NBCSportsChicago.com preps reporter "Edgy" Tim O’Halloran spotlights 100 high school football teams in 100 days. The first 75 team profiles will focus on teams making strides across Chicagoland and elsewhere in the state. Starting Aug. 5, we’ll unveil the @NBCSPrepsTop 25 Power Rankings, leading up to kickoff on Friday, Aug. 30.
School: Solorio
Head coach: Bill Ziemba
Assistant coaches: John Erlenbaugh, Rob Oden, Carol White, Joe Mende and Phil Wisniewski
How they fared in 2018: 7-5 (2-3 CPL Illini Red Bird Conference). Solorio failed to qualify for the 2018 IHSA state playoff field. The Sun Warriors then entered the CPL playoffs and defeated Lincoln Park and Curie before losing to Taft in the title game.
2019 regular season schedule:
Aug. 30 @ Clark
Sept. 6 vs Phoenix Academy
Sept. 13 @ Raby
Sept. 20 vs Simeon
Sept. 27 @ Taft
Oct. 4 vs Westinghouse
Oct. 11 @ Curie
Oct. 18 vs Hubbard
Oct. 25 vs Perspectives Leadership
[MORE: 82 Days to Kickoff - Taft]
Biggest storyline: The Sun Warriors had a recent string of IHSA playoff berths; last year they advanced to the Public League title game. Can the Sun Warriors make it back to the IHSA state playoff field in 2019?
Names to watch this season: RB Amarius Weatherspoon (Jr.) and WR/DB Brian Whitsey (Jr.)
Biggest holes to fill: The Sun Warriors will bring back a ton of experience for 2019 but will need to fill a few key spots this summer. That list includes the quarterback position and along the defensive line.
EDGY's Early Take: Solorio head coach Bill Ziemba believes his Sun Warriors are in the top five of Public League programs. They finished the 2018 season with a 5-4 record but missed the IHSA state playoff field because of low playoff points. The Sun Warriors will need to ramp up their overall game as they move into to the CPL Illini Land of Lincoln conference. If they can get out of the gates well early on, they have a great shot at getting back to the state playoffs in 2019.