:quality(70):focal(1318x552:1328x562)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/FZWEYXEE4RGBTIU3G7KOAJWUPQ.JPG)
FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE
Burlington Central (0-1, 0-1) at Dundee-Crown (1-0, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Rockets: Central managed only a field goal in a 27-3 loss to defending Class 6A state champion Cary-Grove in Week 1. The Rockets’ defense allowed over 300 yards on the ground. … QB Jackson Alcorn was 7-of-24 passing for 78 yards. His top target was WR Caden West, who had four catches for 52 yards.
About the Chargers: D-C beat Crystal Lake South 20-14, the program’s first win over the Gators since the shortened spring season of 2021. RB Terrion Spencer had a rushing TD and a passing TD. RB Kadin Malone (98 yards) led the team in rushing and scored on a 14-yard run. He left the game with cramps and missed most of the second half. ... OL/DL Zach Anderson had a sack and tackle for loss. … Hayden DeMarsh had 84 yards passing in his first varsity start at QB.
Friday Night Drive pick: Burlington Central
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/SDHO3HNZYBDF3MWWNRHL7CHWBI.jpg)
Crystal Lake Central (0-1, 0-1) at Cary-Grove (1-0, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the the Tigers: Central lost to Huntley 35-7 in Week 1. The Tigers struggled to move the ball and didn’t get a first down until the eight-minute mark of the second quarter. … QB Aidan Niederkorn entered on the final drive and completed 8 of 10 passes for 80 yards, finding Ben Freese for a 20-yard score with 12.1 seconds left in the game.
About the Trojans: C-G opened with a 27-3 win against Burlington Central. … Ostin Hansen had an interception on Central’s first passing play. QB Peyton Seaburg ran for three touchdowns and 137 yards. … Jadon Apgar, the team’s kicker, started at fullback for the Trojans after regular starter Logan Abrams dressed but missed the game with an injury suffered in practice. RB Holden Boone also missed the game for an international CrossFit competition in Alabama.
FND pick: Cary-Grove
Prairie Ridge (1-0, 1-0) at Crystal Lake South (0-1, 0-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Wolves: Prairie Ridge defeated Jacobs 17-0, the second year in a row the Wolves shut out the Golden Eagles. It was Mike Frericks’ head coaching debut at the school. … Luke Vanderwiel, making his first start at QB, led all players with 146 yards on the ground, scoring on a 55-yard TD run on fourth-and-3 and adding a 1-yard TD. … Prairie Ridge had 293 yards, and the defense held Jacobs to 174 total yards. RB Jake Wagler added 83 yards on the ground, and FB Jack Finn had 56. … LBs Jace Kranig and Giovanni Creatore each had a sack. DL Gavin Tinch had three tackles and tackle for loss.
About the Gators: South lost to Dundee-Crown 20-14 to open the season. RB Logan Miller had 56 yards rushing and a TD that gave the Gators a 7-6 lead. … AJ Demirov played all over the field, getting reps at RB and QB, and scored on a 35-yard run for the game’s final points. He led the team with 62 yards on the ground.
FND pick: Prairie Ridge
Jacobs (0-1, 0-1) at Hampshire (1-0, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Golden Eagles: Jacobs was shut out by Prairie Ridge for the second year in a row, losing 17-0. FB Caden DuMelle led the team with 100 yards on 12 carries. OL/DL Vince DeLordo had a standout game on defense. … QB Connor Goehring was 3-for-5 passing for 35 yards. T.O. Boddie had 21 yards receiving and 20 yards rushing.
About the Whip-Purs: Hampshire earned a 17-16 win in overtime against McHenry as the Whips came up with a stop on a 2-point try to clinch the win. Hampshire was without top RB Cole Klawikowski, who missed the game with an injury. Coach Shane Haak did not say when Klawikowski would be back. … The Whips still had a strong run game – 256 yards on 44 carries. Tymere Marshall was the primary ball carrier with 120 yards on 22 carries. Arshawn Rupert scored on a 10-yard run on the first play of OT.
