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CCL/ESCC Orange
Marist (3-0) at Joliet Catholic (2-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
About the Redhawks: Marist is off to a strong start, already picking up wins over Morgan Park, Brother Rice and Montini. Mike Fitzgerald returned to Marist after previously serving as an assistant at the school after successfully rebuilding the York program into a legitimate powerhouse. QB Jackson Ritter, a Lincoln-Way East transfer, has found his way at Marist, providing a solid base for the Redhawks’ ability to move the ball through the air and on the ground. RB John McAuliffe is also a threat who must be contained by the Hilltoppers. McAuliffe scored on the ground and as a receiver in the Montini victory.
About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic the past two weeks hasn’t quite found the groove it had in its season-opening win over Iowa City, but fortunately for the Hilltoppers, they figured out just enough to eke out a win over Fenwick in Week 3 to stay above the .500 mark. Joliet Catholic’s rushing attack has been somewhat constant, however, as Nate Magrini and Larry Stringham put forth 100-yard plus efforts in the narrow win over Fenwick. After getting a ton of big defensive plays in the Week 1 win over Iowa City, Joliet Catholic’s defense did it against against Fenwick, stepping up and getting a big stop on a 2-point conversion late in the game that would have altered the outcome had Fenwick converted it.
Friday Night Drive pick: Marist
Niles Notre Dame (2-1) at Providence (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Dons: Niles Notre Dame started the season in impressive fashion with a win over St. Patrick and a shutout victory over Sterling, but things came crashing back to earth for the Dons in Week 3 – particularly on offense – in a 24-0 loss to St. Laurence. The Dons had difficulty moving the football and will look to Illinois State commit Luke Olson to spark those efforts from the wide receiver position. Like Providence, Notre Dame doesn’t hesitate to use players on both sides of the ball, so this contest might be won by who survives the war of attrition.
About the Celtics: Providence has two losses on its ledger by a grand total of four points. But unfortunately for the Celtics, you don’t get credit for being close, as two potential wins have slipped away in the fourth quarter. Providence’s situation in regards to the postseason is quickly reaching dire straits status, as all but two of Providence’s final six opponents have winning records through three games. After Friday, their next two games are against Marist and Wheaton St. Francis, a pair of top-10 teams in the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings.
FND pick: Providence
Southwest Valley Blue
Lincoln-Way East (3-0) at Naperville North (2-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East didn’t seem the least bit deterred by the fact they didn’t get the chance to play in Week 2 after its scheduled opponent elected to forfeit, immediately putting the pedal to the metal in overwhelming Stagg in Week 3. The Griffins found themselves on the right side of a 35-0 lead after one quarter. QB Jonas Williams has earned a lot of attention in guiding the Griffins’ robust offense, but perhaps the underestimated piece of the Griffins’ weaponry is a defensive unit that has the potential to suffocate opponents at a moment’s notice.
About the Huskies: Naperville North has had a pretty strong start to the season, with its only loss coming at the hands of longtime rival Naperville Central on a late field goal. QB Jacob Bell has been splendid for the Huskies and kept his wits about him late in the Week 3 win over Lincoln-Way Central, finding Plainfield East transfer Quinn Morris in the end zone for a fourth-down touchdown in overtime that helped secure them the win. That tandem and more will have to have arguably the best games of their seasons, however, in order to trade scores with Lincoln-Way East.
FND pick: Lincoln-Way East
Southwest Valley Green
Lincoln-Way Central (1-2) at DeKalb (0-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Knights: Lincoln-Way Central came close to pulling a win out of the fire in Week 3, but Naperville North converted a fourth-down touchdown pass in overtime. Defensively, Lincoln-Way Central appears to be making weekly strides after surrendering 40 points in a season-opening win over St. Charles East. Since that night, it has been work for opponents to post points. But offensively Lincoln-Way Central has been able to put up only small flashes of explosiveness. QB Drew Woodburn is progressing, but finding a consistent ground attack would be a big help in balancing the Knights’ offense.
About the Barbs: DeKalb’s first two losses this season to Sycamore and Plainfield South came right down to the wire. That wasn’t the case for the Barbs in Week 3, as they were handled rather easily by Kaneland. DeKalb’s only source of success was the deep pass against Kaneland, which accounted for the team’s only touchdown in the loss when QB Cole Lattimer hooked up with WR Billy Miller for a 44-yard score. WR Davon Grant is a playmaker for DeKalb and someone Lincoln-Way Central should keep an eye on, but the Barbs have to find more ways to get the ball in his hands.
