Southwest Valley Blue

Lockport (1-3, 0-2) at Naperville North (2-2, 1-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Porters: Lockport ran into the same fate that almost all opponents do against Week 4 opponent Lincoln-Way East. The Porters managed to do something no one had done this season by scoring two touchdowns, but it wasn’t courtesy of its offensive unit, as both scores came from the special teams variety. The Porters will have to get their offense back on track in this one if they hope to string together a run with a bit of a more forgiving schedule on the back half. During Lockport’s current three-game slide, the combined record of those foes is 11-1.

About the Huskies: In comparison with the Naperville North crew of a year ago, the Huskies seem rather tame. Passing wizard Jacob Bell graduated, and after turning the reins over to Josiah Nothacker, the Huskies have been forced to become more defensive-minded. That product has had up-and-down results, as they hope to rebound from a two-touchdown loss to Homewood-Flossmoor in Week 4. That’s the same H-F team that also downed Lockport by two touchdowns the week before.

Friday Night Drive pick: Lockport

Lincoln-Way East (4-0) at Naperville Central (1-3, 1-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East ran its win streak against Lockport to 22 straight meetings with an overwhelming Week 4 victory. It was another dominating performance on both sides of the ball, and the defense didn’t technically allow a point, as both Lockport scores came on special teams. It also continues to be a spectacular season for USC-bound QB Jonas Williams, who went 30 for 35 with 354 yards and became the fourth passer in state history to pass for more than 10,000 career yards.

About the Redhawks: Naperville Central finally got a bit going offensively. QB Jackson Loth threw for three touchdowns in the Redhawks’ first win of the season over Neuqua Valley. This isn’t exactly the ideal opponent to try to keep a winning streak going against, and the Redhawks’ schedule hasn’t been kind out of the box. The Griffins are the third opponent on Naperville Central’s slate thus far that is still undefeated.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way East

Southwest Valley Red

Lincoln-Way Central (3-1, 1-1) at DeKalb (2-2, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Knights: In a battle of dueling undefeated teams, Lincoln-Way Central came up just a bit short in Week 4 against Lincoln-Way West, but this still is a team that looks dangerous moving forward, particularly on defense. The Knights held a potent Warriors squad to just three second-half points off a 51-yard field goal. Unfortunately for Lincoln-Way Central, it had trouble getting its offense to click regularly, although RB Justin Cobbs and QB Drew Woodburn both posted solid stat lines in the loss.

About the Barbs: DeKalb is already out in front of the curve in terms of last season, as the Barbs went just 1-8. We will, however, quickly find out if this start is sustainable at a higher level. The next three teams on the Barbs’ schedule have a combined record of 11-1. QB Cole Latimer continues to be an offensive dynamo, having a hand in five touchdowns in DeKalb’s runaway win over Stagg in Week 4.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way Central

Lincoln-Way West (4-0, 2-0) at Waubonsie Valley (0-4, 0-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Lincoln-Way West: Lincoln-Way West did just enough to squeeze by district rival Lincoln-Way Central, and its consistently strong defense rang the bell once again. Having allowed just 43 points through four games allows Lincoln-Way West to not put a heavy burden on its offense, and QB Grant Tustin has proven to have a steady hand in guiding the offense, using both his arm and his legs to keep the chains moving and to control possessions for the Warriors.

About Waubonsie Valley: Waubonsie Valley has had a rough go of things to start the season, although its offense finally started to click in a failed Week 4 rally against Andrew. The Warriors ended up with 40 points in the loss after managing just a combined 33 points in their first three games, but the late rally fell short in a 42-40 loss.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way West

Southwest Prairie West

Oswego East (4-0, 1-0) at Bolingbrook (2-2, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wolves: Oswego East‘s list of opponents thus far doesn’t exactly inspire awe (they are a combined 4-12), but what the Wolves are doing is leaving little doubt about how things are going to go. The Wolves have surrendered just 16 points through four games after breezing to a shutout win over Joliet Central in Week 4.

About the Raiders: Bolingbrook bounced back rather nicely after a setback against Oswego in Week 3, as it stormed to a runaway win over Plainfield Central. Other than that Oswego loss, offense hasn’t been a problem for a Raiders team that has scored 121 points in its other three games. RB TJ Lewis will be looked upon to give Oswego East a few more defensive challenges than it has had thus far.

FND pick: Oswego East

Plainfield North (1-3, 0-1) at Minooka (2-2, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Plainfield North probably let out a sigh of relief after its Week 4 win over Romeoville. The Tigers managed just 12 points in their first three games but stacked up 49 points largely in the first half to finally get some offensive success. The Tigers did it all on the ground, partly because both their starting and backup quarterbacks are currently injured, but they got huge performances from both Julian Rodriguez and Mariel Macon as the team ran for well over 300 yards.

