Nonconference

Lincoln-Way West (1-0) at Lockport (1-0)

When: 6:15 p.m. Friday

About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West was dominant in its season-opening victory, particularly on offense. The Warriors moved the ball both on the ground and through the air, paced by a four-touchdown performance from Jahan Abubakar. The South Dakota State commit looks more than capable of shouldering the offensive load for Lincoln-Way West, but the offensive balance in Week 1 was a nice sign moving forward. Perhaps the most positive signal from Lincoln-Way West was its defensive effort, as it completely reined in Blue Island Eisenhower.

About the Porters: Lockport made an early statement on what they hope to lean on in the 2025 campaign. By shutting out Plainfield North, the Porters showed the potentially dominant defensive effort they could be capable of. That, coupled with the efforts of bruising RB Chris Miller, who scored four touchdowns and ran for 126 yards. Miller was thrust into the role last year and delivered a near 300-yard performance in Week 9 after being converted from linebacker due to injuries, and he seems to have fully embraced his newfound role.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way West

Joliet West (0-1) at Yorkville (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Joliet West has a young, largely inexperienced roster, and it is expected to have some growing pains. There certainly were a few of them in a Week 1 loss to Oswego East. Joliet West really struggled to move the football. Even in the disappointing loss, QB Landon Mars and RB Greg Lee showed flashes of being solid building blocks for the offense, but the defense is going to have to patch up a lot of things if the Tigers are going to bridge the gap with some challenging opponents moving forward.

About the Foxes: Yorkville stood on its defensive prowess last season, holding opponents to a touchdown or less in five of its nine games. It looks like the Foxes may be trying to carry that over into this season, limiting St. Patrick to just seven points in a Week 1 victory. The offense looks like it may be a work in progress, as it mustered just 14 points of its own, but if the defense can continue to play at this high a level, it reduces the need for the offensive attack to light up the scoreboard.

FND Pick: Yorkville

Joliet Central (1-0) at West Chicago (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Steelmen: Joliet Central is out of the box 1-0 for the first time since 2018 after clipping Thornridge 27-26 in Week 1. That shows the continued progress of the Steelmen after they snapped a lengthy losing streak last season with a win over Plainfield Central. Even though the Steelmen are happy to be off on the right foot, they’d be thrilled to do something the program, as Joliet Central independently hasn’t done since 1984, hasn’t put together a streak of more than one win.

About the Wildcats: After making the playoffs for two consecutive years for the first time in school history in 2024, the Wildcats are looking to run that string to three. They are off to a good start, rolling past Round Lake in Week 1. QB Carter Naranjo is an experienced signal-caller. West Chicago is a senior-dominated group that should have the experience edge in this one.

FND Pick: West Chicago

Coal City (1-0) at Richmond-Burton (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Coalers: Coal City flexed its muscles early in its season-opening win over Pontiac, breaking out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter. If the Coalers have any concerns about how to replace do-everything RB/LB Landin Benson, they certainly didn’t show any signs of it. The Coalers possess a big, experienced offensive line, and they seem intent on trying to use it.

About the Rockets: Richmond-Burton‘s rushing totals from Week 1 might get a begrudging nod of approval from this week’s opponents. The Rockets ran for over 400 yards and nearly 15 yards a carry in their runaway win over Marian Central Catholic. Most of that damage was done by junior running back Hunter Carley, who ran for over 200 yards and five touchdowns, but as usual, Richmond-Burton seems to have an array of capable ballcarriers.

FND Pick: Richmond-Burton

Plainfield South (0-1) at Andrew (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cougars: Plainfield South ran into an experienced Pekin squad in Week 1, dropping a 28-7 decision. The defensive unit did most of the heavy lifting for last year’s unit, and if the Cougars are going to bounce back moving forward, they will likely need to begin putting stronger clamps down on their opponents.

About the T-Bolts: Andrew had a rough go of it in the season opener, topped easily by district rival Sandburg. Defensively, Andrew had trouble stopping both the run and the pass, but did establish a somewhat consistent ground attack behind RB Camden Maniatis.

