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Week 5 urgency as MSL East, West races get started

It's time to get down to business in the Mid-Suburban League.

After four weeks of nonconference football games, teams from the MSL will kick it off against conference foes beginning this week. Not only are conference titles in the East and the West to be contested, with the winners getting automatic postseason berths, but teams will also be jockeying to win enough games and thus playoff points to qualify for the playoffs with at-large bids.

While all of this urgency should bring out some deep-seated rivalries amongst coaches, in practice it is just the opposite, according to Hoffman Estates coach Mike Donatucci.

The dean of coaches in the MSL, Donatucci is in his second year as head coach at Hoffman Estates after spending a year as an assistant at Schaumburg and 19 years as head coach at Fremd.

"Playing coaches you know and respect and are friends with is a good thing," Donatucci said. "That is something special throughout the MSL. The relationships I have are fun."

Donatucci will test that stance this week when he takes his Hawks to visit Fremd on Friday. It is homecoming for the Vikings, and it's Donatucci's first visit to the football field at Fremd as the opposition's head coach.

"Obviously you play to win," Donatucci said. "But there is that respect factor and genuine friendships. I really think it is unique to the MSL."

Hoffman Estates is off to its best start in recent years. The Hawks are 3-1 and are coming off a disappointing loss last week despite the strong play from quarterback Jeff Mayes and running back Connor McCreary.

Fremd has won 3 in a row since a season-opening loss to Lake Zurich. The Vikings have found their offense behind the strong play of its offensive line along with running back Jawan Gaines, who is coming off a 4-touchdown effort, and quarterback Cordell Finely.

While both teams are playing well, perhaps nobody is playing better right now than Barrington (4-0). The Broncos, who are averaging neatly 40 points per game, were impressive in the opening game victory over Jacobs, and continued to raise some eyebrows with a lopsided victory over Wheeling.

But before Barrington can even begin to think about an MSL West title, they first must knock off defending conference champion Schaumburg. The Saxons (1-3) struggled in their first three games, but got things together on the offensive side last week and hope to us that as a springboard for the rest of the season.

Both Conant and Palatine are 2-2, with both teams having had some impressive moments only to be hampered by inconsistency.

Palatine has scored plenty of points, but has had some issues defensively. To that end, the Pirates will be moving some key offensive players over to help out on defense. Quarterback Nick Orlando and running back Chris Cornelius have been productive when the Pirates have the ball and hope their presence on defense will also help.

"I like where we are at," Palatine coach Rick Splitt said. "They are playing at a good level. We just want to shore up our defense a bit."

Conant, meanwhile, has had its struggles on the offensive side of the ball. But the Cougars got quarterback Jack Bradley back last week and hope to get their scoring machine moving.

"We are little behind right now," Conant coach Bill Modelski said. "And that is to be expected. But we think Bradley will pick things up quickly."

The East looks like a mix of haves and have-nots after going 5-11 against the West in crossover games this year. It was the ninth consecutive year that the West has had a clear edge, upping their record to 184-120 since the conferences realigned in 1998.

Rolling Meadows, Hersey and upstart Wheeling appear to have the best shot at an East Divison title.

Hersey (2-2) was the preseason favorite, and if defense wins championships, then the Huskies still have the inside track. Hersey has allowed just 45 points in its first 4 games while allowing an average of 98 yards passing.

Rolling Meadows has been solid on both sides of the ball. The Mustangs are 3-1 and have scored 88 points thanks to the all-around play of quarterback RJ Mattucci.

The Mustangs will find out where they stand right away when they open at Wheeling on Friday. The Wildcats have their best opportunity since 2008 to qualify for the state playoffs as quarterback Amani Dennis and running back Isaac Branch pose problems for opponents.

Buffalo Grove (2-2) appeared to be on a roll early, but an injury to quarterback Trey Cervantes last week dampened those spirits.

Prospect and Elk Grove have yet to win a game this year. Both teams have struggled with young squads and key injuries, but hope to turn it around with conference play.

The only other area team that could challenge for the playoffs is St. Viator. The Lions (2-2) are coming off an impressive effort against perennial state power Joliet Catholic in a 28-24 loss.

  Quarterback Cordell Finley and running back Jawan Gaines are proving to be a tough assignment for opposing defenses. The Vikings host Hoffman Estates in an MSL West opener Friday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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