Southwest Valley Red

Waubonsie Valley (1-6, 1-3) at Lincoln-Way Central (6-1, 4-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Warriors: Waubonsie Valley broke through for its first win of the season, routing Stagg 51-0 in Week 7. And while the Warriors have an unsightly record, a mindful team wouldn’t look past them. Of Waubonsie Valley’s six losses, just one is by more than 10 points. They’ve had losses by a touchdown or less three times this season, and with a schedule that has six teams on it that are currently above .500.

About the Knights: Lincoln-Way Central had a too-close-for-comfort win over Andrew, which locked in a playoff berth, but had a few issues that led to that contest not going as cleanly as it hoped. An uncharacteristic three turnovers gave Andrew a few extra chances, one of which he converted for a defensive score to take an early lead. But the Knights locked in after that, getting stingy on defense and using 100-yard-plus rushing efforts from both Lucas Andresen and Justin Cobbs.

Friday Night Drive Pick: Lincoln-Way Central

Bradley-Bourbonnais (6-1, 3-1) at Lincoln-Way West (7-0, 4-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Boilermakers: Bradley-Bourbonnais bounced back from its only loss of the season with a resounding win over DeKalb in Week 7. The game was close at the break, but the Boilermakers overwhelmed the Barbs with their balanced offense engineered by QB Ellis Johnson, who tossed four touchdowns in the victory that balanced nicely with a rushing attack. The defense has done a little bit more bending as of late than earlier in the year, but has still been solid enough when coupled with the tremendous production that the offense has shown.

About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West had little trouble remaining undefeated, as its trip to Michigan netted a 49-7 win over Lapeer. The Warriors remain on track for a conference championship and a potentially high seed in the Class 7A playoffs. The Warriors continue to get very strong defensive efforts and have had just one opponent (DeKalb in Week 6) post three touchdowns against the defensive unit.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way West

Southwest Valley Blue

Lincoln-Way East (7-0, 5-0) at Naperville North (4-3, 3-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East was once again not seriously challenged in its Week 7 matchup with Homewood-Flossmoor, but the Vikings did do something most haven’t – moving the ball a little bit against the Griffins’ first-string defense. Ultimately, that didn’t matter much, though, as H-F didn’t have any luck shutting down Lincoln-Way East’s high-octane offense. QB Jonas Williams tacked on four more passing touchdowns to his career passing touchdown state record and added a rushing touchdown to boot.

About the Huskies: Naperville North has been involved in a couple of fantastic finishes over the past two weeks, winning in overtime against Sandburg in Week 6 before a close call on a potential game-winning touchdown by Neuqua Valley went the Huskies’ way in Week 7 for another narrow win. Naperville North would need to play flawlessly to force such an outcome here, but the Huskies have managed to keep every game they have played competitive, and that’s likely the first goal here.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way East

Metea Valley (2-5, 0-5) at Lockport (4-3, 3-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Mustangs: Metea Valley started well enough in the nonconference season, but since reaching league play, things have not gone to plan. The Warriors have dropped five straight league games, including an overtime heartbreaker to Naperville Central in Week 7. Metea Valley has also given up a bunch of points since entering conference play, something that’s going to have to change if it hopes to finish the regular season with a little bit of momentum.

About the Porters: Lockport ran its winning streak to three games by doing what it seemingly has done all season – grinding out victories with sturdy defense and a potent, yardage-churning rush attack. QB Braden Mecher ran for all four touchdowns in its win against Sandburg in Week 7, as the Eagles did a good job of keeping bruising RB Chris Miller in check. After giving up 98 points in three consecutive losses in Weeks 2 through 4, the Porters have only allowed 31 points during the three-game winning streak.

FND Pick: Lockport

Southwest Prairie West

Minooka (5-2, 2-1) at Bolingbrook (5-2, 2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Indians: Minooka put together a spectacular defensive performance in holding Oswego to just three points and helped to completely jumble the top of the Southwest Prairie West Conference race. The Indians are now part of a four-way tie atop the league. They will need a defensive unit that has given up just 56 points over the last six weeks to rise to the occasion once again against a Bolingbrook team that has been particularly potent over the second half of the season.