FND Pick: Andrew

Joliet Catholic (0-1) at Glenbard West (1-0)

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

About Joliet Catholic: Joliet Catholic didn’t look a lot like Joliet Catholic in a Week 1 loss to a very good Lyons team. Joliet Catholic’s typically vaunted running game was held to well under 100 yards rushing, and while QB Lucas Simulick had a very strong game throwing the ball, it wasn’t enough. Possibly more problematic was the defensive unit’s inability to keep Lyons from putting together huge, time-consuming drives, literally stealing a page from a script usually executed by Joliet Catholic.

About Glenbard West: Glenbard West pulled off one of Week 1’s surprises, edging Batavia on a last-second field goal. Glenbard West uncharacteristically missed the playoff field last year with an inexperienced roster. But it looks like the core of the team has grown up, especially with its explosiveness on offense. JaMarcus Kelly and Bryce Ellens both delivered huge plays, while transfer QB AJ Rayford gives Glenbard West a dimension they lacked last season.

FND Pick: Glenbard West

Lemont (0-1) at Kaneland (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About Lemont: Lemont put in a valiant fight against Libertyville in Week 1, but ultimately fell 24-14. Lemont has to be credited for playing a strong nonconference schedule, but it certainly doesn’t want to find itself in a similar situation as it did last year – 0-2 in nonconference before regrouping and becoming a much better team in the second half.

About the Knights: Kaneland started fast and kept that momentum going in a dominant victory over Rock Island in Week 1. Carter Grabowski returned the opening kickoff for a score as part of a four-touchdown day for Grabowski. But for as good as Grabowski was, the defense might have been even better, shutting down the Rocks at every turn.

FND Pick: Kaneland

Providence (1-0) at Lincoln-Way Central (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Celtics: Providence was inconsistent on offense last season, but if Week 1 is any indication, the Celtics seem to have shored up that area of concern. Providence poured on the points in its season-opening win over Wheaton Academy, accounting for nearly a third of the points the Celtics scored all of last season in just one game.

About the Knights: Lincoln-Way Central dismantled St. Charles East in Week 1, getting an absolutely stout defensive performance anchored by LB Jalen Byrd and DL Aiden Henning. Knights coach Dave Woodburn described their effort as “those two were all over the field.” Lincoln-Way Central’s offense was tactical and precise as well. QB Drew Woodburn completed all but two of his passes, and the Knights had little to no trouble moving the ball.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way Central

Minooka (0-1) at Neuqua Valley (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcats: Neuqua Valley went into grinder mode to capture its sixth consecutive victory over Waubonsie Valley. Aside from one long pass play, the Wildcats struggled offensively for much of the night. Fortunately for Neuqua Valley, its defense came to play and forced several turnovers, which created short fields and allowed Neuqua Valley ample opportunity to cash in points.

About the Indians: Minooka suffered a heartbreaking loss to St. Charles North as the North Stars rallied late, scoring on a two-point conversion with less than a minute to play. The Indians had built a lead early thanks to several turnovers by St. Charles North and durable running from RB Chase Nurczyk. Minooka also got some solid downfield plays from QB Zane Caves, but the Indians weren’t able to put St. Charles North away.

FND Pick: Minooka

Metea Valley (1-0) at Plainfield Central (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Mustangs: Metea Valley looked sharp in its season opener, allowing it to claim a solid win over Downers Grove South. After allowing DGS to claim a 19-13 lead midway, the Mustangs scored 21 unanswered to claim their first season-opening victory since 2014. Metea has won more than one game just once since 2016 (three wins in 2021) and will look to explosive running back Zoelen Terry to keep the ball rolling in their direction.

About the Wildcats: Plainfield Central seems to have shaken off a 2024 season where absolutely nothing went right for them. The Wildcats were able to claim a somewhat surprising win over Waukegan in Week 1. Although Waukegan was the only team Plainfield Central played competitively with last year, Plainfield Central hadn’t claimed a victory since 2023 and looked fairly overwhelmed in nearly all of its games, as they scored just 57 points and surrendered 335.

