McHenry County notes: Undefeated Prairie Ridge, Cary-Grove set to clash again in battle for 1st place

Here we go again.

Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove, teams with a combined seven state championships since 2009, are set to meet in one of the most anticipated football games of the season Friday night.

The Wolves (4-0, 4-0 FVC) and Trojans (4-0, 4-0) are the only two FVC teams without a loss through four weeks, so Friday’s 7 p.m. showdown at Prairie Ridge could very well determine the conference champion when it’s all said and done.

Cary-Grove has four Class 6A state titles and two runner-up finishes since 2009. Prairie Ridge has three state titles and two runner-up finishes since 2011 (also in 6A). The Wolves are predicted to be a 5A team for the second year in a row, but that doesn’t make Friday’s game any less intriguing.

First-year Prairie Ridge coach Mike Frericks, a 2009 Crystal Lake South graduate, is well aware what awaits both sides Friday.

“It’s gonna be a heavyweight fight,” Frericks said after Friday’s 35-13 win against Huntley. “Whichever team can commit the fewest penalties and protect the football will have the best chance of winning that game. We’ll have our work cut out for us.

“Last year we barely got by at their place, so they’ll have a target on us, for sure. I played in the Fox Valley Conference once upon a time, and these are the kinds of great rivalry matchups this conference has a rich history of.”

Prairie Ridge defeated C-G last year 21-20 on its way to winning the FVC with a 9-0 record. C-G placed third in the FVC at 7-2 but went on to win the 6A state championship with a 23-20 win against East St. Louis.

Cary-Grove almost completed a comeback in last year’s meeting after Prairie Ridge went on an eight-minute drive and scored with 2:09 remaining. The Trojans roared down the field and scored with 55 seconds left, with QB Peyton Seaburg finding tight end Luca Vivaldelli for a 16-yard TD, but the extra point went wide, giving the Wolves a 21-20 victory.

Prairie Ridge has won the past two meetings and seven of the past 10, which also includes two playoff wins (2019 quarterfinals, 2017 second-round game).

The Trojans were ranked No. 2 in The Associated Class 6A poll last week, and Prairie Ridge was No. 3 in 5A.

The Wolves enter Friday with an 18-game FVC winning streak.

“We’re both 4-0 again, and we’re just hoping to get our fifth win,” C-G coach Brad Seaburg said. “We’ve lost to them the last couple of years, so it would be nice to get them back. It’s always a fun game.”

Gators defense plays takeaway: Crystal Lake South’s 9-0 win over Hampshire in Week 4 wasn’t the prettiest, but the Gators, who lost their first three games of the season by a combined score of 102-20, certainly were happy to get their first victory.

“The kids have been working hard and staying the path, so it feels good to get one,” South coach Rob Fontana said. “It was basically two sides of a coin, where our defense played well and created a bunch of turnovers. We were fortunate enough to capitalize.

“We’re still hitting some bumps and learning. We shot ourselves in the foot with a bunch of penalties, and it’s hard to climb out of those holes, but credit to the kids. They were super excited.”

South (1-3) found a way to defeat Hampshire despite 17 penalties for 185 yards. Helping out was an extremely opportunistic defense that created seven turnovers. Brock Miller also had a blocked field goal to keep the shutout intact.

Gio Evers had an interception and a fumble recovery, Jacob Kita had two fumble recoveries, Gavin Hastings had a fumble recovery, and AJ Demirov and Noa Franch each had an interception. South allowed only 113 total yards to Hampshire.

The Gators have about 35 players on varsity but not as much experience as in recent seasons.

South has been rotating quarterbacks throughout the first four weeks, depending on the game plan.

“Just the selflessness of my seniors who are willing to change positions and try different things,” Fontana said of what has stood out to him so far. “It’s been a different year for us in general. We’re super inexperienced, but the guys are buying in and learning. We’re limited in numbers, so every week it feels like we’re asking different guys to try different things.”

South hopes to make it two wins in a row when it travels to crosstown rival Crystal Lake Central (1-3) at 7 p.m. Friday.

“We’ve got to play a lot cleaner offensively,” Fontana said. “And hopefully our defense can continue to play with the same passion and energy they had Friday night. They played at a different level than we’ve seen all season.”

Burlington Central continues strong start: Although a 27-3 loss to Cary-Grove may not have been the best start to the season, Burlington Central has quickly changed its fortunes.

The Rockets have rattled off three straight wins, including a 49-0 triumph over Crystal Lake Central in Week 4, their largest margin of victory since a 55-3 win over Marengo during Week 9 of 2011. It also gives them their best start to a season since 2012.

Their three-game winning streak is their longest since 2014, when they won five in row. That also happened to be the last time the Rockets made the playoffs.

Leading the way on offense and defense has been wide receiver/defensive back LJ Kerr, who has been a top threat for quarterback Jackson Alcorn. The three-year starter had four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns while also adding an interception against the Tigers.

He was one of the top vote getters for the Week 4 Friday Night Drive Team of the Week.

“He is a special and dynamic player,” Rockets coach Brian Iossi said of Kerr. “I don’t like to play kids both ways, but I like him on the field as much as possible.”

Central will look to extend its winning streak to four Friday at McHenry. The road doesn’t get any easier from there, with Jacobs and Prairie Ridge in Weeks 6 and 7.

KRC update: Woodstock North (4-0) and Sandwich (2-2) are both 2-0 in the Kishwaukee River Conference looking to win the conference for the first time in program history. The Thunder have wins against Marengo (20-14) and Plano (41-17), while the Indians have wins over Plano (41-6) and Johnsburg (28-21).

North hosts Johnsburg in Week 5. Sandwich plays Harvard at home.

Four teams (Marengo, Johnsburg, Richmond-Burton and Woodstock) are 1-1 in the KRC, while Plano and Harvard are both searching for their first win.

• Shaw Local sports reporter Joel Boenitz contributed to this report.