About the Indians: Minooka, too, is adjusting to a different person under center, as previous starter Zane Caves experienced a leg injury in a Week 3 loss to Yorkville. The Indians were able to scratch out a victory over Joliet West in Week 4 to even out their record, and by the looks of things, they are going to lean pretty heavily on their defensive unit the rest of the way. Minooka has only allowed 26 points over the last three games.

FND pick: Plainfield North

Southwest Prairie East

Plainfield South (0-4, 0-1) at Plainfield East (3-1, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cougars: Plainfield South hasn’t had much go well in the early-going, as its usually strong defense has been giving up points in bunches. There’s still reason to believe Plainfield South might be able to get some positive momentum going once it is in divisional play, as it has been fairly competitive in most of its nonconference games against solid opponents. But the Cougars’ dwindling chances of putting it together for a playoff bid have to start with a win here.

About the Bengals: Plainfield East crashed back to earth in an SPC Conference crossover (in fairness, so did all the other teams in the SPC East). After imposing its will in the first three games of the season, Plainfield East was stopped cold by a Yorkville defense that seems to revel in stopping high-powered offenses. This is an excellent chance for the Bengals to show they can bounce back, and it might prove to be a pivotal one for them to keep their hopes for playoff qualification on track.

FND pick: Plainfield East

Joliet West (1-3, 1-0) at Romeoville (3-1, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: After a rough start, Joliet West appears to be in the process of regrouping. Week 3 saw the Tigers put together some nice things in beating division rival Plainfield South, and then in Week 4, the Tigers were the only SPC East member to be remotely competitive in a crossover game against an SPC West opponent, falling 10-0 to Minooka. The Tigers are clearly taking a step forward, but they have little margin for error the rest of the way.

About the Spartans: Romeoville‘s spectacular start came to a screeching halt at the hands of Plainfield North in Week 4, as the Spartans were shut out after scoring almost 80 points in the first three games. Perhaps more troubling is the points allowed, as Plainfield North scored 49 points – almost three times as many as it had scored in its first three games combined. Romeoville still has a solid path to get itself back to the playoffs, but a conference championship appears to go directly through this game.

FND pick: Joliet West

Plainfield Central (1-3, 0-1) at Joliet Central (1-3, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcats: After snapping a season-plus losing streak in Week 1 with a win over Waukegan, things haven’t gone all that well for Plainfield Central. Bolingbrook wasn’t too kind to the Wildcats in Week 4, and since the win, Plainfield Central has been outscored 127-23. Plainfield Central wasn’t particularly happy with the fact that Joliet Central ended its own several-season losing streak against it last season and will look to exact a little revenge.

About the Steelmen: Joliet Central appeared to be turning the tide after opening the season with a rare Week 1 win for the program by edging out Thornridge. But the old defensive woes are back, coupled with a significant increase in the level of competition. The Steelmen have given up 186 points over the past three weeks, all losses, and in their last two games have managed just six points. The Plainfield Central game last year healed a lot of wounds for this program, and the Steelmen would like to rekindle that feeling.

FND pick: Joliet Central

CCL/ESCC crossover

Nazareth (3-1) at Joliet Catholic (1-3)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic had to pull out a dramatic play to earn its first victory of the season, salvaging a botched field-goal attempt into a touchdown pass to edge Marist. The Hilltoppers continue to struggle to get a consistent running game going, but they seem to cobble together just enough to not fully abandon those efforts. They will need to figure out a way to put all the pieces together offensively over the next string of games in order to keep playoff hopes alive.

About the Roadrunners: Nazareth also pulled one out of the fire by connecting for a field goal with nine seconds to play to capture a victory over IC Catholic. That win puts the Roadrunners in a pretty good position moving forward and on a good footing for this repeat performance of last year’s Class 5A title game. (Both teams will move up to 6A for the postseason for the next two years because of the success formula.) WR Trenton Walker is having an excellent year for Nazareth regardless of which of the rotating quarterbacks is under center.

FND pick: Nazareth

St. Francis (3-1) at Providence (3-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Spartans: St. Francis put another feather in its cap with a solid win over St. Rita, and very quietly, the Spartans seem to have started to jell. After a few shaky defensive efforts early in the year, containing the Mustangs to just 10 points is an excellent sign moving forward, and even with the offense adjusting to a new quarterback, there’s enough talent on this roster to generate points relatively quickly if need be.

About the Celtics: Providence has started to piece things together as well. Playmaking QB Dominic Vita gives the Celtics a dimension their offense hasn’t had for a while, and the defense is doing the work it needs to for the team to be in most contests. After this game, it looks like the Providence schedule softens a bit, but some of the teams on the back half have deceptive records, so the Celtics can’t think of letting off the gas.

