October 03, 2024
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Steve Soucie’s Week 6 games to watch: Schedule provides opportunities for teams to make a move

Six games statewide feature two undefeated teams squaring off

By Steve Soucie
Geneva’s Bennett Konkey (right) escapes the grasp of Wheaton Warrenville South’s Colin Cahill during a September game in Wheaton.

Geneva’s Bennett Konkey (right) escapes the grasp of Wheaton Warrenville South’s Colin Cahill during a game earlier this season. Geneva heads into its Week 6 matchup with Batavia with an undefeated record but Batavia has won the last 13 meetings in the rivalry that stretches back to 1913. (Sandy Bressner)

Moving day in sports terminology is often reserved to the game of golf.

Moving weekend, however, could easily be assigned to Week 6 of the IHSA football schedule as time is starting to run out on some teams that need to make some moves in order to secure a potential postseason future.

A whopping 108 teams enter Week 6 with 3-2 records. A win in Week 6, will put them a long way down the road to a playoff qualification. A loss, on the other hand, makes things a lot more murky as a slip back to .500 means a strong finish is required.

Another large swath of teams, 100 in all, enter Week 6 with two victories. A win in Week 6 allows for the climb back to the .500 mark. A loss, however, puts most teams on the brink of being eliminated from the playoff chase with a loss.

For those two groups of teams the results of Week 6 will be a move. But which direction will that move be made in?

Another group of 60 teams find themselves in much better position heading into Week 6 as that’s the group of undefeated teams. A win this week from a team in that group absolutely cements a playoff berth (although based on current trends its very difficult to see a scenario where a five-win team might miss the field). That list will be no larger than 54 teams at the end of Week 6 as 12 of those teams are squaring off against a fellow undefeated team in Week 6.

Here’s a look at some of the top games in Week 6:

Geneva (5-0) at Batavia (5-0), 7 p.m. Friday: The long standing rivalry has been dominated by Batavia in recent seasons as the Bulldogs have won the last 13 matchups. But if there was any group that appears to have the firepower to stop the streak it’s probably this group of Vikings.

Nazareth (4-1) at St. Rita (4-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday: A scrap that will likely decide who wins the CCL/ESCC Green Division. Nazareth’s seasoned roster has been playing like it so far this season, while St. Rita has consistently shown an ability to find ways to win in close games.

Barrington (5-0) at Fremd (5-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday: Fremd has been one of the bigger surprises of the undefeated group of teams and here’s a huge opportunity for the Vikings to prove themselves as one of the state’s elite. Barrington, on the other hand, is hoping to protect its status quo on top of the Mid-Suburban West.

Downers Grove North (5-0) at York (5-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday: Is it possible that these two Top 10 teams are flying under the radar? Maybe. But that’s also what happens when you are a team that simply takes care of business at every given opportunity.

Durand-Pecatonica at Lena-Winslow, 7 p.m. Friday: One of the six games in the state that features a pair of undefeated teams. Lena-Winslow is the unquestioned king of the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference, but is Du-Pec in the right place to take a serious run at that throne?

Other games of note: Normal Community at Bloomington; Mount Carmel at Brother Rice; Wheaton St. Francis at IC Catholic; Loyola at St. Ignatius; Providence at Marist; Fenwick at St. Laurence; Wheaton Warrenville South at Wheaton North; Peotone at Manteno; Sycamore at Kaneland; Sandwich at Richmond-Burton; Collinsville at Belleville Althoff; Arthur at Nokomis; Macomb at Farmington; Olney East Richland at Mt. Carmel, Naperville North at Lincoln-Way West; Naperville Central at Lockport; Momence at Salt Fork.