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Illinois stars impress during first week

The State of Illinois kicked off the 2003 season last weekend, and several of the state's top recruits were in action. Here’s a look at how some of the state’s best recruits fared on the gridiron and some impressions that were made on Rivals.com’s Illinois recruiting analyst Tim O’Halloran.
Outside linebacker Kyle Williams Bolingbrook
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Williams, the 12th best recruit in the nation according to Rivals.com, saw plenty of action in his first game of the 2003 season on both sides of the ball and led the Raiders to a 13-6 win over Minooka Saturday in Bolingbrook.
Williams carried the ball 22 times for 143 yards and a touchdown. On defense, the Bonecrusher was all over the field and finished with 11 tackles in the win. Williams will double as both a running back and linebacker this season for Bolingbrook head coach John Ivlow.
Outside linebacker Chris
Patterson Chicago Hubbard
Patterson, a five-star ranked linebacker according to Rivals.com, ran onto the field Saturday night at Gately Stadium in Chicago wearing a very familiar jersey number. Patterson is wearing No. 51 this season, reminding many of a modern day Dick Butkus who wore 51 in his NFL days with the Chicago Bears and who also played in the
Chicago Public League at Chicago Vocational. Patterson. The Greyhounds defense was all over Chicago Hyde Park in Hubbard's 61-14 win.
Patterson, who has already committed to Oklahoma, made quick work of the Indians. The Hubbard defense held Hyde Park to negative yards of total offense until late in the first half, and Patterson had two sacks and seven tackles in the first half. Patterson also saw spot action on the Greyhounds offensive line, and Patterson is also the Greyhounds kicker on all kickoffs as well this year.
Offensive Tackle Roland Martin Chicago Harper
Baby Orlando Pace clone Roland Martin and the Cardinals started the 2003 season on a high note, defeating Milwaukee St. Vincent 37-0 last Saturday in Milwaukee. Martin and the Harper offensive line opened up monster holes as the Cardinals massed more than 250 yards on the ground in the win. Martin is also seeing spot duty this season on the defensive line for head coach Terry Lewis.
Inside linebacker Sam Carson Downers Grove South
Carson and the Mustangs played their opener at the University of Illinois against the two-time defending Class 7A state champion Edwardsville Tigers, and Downers South pulled out an impressive 28-6 win. Carson had a standout game, recording 11 tackles and also scoring a touchdown on a 2-yard run in the win. According to Downers Grove South head coach John Belskis, Carson performed to peak performance.
"He's a man. A few Edwardsville players came up to Sam after the game and said "We've never seen a player like you."
Strongside defensive end Eric Andino Buffalo Grove
Four star ranked Eric Andino and the Bison got off to a great start on Saturday, and Buffalo grove defeated Glenbrook South 31-7 last Friday night. Andino had 10 tackles in the win and also blocked a punt. Andino is also playing tight end this season for head coach Rich Roberts.
"I haven't caught a pass yet," Andino said. "In our offense we run the ball a lot, but this is the first time I'm playing tight end so I'm hoping to get a few passes this year. I like playing as much as possible so I'm enjoying playing both sides of the ball."
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