I Have Selected the Chicagoland High School of Which I Will Become a Superfan This Football Season

Several weeks ago, I publicized my take that I would have the NFL as my third-favorite brand of football, behind not only college — which is clearly better in every conceivable way — but also high school. I love high school football.

There is no better feeling in the world than walking up to a ticket window with $5 in cash, exchanging it for a paper ticket with a 25% off coupon to the local Mexican restaurant on the back and walking into a high school football game on a 53-degree October night. I am emotional just thinking about it. But obviously having lived in New York City and downtown Chicago for all of my adult life, it's difficult to get to high school football games with that kind of atmosphere.

This season, though, I decided I was going to pick a high school somewhere in northeast Illinois and go all out. I'm buying merch, I'm going to every home game and I am going to add this school to the list of my teams to once again complete the Friday-Saturday-Sunday football fan experience triumvirate.

And after a good bit of research and deliberation, I have settled on Downers Grove North High School in Downers Grove, Illinois. You may recognize some notable alumni such as Charlie Sheen's ex-wife Denise Richards and contemporary Christian music artist Matthew West. We cover the whole spectrum at DGN.

The Trojans made it to the state championship game in 2023 before falling to Mt. Carmel and followed that up with another 10-win season in 2024. This is a team just waiting to break out. We have three Big Ten commits this year in QB Owen Lansu (Minnesota), TE Will Vala (Illinois) and DL Aiden Solecki (Purdue). The boys are ready to go this year.

I'm fired up. We open the season next weekend against Morgan Park before what I can only assume is a massive rivalry matchup with Downers Grove South in Week 2. I can't wait to be there for that one.

Let's go Trojans.