Prep football action gets underway in the state of Illinois this weekend. East St. Louis and Edwardsville should wage another spirited battle for the top spot in the Southwestern Conference while Cahokia and Belleville Althoff will do the same in the South Seven Conference. As the action gets underway in the Metro East, here is a look at some of the top players to watch on the Illinois side of the river.
Nicholas Beaver (East St. Louis): Talented linebacker who had 82 tackles and four quarterback sacks as a junior.
Keith Burton (O’Fallon): Senior linebacker who will begin his third year on the Panthers’ starting defensive unit.
London Davis (Cahokia): A 6’4” 250-pound tight end with great hands and nice moves after the catch. Recently gave a verbal commitment to Missouri.
Tommy Davis (Althoff): A senior wide receiver who should be one of the best in the metro east. A target of many NCAA Division I schools, including Stanford.
Jason Ford (Althoff): A four-year starter at tailback who could break the area’s career rushing record this season. Ford committed to Iowa.
Brandon Harold (East St. Louis): A 6’6” 260-pound defensive end who is one of the top prospects in the state of Illinois. Being recruited by several major programs.
Terry Hawthorne (East St. Louis): Excellent wide receiver who had nine touchdowns and averaged nearly 25 yards per reception in ’06.
Daryl Hendricks (Edwardsville): Senior tailback who had more than 1,100 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns as a junior.
Nicholas Plato (Edwardsville): Excellent tight end prospect who is being recruited by the likes of Illinois, Colorado and Clemson. A nice target at 6’6” and 235 pounds.
Thomas Winters (Cahokia): Excellent defensive back/receiver who is ranked one of the state’s top 25 prospects by Rivals.com recruiting website.
David Young (Edwardsville): A 6’5” 275-pound offensive lineman who is receiving offers from several major colleges around the country.
Patrick Young (Althoff): Talented senior quarterback who should put up some big numbers in ’07. Tossed 16 touchdown passes as a junior.