The Times Week 2 preview: Streator-Ottawa’s 103rd, FCW honoring ‘first state champs’ highlight this Friday

Nonconference

Marquette (0-1) at Madison (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Crusaders: While the repeatedly proposed IHSA takeover of scheduling and the elimination of football conferences and self-scheduling has its faults and detractors, the reasons for matchups like this one are hard to justify. Marquette Academy is set to travel 234 miles – one way – to face Madison, with the Cru in search of their first win of the season after last week’s competitive 24-19 home loss to Aurora Christian. While not the final result Marquette was looking for, it was an encouraging season opener much closer than 2023′s with Aurora Christian, one that featured a pair of Anthony Couch-to-Keaton Davis touchdown passes and 281 yards from scrimmage. A few big plays allowed on defense proved fatal last week and no doubt is something the Cru has spent this week working on cleaning up ahead of the long road trip.

About the Trojans: An independent with no conference home, Madison won an absolute shootout in Week 1, 64-50 over Sparta/Steeleville. Those 64 points are not typical of recent Trojans teams, as Madison broke 30 points only once last season and 20 only one other time, averaging 13.9 per game. The 50 points allowed, unfortunately for the Trojans, was pretty typical of last year’s team, which surrendered 44 or more in eight of nine games during a 1-8 season. The program is not without recent success, however, making the Class 1A playoffs in 2022 – current head coach/Madison graduate Tavares Young’s first season at the helm – and in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018. Before that, Madison has only one playoff appearance, making the 3A field in 1987.

Friday Night Drive pick: Marquette

[ Marquette falls in season opener ]

Lisle (0-1) at Seneca (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Lions: Lisle, a former Interstate 8 Conference rival of Seneca’s, is coming off a rough 42-7 smashing last Friday at the hands of Harvard, which came into the contest on a 20-game losing streak. Lisle led 7-0 in the opening minutes, then surrendered 42 unanswered points. Harvard’s dual-threat QB Adam Cooke was a particular thorn in the paw of the Lions. While they likely won’t have to worry about Seneca passing much out of its power-T formation, Cooke’s three rushing TDs are an indication of potential trouble against a Seneca team that runs often with both its RBs and QBs. Lisle is light on seniors with a roster led mostly by juniors and sophomores, including WR/DBs Asher Carson and AJ Sansone, RB/LB David Skonieczny and QB/LB Nolan Ashmore.

About the Fighting Irish: How the 2024 Fighting Irish would look after losing the bulk of the past two years’ key players was a hot question around the Illinois Valley. The answer after one game? Pretty, pretty, pretty good. The Irish allowed more points than in recent seasons, but scored plenty themselves in a 43-22 handling of Tremont in game that saw them nearly double-up the Turks in yards from scrimmage. Brody Rademacher, Cameron Shirley, Nick Grant and Gunner Varland all ran for 60 or more yards, and Liam Knoebel led the defense in tackles with eight. Seneca’s regular-season win streak stands at 20 games with what looks to be another good chance – assuming the Irish can put together a balanced offensive effort like last Friday’s – to reach 21 this weekend before the first of this season’s two showdowns with rival Marquette, the Week 3 meeting in Ottawa.

FND pick: Seneca

Ottawa (0-1) at Streator (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Doug Dieken Stadium

About the Pirates: It’s meeting No. 103 for Illinois’ third-oldest rivalry, dating back to 1894. Ottawa will come in looking for its first win of the 2024 season, coming off a close 17-14 home loss in Week 1 to Plano. Ottawa had a number of answering scores and key defensive stops; Weston Averkamp looked like a diverse, explosive threat as expected, scoring the Pirates’ first touchdown, leading the team in rushing yardage and adding a pair of receptions; and Ottawa had a 32-yard field-goal try late to send the game to overtime against a 2023 playoff team, all definite positives to take away despite the defeat. One area of concern coming into Week 2 based entirely on Week 1 results? Streator backed up its offseason promise of being a much more physical, run-oriented team this season by throwing just six passes in its 41 offensive snaps in a Week 1 victory. Conversely, Ottawa’s entire offense was outgained by Plano fullback Tim Young, 154-152 in yards from scrimmage. One area of confidence based entirely on recent history? The Pirates have beaten Streator the past two Week 2s by a combined total of 83-14.

