Which Chicagoland HS football teams are the ones to watch in 2018?

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There are a mere 269 days left until IHSA Football Kickoff 2018. Why not look ahead to August? Here are some teams to watch as preseason favorites next season.

Loyola Academy: The Ramblers always seem to find a way to reload. They have advanced to the Class 8A state title game in five of the past seven seasons. Loyola brings back seven underclassmen starters from the 2017 state runner-up team including junior WR Noah Jones and junior OLB Armoni Dixon. Both Jones and Dixon are already drawing early scholarship offers and recruiting interest.

Lincoln-Way East: This year's Class 8A state champions will return just five starters going into next season; that said, very few schools can claim to have as deep of a roster than the Griffins. Sophomore WR AJ Henning already has offers from Illinois, Minnesota and Northwestern and is back along with three starting offensive linemen.

Nazareth Academy: The Roadrunners will bring back 12 starters (six offense, six defense). Those numbers include several top-level 2019 recruits including RB/DB Devin Blakely, WR/DB Michael Love, WR/S Diamond Evans, DB Jermaine Baker and DE/LB Cameron Leach. And the cupboard is more than stocked for just this year. The 2020 Roadrunner class looks to be quite promising. 

Phillips: The Wildcats have a terrific chance at making another deep run in 2018. Phillips features several key juniors including TE Jahleel Billingsley, WR/DB Fabian McCray and WR/DB Joseph Thompson. The sophomore class is equally loaded. It is headlined by DB Ronald Pledger, who already has an early offer from Illinois. 

Other notables: Homewood-Flossmoor, Maine South, Glenbard West, Bolingbrook. Richards, Batavia and Naperville Central.
 

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