The Times Week 7 previews: Seneca vs. Marquette, Ottawa vs. La Salle-Peru highlight pivotal Friday night

Chicagoland Prairie

Seneca (6-0, 4-0) at Marquette (5-1, 4-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Marquette 21, Seneca 13 (2019)

About the Fighting Irish: Coming off an unexpected and unwanted week off due to receiving its second forfeit win of the season, Seneca will aim to trend more toward well-rested than rusty as it renews its old rivalry with Marquette. After a six-point, season-opening win over small-school powerhouse Wilmington and in between the forfeits, it’s been business as usual for the Irish. They have three lopsided victories won by their suffocating defense, which is allowing 12 points per game, not counting the forfeits, and power-T rushing game. Seneca averages 385 rushing yards per game, led by RB Asher Hamby’s 393 with six touchdowns, QB Nathan Grant’s 374 with three TDs and Nathen Neal’s 297 with five TDs. This projects to likely decide the inaugural Chicagoland Prairie League championship, have a huge Gould Stadium crowd and – because of the power-T vs. wing-T matchup – be one of the quickest start-to-finish games played in the state Friday.

About the Crusaders: Marquette has been on a roll since its opening-week loss at Aurora Christian. Not counting the awarded 1-0 victory from its Week 5 forfeit win against Walther Christian, which also forfeited against Seneca last week, Marquette has won its past four on-field games by an average score of 49-13. That includes the closest of the bunch, last week’s 36-26 home win over likely playoff team Ridgewood, a team Seneca defeated 51-7 two weeks ago. It’s no secret what Marquette wants to do behind its powerful offensive line, relying on Payton Gutierrez (440 yards, six TDs rushing) and Jacob Smith (407 yards, nine TDs rushing) carrying the ball out of the wing-T. But the Crusaders also have shown the ability to throw it for big plays with QB Anthony Couch (13 of 23 for 264 yards, three touchdowns) and top target Charlie Mullen (six receptions, 174 yards, two TDs).

Friday Night Drive pick: Seneca

Heart of Illinois Small

Fisher (0-6, 0-2) at Fieldcrest (2-4, 0-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Fisher 51, Fieldcrest 40 (2022)

About the Bunnies: Fisher failed to field a varsity team in 2022 because of low program numbers. The Bunnies are back this fall, although to this point they have played only one truly competitive game: Week 2′s 38-31 loss at home to Indiana school South Newton. Although they have found some offensive success, Fisher has had a tough time stopping opponents, allowing 48 points per game. The Bunnies have had some success with a spread offense led by QB Ryan Hopkins, RB Jeremiah Todd and WR Cody Hinton, but not enough to find their first victory.

About the Knights: Fieldcrest has only a couple of dicey paths to the playoffs remaining – one that includes knocking off currently undefeated LeRoy in the regular-season finale; another that would require the Knights to get in with a 4-5 record, not an impossibility with the team’s relatively high number of playoff points – but none if it can’t take care of business against the winless Bunnies and snap its three-game losing streak. WR/RB Jozia Johnson is emerging into a threat to complement featured RB Eddie Lorton, with Johnson coming off a 114-total-yard performance in last week’s 40-14 loss to Gibson City Melvin-Sibley.

FND pick: Fieldcrest

Illinois 8-Man

FCW (4-2) at Bushnell-Prairie City (4-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: first meeting

About the Falcons: Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland has won three straight since close back-to-back losses to St. Thomas More and Milford-Cissna Park in Weeks 2 and 3. The emergence of big man Kesler Collins (581 yards, seven TDs rushing) to complement the speedy Payton Quaintance (736 yards, 14 TDs) has been a big part of the Falcons’ success, as has a linebacker-led defense that has allowed more than 20 points only one time (the aforementioned Week 3 loss to Milford-Cissna Park) in FCW’s six games. That combination of a strong running game and hard-nosed defense has long been a staple of the best Falcons teams and has this one on an I8FA playoff trajectory.

About the Spartans: Bushnell-Prairie City saw its three-game winning streak snapped Friday by a tough 36-34 road loss to two-win West Central. It was a surprising result, as the Spartans their three previous games had outscored Galva, Metro-East Lutheran and Peoria Heights by a combined score of 167-21. Lane Huffman is a dangerous runner for the Spartans, as indicated by his 274-yard, five-touchdown performance against St. Anne early in the year.

