MMXXIV Edition - CCL-ESCC Predictions Week XII

[ignazio]

Heights, Marmion, Benet, Naz ... is it time to invite Rochelle into the CCLESCC?
And for those of you realizing high school football opportunities are dwindling - the Prep Bowl playoffs have 2 night games this week. Enjoy an Espresso or a Cappuccino in Little Italy or perhaps an Irish Coffee in New Lenox.
Meanwhile the CCLESCC people will be invading the rest of the state: Rochelle, Sycamore, Peoria, Princeton - you have been warned!

Normal @ MC
Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL) vs. Normal (IL) [projection and percent chances to win: Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL) 42 (93%) Normal (IL) 19 (7%)]
MS @ LA
Loyola Academy (Wilmette, IL) vs. Maine South (Park Ridge, IL) [projection and percent chances to win: Loyola Academy (Wilmette, IL) 35 (84%) Maine South (Park Ridge, IL) 20 (16%)]
Quincy @ SR
St. Rita (Chicago, IL) vs. Quincy (IL) [projection and percent chances to win: St. Rita (Chicago, IL) 31 (65%) Quincy (IL) 24 (35%)]
Naz @ Rochelle
Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, IL) vs. Rochelle (IL) [projection and percent chances to win: Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, IL) 42 (88%) Rochelle (IL) 22 (12%)]
SF @ Sycamore
Sycamore (IL) vs. St. Francis (Wheaton, IL) [projection and percent chances to win: St. Francis (Wheaton, IL) 31 (58%) Sycamore (IL) 28 (42%)]
JC @ Peoria
Joliet Catholic Academy (Joliet, IL) vs. Peoria (IL) [projection and percent chances to win: Joliet Catholic Academy (Joliet, IL) 42 (93%) Peoria (IL) 19 (7%)]
SL @ DP
St. Laurence (Burbank, IL) vs. DePaul College Prep (Chicago, IL) [projection and percent chances to win: St. Laurence (Burbank, IL) 31 (74%) DePaul College Prep (Chicago, IL) 21 (26%)]
MCHS @ Princeton
Montini Catholic (Lombard, IL) vs. Princeton (IL) [projection and percent chances to win: Montini Catholic (Lombard, IL) 41 (98%) Princeton (IL) 7 (2%)]

CoM @ SI - FRIDAY
playoffs (neutral field)
[2024] St. Ignatius (Chicago, IL) 31 (74%), [2024] Carmel (Mundelein, IL) 21 (26%)
ND @ PC - THURSDAY
playoffs (neutral field)
[2024] Providence Catholic (New Lenox, IL) 24 (87%), [2024] Notre Dame (Niles, IL) 6 (13%)

 

[Stella5]

MC -23
Maine south +15
Rita -7
Naz -20
SF -3
JCA -23
Depaul +10
Princeton +34
Iggy -10
Provi -18

 

[k1867]

MC-23
MS +15
SR -7
Naz -20
SF -3
JC -23
SL -10
MCHS -34

SI -10
PC-18

 

[BillyTheBuffoon]

Mount Carmel 49 (-23) Normal 17: Like last week for Saint Charles North, Normal should look back at this season fondly. There is 0 shame to losing to Mount Carmel in the playoffs.

Loyola 40 (-15) Maine South 17: This will be very weird for me to type: Maine South just doesn't have the horses this year to run with Loyola

Saint Rita 34 (-7) Quincy 21: This is just too long of a drive against too strong of an opponent for Quincy. Real talk though, it's good to see Quincy, a school that goes back over 150 years and a Mount Rushmore basketball program, playing very solid football the last few years. I hope it continues.

Nazareth 38 Rochelle 27 (+20): I was so, so wrong about the Benet game last week. I am probably going to be wrong again this week, but I am DONE going against the Hubs (in regards to not covering against CCL/ESCC teams).

Sycamore 30 (+3) Saint Francis 28: GOTW! Winner gets to claim themselves as the "real" Spartans! I am taking Sycamore as they have gotten essentially 2 scrimmages leading up to this game. If SF plays to their peak, they will win, but I just feel as if Sycamore eeks this one out.

Joliet Catholic 56 (-23) Peoria 20: This is not the Peoria that is dropping 77 points a half.

Saint Laurence 34 (-10) DePaul 20: I am going with the more battle tested and stronger pedigree of a program in this one. I do think it is a close game going into the 4th, but Larry's is in their playoff form.

Montini 42 Princeton 10 (+34): Montini doesn't have any stress in this one.

Saint Ignatius 28 (-10) Carmel 13: Just exactly where Carmel wants to be. Fighting traffic on a Friday night to go play for an opportunity to play at Lane Stadium in a few weeks.