FND pick: Lincoln-Way Central
Southwest Valley crossover
Lockport (2-1) at Waubonsie Valley (2-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Porters: Despite missing multiple players to injury, Lockport still is managing to cobble together a solid product. The Porters are a whisper away from being 3-0 at this point and are in better shape heading into Southwest Valley Conference play than some expected. One of the players missing from the Week 3 win over Neuqua Valley was Johnny Wesolowski, who put together a huge game against Wheaton North in Week 2, but Tyler Pospisil did very well as his replacement, scoring Lockport’s first three touchdowns as it ran away from Neuqua Valley.
About the Warriors: After Waubonsie Valley shut out its first two opponents, Bradley-Bourbonnais turned the tables on the Warriors, as it limited them to scores either directly from special teams plays or indirectly from them. Waubonsie Valley leans heavily on WR/DB Joshua Tinney, and moving forward the Warriors are going to have to find a way to get more consistent and robust performances out of their offense as the schedule does them no favors over the final two-thirds of the season.
FND pick: Lockport
Southwest Valley Red
Sandburg (2-1, 0-0) at Lincoln-Way West (3-0, 2-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Eagles: After dropping their season opener to St. Rita, Sandburg has found some things that are working. After hanging 43 points on Oak Forest in Week 2, the Eagles exploded for 63 points against Homewood-Flossmoor, scoring seven touchdowns on their way to a comfortable victory. QB Anthony Shelton was spectacular in the H-F victory, and he is already well on his way to a successful follow-up to his very good junior year.
About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West is off to a sensational start, posting 40 or more points in all three of its victories. None of the Warriors’ first three games has been particularly close. QB Chase Hetfleisch seems to have two exceptional options on the outside in WRs Austin Rowswell and DeAndre Coates, while RB Jahan Abubakar has been a steady performer and allows Lincoln-Way West some nice offensive balance. But as good as the offense has been, the defense might be even more menacing.
FND Pick: Lincoln-Way West
Southwest Prairie crossover
Joliet Central (0-3) at Oswego (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Steelmen: This has just been a rough stretch of schedule for Joliet Central. The SPC schedule has two crossovers against members of the other division, and the West Division typically dominates the East Division (West Division teams won all six games in the crossovers in Week 3). The struggling Steelmen arguably got assigned the two best teams in the West Division in the crossover games. For Joliet Central, the primary goal is to try to hang in there and get prepared for divisional play, where that elusive first victory is considerably more likely.
About the Panthers: Much has been made about Oswego’s top-notch defense, as the Panthers have allowed only 13 points through their first three games. But Oswego’s offense played its part in Week 3, turning in several impressive performances against Plainfield Central. WR Michael Kelly had a big night in the win, benefiting from the connection he has with QB Brett Connolly. Oswego racked up over 400 yards, and if that effort is repeatable and works in concert with the splendid defense, opponents had better look out.
FND pick: Oswego
Joliet West (1-2) at Plainfield North (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Joliet West: Joliet West broke through last season with rare wins from an SPC East team over an SPC West team on its way to an 8-1 regular season. The Tigers certainly were hoping to keep that trend going heading into this season, but that plan hit a major roadblock in a loss to Yorkville in Week 3. Despite the score, the defense did do some things it could hang its hat on, making life difficult for Yorkville. But it took the offense until the second half to get on the scoreboard, and that’s something the Tigers won’t get away with on most nights.
About Plainfield North: A brutal nonconference slate of York and Lockport left Plainfield North 0-2, but the Tigers are hoping their resounding win over Plainfield South in Week 3 is more of an indicator of what they are capable of. Plainfield North sparked the effort with an onside kick to start the game that they recovered, then promptly went down the field and scored. That started a 19-point first quarter, and the defense hemmed in Plainfield South at nearly every turn. The Tigers are hoping to build some momentum and avenge a loss to Joliet West from last season, getting back to .500 in the process.
FND pick: Plainfield North
Plainfield Central (0-3) at Yorkville (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Wildcats: Plainfield Central has struggled out of the box, particularly on offense where the Wildcats have posted just 23 points through the first three games. Perhaps more troubling is the past two weeks have seen the defensive unit struggle as much of the offense. The Wildcats need to catch a few breaks at some point, and this might be an opportunity to do so against a Yorkville team whose offensive productivity has been inconsistent, as well.
