Three Rivers

Erie-Prophetstown (6-2) at Princeton (5-3)

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday, Bryant Field

About the Panthers: Princeton beat E-P 61-14 in Week 9 last season, but the Panthers are a much improved team. After falling to Three Rivers Rock leaders Rockridge and Newman in consecutive weeks, the Panthers have won four straight to improve to 6-2. The Panthers are putting together their best season since finishing 8-3 in 2021 and reaching the second round of the playoffs. They are 3-0 in crossover games with wins over Kewanee (29-6), Hall (19-7) and Mendota (27-14). By comparison, Princeton beat those three teams by a combined 129-34 margin of victory. ... QB Keegan Winckler has rushed for 743 yard and 9 TDs and thrown for 1,095 yards and 15 TDs.

About the Tigers: The Tigers won their pivotal fifth game at Mercer County last week 41-22 after another slow start. While Coach Ryan Pearson said the Tigers became “playoff eligible” with that win, he knows they need to win out to finish 6-3 to clinch a berth and improve their postseason seeding. ... Senior RB Casey Etheridge rushed for 217 yards and five touchdowns, setting Bureau County all-time records for total TDs and rushing TDs. ... The Tigers were 25-1 at home in the regular season from 2020-24, but have dropped two of three this year with losses to Rockridge and Monmouth-Roseville. Since Pearson took over the program in 2017, the Tigers stand 30-8 at home in the regular season. ... The Tigers have won all six meetings with E-P since 2015, twice at home.

FND pick: Princeton

Rockridge (8-0) at Hall-Putnam County (3-5)

About the Rockets: The No. 1 Rockets dismantled Three Rivers Mississippi leader Monmouth-Roseville 48-12 last week in a battle of state-ranked teams to remain undefeated. Their closest call this season came when they rallied for a 36-29 Week 2 win at Princeton, scoring 21 unanswered points. QB Cullen Schwigen has rushed for 574 yards and 14 TDs and thrown for 1,297 yards and 19 TDs.... Rockridge has won four straight over Hall and seven of their last eight meetings.

About the Red Devils: The Red Devils dropped three straight since a 3-2 start and it won’t be any easier with the Rockets coming to town. Hall took a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter at Riverdale last week, but fell behind 34-13 before losing 34-25. Senior Braden Curran completed 8 of 11 passes with one TD and rushed for another TD in his second start taking over at quarterback since the Week 6 injury to Dylan Glynn. Aiden Redcliff rushed for 178 yards and two TDs last week. ... Hall leads the all-time series 13-7, winning the first 12 meetings from 1970-2009.

FND pick: Rockridge

Lincoln Trail-Prairieland

Farmington (8-0, 6-0) at Bureau Valley (1-7, 1-6)

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Farmers: The Class 2A No. 3-ranked Farmers have followed up last season’s run with another banner year. They have outscored their first eight foes 371-85 with only the Storm in their way of another undefeated regular season. The Farmers have pitched three shutouts and have allowed more than 12 points three times. They won their first 12 games last year before falling in the 2A semifinals. ... Farmington won last year’s first meeting against the Storm 54-6.

About the Storm: Dane Stewart continues to be a bright spot, rushing for 133 yards and two TDs on 18 carries in last week’s 48-12 loss at West Hancock. The Storm will finish the season with two wins or less for the first time since going 1-8 in 2022 and only the sixth time in program history.

FND pick: Farmington

Nonconference

St. Bede (2-6) at Decatur St. Teresa (2-6)

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Bruins: The Bruins take a four-game skid to Decatur looking to end the season on a high note for first-year head coach Jack Brady. They last won 56-0 in Week 4, but dropped all three Chicago Prairieland contests to Marquette, Seneca and Dwight as well as last week to Peoria Notre Dame by a combined 186-50 score.

About the Bulldogs: St. Teresa is one of 10 independent schools in the state, playing schools as large as Urbana (1,132 enrollment) to as small as St. Bede (271). The Bulldogs beat Urbana (1-7) 29-7 in Week 1 and lost five straight until beating Moweaqua Central A&M 35-14.

FND pick: St. Teresa

Illinois 8-Man Football Association

Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio (7-1) at Biggsville West Central (7-1)

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Heat: West Central also dropped its season opener, falling 42-0 to Savanna West Carroll (6-2), and have won its last seven by a combined 271-132 margin of victory. ... Jason Kirby’s Heat beat ALO for the 2022 8-Man state championship.

About the Clippers: Since dropping the season opener to Milledgeville in a rematch of last year’s Illinois 8-Man state title game, the Clippers won seven straight including last week’s 68-8 win over Ridgewood. They have outscored those seven teams 430-62.

FND pick: Amboy