Steve Tucker's preps notebook

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Devil of a season

Girls cross-country coach Mark McCabe points out that out of nine fall sports, Hinsdale Central finished first or second in five: first in girls tennis and second in football, girls cross-country, boys golf and girls swimming.

Lemming’s lists

Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming includes two area players — Fremd OL Christian Lombard and Johnsburg TE C.J. Fiedorowicz — on his 28-member all-junior team. His No. 1 junior in the nation is 6-7, 310-pound OL Seantrel Henderson of St. Paul, Minn.

Lemming ranks two Illinois players — Illinois-bound WR/DB Terry Hawthorne of East St. Louis and Notre Dame-bound OL Chris Watt of Glenbard West — among his top 100 seniors. He ranks Vanderbilt-bound QB Charlie Goro of Maine South, Illinois-bound WR Kraig Appleton of East St. Louis and Northwestern-bound OL Patrick Ward of Providence among the top 200.

Among his top sophomores are RB Shepard Little, Schaumburg; WR Devaris Daniels, Vernon Hills; LB Nick Lifka, Naperville North; DE Demetrius Hill, Kankakee; LB Rob Sterling, T.F. South; and QB Nick Meyer, Elk Grove.

Other sophomores to keep an eye on are RB John Strickland and OL Zach Peterson, Round Lake; OL Matt Frazier, Bishop McNamara; OL Patrick Flavin, Benet; QB Matt LaCosse, Naperville North; QB Joe Camiliere, Kaneland; LB T.J. Lally and DB Nick Seoliere, Marmion; QB Matt Gillis, Romeoville; OL Matt Anzelc, Yorkville; RB Dontae McCoy, Shepard; OL Brian Berzanski, Vernon Hills; and DE James Adeyanja, Curie.

Did you know?

St. Francis quarterback Jeff Reckards was listed at 6-0, 160 pounds, but coach Greg Purnell said he is closer to 5-9, 136. Reckards would have been a defensive back this season, but quarterback Tyler Warden transferred to Glenbard West and Mark Kachmer moved to running back.

Gatorade honors Watt

Glenbard West lineman Chris Watt is the 2008-09 Gatorade Illinois Football Player of the Year. Watt (6-4, 290 pounds) had 158 pancake blocks this season, leading the Hilltoppers (12-1) to a Class 7A semifinal appearance. Watt is also 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection.

Nike meet

Class 3A state champion Lindsay Flanagan of Lake Park, top-10 finisher Andrew Larsen of Marmion and club teams from Naperville, Elmhurst and Geneva will compete Saturday in the Nike Cross-Country Nationals in Portland, Ore.