Week 2 games to watch: Batavia vs. Lincoln-Way East showdown among our can’t-miss matchups

Nonconference games for the most part are voluntary arrangements between two schools trying to fill out their nine-game schedule.

But the scramble in scheduling has gotten more complicated in recent years, so much so that many teams envy those in locked conferences (leagues in which every week is a conference game or a predetermined divisional crossover) for the schedule stability that they have already built in.

Often teams in unlocked conferences, particularly those in with longstanding records of success, must schedule nonconference games that require a long road trip or opening one’s self up to a battle against another strong program in the same predicament.

And while Week 2 isn’t quite as deep in electric matchups as the opening weekend, there’s still plenty of power-packed matchups to go around.

Let’s look at a few of the Week 2 matchups of interest.

Batavia (1-0) at Lincoln-Way East (1-0), 7 p.m. Friday: Both of these two programs have had their fare share of problems finding willing nonconference opponents. But neither has been shy about scheduling the best they can find either, so it’s logical that these two power programs would eventually run into one another. On paper it looks like this might be a defensive scuffle with Batavia’s defense anchored by a pair of Division I recruits in LB Tyler Jansey (Wisconsin) and Jack Sadowsky (Iowa State) while Lincoln-Way East counters with its own talented group paced by LB Jake Scianna.

Bolingbrook (1-0) at Simeon (1-0), 3 p.m. Saturday: Bolingbrook was explosive in its season opener and received a herculean effort from an unexpected source. Freshman QB Jonas Williams threw for 407 yards and seven passing touchdowns in a win over Minooka. Williams has an incredible group of talented receivers to target, but this might be one of the few opponents that has the ability to match up with the Raiders man for man. Simeon WR Malik Elzy might be the state’s best recruit, but the real breakout from Week 1 might have been RB Andre Crews, who piled up nearly 300 rushing yards while the Wolverines scored 34 consecutive points in rallying to beat Wheaton Warrenville South on Saturday.

Glenbard North (1-0) at Naperville North (1-0), 7 p.m. Friday: Both of these teams could really benefit from starting 2-0 on the season as the remaining challenges on each of their slates are numerous and daunting. Glenbard North really pulled a win out of the fire in Week 1, using the combo of QB Justin Bland and WR Johnnie Robinson to set up a game-winning score with just over two minutes to play in a Saturday matchup with a talented Kenwood team. Naperville North is keyed by QB Aidan Gray, a Northwestern recruit, and the Huskies will look to get the ball in the hands of Luke Williams as often as they can.

Warren (1-0) at Maine South (1-0), 7 p.m., Friday: This has turned into a spirited battle between two schools that have put a bit of distance between themselves and the rest of their conference rivals. As such, this proves to be a great measuring stick for both programs moving forward. Maine South’s biggest challenge looked to be replacing do-everything offensive weapon Mike Sajenko, who graduated in the spring, but the Hawks didn’t have much trouble in that department in Week 1 as they breezed to a 42-3 win. The sledding won’t be as smooth this wee. Year after year, Warren has one of the sturdiest defenses in the state.

St. Patrick (1-0) at Niles Notre Dame (1-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday: These long-time rivals have to use one of their nonconference matchups to keep their spirited rivalry going because they aren’t in the same division of the CCL/ESCC conference. After both notable wins in Week 1 (St. Patrick defeated St. Ignatius;Niles Notre Dame toppled Willowbrook), the game appears to have raised its usual stakes beyond just bragging rights between two schools that are separated by just eight miles.

Other games of note: Kenwood at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7 p.m. Friday; Christian Brothers at East St. Louis, 7 p.m. Saturday; IC Catholic at Joliet Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday; St. Rita at Brother Rice, 7:30 p.m. Friday; Lemont at Nazareth, 7 p.m. Friday; Naperville Central at Plainfield North, 7 p.m. Friday; Tolono Unity at St. Joseph Ogden, 7 p.m. Friday; Wheaton St. Francis at Sterling, 7:30 p.m. Friday