At the halfway point, some teams are a surprise

It's hard to believe, but we are about to go past the halfway point for the 2008 IHSA football regular season after this week's games.

With four games already in the books, here's a handful of feel good teams and a few surprising teams on the wrong side of the win/loss column.

Springfield High is at 4-0 so far this season, and the Senators will face another undefeated team this week when they travel to Taylorville to face the undefeated Tornadoes in Central State Eight Conference play. Springfield High, which finished the 2007 season with a 4-5 record, is led on offense by senior fullback Dane Bealon and sophomore quarterback Tyrell Bolden. Taylorville's longtime coach, Scott Abertssen, is making this his last season coaching, and the Tornadoes have already improved upon their 2-7 record in 2007.

Thornton at this time last season was 0-4, and the Wildcats would eventually miss making the state playoff field in 2007 for the first time since 1997. So far this season, the Wildcats, under veteran coach Bill Mosel, are 4-0 and have been putting up some impressive numbers on offense. Thornton switched up its offense this fall from its traditional power option game to a shotgun spread passing attack.

Leading the Wildcats offensive attack is standout senior quarterback Darren Jones along with University of Illinois verbal commit senior fullback Greg Fuller and Division-I senior wide receiver prospect Jamal Gray.

Huntley's Red Raiders and veteran coach Steve Graves from the Fox Valley Conference has gone from a 1-3 record at this point of the season last fall to an impressive 4-0 this year heading into their game Friday at Grayslake North.

The Red Raiders also overcame having to practice without their coaches last week due to a teachers strike that was settled last week. Senior linebacker/running back Jordan Neukirch, who is committed to Illinois State, has been a leader for the Red Raiders on both sides of the ball so far this fall.

Homewood-Floosmoor (1-3) was the last team to make the Class 8A playoff field in 2007, and the Vikings then rolled all the way to the Class 8A semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Naperville North. So far, it looks like the Vikings will need another late-season rebound if they play to make another run at the state playoffs. The Vikings, who graduated standout wide receiver Supo Sanni (Illinois) and quarterback Russell Ellington (Illinois) from the 2007 squad have been in search of some needed offensive output this fall. The Vikings have scored just one touchdown over the past three games.

Belvidere (0-4) was once considered to be one of the state's elite programs, but the Bucs and coach Matt Weckler have hit some hard times so far this fall. Belvidere, which finished the 2007 season with a 9-3 overall record, is still trying to overcome a splitting of the high school with the opening of Belvidere North a few years ago.