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BCR GAME OF THE WEEK
Bureau Valley (3-3, 2-2) at Illini West (3-3, 2-3)
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday, Carthage
Last matchup: First meeting
About the Storm: The Storm make the 150-mile trek to Carthage, its longest of the season in its new conference, the Lincoln Trail/Prairieland, coming off a heart-breaking 27-21 loss on homecoming to Elmwood-Brimfield. Storm QB Bryce Helms was stopped on a keeper as time ran out. The Storm likely need to win two of their last three games, including Macomb (6-0) and West Hancock (1-5), to make its first playoff appearance since 2019.
About the Chargers: Illini West has won three straight, including Friday’s 32-20 home win over Knoxville. The Chargers faced their toughest part of their schedule in the first three weeks with losses to Farmington (33-0), Elmwood-Brimfield (42-12) and Macomb (21-6), who have a combined 17-1 record. They beat the LVC co-op 50-16 in Week 5, a team the Storm beat at home 46-16 in Week 3.
FND Pick: Bureau Valley
Princeton (5-1, 3-1) at Mendota (0-6, 0-4)
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Princeton 55-0 (2023)
About the Tigers: The Tigers rebounded nicely from their stunning 31-3 Week 5 loss to Monmouth-Roseville by routing rival Hall 41-0 last week. Senior tight end Arthur Burden had two TD receptions from QB Will Lott, Casey Etheridge ran for two TDs, and Ace Christiansen had a pick-6 early to get the Tigers going. The Tigers hold out hope for a share of their seventh straight Three Rivers Mississippi Division championship, but need a lot of help from their friends from Hall to upset Monmouth-Roseville in its last league game this week. This will mark the 86th meeting between the longtime rivals from the former NCIC. The Trojans hold a 42-39-4 series edge, but since their hiatus between conference shifts, the Tigers have won all three meetings in Three Rivers Conference play by a combined score of 153-28.
About the Trojans: The Trojans had their best chance to win in Week 5 against Sherrard, but saw the Tigers rally for a 28-21 league win. They lost to Kewanee 49-14 last week to fall to 0-6 and are heading to their first 0-9 campaign since 2018. The Trojans’ last winning season was 2014, finishing 6-4 with a first-round playoff loss.
All-time series: Mendota 42-39-4
FND Pick: Princeton
Monmouth-Roseville (6-0, 4-0) at Hall (1-5, 1-3)
Last matchup: Hall 34-24 (2022)
About the Titans: The Titans made some big noise when they stunned then No. 3-ranked Princeton 31-3 in Week 5. The Titans routed Sherrard 69-12 last week and now stand 6-0 for the first time in school history looking to wrap up the Three Rivers East championship. They moved into the AP Class 3A state rankings for the first time at No. 5 after defeating Princeton.
About the Red Devils: Hall ran into an angry Princeton team coming off a 31-3 upset loss to Monmouth-Roseville, falling to the Tigers 41-0. The Red Devils held Hall to 132 yards rushing with 3 yards passing. The Red Devils’ schedule doesn’t get much more favorable, with games remaining with 3-3 Riverdale and 6-2 Rockridge. ... Hall has won three of the five meetings with Mon-Rose since they first met in 2017 with the teams trading wins every other year.
FND Pick: Mon-Rose
St. Bede (1-5, 1-2) at Dwight/GSW (3-3, 0-2)
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: St. Bede 31-28 (2023)
About the Bruins: St. Bede lost any hopes of a winning regular season with last week’s 35-22 loss at previously winless IVC last week. The Bruins rallied to overcome a two-touchdown second-half deficit to take a 22-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter only to have the Grey Ghosts score twice to post their first win. A year ago, the Bruins snapped then 5-1 Dwight/GSW’s five-game win streak in Week 7, sending the Trojans on a three-game skid to end the season, including a first-round playoffs loss to Seneca.
About the Trojans: This year, the Trojans have flipped the pregame script, riding a three-game losing streak into play against St. Bede after winning their first three games. The last two Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington losses have come at the hands of state-ranked Maroa-Forsyth (No. 1 1A) and Seneca (No. 5 3A) last week 52-22.
FND Pick: Dwight/GSW
Peoria Heights (2-4) at Amboy-LaMoille (5-1)
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday, at the Harbor
Last matchup: Amboy 52-0 (2021)
About the Patriots: The Patriots have played the near identical schedule as Amboy with opposite results. They have defeated Galva twice over the past two weeks, but have lost to three teams the Clippers have defeated – Bushnell Prairie City (44-0), FCW (36-8) and Ridgewood (48-14), the last an opponent Amboy has split with. The Patriots have gone 9-24 over the last four seasons.
About the Clippers: Amboy bounced back from its first loss in 17 games (34-22 in Week 5 to Ridgewood), by defeating Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland 46-14 last week. The Clippers also beat FCW in last year’s eight-man playoffs. In their last meeting, the Clippers beat Peoria Heights 52-0 in the 2021 season opener.
FND Pick: Amboy
Other area games
Annawan-Wethersfield at Farmington
ACC at Marquette
Kewanee at Sherrard
Mercer County at Rockridge
Ottawa at Morris
Riverdale at Newman
Stark County at Princeville
Sterling at Quincy
Sycamore at La Salle-Peru
Thornridge at Geneseo