FND pick: St. Francis

Interstate 8

Morris (4-0, 1-0) at Kaneland (4-0, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Morris: Morris was absolutely dominant again in Week 4, steamrolling La Salle-Peru. And for as good as the offense was in the win, the defense might have been even better. It held an offense – keyed by heralded sophomore QB Marion Persich – to just 38 yards and a solitary first down. Things were under control pretty early for Morris, but RB Caeden Curran still managed to rush for over 150 yards.

About the Knights: For as well as Morris has played out of the gates, Kaneland can make a sound argument that it is playing even better. The Knights have scored at least 35 points in each of their games and, excluding a 42-37 win over Lemont in Week 2, their opponents have failed to get within four touchdowns. QB Jalen Carter has been an impressive weapon for the Knights to deploy thus far.

FND pick: Morris

South Suburban Blue

T.F. South (1-3, 0-2) at Lemont (2-2, 2-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Red Wolves: After a comfortable victory over a scuffling Indiana program in the first week of the season, things have appeared to go off the rails a bit for the Red Wolves. They’ve scored just a combined nine points over their last three games while surrendering 111. This isn’t an ideal formula for T.F. South heading into Lemont, which has erupted offensively since getting back into the conference fray.

About Lemont: Lemont seems to be following the formula it has had over the past few seasons. It starts by scheduling up in the nonconference schedule and maybe digging a small hole to climb out of. But once clear of the rigorous part of the schedule, Lemont tends to flourish. It’s happening again, as the first two league games have netted Lemont two wins by a 99-20 margin. It looks like it can start a little roll here, as the last third of the schedule is the place that appears to provide the sternest challenges.

FND pick: Lemont

Illinois Central Eight

Manteno (3-1, 1-1) at Wilmington (3-1, 2-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: Manteno has had back-to-back games come down to the wire over the past two weeks, and the Panthers have managed to forge a split. It would be a surprise if the Panthers could run their close game string to three in a row here, as Wilmington may be punching a bit above the Panthers’ weight right now. QB Connor Harrod is a viable run/pass threat for Manteno, but he’s going to need plenty of help to make a real upset bid here.

About the Wildcats: Wilmington rushed for almost 500 yards – yes, 500 – in a win over Herscher in Week 4, and it seems almost bizarre to say it, but the offense appears to be running better than it has in a while. Ryan Kettman continues to be an explosive offensive threat, but QB Billy Moore seems to want to get into the act, as he ran for almost 200 yards on just six carries in the Herscher win.

FND pick: Wilmington

Reed-Custer (2-2, 1-1) at Coal City (3-1, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Comets: Reed-Custer is probably not all that interested in moral victories, but a Week 4 loss to Manteno that was still up in the air late in terms of outcome is a sign of how far the Comets have already come. This Week 5 matchup is probably a bridge too far to expect the Comets to forge, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make this matchup a little more competitive than it has been recently.

About the Coalers: Is Coal City a passing team now? Week 4’s activity certainly seems to indicate it might be, or at the very least, that we are likely to see a little bit more aerial in what has typically been a ground-based attack. It’s hard to argue with the results. QB Connor Henline completed eight first-half passes, and five of them went for scores, as the Coalers built up a substantial lead at Streator and rolled to 3-1.

FND pick: Coal City

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

When: 6 p.m. Friday

About the Bulldogs: After breezing to a Week 1 win over Decatur Eisenhower, Streator has found the sledding difficult. Streator’s problems are on multiple fronts. Defensively, it is giving up far too many points. And the Bulldogs have struggled to find offensive continuity, using multiple quarterbacks in a loss to Coal City in Week 4 in an attempt to find some sort of spark.

About the Blue Devils: Peotone had a week of rest but certainly not relaxation, as the Blue Devils try to make some adjustments from their second loss of the season to Wilmington back in Week 3. Peotone dabbled with a spread attack to try to surprise Wilmington in the loss, and it will be interesting to see if the diversion was simply a gadget based on the opposition or something Peotone tries to employ as an option to go along with what typically is a ground-based attack.

FND pick: Peotone

Chicagoland Prairie

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

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Trojans: Dwight came out sluggish after a weather delay in its Week 4 loss to Ottawa Marquette, with two early fumbles allowing the Crusaders to build a huge lead they would not relinquish. The loss also marked the second consecutive week Dwight has surrendered 50-plus points. Obviously, the clamps need to come down there. However, this week’s opponent seems unlikely to comply with Dwight’s needs in that area.

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca finally got pushed a little bit, needing to put together a long fourth-quarter drive to seal the deal against Genoa-Kingston in Week 4. After three runaway victories to start the season, it was probably a needed push for Seneca to stave off complacency. The Fighting Irish continue to post ridiculous rushing numbers, getting to within striking distance of 400 team rushing yards, led by a 100-plus-yard performance by Cam Shriey and Ethan Othon.

FND pick: Seneca