About the Bulldogs: It was muddy, sloppy and not always pretty, but it was a season-opening win for Streator at Decatur Eisenhower, 20-12. RB/DB Jordan Lukes was a force on both sides of the football, finishing with 150 yards rushing (including a 69-yard touchdown) and delivering the hit of the game followed by two pivotal fourth-quarter stops. RB/DB Anthony Mohr, WR/DB Jake Hagie and WR/DB Matt Williamson also made highlight-reel plays in the win, while OL/DL Luke Gebhardt earned a spot on the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Penalties (six for 51 yards) and fumbles (five total, two lost) kept the Bulldogs from pulling away against a struggling Eisenhower team, though, and are areas Streator will need to clean up in order to handle the step up in competition. After research by Shaw Local Media’s Brian Hoxsey uncovered reports of additional early meetings in the Route 23 Rivalry, our current records show Ottawa leading the all-time series 62-38-2, including wins the past two seasons.

FND pick: Ottawa

[ Plano holds off Ottawa ]

[ Streator victorious at Decatur Eisenhower ]

Wilmington (1-0) at Sandwich (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcats: The defending Class 2A state champions picked up this season right where the left off last fall – victorious – with a 44-6 trouncing of Hope Academy. RB Kyle Farrell ran for 128 yards and four touchdowns in a game the Wildcats led by 22 points at halftime against a 2023 Class 1A semifinalist. Kettman added 116 yards and TD out of Wilmington’s run-heavy double-wing. Both also starred on defense: Farrell with a quarterback sack; Kettman with an interception. This matchup against a former Interstate 8 Conference foe will be the Wildcats’ final nonconference game before Illinois Central Eight Conference play in Week 3.

About the Indians: Nick Michalek ran for almost 200 yards with a 71-yard touchdown, and the Indians put up 32 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for a rash of injuries and a defensive showing that allowed 54 points in an opening loss to Manteno. “When you watch the film, Manteno was a little bit faster and a little bit more physical. We are feeling the effects of not having three different starters that are not going to be playing for us,” Sandwich coach Kris Cassie told Shaw Local Media. The Indians expect a few key players to return from injury in the coming weeks. Before that, however, they have this tough matchup against another former Interstate Eight Conference foe.

FND pick: Wilmington

Heart of Central Illinois Small

Moweaqua Central A&M (0-1, 0-1) at Fieldcrest (0-1, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Park

About the Raiders: Moweaqua Central A&M had to wait an extra day to get its 2024 season underway, losing a Saturday home game to a foe quite familiar to Fieldcrest and the rest of the Heart of Illinois Conference side of this new football-only superconference, LeRoy. The 45-14 final score against the playoff regular Panthers wasn’t the most encouraging debut, but A&M did receive a 102-yard rushing performance from RB Ayden Snyder. That is, despite dual-threat sophomore QB Emett Stenger being held in check (51 yards passing on seven attempts, 3 yards rushing on eight attempts). Evan Piersall (eight tackles, one INT last week) is a player to avoid when the Raiders defense is on the field.

About the Knights: Fieldcrest entered the season with reasonable expectations of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. That goal is still alive and well, but it did suffer a little dent with Week 1′s 34-28 home Heart of Central Illinois Small loss to Meridian. The Knights did have a lot to be encouraged by offensively, however, including a 101-yard rushing performance from Eddie Lorton and four combined touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) from QB Kash Klendworth. If the defense can improve off a rough outing, the Knights should get back on track heading into their own game with LeRoy in Week 3.

FND pick: Fieldcrest

[ Fieldcrest loses late to Meridian ]

8-Man Football Association

Peoria Heights (0-1) at FCW (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday in Flanagan

About the Patriots: Peoria Heights took one on the chin last Friday, losing 44-0 at home to a Bushnell-Prairie City team that went 4-5 a year ago. For their part, the Patriots went 3-6 in 2023 and are seeking their program’s first playoff appearance since making the IHSA’s 11-man playoff in 2015. Coach Kendal Parker’s blueprint back to Week 10 and beyond is physicality, something he’s been instilling in his Patriots throughout the offseason. FCW last played Peoria Heights in 2021, a 56-14 defeat for the Patriots.

About the Falcons: Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland’s quest for its first back-to-back playoff berths since 2013 and 2014 in the 11-man game got off to a fantastic start last Friday with a grind-it-out, 36-22 road victory over West Prairie/Southeastern. Logan Ruddy starred offensively with two touchdown runs and defensively with a game-clinching interception, earning him a spot on 2024′s first Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Seth Jones, Connor Reed and Leland Durbin all scored touchdowns, a good sign for a Falcons team replacing most of last season’s yards and touchdowns after graduating a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. The Falcons will celebrate the 1974 Class 1A state champion Flanagan football team at halftime.

FND pick: FCW