The Times Week 8 previews: Marquette Academy hosts St. Bede, while Seneca looks to stay unbeaten

CHICAGOLAND PRAIRIE

St. Bede (5-2, 4-1) at Marquette (5-2, 4-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last matchup: St. Bede 40, Marquette 14 (2011)

About the Bruins: St. Bede travels to Ottawa to renew the rivalry with the Crusaders after a 12-year hiatus. Marquette and St. Bede were longtime rivals in the Big Rivers Conference before Marquette left after the 2011 season to join the Northeastern Athletic Conference. St. Bede is coming off a 31-28 victory over Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington that made the Bruins playoff eligible. QB Max Bray threw for 100 yards and ran for 190 yards and four touchdowns. He came up big on defense, as well, with two interceptions, including one in the end zone on the final play of the game. On the season, Bray has completed 62 of 109 passes for 727 yards and four TDs with seven interceptions while rushing for 900 yards and 18 TDs on 125 carries.

About the Crusaders: Marquette lost 28-6 to Seneca last week, snapping a five-game winning streak. The six points were the Crusaders’ lowest offensive output of the season since a 42-0 loss to Aurora Christian in the opener. Marquette averaged 48.8 points in its previous four games. The Crusaders scored on their first drive against Seneca, driving 85 yards with Pete McGrath scoring on a 5-yard run. McGrath ran for 47 yards on 10 carries, Jacob Smith had 59 yards on 15 attempts and Payton Gutierrez had 52 yards on 12 carries. The Crusaders are allowing 20.3 points per game. For the season, Smith has rushed for 466 yards and nine TDs, while Gutierrez has run for 492 yards and six scores. Marquette will look to tighten up an already close all-time series, which saw its first meeting in 1949. St. Bede holds a 30-26-1 advantage.

FND pick: Marquette

Seneca (7-0, 5-0) at Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington (5-2, 4-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last matchup: Seneca 48, Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington 0 (2022)

About the Fighting Irish: Coming off a 28-6 victory over Marquette last week, Seneca – ranked No. 4 in this week’s AP Class 2A poll – will look to keep its perfect season going and secure at least a share of the league title while also extending a current 18-game regular-season winning streak. Not counting a pair of forfeits, the Irish defense is allowing only 10.8 points per game. RB Asher Hamby rushed for 185 yards and a pair of TDs against the Crusaders and now has 578 yards and eight scores on the season. It’s unclear if four-year starting QB Nathan Grant, the team’s second-leading rusher and field general of Seneca’s power-T offense who missed last week’s game, will be available. Backup QB Paxton Giertz filled in against Marquette and completed two passes for 60 yards and a TD. Seneca is averaging 371.8 yards rushing, including Nathen Neal’s 359 yards and five TDs.

About the Trojans: After a one-point season-opening loss to Fieldcrest, Dwight had won five straight games until last week’s 31-28 loss at St. Bede on a Bruins field goal in the final minute. QB Conner Telford had a strong effort on the night against the Bruins, passing for 183 yards on 9 of 12 attempts and three TDs and one INT, with Drew Anderson making four catches for 112 yards. Telford also was the leading rusher in the game, racking up 112 yards on 11 carries, while Caiden Nelson added 42 yards on 11 attempts. Dwight’s defense, which allowed 351 total yards to St. Bede, was led by Evan Cox (eight tackles), Seth Robertson (seven tackles, one sack) and Terry Wilkey (sack). Dwight is averaging 37 points per contest while allowing 17.

KISHWAUKEE RIVER/INTERSTATE 8 WHITE

Morris (7-0, 4-0) at Ottawa (3-4, 1-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last matchup: Morris 59, Ottawa 7 (2022)

About Morris: Morris has reached another level over the past few weeks and hasn’t been remotely tested since a 10-point win over Kaneland in Week 3. Morris has held five of its opponents to a touchdown or less with a defense that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle of the team’s high-octane offense. Morris is averaging 44 points per game in an offense that is engineered by the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, Carter Button. Button achieved the record in Week 7 in a 48-7 win over Woodstock.

About the Pirates: Ottawa will be playing for its postseason life, as a 24-19 loss to rival La Salle-Peru last week in the 124th all-time meeting between the programs means the Pirates will need to win its final two games, including finding a way to slow down Morris, ranked No. 2 in this week’s AP Class 4A poll. To have any chance to pull off the upset, Ottawa will have to take care of the ball after turning it over four times in the second half against the Cavaliers. RB Ryder Miller leads the Pirates with 96 carries for 475 yards and six TDs, while QB Colby Mortenson is 74-of-112 passing for 873 yards and eight TDs. Morris, which leads the on-and-off series 30-20-4, has captured 25 straight meetings, with Ottawa’s last win in the matchup coming in 1972.

