Here Come the Hawks, Part I

There is definitely a change in attitude at Hoffman Estates. The Hawks took care of business with by winning the first two of five home games and in both cases - 7-0 over Woodstock in the opener and 19-6 over Elk Grove last week - they were games that would have gone the other way in recent years.
Now the Hawks, who started 2-0 for the first time since 1996, have a chance to win their first three since 1991 when they visit Buffalo Grove on Friday. Third-year coach Bill Helzer knows it's still a process in getting his team to fully believe their start isn't surprising.
"Here's something we've got to get used to and that's winning," Helzer told his team in the postgame huddle after beating Elk Grove. "The day and age of sitting on the sideline and being shocked when we make a play is over."
And it's clear Helzer's message is making an impact after a pair of 2-win seasons.
"We've forgotten how it feels to lose and that's a good thing," said Hoffman senior linebacker Don Rathje.
"A number of us have been playing together for 11 years and we never lost until last year," said Hoffman senior middle linebacker Greg Carroll. "We won as freshmen and sophomores. We won in Pop Warner leagues.
"We don't like to lose. We refuse to lose and refuse to give up."
Hoffman hopes to carry that attitude into the 10th week of the season for the first time since 1994.