Providence 21 (-18) Notre Dame 0: I'm sure the Don's are so fired up waiting 2 weeks to go play on a Thursday night in New Lenox

 

[SiuCubFan8]

Normal @ MC
The Caravan are rolling and they continue to roll along, MC covers.
MS @ LA
Old foes meet again. Way too many points, MS and the points.
Quincy @ SR
"stangs cover
tucs @ Rochelle
I think the Hubs can keep the score close for a bit but ultimately tucs figures them out, tucs to cover.
SF @ Sycamore
Syc and the points. Might come down to last play.
JC @ Peoria
I'll take the non-punting team and the points.
SL @ DP
SiuCubFan8 GOTW! DePaul and the points, though I think Larry wins and wins 4A.
MCHS @ Princeton
Bronco on a mission and they cover.

CoM @ SI - FRIDAY
I'll take CoM and the points
ND @ PC - THURSDAY
Provi covers

 

[RockSoup]

MC -23 When I watch the Caravan hitting on all cylinders, I say that's a ton of hard work put in to make it look so easy.

LA -15 Ramblers got a playoff 'gift' last weekend, the gift of being outplayed for 44 of the 48 minutes on the road vs a worthy opponent and still continue on to this week. Ramblers, at home, fix what needs fixin' at the correct intensity beginning at kick off.

Quincy +7 I've seen this script before. Small town with the proper senior class the town and program has been waiting for, whose only goal is to come in and take a CCL blue blood pelt back home vs a young St. Rita team. Not much to like from last week's Mustang victory except for the effort from the handful of seniors the team depends on. You'd hope the Mustang's would be clocking on schedule by now but I will take the points until I see much better flow and execution and less hands turned up in the air after dropped passes. Get back to the huddle.

Rochelle +20 Road playoff games are hard. The Roadrunners are really good but they take control much later in the game than they are, and we are used to.

Sycamore +3 Another road test for our CCL brethren. St. Francis probably a year away which speaks to some of the inconsistencies we have seen from them this year. Some drives, quarters, halves and/or games, they look unstoppable and at other times, they hurt themselves. Add in a talented Sycamore team and we have a great match up.

Peoria +23 The Hilltoppers have answered the bell plenty this season but I'm banking on a ball control 2-3 score victory vs an unconventional philosophy that can't really be simulated at practice.

St. Laurence -10 Algo can't get a feel for a full-strength Viking squad. Should this line be 13-14? I don't know. What I do know is that I can't wait to watch the rematch in Class 9A next year.

Princeton +34 Montini with the emotional slobber-knocker last weekend allows Princeton to hang with them longer than we'd expect.

SICP -10 Wolfpack's offense difficult to prepare for if not seen weekly. Future is bright for the Corsairs but their season ends Friday night on Rooselvelt

PC -18 I'll call it here first. The 2024 Prep Bowl Champ Celtics that have accepted the invitation at the correct time in their program's arc, dispense the Dons with little drama to face the Wolfpack next weekend in an extremely hard hitting affair.

 

[pjjp]

MC -23
MS +15
Rita -7
Rochelle +20
Sycamore +3
Peoria +23
STL -10
Montini -34
Ignatius -10
Provi -18

 

[ESCC fan]

Some interesting opponents this week, mixed in with a very familiar MS/LA matchup.

Normal +23 vs MC. Think this one is close until late. MC wears them down eventually. Caravan 35-17.

MS +15 vs Loyola. Hawks offense seems to be buzzing. Loyola's defense is certainly buzzing (is that the right word when a defense is playing well...'buzzing'?). Two programs that always seem on inevitable paths. Ramblers 24-16.

Quincy +7 vs Rita. Agree with Rock here. I see Quincy pushing all the chips in here. A chance to knock off a CCL blue blood. They aren't completely untested. And all their wins have been by double digits. Quincy in the upset 35-34.

Rochelle +20 vs Naz. Also done doubting Rochelle after seeing what they did to a decent Benet team last week. This one will be a fight. Roadrunners 38-28.

WSF -3 vs Sycamore. This will be Sycamore's biggest test, by far. They had a nice win over Rochelle earlier in the year, but other than that, not a ton there. Two CPS schools thus far in the playoffs. I think this one might be relatively easy for WSF. Catholic Spartans 38-14.

JCA -23 vs Peoria. The Hilltopper train is rolling. Won't slow down until they run into Naz or WSF in the state championship. JCA 47-7.

DePaul +10 vs StL. Both of these team are capable of winning the 4A championship. Healthy Vikings get it done. Larry's 24-17.

