Chicagoland Prairie

Dwight (2-2, 0-1) at Seneca (4-0, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Trojans: The Trojans came into the season with high expectations after a run to last year’s Class 2A quarterfinals and likely push down to 1A this postseason, but back-to-back defeats – especially last Friday’s shockingly one-sided 50-19 home loss to Marquette – has the Trojans likely needing a strong run down the stretch to take advantage of potentially dropping down in class. QB Collin Bachand is an effective dual-threat weapon for an offense averaging 33.0 points per game, but to hang with the defending conference champs this week, Dwight is going to need to reduce costly turnovers and put in a better defensive effort than the 38.3 points per game it’s allowing.

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca passed its toughest test of the season to date last Friday, pulling out a 35-28 win at Genoa-Kingston to remain undefeated heading into three weeks of Chicagoland Prairie play. The Fighting Irish have dominated their conference rivals since the formation of the league, including a 52-22 win over Dwight last season. Cam Shriey has developed into the focal point of a run-first Seneca offense that comes in averaging 44.0 points per game, though it should be said the offense’s top weapon just might be its offensive line – and the defense, allowing 10.3 points per Friday night, isn’t too shabby either. Per the records of Shaw Local’s Brian Hoxsey, Seneca has won its last 10 meetings with Dwight.

Friday Night Drive pick: Seneca

St. Bede (2-2, 0-0) at Marquette (2-2, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Gould Stadium

About the Bruins: If not for a close Week 3 loss to now 3-1 North Boone, the Bedans would be 3-1 themselves heading into three straight weeks of conference play. St. Bede has a pair of dominating victories over still-winless teams – 47-6 over Bureau Valley and last week’s 56-0 thrashing of Lewistown, which featured two Landon Marquez rushing TDs and a Carson Riva touchdown catch from Gino Ferrari. This looks to be a potential turning-point game for the Bruins’ playoff hopes, with Dwight and Seneca waiting the next two weeks before games with Peoria Notre Dame (2-2) and St. Teresa (1-3). St. Bede has lost both meetings with Marquette since the old rivalry’s resumption in 2023, including last fall’s 43-7 home defeat.

About the Crusaders: Marquette Academy’s pattern to this point has been to lose in a competitive game to a powerhouse, then dominate the next time out with players crediting the desire to bounce back for their overwhelming performance. Last week’s bounce-back was an eye-opening one-sided handling of Dwight 50-19 in a game the Cru took advantage of the Trojans’ turnovers and efficiently put the game out of reach down the stretch. Weeks 5 and 6 look flipped in terms of that pattern, with an improved but certainly not powerhouse St. Bede team sitting here in a potential trap game – a fierce rivalry trap game, no less – before Week 6’s likely conference championship game against Seneca. RB/DB Jaxson Higgins, QB/DB Anthony Couch and RB/LB Grant Dose continue to star for the Crusaders, who, despite the .500 record, are emerging as a dark horse in the eventual 1A field.

FND pick: Marquette

Interstate 8

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

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday at King Field

About the Spartans: Griffin Larsen had a breakout game in the Spartans’ 27-22 win over Rochelle, throwing for 227 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. For the year, he has completed 57.6% of his passes for 484 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Ben Anderson, who had one catch all year entering Week 4, made seven catches for 115 yards and three touchdowns. The Spartans and Larsen orchestrated a pair of two-minute drills at the end of each half for touchdowns, including responding to a nearly 13-minute drive by the Hubs. The Spartans scored in the final 90 seconds for the win. Still, almost 62% of the Spartans’ offense has come from the ground game. The team expects the return of Kevin Lee, who, through the first two weeks, was the team’s leading tackler and rusher. He still leads the teams in carries (40) and rushing yards (171) and is third in tackles.

About the Pirates: Ottawa started the season 2-0, but since has fallen to .500 with losses to La Salle-Peru (41-24) and last Friday at Kaneland (56-7), a game in which Ottawa could get little offense going outside of a 72-yard first-quarter rushing touchdown from RB/LB Archer Cechowicz (the team’s leading rusher with 395 yards, seven TDs and a 7.7-yards-per-carry average). The Pirates’ defense – after a strong start to the season holding Plano and Streator to three combined touchdowns - could not get a stop against the Knights and will have its hands full with a balanced and explosive Sycamore attack. Ottawa still is outgaining (315.5-274.3 yards per game) its opponents through four weeks despite being outscored by a single point, 116-117. Ottawa’s last win over Sycamore, 10-6, came in 2012.

FND pick: Sycamore

– Eddie Carifio contributed to this report.

