CCL/ESCC Orange

Joliet Catholic (0-3, 0-0) at Marist (0-3, 0-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic finds itself 0-3 for the first time since 2017, a particularly unenviable spot, as its schedule shows no signs of easing. The Hilltoppers have had more than their share of defensive woes in the early going, having a tough time containing the passing game in a Week 3 loss to Fenwick. The Hilltoppers’ offense has been pretty productive, however, getting three more touchdown passes from QB Lucas Simulick and a strong rushing game from RB Anthony Finnegan.

About the Redhawks: Like Joliet Catholic, Marist finds itself in unfamiliar territory with its own 0-3 record. Also like Joliet Catholic, a brutal early slate has a lot to do with that in a trio of losses to CCL/ESCC powerhouses – St. Rita, Brother Rice and a narrow Week 3 loss to Montini. RB Kevin Bartolotta has been productive out of the backfield, but also like Joliet Catholic, Marist has struggled defensively, most recently surrendering 300-plus passing yards in the Montini loss.

Friday Night Drive pick: Joliet Catholic

Providence (2-1, 0-0) at Niles Notre Dame (2-1, 0-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Celtics: Providence pulled off an impressive road win using a bruising running game to run off most of the fourth quarter and top Carmel in Week 3. That might give a window into what to expect from the Celtics moving forward. It was a bit of a coming-out party for sophomore quarterback Dominic Vita, who was not only effective as a passer but also as part of a three-headed rushing monster that included Brayden McKay and Jackson Killeen. Providence’s defense showed signs of being dominant in the Carmel win, holding the Corsairs to less than 50 yards in the first half.

About the Dons: Niles Notre Dame just missed starting 3-0 with a narrow 15-14 loss to St. Laurence in Week 3, but even with that outcome, the Dons seem to be showing a bit more mettle so far. Opening the season with a solid win over Washington likely indicates the Dons are more up to the task of trying to be a factor in CCL play this season after the program had netted just five victories total over the past two seasons.

FND pick: Providence

Southwest Valley Blue

Lincoln-Way East (3-0, 1-0) at Lockport (1-2, 0-1)

When: 6:15 p.m. Friday

About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East had another overpowering performance in Week 3, leaving the first quarter with a 33-0 advantage, leading 49-7 at the half and rolling to a 56-7 win over Neuqua Valley. QB Jonas Williams threw four touchdown passes and moved to within eight touchdown passes of the IHSA’s all-time passing record. RB Brody Gish added three rushing touchdowns, all done before the starters took a second-half respite. The defense was fantastic again despite surrendering its first points of the season, although well after the outcome was in hand.

About the Porters: Lockport struggled to stop the big play in a loss to Homewood-Flossmoor in Week 3, which made it difficult for the Porters’ grind-it-out offense to make up an early deficit. Lockport will obviously have its hands full trying to slow down this week’s opponent on the defensive end, but it hopes to try to combat that by possibly playing some keep-away with long drives behind RB Chris Miller.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way East

Southwest Valley Crossover

Lincoln-Way Central (3-0, 1-0) at Lincoln-Way West (3-0, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Knights: The Lincoln-Way Central defense shone again in its second shutout victory of the year in a comfortable win over Stagg. DB Nolan Morrill was a big part of that effort, and he also ran back a punt on special teams. Offensively, Lincoln-Way Central was precise, with QB Drew Woodburn spreading the ball to multiple wide receivers, while RB Justin Cobbs netted two touchdowns as the Knights stormed out to a 36-0 halftime lead.

About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West went into workman-like mode in upending Andrew, as the Warriors continue to get steady defensive performances. Andrew was the second game this season where Lincoln-Way West has limited an opponent to a solitary touchdown, and this time that stinginess proved to be a lot more significant, with Lincoln-Way West’s offensive attack slowed a bit. These two district rivals haven’t played a lot on the gridiron, but this might be one of the higher-stakes battles between the two.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way West

Southwest Prairie crossover

Joliet Central (1-2) at Oswego East (3-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Steelmen: Joliet Central continues to experience major woes on the defensive side of the football. It has surrendered 119 points over the past two weeks, both losses. The Steelmen still need to make major improvements on that side of the ball, especially if they hope to be more competitive in crossover games against the stronger side of the league.

About the Wolves: Oswego East had to work a lot harder in Week 3 than it did in two easy wins to start the season, but a second-half resurgence carried the Wolves to a gritty win over Plainfield North to keep their ledger spotless. The Wolves are sitting at 3-0 for the first time since 2021 and will once again lean on the strong play of their defense, which has only allowed 16 points on the season.