About the Raiders: Bolingbrook appears to be surging at the right time and is in the midst of a four-game winning streak where a high-octane offense is working in concert with a defense that is finding its footing every week. RB TJ Lewis is a big part of the offensive attack, but the Raiders are also developing an aerial attack. More importantly, a defense that allowed 40-plus points in two of its first three games, Bolingbrook has allowed just 21 points over its last four.

FND Pick: Bolingbrook

Plainfield North (2-5, 0-3) at Yorkville (6-1, 2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Plainfield North hasn’t played a team with a losing record and won’t for the rest of the season. That hasn’t been very accommodating for a team without a lot of varsity experience. Despite that gauntlet of a schedule, the Tigers have shown some growth, just not enough of it to return victories in anything other than a pair of crossovers. The defense has shown the most improvement, but while improved, it still hasn’t been enough to deal with the caliber of competition Plainfield North has seen every week.

About the Foxes: Yorkville found its defense put to serious strain for the first time, surrendering rushing yards in bunches in its first loss to Oswego East in Week 7. The 28 points allowed were easily the most the team had surrendered all season. Odds are that unit will bounce back, and considering it’s a foundational piece of what the Foxes like to do, it is a must. Yorkville’s offensive attack is solid, but likely shouldn’t be forced into situations where it needs to post points quickly, as that’s not the way this team is built.

FND Pick: Yorkville

Southwest Prairie East

Joliet West (2-5, 2-1) at Plainfield Central (2-5, 1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Joliet West was stymied, particularly on offense, in a Week 7 loss to Plainfield East. The loss was costly to Joliet West’s postseason fortunes, as it’s now in a four-way tie at the top of the Southwest Prairie East race, and the only way into the playoffs will be for Joliet West to be crowned conference champions. While the Tigers do hold tiebreakers over two of the other teams in the tie, if it is a multiple-team tie that also includes Plainfield East in that group, it is unlikely that Joliet West will emerge with that needed conference crown.

About the Wildcats: The enthusiasm Plainfield Central acquired with a Week 5 win over Joliet Central has quickly worn off, as the Wildcats have been overwhelmed the last two weeks, dropping matches to Minooka and Plainfield South by a combined score of 116-7. After that stretch, the Wildcats are largely playing for pride and could certainly play spoiler for the final two teams on their schedule.

FND Pick: Joliet West

Plainfield South (2-5, 2-1) at Joliet Central (1-6, 0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cougars: Plainfield South continues to fare well for itself in divisional play. It is outside of league play that has been a significant problem. Plainfield South also finds itself in a four-way tie at the top of the conference, and its ability to get to the playoffs hinges on its ability to win the automatic bid provided to the conference champion. This is an absolute must-win for Plainfield South to keep its name in the conversation.

About the Steelmen: Joliet Central‘s losing streak has now reached six games, and it is hard to locate what is the bigger problem for the Steelmen. The offense has been shut out in three of its last four games, while its defense has given up nearly 400 points over the first seven games of the season. A second win might not be in the cards for Joliet Central this season, but the real hope is that the team can bridge a bit of the gap that has been established between itself and the majority of its opponents.

FND Pick: Plainfield South

Romeoville (4-3, 2-1) at Plainfield East (4-3, 2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Spartans: Things have gone a little astray for Romeoville after a 3-0 start, but the Spartans have a little more skip in their step after cruising to a win over Joliet Central in Week 7. That win gave the Spartans a piece of the four-way tie atop the Southwest Prairie West, but the problem is the Spartans don’t have a win over any of the teams they are tied with. A win over both of their last two opponents is probably a must to win a conference title, but fortunately for the Spartans, with four wins already in the bank, only one more win in their last two is needed to secure a playoff berth.

About the Bengals: Plainfield East broke out of a three-game winning streak with a win over Joliet West. With a multitude of tiebreaker scenarios in play for the conference title, probably the most important piece of that win was only allowing seven points. If they end up in a multiple-team tie that includes Joliet West, that could be key. But like Romeoville, Plainfield East already has four victories, and just to get in the playoff field, it needs only to split one of its two remaining games, and it looks heavily favored to get one in Week 9 against Plainfield Central.

