None of the 10 Fox Valley Conference football teams is a perfect 10.

However, the FVC champion three of the past four seasons has mastered regular-season perfection.

Cary-Grove finished 9-0 during the regular season last year and in 2021, when the Trojans won the Class 6A state title. Prairie Ridge went 9-0 two years ago, before losing to eventual Class 5A champ Nazareth Academy in the first round.

Through two weeks this season, four FVC teams – Burlington Central, Huntley, McHenry and Prairie Ridge – are undefeated.

All four teams play road games in Week 3. Burlington Central faces 1-1 Jacobs on Friday night, Huntley takes on 0-2 Crystal Lake South, McHenry plays 0-2 Cary-Grove, and Prairie Ridge kicks off against 1-1 Hampshire.

Prairie Ridge head coach Mike Frericks was an assistant coach on the Wolves’ 2023 team, so he knows what it takes to go undefeated in the rugged FVC.

“You got to go 1-0 each week,” Frericks said with a smile after his Wolves beat visiting Jacobs 33-22 Friday night. “You just got to win that one week, and then you worry about what the record is at the end.”

Perfectly said.

Knee injury sidelines PR’s Kautz: Frericks said wingback Jesse Kautz is out for the season with a knee injury that the junior suffered opening night against Cary-Grove.

“It’s a pretty bad [injury],” Frericks said. “It’s tough. It stinks. You never want that for anybody.”

Kautz, who got the opening-night start in the offensive backfield, got injured on the Wolves’ fifth snap. He took a pitch on second down from the PR 49, raced toward the right sideline, and gained 14 yards before being tackled and pushed out of bounds.

Kautz was carried off the field on a stretcher, and the game was delayed for several minutes.

It was Kautz’s only carry.

Jacobs’ Stennett steps in, steps up: Sophomore quarterback Austin Stennett shone for Jacobs in the Golden Eagles’ loss to host Prairie Ridge on Friday night.

After starting QB Connor Goehring left the game with a shoulder injury with 9:56 left in the first half – after the senior captain scored on a PAT run to pull the Golden Eagles to within 12-8 – Stennett entered the game on his team’s next series.

The 5-foot-9, 155-pound sophomore completed his first three passes. He ran an efficient offense and displayed a soft touch on several throws. Stennett finished 19-of-23 passing for 163 yards, a pick-six and a touchdown.

“He’s been balling out on JV [since last season],” Jacobs senior running back and captain Caden DuMelle said. “It was great to see him step up and be that kid because we’re always preaching to our second team, ‘We’re one injury away from you being on the field, so you need to be ready whenever you can.’ ”

Stennett threw a third-quarter pass that was intercepted by PR safety Luke Vanderwiel and returned 60 yards for a TD, but he never lost his composure. Stennett fired a 7-yard TD strike to wide receiver Carson Goehring (5 catches, 50 yards) late in the fourth.

“Credit Austin for continuing to stick his head in there and go forward,” Jacobs coach Brian Zimmerman said. “He’s a sophomore, and he played like a seasoned veteran. You take one play away from him [the pick-six], and he was darn near perfect. I’m really proud of him.”

Jacobs’ DuMelle gets going: DuMelle, a captain and three-year varsity running back who entered the season with more than 2,000 career rushing yards, didn’t get his first carry against Prairie Ridge until less than five minutes remained in the first half.

DuMelle, who played a strong game at linebacker, finished with 15 carries for 95 yards, including an 8-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

“We saw what they were doing up on the line of scrimmage,” Zimmerman said of PR. “I think we were just trying to spread it out a little bit, and then he cooked a little bit after that. Super proud of him. He was not just running the ball, but he was catching and blocking, and he was pancaking guys left and right.”

Heightened expectations: With a runaway, 43-7 win over Crystal Lake South, McHenry is 2-0 for the first time since 2007. Given the Warriors’ two total wins from 2023-2024, their record may come as a surprise to some, but don’t count McHenry’s players among that group.

“These guys work their butts off all week in practice,” first-year coach Colt Nero said. “They’re hungry, they want to have success, and they’re more than capable of having success. The guys we have expected to be 2-0. It’s all about building momentum from here. We’ll enjoy it, but tomorrow it’s the same thing. We’ll get back to work (Saturday).”

After going 2-7 last year and winless in 2023, McHenry kicked off 2025 with a 17-14 victory over Dundee-Crown and continued that momentum into its home opener Friday.

Senior QB Jeffry Schwab and the Warriors got off to a hot start against the Gators, connecting on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Haydn Schmidt on the first play of the game. Joey Spelman, Mick Reidy, Hunter Lechner and Ethan Dietmeyer each scored rushing TDs, and McHenry’s defense pitched a shutout until a fourth-quarter TD.

In the first half, the Warriors’ defense allowed only 29 yards of offense to the Gators.

Nero named seniors Nolan Chovanec, Aiden Ramirez, Jeremy Beese and James Butler among the leaders on defense. Against the Gators, the Warriors’ defense forced four turnovers, and special teams added another.

“It’s a group that is relentless, and that’s how our practices have been,” Nero said. “Our offense is going at our defense daily, and they push each other to get better. We always talk about practice has to be harder than the games. There’s days in practice where our offense wins, and there’s days in practice where our defense wins. It’s nice to see them challenge each other. At the end of the day, it’s awesome to see them all come together. They’re a tight group right now.”

How about Hampshire?: Hampshire snapped a nine-game losing streak Friday night with a 42-14 win over host Crystal Lake Central.

Junior running backs Tymere Marshall and Jacob Ostrowski helped spark the Whip-Purs after the score was tied 7-all at halftime. Ostrowski scored two second-half TDs, while Marshall and Knox Homola each had one.

“I feel great for the kids,” said Hampshire coach Shane Haak, whose team hadn’t won since edging McHenry 17-16 in last year’s season opener. “There’s a lot of hard work that goes in the offseason, and it’s good to get one early on here in Week 2. It’s fun for them. It’s fun to see their reaction, and [it was] enjoyable tonight.”

Marshall finished the game with 171 rushing yards and three TDs, including a 20-yarder to open the scoring. He rushed for 166 yards and a TD against Jacobs in Week 1.

“We’re definitely more level-headed,” Marshall said. “Last year we took a couple losses [1-8 record], but this year we’re definitely coming back. Everybody’s doubting us, but they’re going to see the new Hampshire. Trust [me].”

Week 2 scores

Fox Valley Conference

Prairie Ridge 33, Jacobs 22

Huntley 28, Dundee-Crown 27 (OT)

Hampshire 42, Crystal Lake Central 14

McHenry 43, Crystal Lake South 7

Burlington Central 10, Cary-Grove 7

Nonconference

Richmond-Burton 24, Coal City 20

Johnsburg 7, Addison Trail 6

Woodstock 21, Ridgewood 14

IC Catholic 40, Woodstock North 13

Marengo 41, Peotone 21

Reed-Custer 34, Harvard 0

Marian Central 46, Clemente 0

Illinois 8-Man Football Association

Alden-Hebron 38, Cambridge Ridgewood co-op 24

• Northwest Herald sports editor Alex Kantecki and correspondent Mark Winter contributed to this report.