FND pick: Oswego East

Minooka (1-2) at Joliet West (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Indians: Minooka is quickly learning the dangers of being embroiled in close games. All three of Minooka’s games have been decided by two points or fewer, just one in Minooka’s favor. On the positive side, two of those three games have seen the Indians hold the opposition to two touchdowns, which ordinarily should be enough for a fair amount of success if they are able to sustain that level.

About the Tigers: Joliet West showed an impressive amount of resiliency in its Week 3 win over Plainfield South, as it used three different quarterbacks but still was able to sustain enough offense to pick up its first win of the season. Starting QB Landon Mars threw an early touchdown pass before departing with an injury. Seth Hogan threw a touchdown score before Joliet West elected to go the rest of the way with sophomore Liam Nichtula, who tossed a pair of second-half touchdown passes less than a minute apart to help the Tigers secure the victory.

FND pick: Minooka

Bolingbrook (1-2) at Plainfield Central (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Raiders: Things started OK for Bolingbrook in Week 3 against Oswego, as the Raiders scored first in the SPC divisional scrap. But everything went downhill from there, as the Raiders surrendered 42 unanswered points and had several breakdowns, particularly on special teams. RB TJ Lewis had a strong performance despite the loss, clearing the 100-yard barrier. The Raiders will likely continue to need to lean on him moving forward.

About the Wildcats: Plainfield Central has dropped two straight since winning its season opener against Waukegan, but it seems to be making strides despite those losses. Last year’s winless season saw the Wildcats lose contact with many opponents early, but they showed some scrap against Romeoville in their Week 3 loss, finishing with a couple of late scores to make things more respectable.

FND Pick: Bolingbrook

Yorkville (3-0) at Plainfield East (3-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Foxes: Yorkville continues to impress, as its defense continues to frustrate foes. The Foxes haven’t allowed more than 13 points to any opponent, and that proved critical in Week 3, as that containment allowed them to escape against Minooka with a one-point win. QB Jack Beetham leads an offense that seems to do just as much as it needs to to get through.

About the Bengals: Plainfield East‘s surprising start is fueled by an offensive attack that has scored exactly 55 points in each of its first three resounding victories. Yes, the fact remains that the Bengals’ first three opponents only have one win collectively to this point, but the sheer dominance that Plainfield East has shown over those opponents certainly makes the program’s best start since 2014 notable.

FND pick: Yorkville

Oswego (3-0) at Plainfield South (0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: The time for being unsure whether Oswego‘s start is for real is probably over. The Panthers were dominant again in a Week 3 win over Bolingbrook, this time sprinkling in some stellar defense and special teams play into the equation. Oswego has not only emerged as the clear front-runner in the Southwest Prairie West, but also looks to be a potential threat to make noise in the 8A bracket.

About the Cougars: Plainfield South‘s hopes of defending its conference title from a year ago took a hit with a loss to Joliet West in Week 3, but there still were some encouraging signs. The Cougars dug a substantial hole for themselves but tried to claw back in the second half. A serious second-half rally is going to be needed to get Plainfield South back in the playoff conversation, but RB Chase Pierceall is a capable weapon who could lead that charge.

FND pick: Oswego

Plainfield North (0-3) at Romeoville (3-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Plainfield North: Plainfield North is a relatively young and inexperienced team, and also has been slowed down by some key injuries. Its defense, however, has consistently played pretty well, and the Tigers might be able to use that as a springboard into a more successful second part of the season. RB Julian Rodriguez is starting to string together some good performances in Plainfield North’s backfield.

About the Spartans: Romeoville has appeared to be on the verge of a breakthrough for the past few seasons. It looks like that breakthrough is finally here, as the Spartans have not only gone 3-0 for the first time since 1995, but they’ve now won two of those games convincingly. Granted, Romeoville’s strength of schedule (its opponents are a combined 2-7 thus far) isn’t the strongest, but it’s a great sign for Romeoville that it’s evolved to the point where it is finishing games it should win.

FND pick: Plainfield North

Interstate 8

La Salle-Peru (1-2) at Morris (3-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cavaliers: La Salle-Peru put forth a dominant performance in its first win of the season over Ottawa, getting what it has become accustomed to from sensational sophomore QB Marion Persich. He had a hand in five of the Cavaliers’ touchdowns, and any defensive game plan by an opponent has to be centered on trying to contain him.

About Morris: Morris finally was able to solve the riddle that is the Peoria High football program, edging it out for a 35-28 victory in Week 3. It’s exactly where Morris hoped to be heading into what is always a rigorous Interstate 8 schedule, but practice this week might want to center on shoring up the run defense. Morris surrendered over 300 yards rushing to Peoria High in Week 3.