FND pick: Jacobs
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/PPJG2W75BJCMLGQL372EEU2QAI.jpg)
McHenry (0-1, 0-1) at Huntley (1-0, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Warriors: McHenry lost a heartbreaker in Week 1 to Hampshire 17-16 in OT. The Warriors were stopped on a 2-point try in the extra time after scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Dayton Warren to Jeff Schwab. … Schwab led the team with 57 yards on 13 carries and had two interceptions on defense. … RB Nolan Chovanec added a 26-yard TD run.
About the Red Raiders: Huntley cruised to a 35-7 win against Crystal Lake Central in its opener. QB Braylon Bower was 10-of-19 passing for 205 yards and three scores. Two of his TDs were to WR Wyatt Fleck, who had three catches for over 100 yards. … Reichen Dvorak (70 yards) and Gavin Havens (104) added TD runs. … DL/LB Travis Dudycha had two sacks. Charles Condon III intercepted the first pass of the game.
FND pick: Huntley
NONCONFERENCE
Richmond-Burton (1-0) at Quincy Notre Dame (0-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Rockets: R-B opened the season with a 21-7 win against Marian Central. The Rockets scored the last two touchdowns, taking the lead for good on a 1-yard TD run from Riley Shea. QB Ray Hannemann had a 29-yard touchdown pass to Oscar Bonilla and a 75-yard strike to Ryan Wisniewski in the second half. … R-B defeated Marian in last year’s opener and then beat Quincy Notre Dame 25-6 in Week 2.
About the Raiders: Quincy Notre Dame lost to Quincy 40-12 in its opener. The Raiders have qualified for the playoffs in four straight seasons and 25 times since 1994. … RB Ivan Hun ran for 106 yards in Week 1, including a 7-yard TD run.
FND pick: Richmond-Burton
Chicago Prosser (0-1) at Woodstock North (1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Falcons: Chicago Prosser started the season with a 40-0 loss to Thornton Fractional North. The Falcons were 7-2 last year and were strong defensively, allowing only 13.3 points a game.
About the Thunder: North had a big opening week, picking up a 69-22 win against Elmwood Park. The Thunder ran for 538 yards, with RBs David Randecker (137 yards) and Max Dennison (113) each scoring three TDs. Randecker had TD runs of 40, 29 and 3 yards; Dennison of 21, 29 and 31 yards. … North led the game 53-7 at halftime. The Thunder also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
FND pick: Woodstock North
Reed-Custer (0-1) at Harvard (1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Comets: Reed-Custer struggled on offense in a 23-6 Week 1 loss to El Paso-Gridley. … The Rockets were 3-6 last year. They didn’t play Harvard last year, but they faced Johnsburg and lost a close game 40-37 in Week 2. … Reed-Custer made the Class 3A playoffs in 2021 and 2022, going a combined 21-3 in those two years. Before that, its last playoff appearance was in 2009.
About the Hornets: Harvard scored 42 unanswered points to beat Lisle 42-7 to end a 20-game losing streak. The Hornets’ previous win came against Sandwich, 29-24 on Oct. 8 2021. … Senior QB Adam Cooke, who only started playing football last season, had four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) in the opening win, scoring on runs of 60, 8 and 55 yards. He also threw a 16-yard TD strike to Daniel Rosas. … Rosas added a 25-yard rushing TD, and Edward Rosales also scored a rushing TD.
FND pick: Harvard
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/3FLPZNVDMVBKVHINQCPQ6HABD4.jpg)
Mundelein (1-0) at Johnsburg (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
About the Mustangs: Mundelein hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2004. The Mustangs won four games last season, a mark they have reached three times since 2005. … Mundelein opened the season with a 42-27 win against Grant. Last year’s team won its first four games before losing its final five. … In its opening win, the Mustangs scored six straight touchdowns. QB Logan Young threw for 158 yards and two TDs while also running for 77 yards and two more scores. RB Brody Paluch had 72 yards rushing and two TDs. Trevor Carmen caught three passes for 83 yards and two TDs.
