Heart of Central Illinois crossover

Tri-Valley (9-2 in 2024) at Fieldcrest (1-8 in 2024)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Park

About the Vikings: Tri-Valley has been a powerhouse in the Heart of Illinois and now Heart of Central Illinois, and the 2022 Class 2A state runners-up and perennial conference champions look loaded for another winning season in 2025. Among the Vikings’ 14 returning starters are OL/DL Isaiah Alexander and RB/DB Thomas Harris. Tri-Valley won the last meeting with Fieldcrest, 55-12, in 2023.

About the Knights: Fieldcrest’s lone win last season came in Week 4 against Westmont. Those Knights did not play Tri-Valley. When they do open this season, it will be without last year’s top performer, graduated RB/LB/KR Eddie Lorton. Fieldcrest does return QB Kash Klendworth, however, and head coach Nick Meyer has made it an offseason emphasis to maintain a running game to support Klendworth’s big-play ability.

Friday Night Drive pick: Tri-Valley

Nonconference

Decatur Eisenhower (1-8 in 2024) at Streator (3-6 in 2024)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Doug Dieken Stadium

On Shaw Local radio: Love 98.5 FM

About the Panthers: Eisenhower lost a close 20-12 game at home to Streator in the season opener last year and had to wait until Week 8 to score its first and only win of the season, a 76-42 shootout victory over Springfield Lanphier. As that score indicates, Eisenhower can be an explosive team with plus athletes all over the field. Dual-threat quarterback Garryon Henderson, last season as a junior, gave the Streator defense fits late in a failed comeback effort, finishing with 56 passing yards and 70 more rushing and returns for his senior season. RB/DB JT Moore – who received an offer from Northern Illinois after his junior year – is not listed on this year’s initial Eisenhower roster.

About the Bulldogs: New head coach Jay Slone will have his first game leading the Bulldogs. In last year’s opener, Streator’s clutch-play ability won out in a close game against Eisenhower’s raw athleticism. Pretty much every Bulldog who made those clutch plays has graduated, though, meaning for Streator to start out 1-0 again, a new crop of Bulldogs leaders will need to step up. Of special interest will be where juniors Jerrad Clark, Sharonn Morton and Sam LeRette will be lining up. The three competed in an offseason-long quarterback competition, but wherever they line up Friday, expect all to get their share of touches.

Friday Night Drive pick: Streator

Marquette Academy (6-5 in 2024) at Aurora Christian (5-5 in 2024)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Crusaders: A Class 1A playoff entrant last fall for the 12th season in a row, Marquette has a new head coach (Ken Carlson) following the retirement of veteran leader Tom Jobst, but a lot of returning players and a similar smash-mouth philosophy. Among the key returnees are RB/LB Jaxsen Higgins, QB/LB Anthony Couch, OL/LB Matt Graham, TE/DL Marcus Baker and a potential breakout candidate for a huge senior season in RB/LB Grant Dose. With seven returners on the defensive side, Marquette should be tough to score against, especially in Week 1, when defenses are often ahead of offenses.

About the Eagles: Aurora Christian won last year’s matchup at Gould Stadium, 24-19. The Eagles made their seventh consecutive playoff appearance last fall, but unlike Marquette failed to score a postseason victory. That’s a trend they’re hoping to change this fall with seven returners on offense, including QB Asa Johnson (2,332 yards, 24 touchdowns last season) and WR Nolan Robertson (20 receptions, three TDs). S Cole McCall (59 tackles) will lead the defense for Aurora Christian, which will be trying to stack nonconference wins before heading into the tough Chicagoland Christian Conference stretch of its schedule.

Friday Night Drive pick: Aurora Christian

Chicago Christian (13-1 in 2024) at Seneca (9-2 in 2024)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Knights: The last time Chicago Christian took the field, it defeated Maroa-Forsyth 47-0 in last season’s Class 2A state championship game. It was an impressive playoff run that also included knocking off perennial powerhouses such as Tri-Valley, BHRA and Farmington in head coach CJ Cesario’s first season at the helm. Twenty of the team’s 22 starters have graduated, with RB/LB Isaac Workman and OL/DL Heath Sisk the lone returners. RB/LB Josh Crawford looks to be the new focal point on offense. The new-look Knights might take a little time to get up to varsity speed, but “we’re excited to be in a lot of dogfights this year,” Cesario said.

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca has an absolute bear of a nonconference schedule, starting right off the kicking tee with the defending Class 2A state champs. As in recent years past, this Fighting Irish squad looks built on a physical style of play led by All-Chicagoland Prairie returners such as RB/DB Cam Shriey, WR/DB Gunner Varland, RB/LB Liam Knoebel and TE/DL Zeb Maxwell. If Seneca wants to step up into the state championship picture this season, a win here would be a statement to start down that path. The Irish have just one regular-season loss over the past three years.

Friday Night Drive pick: Seneca

Manteno (7-3 in 2024) at Sandwich (5-5 in 2024)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: Team speed, all-around athleticism and the return for one last season of all-conference dual-threat QB/LB Connor Harrod are all reasons Manteno is optimistic about following up last year’s return to the playoffs with another Week 10 showing in 2025. Line play, however, is a question mark coming into the season, and Manteno could really use a fast start here and in Week 2 against Plano before marching into Illinois Central Eight Conference play and a late-season nonconference visit to Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.

About the Indians: New head coach Jason VanPelt takes over an Indians program that is experiencing a resurgence since skipping a year playing varsity football in 2022 due to low upperclass participation. The success seems likely to continue in 2025, with RB/LB Jeffrey Ashley and RB/DB Nick Michalek back to carry the Indians’ wing-T attack and an incoming group of juniors who won the Kishwaukee River Conference’s JV title last fall.

Friday Night Drive pick: Manteno

Ottawa (1-8 in 2024) at Plano (2-7 in 2024)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Reaper Stadium

About the Pirates: Ottawa will be looking to shake off a rough 2024 that saw the Pirates lose the opener to Plano, score their lone win in Week 2 over Streator, then drop their final seven contests. Eighteen returners – headlined by names such as QB Mark Munson (960 passing yards, six TDs last season), RB Archer Cechowicz, TE Owen Sanders and K/P Lucas Farabaugh – have the Pirates optimistic that this year will be better, and what better way to start walking that path than to avenge a close loss from last fall? That holds especially true with a demanding Interstate 8 Conference schedule looming in Weeks 4-8.

About the Reapers: The Reapers won 2024’s season-opening matchup 17-14, but it was Plano’s only win until a Week 8 edging of Harvard. Second-year head coach Kyle Tutt brings back a healthy number of starters – six on offense and seven on defense – from last fall’s team, headlined by playmakers such as WR Cameron Johnson and RB Kolten Schimandle. This has tended to be a low-scoring, close game since the former conference rivals began scheduling each other to open the season, and there’s no reason to suspect this one will be any different.

Friday Night Drive pick: Plano

Dwight 1, Lisle 0 (forfeit)

About the forfeit: The Trojans picked up the Week 1 win when Lisle announced this summer that it would only be fielding a junior varsity football team. Dwight – coming off an 8-4 season and Class 2A quarterfinal appearance – will be 1-0 when it visits Rock Island Alleman in Week 2 and will not play at home until Week 4’s visit from Marquette.

8-man: FCW 1, Harvest/Westminster 0 (forfeit)

About the forfeit: It wasn’t the plan, but Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland (1-0) – coming off a second straight I8FA playoff appearance with a lot of new faces in key positions – might benefit from the extra week of camp before opening its season with a Week 2 home game against Polo at the Wood Shed in rural Streator.