About the Foxes: The offensive effort for Yorkville through the first two weeks can safely be classified as laborious. It looked like that was going to be the case again in Week 3, but the Foxes woke up a bit on offense in the second half of what turned out to be a comfortable win. QB Jake Beetham tossed a pair of touchdowns to Northern Illinois recruit Dyllan Malone, a connection Yorkville would be well served to lean on a little more.
FND Pick: Yorkville
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Plainfield East (0-3) at Bolingbrook (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Bengals: Plainfield East had a rough go of it in a rare Thursday night contest in Week 3, fumbling the ball three times – two lost – on its first two possessions, allowing Oswego East to take a quick two-touchdown lead it would carry over into a 42-0 win. Compounding the problems for the Bengals is that injuries have forced untested players into key roles and made them learn under fire. Both phases need to improve significantly for the Bengals moving forward, particularly a defense that has allowed at least 42 points in each of their three games.
About the Raiders: Even though it was only Week 3, Bolingbrook had to feel like its win over Romeoville was a little cathartic. The Raiders faced some difficult competition in the nonconference slate and even struggled a bit to break away in Week 3, but a strong second half finally allowed them to gain some separation and put one in the win column in its first game against a Southwest Prairie Conference opponent. Moving forward, Bolingbrook hopes to sustain some of the offensive gains acquired in the Romeoville win.
FND pick: Bolingbrook
Plainfield South (2-1) at Oswego East (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Cougars: Plainfield South was flying high after dramatic wins over Yorkville and DeKalb to start the season. The hope was that momentum would carry over into Week 3 against rival Plainfield North, but a brutal first quarter put the Cougars in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. If Plainfield South can put that game – primarily the first quarter – behind it, there might be an opportunity to pick up a rare crossover win over an SPC West team.
About the Wolves: Oswego East needed a bounce-back performance in Week 3 after a pair of nonconference games where the Wolves struggled to string together consistent offense. The Wolves’ defense helped get them going quickly, giving the offense some short fields to work with after turnovers. Then later in the game, the offense got going as the Wolves ran away for a comfortable win. The hope is that will boost that side of the football up to be more in concert with a defense that hasn’t allowed more than two touchdowns in any game this season.
FND pick: Oswego East
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Romeoville (1-2) at Minooka (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Spartans: Romeoville is making progress. After winning its season opener, the Spartans were edged out by Tinley Park in Week 2 before playing district rival Bolingbrook in Week 3. In years past, this likely would have been a game that would have gotten away from Romeoville early, but the Spartans hung tough, trailing by just eight at halftime before Bolingbrook stretched out the margin a bit in the second half. This is another tough crossover for Romeoville, but maybe some momentum can be retained before divisional play begins for them.
About the Indians: Minooka must have decided close games weren’t to its liking. A week removed from defeating Neuqua Valley on a last-second field goal. Minooka threw down the gauntlet in Week 3, building a massive first-half lead in a 70-12 victory against Joliet Central as QB Zane Caves threw four touchdown passes on just six completions before the break. Caves added two second-half TD passes to give him six for the game before exiting for the night.
FND pick: Minooka
Interstate 8
Morris (2-1) at La Salle-Peru (2-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Morris: Morris did a lot of positive things in its first loss of the season in a wild shootout against visiting Peoria in Week 3, but it likely will take away some valuable lessons from what the negatives were. Morris surrendered almost 500 rushing yards to the Lions, something very uncommon for a Morris defense. Shoring up that weakness will be critical as Morris moves into Interstate 8 Conference play, and the league looks deeper than usual this season in challenging Morris’ place at the top.
About the Cavaliers: La Salle-Peru has been solid thus far, particularly on defense, tossing a shutout against Ottawa in Week 3. That has to bode well for L-P for later in the season as it plays Ottawa twice this year because of a scheduling quirk. The Cavaliers will try to hang their hats on the defense, which has allowed 38 points through three games, to try to keep Morris in check. That’s obviously much easier said than done, but QB Marion Persich has shown the capability to engineer some offense for the Cavaliers, which gives them a better chance to hang in there in this contest than it has in the past.
FND pick: Morris
South Suburban Blue
Lemont (1-2) at T.F. South (1-2)
When: 6 p.m. Friday
About Lemont: Lemont was humbled in the first two weeks of the season, dropping games to Geneva and Libertyville (which are a combined 6-0 through three weeks) by a total margin of 84-7. But after getting out of that nonconference gauntlet, it was a pretty safe bet Lemont wouldn’t see tougher competition over the course of the regular season. So far that theory has proved correct, as Lemont eased into a relatively easy victory over Tinley Park in Week 3.