FND Pick: Metea Valley

De La Salle (0-1) at Plainfield East (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Bengals: Plainfield East got the Daniel Stekala era underway in grand fashion. The Bengals breezed to a Week 1 win over Argo. There is an opportunity for the apparently resurgent Bengals to get on a little roll here to start the season if both sides of the football can contribute at the level that they did on opening week.

About the Meteors: De La Salle was forced to suspend operations for its season last year, as the Meteors didn’t have enough varsity players. De La Salle felt as if it had enough players in the program to give it another go this season, but its Week 1 result (a 42-0 loss to Reavis) indicates it still has a lot of work to do to be able to compete with most of its foes.

FND Pick: Plainfield East

Tinley Park (1-0) at Romeoville (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Titans: Tinley Park collected a win in the opening week, but it is difficult to collect much information on how that will affect the Titans moving forward. Fenger is a program that has struggled mightily for several seasons. Despite that, Tinley Park has taken a stride forward itself in recent seasons, qualifying for the playoffs in back-to-back 5-5 seasons. The Titans are hoping to do the same this year and maybe do a little damage if they do.

About the Spartans: Romeoville picked up the kind of win that one needs if you are trying to break through that playoff wall. The Spartans clipped Stagg 20-19 in Week 1, which gives them a chance to get through the nonconference schedule unscathed. QB Richard Conley is a steady playmaker for Romeoville, and they’ll need a solid performance this week as well if they hope to get to 2-0.

FND Pick: Romeoville

Morris (1-0) at Mahomet-Seymour (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About Morris: Morris got all it wanted and then some from Wilmington in Week 1, needing to manufacture a successful two-minute drill to walk away with a narrow win. QB Brady Varner continues to demonstrate his ability to do damage with both his arm and his legs. Morris needs to carry the momentum through the early portion of the regular season because some real challenges lurk down the line on the schedule.

About the Bulldogs: Mahomet-Seymour took a heartbreaking loss to Morton in the opening week, scoring on a late touchdown but failing to get the two-point conversion to fall 28-27. Mahomet is rebuilding its offensive attack after losing some talented players at the skill positions last season, so it might take the Bulldogs some time to get their footing.

FND Pick: Morris

Plainfield North (0-1) at York (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Plainfield North‘s largely inexperienced varsity roster got a rude introduction to that level of play, being shut out by Lockport in Week 1. The Tigers are installing new players at several positions, including most of the skill positions on offense, and that unit clearly hasn’t caught its stride yet, amassing less than 100 yards of offense. Plainfield North’s defense did have a few flashes, but struggled on the whole to stop Lockport’s running attack.

About the Dukes: York was surprised in a Week 1 overtime loss to Glenbrook South. And the Dukes are well aware of the fact that another nonconference loss would severely hamper their quest to make a postseason run. The West Suburban Conference looks as deep as ever this year, and York and its 11 returning starters need to get back into lockstep as quickly as possible.

FND Pick: York

Simeon (0-1) at Bolingbrook (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wolverines: Simeon is still considered to be one of the better Chicago Public League programs, but the Wolverines haven’t been a real factor in terms of making a postseason run in quite some time. There’s still some top-flight talent on the roster, but Wheaton North was able to keep most of it in check in a 35-20 win in Week 1.

About the Raiders: Bolingbrook was right in the thick of things in its rivalry game with Homewood-Flossmoor in Week 1, claiming a narrow lead late in the third quarter. But the Raiders couldn’t seal the deal, ultimately falling to the Vikings. Without question, there’s talent on both sides of the ball, but the defensive play has to be able to hold opponents down a little bit better for the Raiders to get where they want to go.

FND Pick: Bolingbrook

Kankakee (0-1) at Lincoln-Way East (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Kays: Kankakee has emerged as a strong program in the south suburbs that has actively sought out stronger competition outside of the Southland Conference. You can’t do much more than this scheduling, as the Kays will follow up a Week 1 loss against Nazareth with a matchup against one of the state’s gold standard programs. There’s clear talent on Kankakee’s roster, and explosive plays are possible with the arm of QB Phillip Turner and the skills of RB/WR Cedric Terrell Jr. and others, but Kankakee’s staunch defense of years past looks like it isn’t fully developed just yet.