FND pick: Morris

South Suburban Blue

Lemont (1-2, 1-0) at Tinley Park (1-2, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Lemont: A return to South Suburban Conference play suited Lemont, as it breezed to an easy win over Bremen. Lemont typically has its way with most of its conference foes, and even after a pair of nonconference losses, the offensive attack has been fairly consistent in putting points on the board – a trend the team would certainly like to continue.

About the Titans: The season started well enough for Tinley Park, as it overwhelmed an outmatched Chicago Public League team in Week 1. But the shoe was promptly placed on the other foot since the Titans have faced back-to-back undefeated opponents and scored just 20 points combined in consecutive losses.

FND Pick: Lemont

Illinois Central Eight

Wilmington (2-1, 1-0) at Herscher (2-1, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcats: Wilmington stacked up another near-400-yard rushing game in its win over Peotone in Week 3, establishing once again that the Wildcats are back on point after their season-opening loss to Morris. RB Ryan Kettman needed only 10 carries to rack up 150-plus yards and three touchdowns, and there’s clearly no reason for the Wildcats to deviate from the blueprint that continues to sustain them.

About the Tigers: Herscher picked up what could turn out to be a pivotal win as it turned away Manteno in the final seconds to keep the Tigers above the .500 mark. Herscher recognizes it is playing the gold standard in the Illinois Central Eight, but it believes with playmakers like RB Alec Draper and RB/WR Mason Roberts that it’s ready to give it a fighting shot.

FND pick: Wilmington

Manteno (2-1, 0-1) at Reed-Custer (2-1, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: Manteno came close to pulling its record to 3-0 but was turned back at the goal line in the game’s waning seconds against Herscher. The Panthers have been pretty solid to start the season, with QB Connor Harrod serving as a dangerous run/pass threat.

About the Comets: Reed-Custer is already significantly ahead of the pace set recently by the program with its second victory of the year in Week 3 (Reed-Custer was 1-8 a year ago). Dominic Alaimo is providing big efforts on both sides of the football, anchoring things on the defensive line and also serving as the Comets’ leading rusher.

FND pick: Manteno

Coal City (2-1, 1-0) at Streator (1-2, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Coalers: Coal City stepped up in opponent school size, playing an 8A opponent in Bloom, but the Coalers played like the bigger dog in the fight, rolling to a 49-0 victory to bounce back from a narrow loss to Richmond-Burton in Week 2. Coal City has already shown a propensity for good run/pass balance offensively, and that’s something that could really perplex future opponents used to a more run-heavy attack from the Coalers.

About the Bulldogs: Streator tried to mount a fourth-quarter rally against Reed-Custer in Week 3 but fell just short when Reed-Custer’s defense soldiered up just in time. After a season-opening victory against Decatur Eisenhower, Streator’s defense has had some problems keeping opposing offenses from scoring in bunches, and this week’s opponent probably won’t give Streator ample opportunity for correcting that.

FND pick: Coal City

Chicagoland Prairie

Ottawa Marquette (1-2, 0-0) at Dwight (2-1, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Trojans: Dwight was strong offensively in Week 3, but its opponent, Shelbyville, was just a tad stronger. Defensive containment will be a big key for the Trojans moving forward, starting with a game against a Marquette team that has shown that it can be pretty stingy on defense in its own right.

About the Crusaders: Marquette gave it all it had in a true defensive tussle with a strong small-school program from Wisconsin, Edgar. Ultimately, the Cru couldn’t scratch out enough offense and, coupled with a Week 1 loss to Aurora Christian, find themselves trying to dig back to the .500 mark.

FND pick: Ottawa Marquette

Nonconference

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

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Fighting Irish: Opponents clearly now know what to expect from Seneca. They just simply don’t seem to be able to do much about it. Seneca has run the ball for over 1,000 yards through the first three games of the season, including 400-plus in a runaway win over Clinton in Week 3. Lost somewhat in the shuffle of the overpowered offensive attack of the Fighting Irish is a very good defensive unit. Clinton barely scraped out 100 yards of offense in the loss.

About the Cogs: Genoa-Kingston picked up its first win of the season in a victory over Winnebago in Week 3, a much-needed bounce-back for the Cogs after back-to-back one-touchdown losses the first two weeks of the season. QB Cody Cravatta scored three touchdowns on the ground and threw for two more in the Winnebago win.

FND pick: Seneca

Peotone 1, Lisle 0 (forfeit)

About the forfeit: The Blue Devils pick up the Week 4 win. Lisle announced this summer it would only be fielding a JV team. Peotone will improve to 2-2 and get an extra week to recover from a Week 3 loss to Wilmington.