If you're a true football fan, this is a can't-miss weekend
Enjoy it, football fans.
We're about to witness the greatest regular-season weekend DuPage County ever has seen.
It'd be hard to top the doubleheader to come with Naperville North at Wheaton Warrenville South tonight followed by Montini at Driscoll on Saturday afternoon.
So much hangs in the balance with these showdowns, from bragging rights to conference titles. Rarely does the regular season end with any matchups between undefeated teams, but this weekend we've got two such games in our own backyard.
All four teams represent the royalty of Illinois football, perennial powers playing for outright titles in two of the state's elite conferences -- the DuPage Valley and the Suburban Catholic.
Two defending state champions, two past champs, two games highly anticipated since August.
"I think everything comes out in this game," said WW South coach Ron Muhitch, whose team won last year's Class 8A title. "I'm not holding anything back. It's not a state title game, but not everything can be about a state title. Winning the DVC title is a main goal of ours."
Naperville North and WW South claimed the last four DVC titles. At the end of tonight's game, the winner will represent the 10th straight champion to finish unbeaten in the prestigious conference.
Likewise, Montini and Driscoll have won outright or shared six of the last seven SCC titles. Because of the consistent high level of competition, few rivalries match the spirit of this annual game.
"It should be a great environment," said Montini coach Chris Andriano, whose team last won the SCC title in 2004. "It's two great programs, a lot of tradition. The conference will be well-represented by whoever the champion is. And the other team will definitely be a contender."
That's the other side of the aisle. Driscoll, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, and Montini, top-ranked in 5A, both plan respective state title runs.
As big as Saturday's game appears at the moment, focus soon will shift to the playoffs.
"The good news is, if you win you can enjoy it for about four hours," joked Driscoll coach Mike Burzawa, whose team has won six straight state championships.
Same goes for the DVC showdown. In Class 8A Naperville North is a favorite to win the program's first state title since 1992. The priorities are firmly in place.
"I know our kids are fired up to play, they'll be prepared," said Huskies coach Larry McKeon. "But I'd give the conference game up any time to get a playoff win. We won the state title with two losses, and that was fine with me."
All four teams would like to repeat past glory.
In 1992 WW South won its first state title, the 5A crown. After their game the Tigers formed a human tunnel for Naperville North as it took the field for the 6A title game, a game the Huskies also won.
The scene was repeated 12 years later when freshly crowned Driscoll formed a similar tunnel for soon-to-be crowned Montini.
Far more important games loom in the future for the teams likely to be spread out among four playoff classes -- Driscoll in 4A, Montini in 5A, WW South in 7A and Naperville North in 8A.
Regardless of the future, though, we're in for a bunch of fun the next two days.
Oh, and did I mention the playoff football pairings will be announced Saturday night?
Told you it was a great weekend.