FND Pick: Morris

KISHWAUKEE RIVER/INTERSTATE 8 BLUE

Sandwich (5-2, 3-2) at Marengo (3-4, 2-2)

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Last matchup: Marengo 43, Sandwich 21 (2021)

About Sandwich: The Indians were “held” to 200 yards rushing in their 40-13 loss to Rochelle last week. Sandwich is averaging 296 rushing yards and 25.4 points through seven weeks, while allowing 19.3 points per outing. RB Simeion Harris has rushed for 838 yards and seven touchdowns; RB Nick Michalek has 558 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

About Marengo: The Indians lost to Kaneland 45-0 last week and fell to Rochelle 47-0 the week before. Marengo has been hit hard by injuries in the second part of the season. RB Isaac Anthony leads Marengo with 528 rushing yards, while QB David Lopez is completing 60% of his passes for 621 yards.

FND pick: Sandwich

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Streator (2-5, 1-4) at Reed-Custer (2-5, 1-4)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last matchup: Reed-Custer 73, Streator 14 (2022)

About the Bulldogs: Streator almost pulled a rabbit out of its hat against Peotone in Week 7, as QB Christian Benning (19 of 30 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns) put together a huge night but had his last-second Hail Mary pass fall short in a 36-32 loss to the Blue Devils. Matt Williamson had a huge game himself with eight receptions for 172 yards and three scores, including a 60-yarder late in the third quarter that gave the Bulldogs the lead they held into the final minute. The Bulldogs are averaging 29.1 points per game but allowing 36.6.

About the Comets: Reed-Custer’s postseason adventures of the past two seasons won’t stretch to a third. Last week’s one-point loss to a resurgent Manteno handed the Comets their fifth loss. It’s still been a productive year for the Comets, considering how they had to replace nearly everything from a stellar 2022 senior class that lit up scoreboards around the conference for two-plus seasons.

FND Pick: Reed-Custer

ILLINOIS 8-MAN

South Beloit (5-2) at FCW (5-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday (At Woodland)

Last meeting: FCW 44, South Beloit 38 (2021)

About the Sobos: After starting the season with five consecutive wins, South Beloit has suffered two straight losses, last week 72-6 to Milford, and the week prior 58-38 to St. Thomas More. The Sobos average 43.7 points per game while giving up 35.1. Senior Kaden Myhres leads the Sobos in passing, rushing and interceptions.

About the Falcons: Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland has won four straight contests, including last week’s 15-14 road win over Bushnell-Prairie City, since close back-to-back losses to St. Thomas More and Milford-Cissna Park in Weeks 2 and 3. Payton Quaintance (34 carries for 176 yards and one touchdown) and Kesler Collins (25 carries for 114 yards and FCW’s other TD) had huge games last week and will look to have another solid game against the Sobos.

FND pick: FCW

NONCONFERENCE

Fieldcrest (3-4) at Alton Marquette (1-6)

When: Noon Saturday

Last matchup: First meeting

About the Knights: Fieldcrest will make the 362-mile, 3 1/2 hour round trip to Alton in search of its fourth win of the season. The Knights are coming off a 40-0 victory over LeRoy on Friday. It was the first time Fieldcrest scored 40 points in a game since a 51-40 loss to Fisher on Sept. 10, 2021. Eddie Lorton carried the load for Fieldcrest, rushing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. He has 759 yards and 10 TDs on 148 carries this fall. Aydin Stimpert and Jackson Hakes had six tackles each as the Knights recorded their first shutout since a 17-0 win over Deer Creek-Mackinaw on March 27, 2021. Fieldcrest is averaging 22.9 points per game and allowing 28.4 points per game.

About the Explorers: Marquette has lost its past four games, including 21-0 to St. Louis Priory on Saturday in Missouri. Marquette trailed 14-0 at halftime against Priory, but on the first possession of the second half got a 47-yard run from Alex McCloud to get to the Priory 5-yard line. However, the Explorers lost a fumble on second down and the Ravens then marched for a touchdown. The Explorers were shut out Saturday for the third time in the past four games. Marquette is averaging 15.1 points per game. The Explorers are allowing 39.6 points per game and have allowed more than 40 points five times this season. Marquette has won only one of its past 27 games.

FND pick: Fieldcrest

* Shaw Local’s Kevin Chlum, Josh Welge, Steve Soucie, and Joe Stevenson contributed to this report