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DUPAGE VALLEY CONFERENCE
DeKalb (2-4, 1-2) at Naperville Central (5-1, 3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: The Redhawks won 26-0 last year in DeKalb.
About the Barbs: With last week’s 42-27 loss to Waubonsie Valley, DeKalb is going to have to win out to become playoff eligible. And it starts with needing to play the No. 6 team in Class 8A. Naperville Central has a ball-hawking secondary, and while sophomore quarterback Cole Latimer has made some big throws to Davon Grant this year, he also has been interception-prone. Coach Derek Schneeman said the biggest thing for Latimer is to stay cool, calm and collected. Schneeman said if Latimer doesn’t force the ball, plays within himself and gets the ball quickly to playmakers in space, he is at his best.
About the RedHawks: Aiden Clark had a 30-yard touchdown run, capping the winning 94-yard drive for the RedHawks in a 21-14 win over rival Naperville North. Clark finished with 138 yards on 26 carries. Nicholas Zbylut had an interception with 16.6 seconds left to seal the win. Kaden Skarr earlier in the game had an interception in the end zone. The Redhawks haven’t won the DVC outright since 2017 but control their destiny with two conference games left.
Friday Night Drive pick: Naperville Central
KISHWAUKEE RIVER/INTERSTATE 8 WHITE
Sycamore (6-0, 3-0) at Woodstock North (2-4, 1-3)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Last matchup: The Spartans won 48-15 last year in Sycamore.
About the Thunder: North lost to Ottawa 28-27 last week. The Thunder got a huge game from WR Max Dennison, who had five carries for 57 yards and two touchowns and caught two passes for 80 yards and another score. QB Landan Creighton leads North with 389 yards rushing. FB Kaden Combs was nagged by an injury early in the season but carried 13 times for a season-high 98 yards and a touchdown last week.
About the Spartans: After topping 40 points in three of their first four games, the Spartans have managed only three touchdowns in each of their past two games, including a 22-21 thriller against Kaneland last week, a game coach Joe Ryan said his team pulled out of the fire. The Spartans went for a two-point conversion with a minute left to secure the win. They turned the ball over twice in the loss, both on fumbles, and lost two turnovers against Rochelle, as well. All seven turnovers the Spartans have committed this season have been fumbles. Ryan said it comes down to ball security, and there is no magic answer beyond good technique. Tyler Curtis has rushed for a team-best 437 yards with five touchdowns, while Diego Garcia has a team-best seven rushing touchdowns. Burke Gautcher has thrown for 542 yards and seven touchdowns.
FND pick: Sycamore
KISHWAUKEE RIVER/INTERSTATE 8 CROSSOVER
Marengo (3-3) at Kaneland (3-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: The Knights won 44-3 in Marengo last year.
About the Indians: Marengo lost to Rochelle 47-0 last week. The Indians had several starting players on the sideline last week with injuries, which did not help against a tough Rochelle team. RB Isaac Anthony has run for 528 yards, RB Connor Sacco has 160, and QB David Lopez has 150. Marengo needs two wins in its last three games to extend its playoff streak to five consecutive seasons.
About the Knights: Kaneland has lost three games this year. They’ve led each of those games in the fourth quarter, and the three teams they’ve lost to (Sycamore, Washington and Morris) are a combined 17-1 and ranked fourth or higher in their respective classes. They had Sycamore on the ropes, holding the Spartans to three-and-out on their first two drives of the second half. But Sycamore drove downfield trailing by seven, scored with a minute left, then connected on a two-point conversion for the win. Tony DeBlasio leads the team with 56 tackles and five interceptions, while Josh Mauthe has 35 tackles, eight for a loss, and has hurried six passes. He’s also the team’s leading rusher with 492 yards and seven touchdowns.
FND pick: Kaneland
BIG NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Genoa-Kingston (3-3, 3-3) at Stillman Valley (3-3, 3-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: The Cogs were 35-0 winners last year at home.
About the Cogs: Genoa-Kingston became the latest victim of Byron, losing 52-12 in what was the closest game the Tigers have played all year. If the Cogs are to make their eighth straight postseason, they need to win at least two of their last three games. Coach Cam Davekos said he liked the way his team fought from start to finish against Byron. He said the Cardinals are explosive to the outside, and everybody will need to watch their keys and assignments if they want to have success.
About the Cardinals: Oregon rolled to a 28-7 win over Stillman Valley last week, its first win against the Cardinals since 2014. The Stillman Valley offense couldn’t get rolling, managing 22 yards total in the first and not getting a play longer than 6 yards until the end of the third quarter. G-K beat Oregon 20-14 in Week 3. A loss to the Cogs would be particularly brutal to the Cardinals’ postseason chances. They need two wins to become playoff eligible, and Byron lurks on their schedule in Week 9.
FND pick: Stillman Valley
EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL
Alden-Hebron (2-4) at Hiawatha (2-4)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Hiawatha was a 56-38 winner last year in Hebron.
About the Hawks: For the first time, the Hawks are playing a home game on a Friday night this season. It’s also the only time they are at home on a Friday night. Throw in the fact it’s homecoming, and coach Kenny McPeek said the team should have a bunch of momentum despite losing 54-26 to South Fork last week. Hiawatha is 2-0 against teams .500 or below and 0-4 against teams above .500. Last week, McPeek said he liked the defensive performances by Ryan Barber (14 tackles) and Tommy Butler (13 tackles). Although both are linebackers, he said Barber’s total was a sign South Fork was getting too deep into the secondary as Barber slips into coverage against spread sets.
About the Giants: A-H lost to Flanagan 67-18 last week. RB Wyatt Armbrust, one of the Giants’ two best playmakers, suffered a knee injury on the kickoff last week and was out the rest of that game. A-H coach Tim Oman said Armbrust was questionable and would be evaluated this week. QB Ben Vole has run for 344 yards and thrown for 829 yards with 14 touchdowns. WR Fabian Carreno leads the Giants with 17 catches and averages 21.6 yards per reception.
FND pick: Hiawatha
– Northwest Herald sports writer Joe Stevenson contributed to this report