There is nothing black or white about Marengo’s decision to wear its road uniforms for Friday’s home-opening football game.

It’s white, says senior two-way lineman Brady Kentgen.

“We’re 2-0 in the white jerseys, so we may as well keep wearing them,” Kentgen said at practice Monday, as the Indians prepared to face Woodstock North in a Kishwaukee River Conference opener.

“I’d prefer to wear something other than white, but if it works, it works,” senior linebacker/running back Connor Sacco said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

Marengo is off to its first 2-0 start since 2016, when it won its first three games en route to five wins and a state playoff berth under coach Matt Lynch. The Indians opened the season by beating Stillman Valley 42-7 and then made it two road victories in as many games (two wins in the all-white uniforms) when they pounded Peotone 41-21.

“We’re playing complementary football,” said Paul Forsythe, who replaced Lynch as Marengo’s head coach in 2017. “We’ve been pretty good in the kicking game, our defense has been good, we’ve been able to possess the ball, we’ve been able to score points, and we really haven’t turned the ball over. Those things aren’t always easy to do. And then we got a good group of senior kids.”

Stillman Valley and Peotone each have enrollments of fewer than 500 students, compared to nearly 700 for Marengo, but both schools have a history of fielding winning football teams. Stillman Valley has made the playoffs six times since 2018 and boasts five state titles since 1999. Peotone has qualified for the Class 3A playoffs four years in a row.

So it’s not like Marengo has been beating up on weak opponents.

“They both are [good programs],” Forsythe said. “No offense to [Stillman Valley or Peotone], but it’s going to get harder for us. We got more challenges ahead of us. Our kids are hungry to find their ceiling.”

That process continues Friday, when Woodstock North (1-1) visits Marengo. The Thunder are coming off a 40-13 loss to IC Catholic, but were the only KRC team to win a playoff game last season. They also beat Marengo 20-14 in Week 3 in Woodstock.

“We got to bully them,” said Sacco, who expects the Thunder to have the same mindset about their opponent. “We got to hit them hard, hit them in the [ear] hole every time, and I think we’ll win that way. I think it’s going to be a really physical game, hard-hitting, loud pops.”

Kentgen expects the same. Prepare for the noise of fans cheering and pads colliding.

“I think Friday is going to be a real challenge,” said Kentgen, a three-time All-KRC selection. “We’re really going to find out [how good we are] because last year it was a tough game, a close game.”

Marengo’s physical brand of football starts with players such as Kentgen (6-3, 215) and Sacco (5-11, 200), each of whom has been playing varsity since freshman year.

If there’s been a surprise group for the Indians, it’s been the offense. Against Peotone, Gavin Baros rushed 20 times for 195 yards, Sacco added 142 rushing yards on 18 carries, and quarterback Sam Vandello threw for 107 yards and a TD and ran for one.

Kentgen anchors an offensive line that also features Ryan Grismer, Frankie Solis, Owen Bills and James Wroble. They helped Marengo rush for 359 yards against Peotone.

“Our offense has been showing up, showing out,” Sacco said. “That’s what’s really surprised me. I know our defense was going to be sound. It has been sound, but our offense is really looking good.”

So, Marengo’s black home uniforms can stay in storage, for now. Marengo’s fans are encouraged to wear white Friday, as they cheer on their football players who will be donning white uniforms with maroon numerals and trim and maroon helmets.

It will also be senior night.

“I believe we’re better than last year,” Kentgen said. “We’re a lot more aggressive, a lot more versatile in many ways.”

Expect the white jerseys and pants to get dirty.

“It’s going to be a game of revenge,” Kentgen said.

All that will matter at game’s end is which team is sporting victory smiles.

Sacco said his team’s offense has looked “uniformed,” so to speak. But it’s not about the look, he knows. It’s about beating another quality opponent, a KRC rival, no matter the color of the uniform.

“We got everything down off that month of training [in the summer],” Sacco said. “Everything looks good. Our plays are running perfectly, [providing] what we need.”

For Marengo, what’s needed is another win.