About the Red Wolves: T.F. South fell in Week 3 to archrival T.F. North in a battle played for the Wooden Shoe-Mushroom Trophy (yes, that’s a thing) and is trying to snap out of its mini-skid after opening the season with a win over Hammond Central. RB Christian Streeter is a notable weapon for T.F. South, but the Rebels are going to either need to find more offensive sources to help or more creative ways to get him the ball moving forward.
FND Pick: Lemont
Illinois Central Eight
Herscher (1-2) at Reed-Custer (0-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Tigers: Herscher has been all over the map the first three weeks. The Tigers failed to gain much momentum from beating longtime rival Bishop McNamara in Week 2, as they were easily dispatched by Manteno in the Illinois Central Eight Conference-opening contest. Herscher has a durable runner in Alek Draper, and when the Tigers are moving the football, he usually plays a large part in that.
About the Comets: Reed-Custer still is struggling to find balance on offense. But even though Reed-Custer was handled rather easily on the scoreboard in a Week 3 loss to Peotone, the stats show Reed-Custer is capable of moving the football in spurts, but struggling to convert yardage gains into points. QB Jacob Reardon is starting to find a little bit to build on, cultivating a good connection with WR Collin Monroe.
FND pick: Herscher
Peotone (3-0) at Wilmington (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Blue Devils: Peotone was punishing on the ground, averaging over 8 yards a carry as it breezed to a win over Reed-Custer in Week 3. The Blue Devils have run with abandon in the first three weeks of the season, but being able to do that consistently against Wilmington in Week 4 is a much different animal. Peotone also has shown a propensity for getting extra possessions via opponent turnovers, which they’d certainly welcome in this one.
About the Wildcats: It’s hard to have anything but pity for Wilmington opponents right now, as the Wildcats appear to have picked up exactly where they left off from their Class 2A state title of a year ago. Wilmington is not only beating opponents, but demolishing them, as each one of their games has had the running clock instituted for most, if not all, of the second half. Wilmington scored 49 first-half points in its Week 3 win over Lisle, rushing for 419 yards on just 19 carries in a 56-7 win.
FND pick: Wilmington
Lisle (0-3) at Coal City (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Lions: Lisle has had very little go right over the first three weeks of the season. Already short-handed by a small roster to start the season, the Lions have been outscored in three consecutive losses by a 138-14 margin.
About the Coalers: Coal City was dominant in its Week 3 win over Streator. The Coalers ran seven first-quarter plays, with four of them leading the touchdowns, and the Coalers added a special teams score in the quarter as it jumped out to a 35-0 advantage, eventually rolling to a 56-6 win. RB Landin Benson needed just nine carries to rack up over 150 yards.
FND pick: Coal City
Chicagoland Prairie
Dwight/GSW (3-0) at Ottawa Marquette (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Trojans: Dwight is 3-0 for the first time since 2015 and seems to have caught a nice groove. The Trojans had plenty of experience coming back for this season, and in that sense it isn’t all that surprising the Trojans are off to a good start. Perhaps it is a bit of a surprise how easily they’ve done it to date. Dwight has outscored its first three opponents 146-8, which is one of the widest margins in the state.
About the Crusaders: Marquette’s schedule has led to some hard-to-read results in the early going. The Crusaders were bested narrowly by what appears to be a solid Aurora Christian team in Week 1, bounced back to overwhelm an overmatched Madison team in Week 2 before being overwhelmed itself by Seneca in Week 3. Marquette’s success seems to hinge almost exclusively on the success of its ground game, as the Crusaders were held to a paltry-by-their-standards 118 rushing yards in the loss to Seneca.
FND pick: Dwight
Seneca (3-0) at St. Bede (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Fighting Irish: Another day, another powerful Seneca offensive effort. Not surprisingly, Seneca ran the ball effectively in a win over Ottawa Marquette, with Brody Rademacher leading the way. Rademacher ran for nearly 200 yards on his first four carries, scoring touchdowns on three of those. Just for good measure, QB Paxton Giertz added two passing touchdowns to the mammoth offensive effort, showing the Fighting Irish can sprinkle in a bit of aerial advances to keep opponents honest.
About the Bruins: St. Bede broke through in a big way in Week 3 after suffering losses to a pair of quality opponents in central Illinois in the first two weeks of the season (Tri-Valey and Eureka). The Bruins stormed to a 61-0 win over Walther Christian. St. Bede scored early and often in the victory, piling up 32 points in the second quarter and set the running clock in motion for the entire second half.
FND pick: Seneca