Super 25 countdown: Joliet Catholic

Updated: August 14, 2011 10:29PM

Even in these days of 7-on-7 competitions, team camps and prospect combines, there are some questions that can’t be answered till the high school football season gets under way at the end of August.

Then again, there are some things that are obvious right now, such as where Joliet Catholic’s strength is.

“If we stay 100 percent healthy, I think we could be one of the most potent running games in Illinois,” Hilltoppers senior Malin Jones said.

Pretty much everyone else agrees with him, too. Joliet Catholic, ranked 12th in the Sun-Times preseason Super 25, has one back who already has committed to a BCS school, another one who has been offered by several major programs and a third who’s already impressing.

That’s why the Hilltoppers, who own a record 13 state championships, could be playing late into November once again.

The leader of the pack is Jones, a 6-foot, 210-pounder who has committed to Northwestern. He ran for 1,022 yards and 13 touchdowns last season – pretty impressive numbers considering he was in the same backfield with Illinois recruit and Sun-Times All-Area pick Josh Ferguson.

Junior Ty Isaac (6-2, 215), who ran for eight touchdowns and around 700 yards last season from the fullback spot, is another big-timer. He already has offers from Notre Dame, Illinois, Arizona, Northwestern and Toledo.

Isaac’s production was exceptional considering the presence of Ferguson and Jones, not to mention the time he missed. “Ty got a little dinged up last year.” Jones said. “I think he missed about two, three games.”

The third member of the backfield will be junior fullback Tyler Reitz, who has also made a good impression.

There is less experience up front, with Jake Jankowski the only returning starter on the offensive line. But Jones has been encouraged by what he’s seen in the summer and preseason from that unit.

“The O-line is progressing pretty well,” he said.

There are some position battles going on across the ball. Linebacker Austin Bolton is a returning starter, while linebackers Mike Passo and Matt Madrigal both saw action last year.

Some of the spots may be filled by two-way players like Jones, who will also line up at safety. “I have a lot of fun on the defensive side,” he said. “It’s nice to change it up.”

If there is a concern for the Hilltoppers, it would be the relative lack of depth that likely will require a number of players to go both ways.

Then there’s the schedule, which this year will feature every East Suburban Catholic Conference team along with Richwoods, the team that knocked the Hilltoppers out of the Class 5A playoffs last fall. The conference’s marquee game actually comes in Week 1, when Carmel travels to Joliet’s Memorial Stadium for a showdown with the Hilltoppers.

“I like having a harder game as the first game,” Jones said. “It gives us a lot more energy and motivation through the summer.”

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