Princeton +34 vs Montini. Agree with Rock again. Think the Broncos will come out sluggish, but their defense will keep it low scoring and tight. They'll make some adjustments at half and wake up. Montini 28-7.


Iggy -10 vs CoM. So hard to predict the Prep Bowl. Understand Carmel played a ton of underclassmen last week. If that's the case this week, I expect them to get optioned to death. Wolfpack 35-14.

Providence -18 vs ND. Dons were shut out the first time these teams met. I think the boys in green get a TD this time around. Celtics 35-7.

 

[Crusaderfan19]

MC -23
Maine South +15
Quincy +7
Naz -20
Sycamore +3
JCA -23
DePaul +10
Montini -34
Iggy -10
Provi -18

 

[BoundaryCorner]

MC -23 MC 42 Normal 17
MS +15 Loyola 35 Maine South 28
SR -7 SR 31 Quincy 14
Rochelle +20 Naz 35 Rochelle 24
Francis -3 Francis 28 Sycamore 14
JCA -23 JCA 40 Peoria 14
DePaul -10 DePaul 35 St. Laurence 28
Montini -34 Montini 42 Princeton 7


Iggy -10 Iggy 30 Carmel 17
Providence -18 Providence 31 ND 7

 

[ignazio]

Normal @ MC
I'm starting to think Gambletron has AI or is spending time at McNally's. I'll go with 10-1 Ironmen.
MS @ LA
Ramblers really struggled to find their gears against the Skins. Shutting down WA (508-61 has to be a record) is impressive. 15 points is too much. Hawks.
Quincy @ SR
MC ruined their perfect season last year, now it's Rita's turn. Mustangs.
Naz @ Rochelle
I think the associate member hangs with the Naz for a half before it's opened up. Runners.
SF @ Sycamore
Noble Bulls to Westinghouse to SF will hit like a 3am wake up call. Sparty.
JC @ Peoria
40-16 last year so Gambletron goes 42-19 this year. Science. Hilltoppers.
SL @ DP
Injuries, legacies, histories, mysteries. What people don't know is that DePaul has a young, aggressive, risk-taking coaching staff. DLS should've taken any assistant for a rebuild. Rams.
MCHS @ Princeton
A Short Drive that Takes you Far. Broncos.

CoM @ SI - FRIDAY
Might be the last chance to see QB Superstar before he departs to IMG. Wolfpack.
ND @ PC - THURSDAY
Nice to see the Providence taking part in the fun. Celtics.

 

[RockSoup]

@BoundaryCorner Take a look at your MC pick and score. Did you mean Normal +23 wiith your 42-20 score? Or do you want MC -23 not realizing the score doesn't match that outcome. Please advise.

@ignazio Again with your gamesmanship during a Sparty v Sparty week. From your synopsis of the game, I assume you are taking the (Wheaton) St. Francis Spartans and giving the 3 points to the (Sycamore) Sycamore Spartans. Please advise.

 

[ramblinman]

@BoundaryCorner Take a look at your MC pick and score. Did you mean Normal +23 wiith your 42-20 score? Or do you want MC -23 not realizing the score doesn't match that outcome. Please advise.

@ignazio Again with your gamesmanship during a Sparty v Sparty week. From your synopsis of the game, I assume you are taking the (Wheaton) St. Francis Spartans and giving the 3 points to the (Sycamore) Sycamore Spartans. Please advise.

Somebody has to keep them honest!

 

[BoundaryCorner]

@BoundaryCorner Take a look at your MC pick and score. Did you mean Normal +23 wiith your 42-20 score? Or do you want MC -23 not realizing the score doesn't match that outcome. Please advise.

@ignazio Again with your gamesmanship during a Sparty v Sparty week. From your synopsis of the game, I assume you are taking the (Wheaton) St. Francis Spartans and giving the 3 points to the (Sycamore) Sycamore Spartans. Please advise.

Thanks for keeping me honest!

 

[UlbKA91]

PC -18 I'll call it here first. The 2024 Prep Bowl Champ Celtics that have accepted the invitation at the correct time in their program's arc, dispense the Dons with little drama to face the Wolfpack next weekend in an extremely hard hitting affair.

3 out of 4 chance Providence plays a weird school in the Prep Bowl. In the 1980-90s, all 4 of the CPS semifinalists would be considered weird (Amundsen/W Young, Kenwood/Lincoln Park)

 

[MsDavis10]

MC -23
Maine south +15
Rita -7
Naz -20
SF -3
JCA -23
Larry -10
Princeton +34
Iggy -10
ND +18