FND Pick: Plainfield East

CCL/ESCC crossover

Providence (5-2) at Marian Catholic (2-5)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Celtics: Providence continues to power its way through a tricky portion of its schedule, pulling off a major surprise by toppling Loyola in Week 7. It puts Providence in a much better position than some thought it would be. Back-to-back wins over Marist and Loyola assure that Providence will be a prominent part of the Class 5A field. The Celtics continue to get durable running from Broden Mackert, and their defense continues to come up big with late stops, most notably a stand on a two-point conversion that would have changed the outcome against Loyola.

About the Spartans: Marian Catholic has played a bit better of late, but has struggled against the upper-echelon teams in the league. The Spartans’ win over Marmion in Week 6 gives them a clear path to a conference championship, but as four-team conferences, no CCL/ESCC team gets an automatic playoff bid. As such, Marian Catholic would need to win out to have a chance at an at-large berth.

FND Pick: Providence

Joliet Catholic (2-5) at De La Salle (0-7)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic backed itself into a corner with a Week 7 loss to highly-touted Mount Carmel. It marked the fifth loss for the Hilltoppers, and in most circumstances, that would likely mean the end of the playoff hopes for Joliet Catholic. But if JCA can win out and finish 4-5, it would be in a prime position to claim an at-large berth in the playoffs if there aren’t enough five-win teams to fill out the field of 256. For that to happen, Joliet Catholic will have to play a better brand of football. A difficult schedule hasn’t done Joliet Catholic any favors, but inconsistent offensive production, coupled with a defense that hasn’t gotten enough big stops has put it in this precarious position.

About the Meteors: De La Salle is still suffering through the effects of pausing its program midway through last season. Last season, De La Salle forfeited this contest to Joliet Catholic. Although the Meteors have been able to continue competing this season, it has been a very rough go of things for them. The Meteors have been shut out five times this season and have scored just 27 points. Defensively, the Meteors haven’t held a single opponent under 42 points.

FND Pick: Joliet Catholic

Interstate 8

Sycamore (4-3, 3-1) at Morris (7-0, 4-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Morris: Morris continued to roll through the regular season even though it was without the services of leading rusher Caeden Curran, out in a lopsided win over Ottawa. RB Mick Smith had another strong performance, this time leading the way in the rushing game. The somewhat unheralded piece in this attack is a strong defensive unit, one that has allowed just 35 points in four league games to date. A win here would lock up the Interstate 8 Conference crown for Morris before it wraps up the regular season with an out-of-state opponent, Byron Center, Mich.

About the Spartans: Sycamore had to scratch and claw to get past La Salle-Peru in Week 7, which was a bit of a surprise considering the past history between the programs. And while the Spartans haven’t been as dominating in years past, Sycamore still has itself in a position where it could potentially earn a share of the conference title if it can rise up and pull the surprise here.

FND Pick: Morris

South Suburban crossover

Lemont (5-2) at Richards (6-1)

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday

About Lemont: Lemont ran its win streak to five games with a narrow victory over Hillcrest, which marked the start of a difficult segment of the schedule. Lemont closes the season with a crossover matchup against Richards, a team it has dropped three of its last four against. Lemont closes the season with a currently undefeated Oak Forest squad, so the quest to finish the regular season with a seven-game winning streak will be challenging, but it could help Lemont secure a solid postseason seed, which will find it in Class 5A this year instead of their typical Class 6A placement.

About the Bulldogs: Richards had a small hiccup in Week 2 with a loss to Sandburg, but the Bulldogs – who voluntarily elected to move up to Class 7A for the postseason – have looked like a team with a sound foundation. Richards took down previously undefeated Oak Lawn Community in Week 6 by a sizable margin and has really only had a pair of competitive games this season aside from the previously mentioned loss to Sandburg.