FND pick: FCW

Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 White

Ottawa (3-3, 1-2) at La Salle-Peru (3-3, 1-2)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: La Salle-Peru 31, Ottawa 7 (2022)

About the Pirates: Ottawa has not beaten its archrival to the west since a 50-20 victory in 2014, a run of eight straight La Salle-Peru victories that has elevated L-P’s edge in the all-time series to 68-50-5. If the Pirates can break that streak Friday, however, they will keep their hopes of a second straight playoff appearance very much alive despite having undefeated Morris waiting in Week 8 before a visit to one-win Woodstock to close the regular season. Ottawa played a fantastic first half and did just enough in the second half to eke out a homecoming win over Woodstock North, snapping a two-game losing streak. Featured RB Ryder Miller had 24 carries for 79 yards and added five receptions for 39 yards with a combined three touchdowns in the triumph, QB Colby Mortenson threw for 139 yards, and a beat-up Pirates defense got the deciding two-point conversion stop in the final minutes. Another clutch performance like that could have Ottawa back above .500 and snap its skid against L-P.

About the Cavaliers: Until last week, it looked as if this 124th meeting between the old rivals would be a win-and-probably-get-in scenario for the Cavaliers and the Pirates. Then came last week’s 17-14 upset loss to Woodstock, one that – barring an upset of Kaneland and/or Sycamore or multiple 4-5 teams earning at-large playoff bids – has left the Cavaliers in a tough spot. Not that spoiling a potential Ottawa playoff bid won’t be enough to get L-P up for this one in front of what should be a raucous crowd at Howard Fellows Stadium. Dual-threat QB Brendan Boudreau has thrown for 686 yards this season, with top targets including big-legged placekicker/punter Seth Adams (13 receptions for 197 yards) and Noah Zebron (22 for 194). The L-P offensive line and defense (allowing 25 points per game) have been areas of concern, although the defense has played well enough in most of its games to win if the offense (averaging 18 points per game) can get going.

FND pick: Ottawa

Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Blue

Rochelle (4-2, 3-0) at Sandwich (5-1, 3-1)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Rochelle 1, Sandwich 0, forfeit (fall 2021)

About the Hubs: The Hubs play their two top competitors in the KRC/I-8 Blue over the final three weeks, starting with this visit to Sandwich and ending in Week 9 with a road game at Richmond-Burton. While both were losses, Rochelle has acquitted itself well in two previous games against powerhouses – Week 2′s 27-26 loss to Morton and Week 5′s 21-6 loss to Sycamore. Morton and Sycamore remain undefeated. RB Grant Gensler and QB Carson Lewis are main cogs in a Rochelle offense that racked up 495 yards from scrimmage in last week’s 47-0 win over Marengo.

About the Indians: Before and after its Week 4 loss to league favorite Richmond-Burton, Sandwich has just been downright impressive. That 49-7 defeat excluded, the Indians have scored at least 27 points in each of their five wins while holding all five of those opponents – Manteno, Peotone, Plano, Johnsburg and Harvard – under 20 points scored. Friday’s matchup can be viewed as a second chance for the run-heavy, wing-T Indians to announce themselves as one of the league’s top teams and a danger to other playoff-bound teams.

FND pick: Rochelle

Illinois Central Eight

Peotone (3-3, 2-2) at Streator (2-4, 1-3)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Peotone 53, Streator 42 (2022)

About the Blue Devils: Peotone announced itself last week as the third-best team in the ICE Conference with a resounding 47-15 handling of red-hot Manteno. Now at 3-3 with games left against three teams (Streator, Lisle, Herscher) currently with losing records, the Blue Devils look poised for a playoff push. Defense is a concern, however, especially against a Streator offense that can pile up points in a hurry. The Blue Devils are allowing 33 points per game since their Week 1 triumph over still-winless Rantoul, and last year’s matchup with Streator saw Peotone not only pile up the most points it scored in a game last season, but also surrender the most. The offense, which is coming off a 345 rushing-yard performance led by Chase Rivera (192 yards on 21 carries) and Jayden Rodriguez (115 yards on 25 carries), is good enough to win a shootout.

About the Bulldogs: Streator halted a four-game losing streak with Friday’s 54-21 topping of Lisle. It was a much-needed win for the Bulldogs, who technically are still alive for a playoff berth but would need to pull off a couple of upsets to get there, including in this one at Doug Dieken Stadium. QB Christian Benning (21-of-27 passing for 242 yards and four TDs), RB Isaiah Brown (nine carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns) and WR Matt Williamson (11 receptions for 134 yards and two TDs) were back to their early-season form last week and will need to be again in a game that has the makings of a potential shootout. It will fall on a Bulldogs defense that has allowed three or more touchdowns in each of its six games and an average of 37 points per game to get some stops if Streator wants to win its second straight.

FND pick: Peotone