Michael Jackson made the one-glove look famous. Joliet Catholic junior Travis Jensen shed his gray gloves Saturday afternoon to give the Hilltoppers' secondary a much sunnier outlook.

Dan Sharp is no dummy. In various short-yardage situations, the Joliet Catholic Academy head football coach/offensive coordinator borrows inside linebackers Zach Dolph and Jake Stockman for his power package.The Hilltoppers call it their "Jumbo" set.

On fourth down in the first quarter last Friday night, Providence Catholic junior Zac Plantz zipped through the gap and stopped Oswego power back John Hugunin for a 1-yard gain, forcing the Panthers to turn the football over on downs. Of course, Zac credited his brother Tyler, a senior inside linebacker, and junior inside linebacker Ray Ames for paving the way.

He was promoted to the Joliet Catholic varsity as a sophomore in only his second year of playing organized football, a potential wingback, wide receiver and tight end listed at a man-child 6 feet 2, 185 pounds. His brother Mike, a 6-8, 290-pound gentle giant, played tight end for three straight Hilltopper state champions from 1999-2001 before becoming a tackle for the University of Michigan. His brother Andrew was an ace defensive tackle for the 2003 state champs.

Bill Scheibe: Mere minutes into the fourth quarter of Friday night's Class 6A second-round playoff football game against host Oswego, Providence tailback Tim Hanrahan sat in silence on the bench, not thinking about an uncharacteristic fumble.

We live in a world enamored by numbers, whether the topic is the stock market's rise or fall, how many touchdowns or interceptions the Bears' Jay Cutler has thrown or how many years since the Cubs last won the World Series.

Bill Scheibe: He trained during the offseason, a cold and bitter winter followed by a warm and soothing summer, to be Minooka's quarterback. Mitch Brozovich, the junior achiever and heir apparent, was supposed to be shelved by labrum shoulder surgery. That didn't happen, so deep safety Corey Krakowski went back to being the quarterback of the defense.

Bill Scheibe: Isolated on an island at cornerback, and staring straight into the facemask of 6-foot-2, 215-pound fullback Jim Benson being split wide, Wilmington senior Justin Gruca transformed into Just(in) Time Gruca.

Please forgive, if you can, Plainfield North middle linebacker Matt Meyers for the first two letters of his last name. It is one of those few times he ever will be associated with, or even mention, the objective pronoun of "me."

After winning state titles as the defensive coordinator at both Providence Catholic and Lockport, George Czart became Lincoln-Way North's first head coach for the 2008 season, then compiled his depth chart. In consultation with the Lincoln-Way East coaching staff, Czart started a star search. He called the concept "crushing," but Czart identified the program's No. 1 athlete and made him the Phoenix quarterback.
Quarterback Tait Erikson helps lead Lincoln-Way North's 'amazing' ride from worst to first -- times two

Bill Scheibe: In a cramped storage shed underneath the Plainfield Central visitors' bleachers, offensive coordinator Frank Yudzentis stepped into the middle of the team's postgame circle and captured Minooka's moment perfectly Friday.