Surprise teams making selves heard

Surprise, surprise.

We are now already finished with a third of the regular season and several teams have been a surprise this fall on the gridiron.

Waukegan (3-0):ŒThe Bulldogs and coach Pat Jennings have already won more games this season than they did all of last year. Waukegan is blessed with several returning starters, and that experience has been paying off big.

DeLaSalle (2-1): The Meteors and coach Dan O'Keefe spent the past several seasons in the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division, but this fall the Meteors moved down to the smaller enrollment CCL White. With the Meteors' only loss so far to No. 1-ranked St. Rita, watch for DeLaSalle to be a force in its new conference.

Wauconda (3-0): The Bulldogs, who are coached by former Chicago Bears wide receiver Glen Kozlowski, won four games last season and just missed a state playoff berth. This season look for Wauconda to have a real shot of winning the North Suburban Prairie and getting into the state playoff field. Senior running back Brad Wisniewski is a standout performer again this fall for Wauconda.

Belleville East (3-0): The Lancers are off to a great start this fall playing in the Southwestern Conference, the same conference that hosts powers East St. Louis and Edwardsville. Coach Tim Funk has gotten big performances from junior running back Jamon Bester along with a deep and skilled offensive line.

Plainfield North (2-1): The Tigers are trying this season to overcome what was an absolute mess of their first varsity season last fall. Then-coach Dan Darlington was disciplined by the IHSA for various rules violations, and the Tigers finished the 2006 season with a 1-8 record. This fall the Tigers under coach Tim Kane have several starters back in the fold, including the school's first senior class, and will challenge for the Southwest Prairie Conference title.