Southwest Valley (Red)

DeKalb (1-2, 0-0) at Stagg (0-3, 0-1)

When: 6 p.m. Friday

About the Barbs: The schedule becomes difficult for DeKalb after this week, so getting a win against the Chargers is pivotal. The next three opponents for the Barbs (Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way West and Bradley-Bourbonnais) are all 3-0. Against Kaneland, things were close for a half as the Barbs went into halftime down 7-0. But the pressure the Knights exerted was just too much in a 35-7 loss. Kaneland had 15 tackles for a loss and six sacks. They hurried quarterback Cole Latimer six times, forcing two interceptions. Coach Derek Schneeman said there were a lot of factors that went into that. Lineman Owen Sisson was hurt and left the game, leading to Joshua Mathley and John Calderon being thrust into different positions midgame. He also said the running backs need to pick up the blitz both off the edge and in the B gaps. He also said at times Latimer held the ball too long. “If it wasn’t one thing going wrong, it was another,” Schneeman said. “They’re all fixable things but we have to fix them in a hurry.” Schneeman said he expects both Sisson and Derrion Straughter to return.

About the Chargers: After back-to-back three-win seasons, Stagg is winless after back-to-back blowout losses. They are searching for their first playoff berth since a 9-2 showing in 2005. The Barbs won 41-0 in DeKalb last year. Their last two games have been a 42-0 loss to Oak Forest and a 43-0 loss to Lincoln-Way Central. They opened the year with a 20-19 loss to Romeoville. Stagg led 12-0 in that game behind a pair of touchdowns from Olaf Kozub.

Friday Night Drive pick: DeKalb

Interstate 8

Rochelle (2-1, 0-0) at Sycamore (1-2, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Hubs: Rochelle lost 25-19 at home to the Spartans last year, their only conference loss. Like Sycamore, the Hubs ended up in the second round of the postseason. They dropped their first game of the season last week, losing 20-7 to Lena-Winslow. The Hubs were without starting quarterback Van Gerber last week and two starting offensive linemen. Running back Dylan Manning, after two big games, had 95 yards in the loss. Le-Win put up 187 ground yards to 165 for the Hubs.

About the Spartans: Sycamore played its 45-16 loss to Mahomet-Seymour without Kevin Lee, the team’s leading tackler and rusher. He’s still the team’s leading rusher and is second behind Pete Gehrig in tackles. It was their second loss in a row after a 21-20 overtime defeat in Moline. They opened the year with a 22-21 win over DeKalb at NIU’s Huskie Stadium. After the loss, coach Joe Ryan said playing without Lee definitely had an effect on the team, but wasn’t responsible solely for the defeat. The 29-point margin of defeat was Sycamore’s most lopsided loss since a 33-0 loss to DeKalb in Week 4 for the 2017 season. The Spartans last lost two games in a row when they closed the 2017 season with losses to Morris and Rochelle, missing the playoffs. Their last four losses, dating back to 2022, were by a combined 27 points and three of the four losses were in the postseason. Ryan said coming off a loss like Friday, there’s a lot to improve and the players have been working toward that in practice this week. “No one’s going to feel sorry for you. There’s only one way to go and that’s up after that one,” Ryan said. He added that the team has to tackle and communicate better and play with a higher sense of urgency.

Friday Night Drive pick: Sycamore

Ottawa (2-1, 0-0) at Kaneland (3-0, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Pirates: Ottawa’s great start to the season hit a roadbump in Week 3’s 41-24 loss to archrival La Salle-Peru. Ottawa not only was dealt its first loss of the season after opening with decisive wins over Plano and Streator, but lost QB Mark Munson for the foreseeable future to a game-halting injury. Still, a 2-1 first third of the season leaves Ottawa with reasonable playoff hopes, but to get there the Pirates will have to pull off an upset or two in the Interstate 8. RBs Archer Cechowicz (290 yards, 7.1 avg., 6 TDs) and Ethan Poutre (147 yards, 5.9 avg., 1 TD) have been the main weapons in a balanced offense that, when the game script allows, leans on the run. Diego Martinez (21 tackles, eight solo, 2½ for loss) has been a force on defense. Ottawa is outscoring opponents 81-27 in games’ middle quarters.

