This is no ordinary decision

After nine months of waiting, opening night has arrived for high school football.

But with so many games to choose from, which should you see?

In honor of our 27 DuPage County football programs, and in alphabetical order, here's a reason to see each of them this weekend.

• Watch Addison Trail's Paul Parpet Jr. in his first game as head coach of the Blazers. Can he possibly be as lively on the sideline as his father, who retired as head coach at the end of last season?

• Check out Benet's Pat Flavin. The 6-foot-7, 245-pound offensive lineman boasts about two dozen scholarship offers and is one of the state's top uncommitted senior recruits.

• With 15 returning starters Downers Grove North begins the task of ridding itself of the awful taste surrounding last year's one-win campaign.

• In the first game of the post-Chandler Whitmer era, Downers Grove South looks to replace its three-year quarterback, now at the University of Illinois, with junior A.J. Simoncelli and senior Kevin Carlson.

• A thin roster leaves Fenton with only 32 players. The Bison and their numerous two-way players might end up being the area's most physically fit team.

• The graduation of three-year quarterback Jack Merrithey pushed Glenbard East to shift its offense. The Rams will give fans a blast from their past: the Wing T.

• Glenbard North traditionally boasts one of the area's most punishing running games. It'll be even more punishing with the return of All-Area running back Evin Natick and junior Phil Jackson, who last year combined for nearly 1,700 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.

• First-year Glenbard South coach Jeremy Cordell takes the field for the Raiders' opener against rival Glenbard West - the school where he served as defensive coordinator the last three seasons. That story obviously speaks for itself.

• Jordan Walsh, Tommy Schutt, Mike Laning, Johnny Caspers, Nick Burrello, Zack Marshall ... find out just how much talent a team can fit onto one sideline when Glenbard West hits Duchon Field on Saturday.

• Quarterback John Whitelaw, last year's Daily Herald All-Area Football Captain, graduated, but Hinsdale Central still has one of the area's best offensive line tandems in center Jack Allen, committed to Michigan State, and Scott McDowell.

• Hinsdale South, whose newly-turfed field won't be ready until October, needs all the support it can get when it plays its first "home" game against Romeoville Saturday night at Hinsdale Central.

• Can anyone get past Immaculate Conception's offensive line duo of 280-pound Rob Rivera and 330-pound sophomore Christian Lopez?

• Let the farewell tour begin for Lake Park coach Andy Livingston, retiring after 17 years at the helm, and retiring defensive coordinator Bob Nihells.

• Bring your well wishes for Lisle coach Dan Sanko and his fiancee, April Sorce, who suffered a stroke on July 15.

•You'll only get one chance to see Metea Valley's first varsity game. The Mustangs face Plainfield East tonight at home.

• Imagine the motivation for Joliet Catholic tonight when it faces Montini - the team that upset the Hilltoppers to claim last year's Class 5A championship. And imagine how much the Broncos want to beat them again.

• University of Illinois-bound Hayden Daniels takes the field for Naperville Central. How much will he play at quarterback and how much at receiver, where last season he earned All-Area honors with 52 catches for 815 yards and 7 touchdowns?

• So much pride from above will be pouring down on first-year Naperville North coach Sean Drendel from his father, Gene, a Naperville legend and local sports fanatic who passed away two years ago.

• Which team has the biggest motivation to get off to a quick start? Neuqua Valley lost its first three games last year by a combined 13 points.

• St. Francis begins making itself at home on the road this season. After opening at Riverside-Brookfield, the Spartans will play their home games at College of DuPage.

• Waubonsie Valley tries to win one for defensive back Adnaan Rahman, who on Aug. 8 died in a car accident.

• After a winless 2009, second-year West Chicago coach Paul Reinke and the Wildcats really want that first victory tonight against Plainfield North.

• Wheaton Academy graduated All-Area quarterback Brian Pell, but coach Ben Wilson believes he's got another good one behind center in Tommy Decker.

• A late surge last season pushed Wheaton North from the brink of postseason elimination and into the Class 7A quarterfinals. Starting tonight, the Falcons want to forego the playoff drama and get to six wins as quickly as possible.

• See if the best - defending Class 7A state champion Wheaton Warrenville South and University of Illinois-bound quarterback Reilly O'Toole - actually got better.

• Willowbrook was slated to open its remodeled stadium with an artificially turfed field, but it's not ready. Warriors fans will head down Roosevelt Road to make their team feel at home tonight at Glenbard East.

• Keep an eye on the ball with York, which put an emphasis on turnovers after last season's games with five, six and eight turnovers.

Twenty-seven teams and 27 reasons to see their season opener.

The decision of where to go this weekend just became a little tougher.