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Southwest Prairie Conference West
Yorkville (3-3, 1-1) at Oswego (5-1, 1-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Yorkville 17, Oswego 0 (2022)
About the Foxes: Yorkville comes in off its most impressive win of the season, 17-13 over Minooka. Luke Zook ran for a touchdown and had a huge defensive play in the final minutes to preserve the win. Senior QB Michael Dopart has thrown for 953 yards and seven TDs on the season. Josh Gettemy has rushed for 320 yards, one of four Foxes over 100 yards rushing on the season. Dom Coronado and Dyllan Malone each have 22 catches to lead the Foxes’ receiving corps. Jacob Homerding and Bryce Griffin have 40 and 37 tackles, respectively. Yorkville has won the last two meetings with Oswego. A win here would go a long way toward the Foxes earning a playoff bid.
About the Panthers: Oswego bounced back from its first loss in a big way, defeating previously unbeaten West Aurora 35-13. Notably, the Panthers revived their running game. Noah Vera rushed for 147 yards and Ayden Villa ran for 145, a week after Oswego barely topped 40 rushing yards as a team against Plainfield North. Oswego’s defense, which has allowed just 40 points all season, has been a constant strength of the Panthers. Oswego held West Aurora to nine total yards and zero first downs in the first half last Friday. Jeremiah Cain continues to be a two-way standout. Cain had an interception defensively and scored a TD offensively last week.
FND Pick: Oswego
Oswego East (2-4, 0-2) at West Aurora (5-1, 1-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Oswego East 21, West Aurora 3 (2022)
About the Wolves: Oswego East is coming off its second straight loss, 14-10 to Plainfield North, but the Wolves can be heartened by a much more representative result than their Week 4 loss to Minooka. That said, Oswego East’s back is to the wall, as the Wolves need to win out against West Aurora, Yorkville and Oswego to become playoff eligible and earn the program’s eighth straight postseason bid.
About the Blackhawks: West Aurora is coming off its first loss, 35-13 to Oswego last week, but the Blackhawks are still enjoying their best season since joining the SPC West. Michael Williams ran for two TDs in the game, but the Blackhawks struggled to generate much of anything offensively. Williams has rushed for 357 yards and seven TDs on the season. Sophomomore QB Mason Atkins has thrown for 629 yards and five TDs. The man to watch is Division I football and basketball prospect Terrance Smith, a 6-foot-4 junior with 26 catches for 445 yards and seven TDs.
FND Pick: Oswego East
Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Blue
Rochelle (4-2, 3-0) at Sandwich (5-1, 3-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Rochelle 2, Sandwich 0 (2021)
About the Hubs: Rochelle is coming off a 47-0 win over Marengo. The Hubs’ only losses came to unbeatens and state-ranked teams Morton and Sycamore. Junior Grant Gensler is the man to watch. In four games, per MaxPreps, Gensler had rushed for 494 yards at 8.8 yards per carry with six TDs. Gensler rushed for 152 yards on just six carries with three TDs last week with the Hubs as a team amassing nearly 500 yards of offense. Rochelle is a win away from becoming playoff eligible for the program’s third straight playoff appearance under sixth-year head coach and former Hubs’ quarterback Kyle Kissack.
About the Indians: Sandwich’s remarkable return to varsity football continued last Friday with a 27-0 win over Harvard. A year after not fielding a varsity team, two years after going 0-9, Sandwich is playoff eligible for the first time since 2013. Simeion Harris ran for 153 yards and a touchdown, and Nick Michalek and Parker Anderson each ran for 52 yards and a TD against Harvard. Harris has rushed for 794 yards and six TDs on the season, breaking 100 yards rushing in four games. Michalek has rushed for 476 yards and four TDs and Anderson 347 yards and five scores. A visit from Rochelle provides a huge test for the Indians.
FND pick: Rochelle
Harvard (0-6, 0-3) at Plano (3-3, 1-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Plano 40, Harvard 14 (2022)
About the Hornets: Harvard lost to Sandwich 27-0 last week. The Hornets have lost 17 consecutive games. QB Adam Cooke leads the team with 181 rushing yards. WR Danny Rosas has 16 receptions and three touchdowns.
About the Reapers: Plano defeated Johnsburg 19-0 last week, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Reapers need two more wins to reach the playoffs. They finish with Harvard, Rochelle and Marengo. Waleed Johnson, who rushed for 101 yards and two TDs against Johnsburg, is up to 716 yards and seven TDs on the season. With Andrew Cox’s likely season-ending injury, Armando Martinez has moved from quarterback to fullback. Martinez also leads the Reapers in tackles at linebacker. Junior defensive tackle Rider Larson comes off a strong game against Johnsburg with seven tackles and a sack.
FND Pick: Plano