About the Knights: The Kaneland defense had a monster game in a 35-7 win over DeKalb last week. Rogan O’Neil had 12 tackles, three for a loss, and a QB hurry. Brady Alstott had a pair of pass breakups, 10 tackles, a sack and a TFL. Jack Parker had eight tackles, four for a loss, two sacks and two QB hurries. And Garrett Herst had six tackles, five for a loss, with three sacks. Jalen Carter and Luke Gadomski each had interceptions. They allowed one touchdown after achieving the running clock in a 44-7 win to open the year at Rock Island, Lemont exploded offensively but Kaneland held on for a 42-37 win. Coach Michael Thorgesen said he has been impressed with his defense. Even in the performance against Lemont, he said it didn’t feel like the team gave up 37 points in that one. And holding DeKalb to just a touchdown was a great defensive effort. The game plan was to keep pressure on the quarterback, and that they did, recording 15 tackles for a loss, six sacks and six quarterback hurries. His team loves to blitz, he said, and last week was the perfect opportunity to utilize that strategy.

Friday Night Drive pick: Kaneland

Nonconference

Seneca (3-0) at Genoa-Kingston (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca continues to roll through the season-starting, four-week nonconference portion of its schedule, last Friday going to Clinton and overwhelming the Maroons 50-0. Head coach Terry Maxwell’s power-T rushing game and suffocating defense led to video-game team statistics – Seneca rushing for 419 yards (RB Cam Shriey spearheading the attack with 199 on 11 carries; QB Gunner Varland adding a 25-yard TD run) and allowing just 107 total yards from scrimmage. It all starts up front with lines that are shaping up to be as good as any in the Irish’s impressive recent history. After this one, Seneca enters its three-game stretch of Chicagoland Prairie Conference contests.

About the Cogs: Genoa-Kingston enters the game off its first win of the year, 48-21 at Winnebago. It wasn’t as close as the score indicates as G-K hit the running clock midway through the third quarter. Quarterback Cody Cravatta was 7 for 9 for 188 yards and three touchdown passes, plus ran for another three on 11 carries, finishing with 102 yards. He also blocked a punt. Coach Cam Davekos said Cravatta didn’t miss any summer workouts as the team worked on its new Gun-T offense and it’s showing up in his success. Blake Ides and Jaiden Lee have been the two main targets for Cravatta. Lee had a 32-yard touchdown catch and Ides had a 64-yarder and a 4-yarder. The Cogs started the year with a pair of one-touchdown losses to Oregon and Stillman Valley. Davekos said he like the confidence his players showed in the win on Friday and hopes that carries over.

Friday Night Drive pick: Seneca

Eight-man football

Hiawatha (2-1) at Rockford Christian Life (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Hawks: After starting 2-0, the Hawks fell 48-12 to Alden-Hebron last week, though the game was tied at 12 early. Aiden Cooper ran for a pair of touchdowns in the loss. Coach Kenny McPeek said Alden-Hebron played much more physically than his Hawks in the second half. It’s the first of two meetings between the teams this year - each had byes in Weeks 6 and 7 when Schlarman and Rockford Christian cancelled their seasons. Earlier this week they added an Oct. 11 in Kirkland. McPeek said this is an important game for the Hawks. They have two games against Christian Life and a forfeit win, but also have to face South Beloit (3-0), West Carroll (2-1) and Polo (3-0). “These guys are good but we have some really tough games coming up,” McPeek said. “You have to win the games you can win.”

About the Eagles: Christian Life last finished with a winning record in 2019, going 5-4 and making the I8FA playoffs, though most teams made the playoffs that season. They lost 22-20 to Schlarman in the first round. Last week, the Eagles won a 50-41 shootout against Harvest Christian-Westminster Christian - Hiawatha beat the co-op 50-8 in Week 2. The Eagles started the season with a 46-8 loss to South Beloit and fell 64-12 to Amboy-LaMoille.

Friday Night Drive pick: Hiawatha

- J.T. Pedelty contributed to this report.