About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East looked overwhelming in Week 1, as they completely flattened a well-respected Maine South team for the second consecutive year. QB Jonas Williams, a USC recruit, continues his assault on pretty much every career passing record the IHSA keeps, but he’s consistently said that’s not on his mind and he’s more focused on helping bring a state championship back to Frankfort. If Week 1’s effort is any indication of what the Griffins are capable of, that could be in the cards.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way East

Sandwich (0-1) at Wilmington (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Indians: Sandwich had some offensive success, but to have any chance against the ominous opponent it faces this week, it must shore up the defensive side of the ball as quickly as possible. The Indians surrendered 50-plus points against a speedy Manteno team in that Week 1 loss, which isn’t a great omen heading into a contest with an offensively potent team like Wilmington.

About the Wildcats: Wilmington finds itself in a strange position – 0-1. It hasn’t lost a season-opener since a 2012 setback at the hands of Coal City, but it’s hard to fault the effort and skill the Wildcats displayed in a last-second loss to what appears to be a very good Morris team. Wilmington’s ground game looks as potent as ever with bruising runner Ryan Kettman leading the way, churning out 168 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

FND Pick: Wilmington

Peotone (1-0) at Marengo (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Blue Devils: Peotone made a long road trip to Granite City and came away feeling like the journey was worth it, as it rolled to an easy victory. Peotone has built a steady program that leans on running the football and playing solid defense, and despite the fact that some key cogs graduated from last year’s crew, it appears the Blue Devils have the remaining components to continue to follow that blueprint.

About the Indians: Marengo breezed to a win in its Week 1 matchup with Stillman Valley, a good sign for a program hoping to – at the very least – return to the playoff fray. The margin of that victory indicates the Indians might be able to be a significant factor in the Kishwaukee River Conference race, but Peotone’s gritty defense unit should give Marengo a little more trouble racking up points.

FND Pick: Peotone

Harvard (0-1) vs. Reed-Custer (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Hornets: Harvard didn’t get much going for itself in Week 1, having been shut out by Big Foot, a school in Wisconsin. Harvard edged out Reed-Custer last season in the matchup of these two teams as part of a two-game winning streak to start its season. It hasn’t won a game since that 21-14 victory.

About the Comets: Reed-Custer scrapped with El Paso-Gridley in Week 1 before eventually succumbing. It was a good step for the Comets and new coach Joe Turek, who is trying to mold a relatively young group into a team capable of hanging with some of their Illinois Central Eight foes this season.

FND Pick: Reed-Custer

Dwight (1-0) vs. Rock Island Alleman (1-0)

When: 7:45 p.m. Friday at Augustana College

About the Trojans: Dwight enters Week 2 with a 1-0 record despite not playing last week. The Trojans were originally scheduled to play Lisle in Week 1, a program that announced this spring that they would not be moving forward with a varsity program in 2025. Dwight is an interesting program to take a look at this season in Class 1A after dropping its cooperative with Gardner-South Wilmington and reaching the quarterfinals in Class 2A last season.

About the Pioneers: Alleman’s return to the varsity football ranks went rather well for the Pioneers, as they rolled up a 63-12 win over Walther Christian in Week 1. That ended a two-year string of no varsity games being played at Alleman because of low player numbers. Alleman maintained a junior varsity program during the lapse, but will still likely find the sledding difficult once it returns to its Western Big Six Conference schedule.

FND Pick: Dwight

Seneca (1-0) at Sangamon Valley/Tri-City (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Fighting Irish: This was a late addition for Seneca, replacing Lisle, a squad that suspended its varsity program. Seneca appears to be picking up right where it left off last season, piling up rushing yards and rolling through regular-season opponents as the Irish overwhelmed last year’s Class 2A state champions, Chicago Christian, rushing for nearly 350 yards in the win.

About the Storm: Sangamon Valley/Tri-City found itself in the same boat as Seneca, needing a Week 2 opponent after its initial opponent, Cerro Gordo, suspended varsity play for this season. The Storm were a playoff team last season, but struggled in a season-opening loss to Arthur.

FND Pick: Seneca