November 12, 2024
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Here are 5 interesting CCL/ESCC stats halfway through the 2024 season

St. Laurence remains the megaconference’s lone undefeated team

By Michal Dwojak
Mt. Carmel's Jack Eliott (9) is congratulated by head coach Jordan Lynch after a score during the varsity football game between Nazareth Academy and Mt. Carmel high school on Friday, Sep. 13, 2024 in Chicago.

Mount Carmel's Jack Elliott (9) is congratulated by head coach Jordan Lynch after a score during their game against Nazareth Academy this season in Chicago. The Caravan have been one of the top teams in the CCL/ESCC. (Tony Gadomski/Tony Gadomski for Shaw Local New)

The 2024 football season has presented plenty of memorable moments in the CCL/ESCC through five weeks. Here are five of the most interesting numbers from around the megaconference.

1

Through five games, St. Laurence remains the CCL/ESCC’s lone undefeated team this season. Last season’s Class 4A runner-up is 5-0 after beating Noble Academy (72-8), Evanston (42-7), Niles Notre Dame (24-0), Carmel (17-4) and Leo (42-0).

The mark is the first time there’s only been one undefeated team left after five weeks in the megaconference since it formed in 2019.

If St. Laurence was to run the table and go undefeated this season, it would be the first time the Vikings went without a loss since 1976. The program went 13-0 that season and won the Class 5A state championship.

There’s been a strong history of undefeated teams in the CCL/ESCC. Loyola went undefeated last season when it won the Class 8A title while Mount Carmel went without a loss in 2019 and 2022 when it took the Class 7A title. Joliet Catholic went undefeated and won the Class 4A crown in 2021.

2

The Vikings and Caravan are the lone teams in the CCL/ESCC with a point differential of plus-100 or more. St. Laurence leads the way with a plus-168 while Mount Carmel had a plus-103.

Both teams are keeping up strong paces they set last season. Through five games, the Caravan average 43 points per game and have limited opponents to 22.4 points per game. The Vikings have scored an average of 39.4 points per game and given up an average of 5.8 points so far.

Mount Carmel scored an average 38.8 points per game in 14 matchups last year and allowed an average of 13.6. St. Laurence averaged 33.1 points per game last season and gave up an average of 18.6

Each team will try to keep up their impressive starts against tough competition to round out the regular season. The Caravan will be tested with games against Brother Rice, Joliet Catholic, Fenwick and Loyola, respectively, to end the season. The Vikings end the regular season against Fenwick, St. Patrick, Brother Rice and Montini, respectively.

17

Although there’s only one undefeated team left in the CCL/ESCC, there’s plenty of winning going on in the megaconference. Seventeen of the 24 teams in the CCL/ESCC have winning records after five games.

Benet Academy’s Luke Doyle celebrates a touchdown agianst Saint Viator in a football game at Benedictine University in Lisle on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

Benet's Luke Doyle celebrates a touchdown against St. Viator in a football game at Benedictine University in Lisle this season. The Redwings have matched their win total from last season at 4-1. (John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com/John Starks)

While St. Laurence is alone at 5-0, Mount Carmel, Nazareth, St. Rita, Marist, Fenwick, Benet and DePaul Prep are all 4-1. Loyola, St. Ignatius, St. Francis, Joliet Catholic, Providence, Montini, Carmel, St. Viator and Marmion are all 3-2.

The 17 teams will try to qualify for the playoffs and keep up the CCL/ESCC’s strong representation in the postseason the past few years. The megaconference had 14 teams qualify last season while 13 made it in 2022.

The CCL/ESCC White is the lone division where every team is above .500. The Blue division was last to have all of its teams finish above .500 in 2022 when Mount Carmel, Loyola, Marist and Brother Rice all did it.

Marmion is the lone team with a winning record in the Red so far through five games.

12

The Blue’s 12 combined wins through five games this year is the fewest for the division since the CCL/ESCC formed. Mount Carmel leads the way at 4-1, both Loyola and St. Ignatius are 3-2 while Brother Rice is 2-3.

Loyola, Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and St. Rita combined for 17 wins through five games last season. In the first five games the previous three full regular seasons, Loyola, Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and Marist combined for 16 wins in 2022, 17 in 2021 and 15 in 2019.

There was not a full regular season held during the spring 2021 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s Blue teams will try to keep up with the division’s total wins numbers of the past few seasons with deep postseason runs. The Blue finished with 37 wins and two state titles last season, 41 wins and two state championships in 2022, 39 wins in 2021 and 38 wins and one state crown in 2019.

6

Six teams have already matched or surpassed their regular season win total from last season through five games. Marist (4-1), Fenwick (4-1), Benet (4-1), DePaul Prep (4-1), St. Patrick (2-3) and Marmion (3-2) have all met or exceeded last season’s win totals.

The Redhawks, Friars, Redwings and Rams each finished last regular season at 4-5. The Shamrocks and Cadets were each 2-7 last year.

Each team will try to return to the playoffs by earning their fifth win, although there’s a chance they could qualify with four wins if there aren’t enough qualifiers and a team’s schedule is strong enough. DePaul will try to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015, Benet will play for its first postseason since 2019, St. Patrick and Marmion venture to return after a two-year absence while Marist and Fenwick will try to break a one-year absence from the postseason.