FND Pick: Richards

Illinois Central Eight

Wilmington (6-1, 4-0) at Reed-Custer (3-4, 2-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcats: The names might change, but Wilmington‘s ability to generate rushing yards doesn’t seem to. The Wildcats put up nearly 400 yards rushing as they breezed to a Week 7 win over Streator. Hunter Kaitschuck assumed the leading rusher role, scoring four touchdowns on just nine carries. Wilmington’s defense also hemmed in Streator for less than 2 yards a carry, further cementing the Wildcats’ status as a defense you shouldn’t expect to do much against.

About the Comets: Reed-Custer‘s unexpected run toward a playoff spot likely came to an end with an overtime loss to Herscher in Week 7. The Comets are guaranteed a victory in Week 9 (because of Lisle’s forfeiture of the season), but would need to claim a massive upset here to get to five wins. Reed-Custer has shown sound improvement, but the Comets admittedly missed multiple opportunities to put points on the board against Herscher, where just a few more would have secured a victory. They likely won’t find many chances at all against Wilmington.

FND Pick: Wilmington

Herscher (5-2, 4-1) at Coal City (6-1, 4-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Herscher had to sweat out its fifth victory, needing overtime to topple Reed-Custer in Week 7. It will secure Herscher’s first playoff appearance since 2018, also the last time this program finished the regular season above .500. It’s been a bit of a breakthrough for this program, but closing the gap between themselves and a Coal City crew that is firing on all cylinders right now might be a little bit too much to ask for.

About the Coalers: Coal City continues its absolute domination of Illinois Central Eight opponents, and the Coalers seem to be gathering more steam as they go along. Coal City has outscored ICE opponents 202-27 in four league games and hasn’t been remotely pushed in contests since its lone loss to Richmond-Burton back in Week 2. The Coalers have scored 40-plus in every game this season and will look to carry that momentum through this game and into their Week 9 showdown with Wilmington.

FND Pick: Coal City

Manteno (4-3, 1-3) at Peotone (3-4, 2-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: Manteno picked up pretty close to a “must-win” game in a nonconference battle with GCMS in Week 7, the Panthers showing a lot more life on offense than in recent weeks. This is always an interesting contest regardless of record, considering the two schools are separated by just five miles and were once co-operative partners until Manteno broke out on its own in 2002.

About the Blue Devils: It has been a bit of a disappointment through seven games, but three of Peotone‘s losses have come to opponents that currently have a combined record of 18-3, and there’s still a window of opportunity for the Blue Devils to reach the postseason. A sweep of their next two opponents (they travel to Herscher in Week 9) is required, and for that to happen,; Peotone needs its ground game to set the tone and its defense to be more like it has performed in their wins.

FND pick: Manteno

Nonconference

St. Joseph-Ogden (4-3) at Seneca (7-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Spartans: St. Joe-Ogden was expected to be in the mix to potentially win the Illini Prairie Conference; it played the part early in the season. But the Spartans have hit a wall in the second half of the season, having lost three of four games, including surrendering nearly 70 points in a loss to Bloomington Central Catholic in Week 7. The Spartans are likely playoff-bound, but appear to be on their way into the postseason limping a little bit.

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca is starting to demonstrate that there is almost no limit to the rushing yardage it is capable of stacking up. The Fighting Irish accounted for almost 500 rushing yards in its Week 7 win over St. Bede, and they have shown no sign of slowing down. To their credit, the Fighting Irish tried to schedule up a bit in the nonconference portion of their schedule, but most of those opponents haven’t proven up to their usual standard, and Seneca has barely been challenged.

FND Pick: Seneca

Warrensburg-Latham (3-4) at Dwight (4-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cardinals: Warrensburg-Latham is mired in a three-game losing streak against a few of the stronger teams in the Heart of Central Illinois Conference. But before that, W-L collected a somewhat comfortable win over Shelbyville in Week 4, the same Shelbyville team that beat Dwight 51-48 in Week 3.

About the Trojans: Dwight has scored each of its victories – including a Week 7 win over Walther Christian – rather easily. But those three on-field wins (the fourth was a forfeit victory) have come against opponents that have amassed just five victories between them. On the other hand, Dwight has given up a bunch of points in three losses. So it will be interesting to see which version of the Trojans shows up against a middle-of-the-road opponent.

FND Pick: Warrensburg-Latham