About the Skyhawks: Johnsburg traveled to Wisconsin in Week 1 and beat Wilmot 41-21 behind a big performance by RB Brett Centnarowicz, who rushed for 174 yards and added 80 yards receiving. … Carter Block was 10-of-19 passing for 167 yards, three TDs and one interception. WR Ryan Franze had six catches for 59 yards and a TD, and RB Duke Mays ran for 70 yards and two TDs. … The Skyhawks are debuting their artificial turf field this week.
FND pick: Johnsburg
Peotone (1-0) at Marengo (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
About the Blue Devils: Peotone earned a 55-14 win against Muchin College Prep in Week 1. … The Blue Devils finished 7-4 last year and took third in the Illinois Central Eight. Peotone has been to the Class 3A playoffs four straight seasons and five out of the past six. … Chase Rivera, who plays five different positions (running back, receiver, safety, linebacker and kicker) had a big Week 1 with 164 yards on the ground and three TDs. The team ran for 268 yards.
About the Indians: Marengo picked up a 24-17 win against Evergreen Park to open the season. The Indians scored their first points of the year on a safety via a fumble in the end zone. … Marengo trailed 10-9 at halftime. RB Gavin Baros had a team-high 77 rushing yards and a pair of 2-yard TDs. QB David Lopez also scored a 2-yard TD. … The defense held Evergreen Park to minus-10 yards rushing on 15 carries, while the Indians gained 168 rushing yards on 40 attempts.
FND pick: Marengo
Rensselaer Central (1-1) at Woodstock (0-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Bombers: Rensselaer Central, from Rensselaer, Indiana, was shut out in its first game 23-0 and won its second game 36-0. … RB Diego Hernandez-Reyes leads the team with 206 yards on 42 carries and two TDs. The Bombers have attempted only 11 passes through their first two games.
About the Blue Streaks: Woodstock lost to Rochelle 39-20 in Week 1, scoring all three of its touchdowns in the second half. QB Caden Thompson connected with wide receiver Matthew Cress for a 27-yard score during the third quarter, and running back Stewart Reuter rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth. ... The Streaks finished with 296 yards on offense, but a few mistakes in the first half, including an INT and a blocked punt, allowed Rochelle to take control early.
FND pick: Woodstock
DePaul College Prep (1-0) at Marian Central (0-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Rams: DePaul College Prep beat Deerfield 35-28 in the opener. QB Juju Rodriguez was 25-of-33 passing for 276 yards, two passing TDs and a rushing TD. … RB Nick Martinez scored on a 15-yard TD run with four minutes left to go up 35-21. … The Rams haven’t made the playoffs since going in back-to-back years in 2004 and 2005. They went a combined 2-17 the past two years.
About the Hurricanes: Marian Central lost to Richmond-Burton 21-7 in Week 1 and will look to avoid an 0-2 start for the second straight year. … The Hurricanes scored their lone touchdown in the opener on a 12-yard pass from Picasso Ruiz to Max Kinney, which tied the game at 7 with 6:30 left in the second quarter.
FND pick: DePaul College Prep
ILLINOIS 8-MAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
Milledgeville (1-0, 1-0) at Alden-Hebron (1-0, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Missiles: Milledgeville earned a blowout win against Ashton-Franklin Center in Week 1. The Missiles went 9-2 last season and lost to Polo 35-23 in the Illinois 8-Man Football Association quarterfinals. … The Missiles lost all-state QB and I8FA’s all-time leading passer Connor Nye to graduation but return a stable of productive tailbacks in Micah Toms-Smith, Spencer Nye and Konner Johnson.
About the Giants: Alden-Hebron defeated Orangeville 36-22 in its season opener, taking a 15-0 lead and never trailing against the Broncos. … RB Wyatt Armbrust led the team with 88 yards on 19 carries. QB JP Stewart was 5-of-12 passing for 70 yards and two TDs. Caleb Linneman had two TD runs, Fabian Carreno recorded a 19-yard reception for a score, and Logan Klein had a 14-yard TD run. … Jack Stewart had an interception, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. … John Lalor, who coached A-H for 17 seasons from 2003 to 2019, was making his return to the sidelines as head coach.
FND pick: Milledgeville