Fifteen preseason scholarship offers.  

Top-ten ranking in the state.  

Returning starters at nearly every position.  

The Beatles once sang a tune titled, “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” cautioning of the imminent downfall one could endure after happiness. For the Nazareth Roadrunners, the same has been stressed about indulging the hype surrounding their talented football squad.  

“We cannot believe the hype,” Nazareth head coach Tim Racki told the Chicago Tribune in summer practices. “We’ve been getting a tremendous amount of press on social media. Any team I’ve seen, whether I’ve coached a team like it or against it, if you let your guard down … everybody is well aware of you and maybe prepared just a little harder for you every week.  

“These kids aren’t used to that,” Racki continued. “They won one playoff game in two years (a 37-13 victory over Brooks in Class 5A last season). So even though they have varsity experience, they don’t have the mental experience of trying to avoid those distractions, preseason offers and polls.”  

The statistical output from Nazareth’s first three matches has not only affirmed their elevated focus on success, but possibly revealed an underestimation from their own head coach in the quote above, whether intentional or not. The Roadrunners have thus far excelled both as individual players and as a team. Running back Nolan Dean has proved himself to be among the top running backs in the Chicagoland area, tallying eight touchdowns and three 100-plus yard rushing performances. His contributions, among those of many others, have catapulted the Roadrunners to a record consisting of three commanding victories and zero losses.  

Some suggest that the Roadrunners possess enough talent to steamroll through the playoffs. The destiny of the team, however, lies in its ability to focus on objectives and feed from adversity, not on preseason hype.  

“It can be a slippery slope if you start thinking you’re going to be successful without having to work for it, staying hungry and focusing on the process of playing football,” Racki said. “It can be a dangerous way to learn. Lou Holtz said it best: ‘Every team is going to face three crises in a season.’ And it’s going to be how we react to that. Some teams crack and some teams rise above it.”  

Nazareth will look to build on its three dominating performances this Friday against Marian Catholic, who enters the game with one win and three losses. A victory over the Spartans would complete one of many objectives that the Roadrunners hope to fulfill before the end of the season. As for the most ambitious aspiration?  

“We want to win a state title,” Racki said.

One can only hope the Roadrunners remain focused.