Labor Day weekend means barbecuing, backyard get-togethers, the day off (for some) and, most importantly, football. Here's what to look for this weekend in the Midwest.
Can Dieter do it again?As we documented in this blog earlier this week, South Bend (Ind.) Washington receiver
Gehrig Dieter has put up the kind of numbers you might rack up in a video game. Through two weeks, Dieter has 19 catches, 716 yards and eight touchdowns. Dieter isn't playing against Indiana's best competition, but those numbers are impressive regardless. He hasn't received much love from BCS programs, but it becomes increasingly tougher to hold off on offering him when Dieter is working on his third-straight 300-yard receiving game. Washington takes on Elkhart Central, which won't pose much resistance to Dieter. Another 300-yard game is a lot to predict, but Dieter should have himself another fine game.
Can the Gators climb atop Pittsburgh tackle's leader board?Four-star OT
Adam Bisnowaty (Pittsburgh/Fox Chapel) has Florida and Pittsburgh out in front, and he will head down to Gainesville first thing Saturday morning for an official visit. Bisnowaty has already unofficially visited Florida after going down there for a camp this summer. Pittsburgh fans can't like that Bisnowaty is going to Florida, but it will be hard for the Gators to pull Bisnowaty away from the hometown school. It will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like at The Swamp on Saturday. It is a night game and the first game under the new regime, but the opponent is Florida Atlantic. Will the Gators be able to jump into the lead for the touted tackle?
Moeller (Cincinnati) gets its playmaker backMoeller (Cincinnati) four-star receiver
Monty Madaris missed the team's season opener last weekend with a sore hamstring but will play Friday against Hamilton. Madaris is a dynamic player at receiver, and the offense struggled a bit without him last week, scoring only 14 points. Hamstrings tend to linger, so it remains to be seen if Madaris will be at 100 percent and can remain healthy the rest of the season. Madaris will need a solid senior season to remain on Michigan's and Florida State's receiver board. Those two schools lead for Madaris.
Shell starts senior season with Pennsylvania records in reachESPNU 150 RB
Rushel Shell (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) begins his run to become Western Pennsylvania's all-time leading rusher. Shell, who plays his home games in Tony Dorsett Stadium, is 880 yards shy of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League's rushing record of 7,646 yards, which is held by Mike Vernillo. Shell rushed for 2,510 yards last season, and, if he matches that number, he would also break the Pennsylvania rushing record of 9,027 yards held by Jeremiah Young. Shell has already decided on a school and will announce his decision on Oct. 7. He is down to Alabama, Florida, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.
Loaded Cass Tech team looking to reboundThe No. 1 team in the state of Michigan entering last weekend, Detroit's Cass Tech, was manhandled by Harrison (Farmington Hills). Cass Tech could have as many as 10 players sign Football Bowl Subdivision letters of intent, but that meant little last week in its 43-7 loss to Harrison. Will there be a hangover from last week's loss? It likely might not show in the result as Tech should win, but a slow start could frustrate the Tech sideline.
Where I will be this Labor Day weekendSolon (Ohio) at Worthington Kilbourn (Columbus): Solon travels down from to Columbus from the Cleveland suburbs and brings with it two of the state's top uncommitted players in three-star linemen
Austin Stock and
Nathan Hoff. Stock (6-foot-3, 270 pounds), ranked No. 15 among centers, currently holds an offer from Air Force but is waiting to hear from a couple of BCS programs. Stock spent the offseason working with former NFL Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley. Hoff, a three-star defensive tackle, also holds an offer from Air Force and a couple of MAC schools. The Comets also have one of the top juniors in the state in cornerback
Darian Hicks.