa and Josh Bean gave coach Dan Hartman reason to keep his two-quarterback system after both performed well in the Red Devils' 41-14 victory against O'Fallon.
After overcoming slow starts to make the playoffs the last four seasons, Lyons won its first opener since 2011, dominating Warren 24-0.
Glenbard West has won seven straight West Suburban Silver championships, though it did share the title with Lyons and York in 2010.
Bucking a trend: Beating Larkin 49-25 does not suddenly make Mundelein a postseason contender, but the Mustangs shouldn't have to wait almost two full seasons for another win after snapping their 17-game losing streak.
Mundelein has a legitimate threat under center in Colten Fisher, who rushed for 367 yards on 26 carries in head coach Larry Calhoun's debut.
The Mustangs also have Elgin (1-8 in 2014) and North Chicago (0-9) on the schedule the next two weeks.
A member of one of the area's better conferences, the North Suburban Lake, Mundelein went 0-9, 1-8, 0-9, 0-9 and 1-8 the past five seasons.
QB uncertainty: Next week's headliner is No. 1 Homewood-Flossmoor at No. 6 Stevenson, but the question is whether Stevenson will have Jack Sorenson for the rematch of its 31-25 victory in last year's Class 8A title game.
Sorenson, a receiver on the championship team who's headed to Miami (Ohio) to play that position, made his debut at quarterback Friday night but was injured on the second play from scrimmage and did not return in Stevenson's 26-24 victory against Palatine.
Stevenson coach Bill McNamara said Sorenson had a "weird reaction" to a hit "where his equilibrium was off."
Junior Aidan O'Connell played well in Sorenson's place. Another junior quarterback, Palatine's Zach Oles, merits watching after accounting for 273 yards passing and 115 rushing.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
