Q of the Week: Who is your Sleeper Team To Watch for 2025?

[EdgyTim]

Sleeper as we know can be pretty open to interpretation but in my eyes a sleeper is a team that's in 2024 went say 5-4 or worse and did not do much at all in the post season.

Some examples for me you ask?

St Ignatius
ICCP
Providence Catholic
Carmel
New Trier
Phillips
Lake Zurich
Plainfield North
Bolingbrook
H-F
HInsdale Central
Glenbard West


Who is yours?

 

[SiuCubFan8]

I'm keeping an eye on Bolingbrook.

 

[colin2229]

Bishop Mac

Lower levels were good this year and I like the new head coach.

 

[rocketnation]

Springfield, 5-5 last season.

The Senators have their QB for a 3rd year and also return their lead rusher and lead receiver.

 

[USD24]

H-F. New coach at a school that seems to have everything you need to win.

 

[wesbreton]

Just get to 5 wins and get to the playoffs. With some of those team’s schedules that’s a feat in itself.

 

[Anomalyout28]

Lake Park

 

[ramblinman]

Bartlett freshmen

Never gets old!

 

[johnndoe]

H-F. New coach at a school that seems to have everything you need to win.

I see a probable 2-1 record against 3 teams on their schedule with the need to go at least 3-3 vs. the remaining 6 ('Brook, St. Ch. N, Lockport, Sandburg and the 2 Napervilles).

 

[MMA_Det]

I am actually excited to see how DLS bounces back

I saw what the coach did at STL and think that he can continue where he has left off

 

[Wassup13]

Iggy
DePaul

 

[mc140]

I am actually excited to see how DLS bounces back

I saw what the coach did at STL and think that he can continue where he has left off

Looked like a continuation of how Oak Lawn was left last year over DelaSalle. Unless they hit the portal hard, it is going to take a couple of years to get competitive on the varsity.

 

[StL_Alum]

Iggy
DePaul

Depaul a sleeper? They just won state.

 

[StL_Alum]

Lockport

 

[StL_Alum]

Looked like a continuation of how Oak Lawn was left last year over DelaSalle. Unless they hit the portal hard, it is going to take a couple of years to get competitive on the varsity.

I like Harold, but he’s got his hands full at DLS. Gonna be tough to right that ship but I guess the only direction they can go is up. It’s crazy to me how fast things went south over there.

 

[RogerRabbit87]

Hersey is my pick. Have the RB back who is a stud and a QB who is rumored to be even better than the kid they had last year. They were young in some key spots last year and have some good pieces in skill positions back to make them a scary team

 

[cornerrat]

Bishop Mac

Lower levels were good this year and I like the new head coach.

All.... The Fightin' Irish meet the opening criteria to qualify for the new waiver. No postseason wins in the previous three seasons. This will be a good test case to see if the Ihsa is going punitive on issuing waivers. If Mac submits the paperwork for waiver status (and I don't see why they won't) next comes - "The Ihsa Staff will review each waiver request with the school name removed and vote to approve or deny." Whatever in the hell that means..... name removed. "A simple majority vote will determine the result." "The Ihsa Board will review the staff votes and have discretion to change them." Looking at that language two ways. A no vote could end up yes (not likely) or a yes vote could end up no. Sigh....

Macs 2025 enrollment by the way is 336.00 If they get the waiver postseason qualifiers from the past suggest a good chance if they make it in playing class 2A. Oh boy.... Ratsy

 

[Silver Rain]

No one is sleeping on Mount Carmel, but Emmett Dowling could be considered a sleeper of a quarterback. Not a four-star prospect like Jonas Williams, or even a three-star like Owen Lansu, Dowling is nonetheless a QB whose star is on the rise. Why do I say that? Four big reasons:

1. He's a Dowling.
2. He has Lynch as a tutor.
3. He has an inpenetrable line.
4. He has what is probably the best receiving corps in MC history.

Last year, Elliott made the players around him better. This year, the players around him will make Dowling better.

 

[Wassup13]

Depaul a sleeper? They just won state.

Can't get anything past you.

 

[MsDavis10]

Depaul a sleeper? They just won state.

Will they be jumping 3 or 4 classes next year? That’s a decent gap in playoff competition, maybe calling them a sleeper isn’t that crazy?

 

[McCaravan]

Mount Carmel

 

[MMA_Det]

This upcoming year is Owen Lansu last year to make a run at a state title

Lots of returning starters
Loyola breaks in a new QB

Batavia hands the reins over to a hit prospect at QB

This upcoming year is going to be exciting

 

[pjjp]

1. They’ve lost in the 1st round 2 years in a row.
2. They’ve had a lot of recent lower level success.
3. MC is now in 8A.

Is this Brother Rice’s year to make a deep run in 7A?

 

[cornerrat]

Will they be jumping 3 or 4 classes next year? That’s a decent gap in playoff competition, maybe calling them a sleeper isn’t that crazy?

