New-Sun extra points

In terms of high school sports, we tend to think of Carmel High School as being in Mundelein, and really close to Libertyville High School.

But after breaking down some of the numbers of the students in the school, school, we came to this conclusion:

If you think Carmel is the Catholic school for Lake County, you’re thinking correctly.

The Corsair umbrella covers corner to corner in the county, and here are some stats to prove it.

As our sample set, we took the 83 players on the Corsair’s varsity football team and broke down where they live based on church affiliation.

The result is that Carmel kids literally come from Fox Lake to the northwest, Lake Zurich to the southwest, Wadsworth to the northeast, Deerfield to the southeast, and all parts in between.

In fact, the only places where Carmel kids don’t come from are Zion and Highland Park — and there are good reasons for that.

If you live in Zion, then St. Joe’s of Kenosha is the easy get for your kid.

If you live in Highland Park, then Loyola is the easy get.

Otherwise, Carmel really is Lake County’s Catholic school.

All told, two dozen churches — not all Catholic — are represented by Carmel varsity football players.

So, if you want to think of Carmel as a “melting pot” of students in Lake County, go ahead.

In this corner of the world, we happen to think that melting pots are a good thing.

Kozlowski earning new fans at North Chicago

Not only has North Chicago High School’s football team defied the odds with a miraculous 4-0 start to its season.

But the Warhawks actually have developed a following among NCHS grads who were part of the school’s very first football team in the fall of 1954.

This unbelievable but true story started last June, when some of the 1954 football players and the very first Warhawk coach, Chuck Mills, got together for a reunion golf outing/dinner at Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan.

One of the invited guests was current North Chicago football coach Glen Kozlowski, so the reunion literally brought together bookend coaches at NCHS — Mills and, 58 years later, Kozlowski.

Earlier this month, at North Chicago’s first home football game, Koz held a recognition celebration for the 1954 players and had them meet the current Warhawks.

So, what you had was 17-year-old kids interacting with 70-year-old men.

And darned if it didn’t work.

A couple members of the Class of ‘54 gave a pre-game pep talk, and then led the current players in the singing of the school Fight Song.

Who would have guessed that the old-timers would have remembered all the words and that the current players would even know all the words.

Yet, that’s how it went down.

Afterward, the Class of ’54 players sent word out to their classmates and their coach about the experience.

And here’s what Coach Mills wrote to Coach Koz about the moment:

“Warhawks 2012:

“Congratulations on your successful start, but that is not why I am writing.

“Last Saturday, you hosted players who were on the first Warhawk team. I have heard from many of them … your hospitality was outstanding.

“You were respectful and thoughtful and kind. They departed believing you were sincere and it thrilled them you accepted them as you did … They regard you as an exception group of young men.

“And for the little time you were with them, they departed feeling younger, of value and spirits high … thank you for that.

“Certainly, your coaches have influence on how you conduct yourself. But this special day, you presented a wonderful gift … and that says much about you.

“Please remember, your kindness and thoughtfulness may be forgotten by you … but for others, it can be a comforting memory for the rest of their lives.

“Be a Warhawk on the field. Be a caring young man off it.

“Again, THANK YOU!!!!!

“Coach Chuck Mills”

That, people is pretty impressive stuff, whether the team is 4-0 or something less.