Nazareth faces St. Francis in Week 9 of the 2024 IHSA football season. Friday Night Drive correspondent Scott Schmid will have live updates, scores and news from the game.
What to know
Nazareth vs. St. Francis kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Where: St. Francis
About the Roadrunners: The two-time defending Class 5A champions look like a team ready for another deep playoff run, if the 62-14 demolition of Benet last week is any indication. Senior QB Logan Malachuk threw for 263 yards and five TDs – all of the scores coming in the first half. Trenton Walker had five catches for 107 yards and two TDs and James Penley also caught two TDs. Malachuk leads an offense averaging 38.3 points per game that has been kept under 33 points just once. Nazareth has won five consecutive games since its only loss to Mount Carmel. Nazareth met St. Francis twice last year, losing in Week 9 35-17 before beating the Spartans 38-31 in the Class 5A semifinals.
About the Spartans: St. Francis pulled out a thrilling 41-38 win over DePaul Prep in Week 8 on Brady Palmer’s quarterback sneak in overtime. St. Francis’ third win in a row, its second such streak sandwiched around its only two losses, clinched the program’s sixth playoff appearance since 2018 under head coach Bob McMillen. Palmer threw for 319 yards and ran for another 78 in the win. Dario Milivojevic had 97 receiving yards and two punt returns of 50-plus yards. Defensive end Will Alt had two sacks, four quarterback hurries, four tackles and a fumble recovery. St. Francis is scoring a tick over 30 points per game on the season – don’t be surprised if there’s points scored in this one with two offenses featuring a ton of talent.
FND Pick: Nazareth
How to watch Nazareth-St. Francis football game livestream
The Nazareth vs. St. Francis game is available on the NFHS Network
Postgame analysis:
Join us at 9:30 p.m. for Live with Friday Night Drive
IHSA playoff projections? Steve Soucie’s live blog has the latest updates on the IHSA football playoffs