All.... A big jump for DePaul this year. The old two season enrollment average which was 833 with the waiver has expired. The new one year enrollment for the school is 1342 and that will be multiplied which comes to 2,214.30. As an example last year among the postseason qualifiers that would of put the Rams in class 8A as one of the smallest among the 32.

Every year throughout the eight classes there are teams that are right on the enrollment "bubble" which before those 256 qualifiers are announced result in two possibilities class wise for a school. It looks like the Rams will be one of them. Of note one needs to understand that when the Ihsa comes out May 1st and puts everyone in a class that doesn't necessary mean that is where a school will play if making the playoffs. For many yes but not those on enrollment cut lines.

Best case scenario would be of course DePaul ends up in class 7A. Unfortunately for Rams fans one might not be able to get an accurate picture or guess till late in the regular season where you land. Ratsy

 

[StL_Alum]

1. They’ve lost in the 1st round 2 years in a row.
2. They’ve had a lot of recent lower level success.
3. MC is now in 8A.

Is this Brother Rice’s year to make a deep run in 7A?

BR has been LOADED with talent at their lower levels. Arguably the best freshman team in the state last year. If they don’t make a deep run soon it might be time for a coaching change…

 

[epicbret]

Amazing how some of you cannot follow middle school level directions.

And it's not an intelligence thing, you simply don't care.

 

[kpjasion]

Hersey is my pick. Have the RB back who is a stud and a QB who is rumored to be even better than the kid they had last year. They were young in some key spots last year and have some good pieces in skill positions back to make them a scary team

Isn't TNT going to Viator with Robbie Gould though?

 

[kpjasion]

Bartlett freshmen

Never gets old!

Someone needs to explain this meme to me? It's a running joke on here, but that squad did wind up 12-1 as seniors , something no other Bartlett team before or after has come close to replicating.

 

[PowerI66]

Amazing how some of you cannot follow middle school level directions.

And it's not an intelligence thing, you simply don't care.

A lot with private school education as well. It goes to show...

 

[Publichater6969]

A lot with private school education as well. It goes to show...

But where else would I hear about how great Mt. Carmel is!? Not like every other thread is about them.

 

[OldSICA]

1. They’ve lost in the 1st round 2 years in a row.
2. They’ve had a lot of recent lower level success.
3. MC is now in 8A.

Is this Brother Rice’s year to make a deep run in 7A?

I thought BR was 5A this year or did they petition up? Is that listed on IHSA site somewhere? Just curious

 

[StL_Alum]

I thought BR was 5A this year or did they petition up? Is that listed on IHSA site somewhere? Just curious

BR was 7A. Lost to Fenwick round 1. They had a multiplier applied. As far as I know, ESL and Antioch are the only teams that petitioned to play up last season.

 

[epicbret]

A lot with private school education as well. It goes to show...

Ignorance tends to be taught outside the classroom. A firm grandparents' slap can erase it though.

 

[OldSICA]

BR was 7A. Lost to Fenwick round 1.

I’m saying for the upcoming season. I know a few teams were moving up because of enrollment and success factor but I thought I read somewhere some teams were moving down because of wavier or new enrollment. If BR is 5A they would have to be favorites in my opinion

I also think St Patrick’s is a sleeper, new staff and they have the kids

 

[Jenny27]

I’m saying for the upcoming season. I know a few teams were moving up because of enrollment and success factor but I thought I read somewhere some teams were moving down because of wavier or new enrollment. If BR is 5A they would have to be favorites in my opinion

I also think St Patrick’s is a sleeper, new staff and they have the kids

They were, but that was before the IHSA change on Monday.

 

[mc140]

Someone needs to explain this meme to me? It's a running joke on here, but that squad did wind up 12-1 as seniors , something no other Bartlett team before or after has come close to replicating.

There were some parents of an undefeated Bartlett Frosh team consistently posting updates in the fall of 05. They had their ups and downs but by the end of it they lost in Semis as Seniors.

 

[cornerrat]

They were, but that was before the IHSA change on Monday.

All.... Correct . As with DePaul (post 24 this thread) BR with an enrollment of 1322 multiplied at 2,181.30 will be flirting with that class 7A/8A cut line for postseason qualifiers. Ratsy

 

[StL_Alum]

Carmel Catholic

 

[McCaravan]

BR has been LOADED with talent at their lower levels. Arguably the best freshman team in the state last year. If they don’t make a deep run soon it might be time for a coaching change…

If MC didn't move Marshaun Thorton to Varsity the week of the BR game I think their Freshman team beats BR. BR won 17-14. And of course if they had Caleb Tucker playing Freshman but that wouldn't have been fair he would have hurt someone. BR did have an excellent Freshman team but Thorton was dominating at the Fr level, hence why they brought him up to Varsity Mid Season where he did really well.

 

[Silver Rain]

These Carmel guys are incorrigible. They go on and on about Carmel and can't follow simple directions.