Immersed in football

So much football randomness rambling through my mind, it’s time to let some of it out.

Scoring surgeI#146;ve been talking with coaches about the immense amount of scoring through the first two weeks. Just a bunch of 40-point explosions coming from unexpected teams against unexpected opponents.Among the 27 football-playing schools in the DuPage area, there have been 15 games of 40-plus points for teams and 12 games of 40-plus points against.Forty points from Glenbard East and Willowbrook? Forty points allowed by Glenbard North and Downers Grove South? Citing Downers South#146;s 48-35 Week 1 loss to South Elgin, Mustangs coach John Belskis noted it was the first time in 24 years his team scored 35 points and lost. So what gives? No definitive answers, although some coaches believe offense is getting the bulk of attention these days. A team#146;s top athletes are being put on offense in spread formations in an attempt to get them in space and put defenders on their heels. Some coaches think offenses tend to dictate the pace early in the season as defenses catch up later. Maybe it#146;s simply a matter of seeing a bunch of returning skill players this year. Wheaton North, for example, returned only two offensive starters from last season but they were all-DuPage Valley Conference quarterback Johnny Peltz and all-DVC running back Patrick Sharp.Mark your calendarBased on what we#146;ve seen the first two weeks, plan to be at North Central College for the Oct. 5 meeting between District 204 rivals Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.They both handled Naperville Central while Neuqua Valley also took care of Naperville North in the opener. In two games Waubonsie#146;s scored 88 points with the Wildcats tallying 84.It#146;s very possible both teams will enter the Week 7 showdown with 6-0 records. One team could end the regular season 9-0 with the other finishing 8-1.The talent is tremendous on both sides, and it only starts with Warriors running back Austin Guido and Neuqua counterpart Joey Rhattigan. While it#146;s still really early, there#146;s already a buzz that Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley might have their best teams.DVC down?A year ago in this space we talked about the DuPage Valley Conference and its disappointing 8-8 finish in nonconference play. The disappointment was long forgotten, however, once Wheaton Warrenville South advanced to the Class 7A championship game and Glenbard North and Naperville Central made it to the 8A semifinals. Turns out last year wasn#146;t a down year at all in the DVC, but what about this year? In the first two weeks the DVC went 5-11, a miserable mark for the power conference. Perennial playoff qualifiers Naperville Central and WW South are 0-2, while Wheaton North is the lone 2-0 team. The Falcons and West Aurora were the only conference teams to win an opener.Like last year, time will tell if this is a down year in the DVC. Like last year, though, it#146;d be foolish to count out the league come playoff time.Silver and GoldWeek 2 is always an interesting time for the West Suburban Conference. It#146;s an early look at the talent in both divisions as the Silver crosses over and plays the Gold teams. In recent years the Silver division has dominated the Gold, and Week 2 this year was no different. Silver teams won six of the seven matchups, outscoring the Gold 204-46 in the six victories.The lone Gold winner was Hinsdale South in a 49-21 victory over York. The Hornets are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since they made a trip to the state quarterfinals in 2005.The Gold gets a chance at redemption once a week the rest of the season in the #147;natural rivalry#148; crossovers. It starts this week with Willowbrook facing York. Fond farewellNow that it#146;s unfortunately official, I#146;d like to take a minute to say farewell to fellow scribe Marty Maciaszek, who is stepping away from the Daily Herald after 20 years of stunning service covering high school sports in the northwest suburbs. Marty covered his last game for us as a staff writer last Friday, although he#146;ll likely be seen in our pages as a freelance writer in the near future. As Marty moves on to what I#146;m sure will be a successful transition to the sporting goods industry, I reflect on our time together as colleagues and pals here at the Herald. He#146;ll be missed by everyone familiar with his work and fierce dedication to his craft.We may no longer be colleagues but, thankfully, we#146;ll remain pals. All InAll In, Comcast#146;s reality program following Naperville North#146;s football team this season, made its debut Thursday night on CN100. Talking earlier this week to Huskies coach Sean Drendel, who saw a sneak preview of the first episode, he gives it a thumbs-up. Modeled after HBO#146;s Hard Knocks series, All In is the brainchild of Comcast#146;s Erik Anschicks and Mark Krueger. Unlike Hard Knocks, which follows NFL teams in the preseason, Anschicks, Krueger and their team will follow the Huskies all season.If you missed the first episode and have Comcast, you can find All In On Demand at CN100. Additional episodes will be broadcast every other week.Follow Kevin on Twitter @kevin_schmitkschmit@dailyherald.com