CSNChicago.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 Jul. 31, we’ll unveil the @CSNPrepsTop 25 Power Rankings, leading up to kickoff on Friday, Aug. 25.
School: Palatine
Head coach: Corey Olson
How they fared in 2016: 12-1 (5-0 Mid Suburban West Conference), made the Class 8A state playoff field, defeated Notre Dame, Lyons Township and St. Charles East before losing to Maine South in the semifinal round
2017 Regular Season Schedule:
Aug. 25 vs. Stevenson
Sept. 1 at Wheeling
Sept. 8 at Evanston
Sept. 15 vs. Maine South
Sept. 22 at Schaumburg
Sept. 28 vs. Barrington
Oct. 6 at Fremd
Oct. 13 vs. Conant
Oct. 20 vs. Hoffman Estates
Biggest storyline: Can the Pirates win big again in 2017?
Names to watch: Senior linebacker Cortez Hogans, senior wide receiver Johnny O'Shea, senior defensive end Bryant Smith
Biggest holes to fill: The Pirates need to replace a handful of top names from last season, including graduated quarterback Zach Oles.
EDGY's Early Take: Palatine has a new head coach this season in former Palatine assistant coach Corey Olson takes over from Rick Splitt, who stepped down from the position last winter. Palatine had a terrific run last season and return several key performers this fall on both sides of the football. While any transition to a new coach can potentially have some issues, this is a veteran staff with a team loaded with varsity experience that will make the new adjustment work this fall.