Illinois Central Eight

Streator (1-3, 0-2) at Peotone (2-2, 1-1)

When: 6 p.m. Friday

On Shaw Local radio: Love 98.5 FM

About the Bulldogs: Streator’s losing streak hit three games with last Friday’s 49-13 setback at the hands of Coal City. Now comes another of the ICE’s perennial playoff teams, though perhaps one the Bulldogs can build some success against. Streator has shown the ability to be explosive with athletes such as RB/DB LA Moton, QB/WR/DB Sharonn Morton, QB/TE/DB Sam LeRette and RB/LB Leodies Jordan, but will need drive-to-drive consistency and immediate defensive improvement – the Bulldogs have surrendered four or more touchdowns in their last four games and 35.3 points per game overall this season – to stop the skid against a remaining schedule filled with teams that are either 2-2 or 3-1. Peotone won last year’s meeting 52-14.

About the Blue Devils: Peotone comes off what effectively was a forfeit bye week, as the Blue Devils did not find a suitable replacement for its ICE Conference meeting with Lisle, which canceled its varsity season. Before that, Peotone was off to a bit of a concerning start, as Week 1’s win over still-winless Granite City was followed by back-to-back convincing losses to first Marengo (41-21) and then Wilmington (41-13), the latter of the two seeing the usually run-heavy Blue Devils use the passing game to attack the Wilmington defense. Odds seem good it’ll be back to the ground attack against a Streator defense that has struggled to get stops. This varsity game has been moved up to a 6 p.m. kickoff with no JV preliminary.

FND pick: Peotone

Kishwaukee River

Sandwich (1-3, 1-1) at Harvard (0-4, 0-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Indians: Sandwich’s first win of the season, 32-30 over Plano, in Week 3 did not carry over to last week’s 28-0 shutout at the hands of Johnsburg. The Indians’ defense struggled for the fourth straight week, surrendering 28-plus points for the fourth time in as many outings, but it was the offense’s being limited to 177 yards from scrimmage (Wyatt Gregory running for 83 of those) and zero points that stands out. The Indians will hope to turn things around on both sides against a Harvard team that has struggled on both sides of the ball.

About the Hornets: As its record indicates, Harvard is off to a rough start to the season. The offense has been shut out in three of its four defeats – the lone exception was Week 3’s 27-20 loss to Woodstock – and since a 10-0 loss to Big Foot (Wisconsin) in Week 1, the Hornets have allowed 27-plus points to each of the three opponents they’ve faced. While Sandwich has had struggles of its own – especially on the defensive side – it will take Harvard’s best game of the season so far to pick up ground on last year’s 49-7 loss to the Indians.

FND pick: Sandwich

Heart of Central Illinois Medium

Dee-Mack (2-2, 0-0) at Fieldcrest (0-4, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Park

About the Chiefs: Deer Creek-Mackinaw opened with what at the time looked like an impressive 2-0 start against Eureka and Tremont. Now both those teams are 1-3 and the Chiefs 2-2 with back-to-back losses to first El Paso-Gridley (41-0) and then Tri-Valley (44-0). With a stretch of GCMS, Warrensburg-Latham and undefeated Ridgeview/Lexington after this one, Dee-Mack – led by a balanced attack featuring deal-threat QB Zack Day (263 yards, one TD passing; 223 yards, one TD rushing) and RB Shaun Denniston (397 yards, seven TDs rushing) – will be looking to start the turnaround here.

About the Knights: It’s the Heart of Central Illinois Medium Division opener for Fieldcrest, which is struggling through a now nine-game losing streak following last Friday’s 33-0 shutout to LeRoy. The Knights have some pieces to build around – chief among them RB/LB Lucas Anson – but have not been able to maintain consistency on either side of the football. These old Midstate Conference rivals have not met since 2022, a 64-14 Dee-Mack victory.

FND pick: Dee-Mack

8-Man Football Association

Ridgewood (2-2) at FCW (2-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at The Wood Shed

About the Spartans: A co-op of host Cambridge and AlWood, the Spartans are coming off another strong season playing the eight-man game. They already cannot, however, match last season’s 8-1 regular season, with losses to both Alden-Hebron (38-24 in Week 2) and West Central (36-26 last Friday). Except for a Week 7 visit to Amboy, new head coach Dawson Anderson’s Spartans have a softer stretch of schedule ahead and will look to build momentum starting with this visit to rural Streator against another eight-man playoff regular.

About the Falcons: Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland’s season to this point has been one step forward, one step back, alternating wins and losses. A lot of that has been opponent-driven, and while Week 3’s 60-25 handling of Galva was impressive, the Falcons’ two losses – 40-20 to Polo and last week’s 46-18 defeat at the hands of Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio – have shown an FCW team that’s not quite there with the elite of the I8FA yet despite having strong pieces such as QB/LB Brezydn Simons and dual RBs/LBs/DBs Logan Ruddy and Leelynd Durbin. Woodland’s homecoming could be the game where FCW puts it together against one of the I8FA’s top programs.

FND pick: FCW