Already halfway home - and quickly picking up speed
Didn't everyone just finish doubles and training camp?
Didn't we just finish all the previews looking ahead at the high school football season?
Now here we are, already at the midway point of the regular season this weekend.
The races for division titles starts in the Mid-Suburban and Central Suburban. Some teams can begin making postseason plans with their fifth victories and others will start looking more closely at those possibilities.
It really is Week 5 already, isn't it? So much to look back on and so much to still look forward to - even though coaches will caution you to do neither.
Prospect's Miles Osei and Rolling Meadows' Jimmy Garoppolo have performed as expected of two of the top senior quarterbacks in the state. It will add even more spice to the regular-season finale between the two Mid-Suburban East rivals.
Prospect has put on quite a show en route to its 4-0 start and scored 80 points even though it had the ball for less than 22 of a possible 96 minutes the last two weeks.
And Meadows showed last week in a 21-20 loss at Fremd it has grown up quickly to make a run at a seventh straight playoff berth.
One of the most anticipated matchups of each season is tonight when Fremd visits Barrington in the Mid-Suburban West. Don't be late - with both teams relying heavily on their big lines and running games it could be over less than two hours after it starts.
The speedy Evan Wright has also emerged as a workhorse behind Notre Dame-bound Christian Lombard as Fremd looks to extend its MSL record playoff streak to 15 seasons. Jayme Szafranski is a defensive playmaker.
Barrington is in must-win mode but has a dangerous running duo in sophomore Chase Murdock and quarterback Terrance Terry. And these matchups always seem to come down to the last play.
Palatine is also a win away from the magic number five with Cody Bobbit's emergence at quarterback. There may not be a ton of big names but there are plenty of players used to big games.
One of which is tonight at Schaumburg, which lost its first two to state powers Maine South and Prospect but has rebounded behind the potent Warren Brewer.
Conant senior Kyle Klosowicz has broken out as one of the area's top running backs with big-time numbers. Hoffman Estates expects a different second half with junior quarterback David Gutierrez returning from injury.
Elk Grove has already exceeded its total of 2 wins last year. Dynamic junior quarterback Nick Meyer has shown the value of a year of varsity experience in similar fashion to Osei and Garoppolo.
Buffalo Grove isn't far from being 4-0 behind tough, multiple-sport kids such as Kevin Mulligan, Mike Cornely and John Angotti. Wheeling is 2-2 but becomes more dangerous with talented Western Michigan-bound running back Weston Ross also returning from injury.
Hersey has showed against everyone it's no pushover with a defense led by Jake Knauss that has given opponents fits.
St. Viator came oh, so close to making history by beating Joliet Catholic for the first time last week. But the grit and talent of quarterback Julian Sipiora and a tough defense could lead to bigger and better things down the line.
Leyden also found out it could play with the big boys in a deceiving 41-25 loss to Downers Grove South two weeks ago. Angel Maldonado is the devil in disguise for opposing defenses as he closes in on the school's career rushing mark.
Maine West hopes to make good things happen in an open CSL North race with running back Charlie Vana.
Christian Liberty made history last week when David Sotomayor scored the school's first touchdown as an official IHSA program. Seeing the joy and hard work of a young and small group of pioneers despite some painful results has been refreshing.
And it won't be long now before the excitement of that Saturday with playoff pairings is here. After all, fun like this makes time fly.
mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com