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WESTERN BIG 6
Sterling (4-0) at Moline (1-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last meeting: 53-26 Sterling (2019)
About the Golden Warriors: In the span of three weeks, the Golden Warriors will face the three most prolific passers in the Western Big 6, having faced Rock Island’s Eli Reese in Week 4, with Moline’s Alec Ponder and United Township’s Daslah Geadeyan up next. In the win over the Rocks, the Warriors were able to limit Reese until the fourth quarter, when he three three touchdown passes. … Sterling had three 100-yard rushers last week. Noel Aponte gained 187 yards, David Tessman gained 126, and Kael Ryan gained 113, including picking up 59 yards on a quarterback keeper. … The Warriors dominated time of possession against the Rocks, holding the ball for 33 minutes, 13 seconds, including a 7:32 drive in the fourth quarter leading to Sterling’s final touchdown of the evening.
About the Maroons: In the past week Moline has been embroiled in controversy after video surfaced which appeared to show a racially-motivated hazing incident in the Maroons’ locker room the day before Moline’s Week 4 game. Moline Police investigated, turning findings over to the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s Office. The player in the video released a statement Monday saying the teammates involved have since apologized to him. … Moline quarterback Alec Ponder is second in the conference in passing yards, having completed 65 of 100 passes this year for 933 yards, eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In passing yardage, he trails only Rock Island’s Eli Reese. Matthew Bailey and Jaheim Thornton are third and fourth in the conference in receiving yards, with 305 and 292 respectively. … Moline kicker Caroline Hazen was one of eight women honored by the Chicago Bears in February as part of Girls and Women in Sports Day.
FND pick: Sterling
BIG NORTHERN
Dixon (0-2) at Mendota (1-2)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Last matchup: Dixon 51, Mendota 0 (2019)
About the Dukes: Dixon has dominated Mendota, winning the last five meetings by an average margin of 39.2 points. … The Dukes lost 19-14 to Winnebago in Week 1 and 7-2 to Rockford Lutheran last week after a two-week COVID-19 quarantine. … Dixon managed 96 total yards against Lutheran. QB Jacob Gaither led the way with 56 rushing yards. … The Dukes managed to drive to the Lutheran 1-yard line in the fourth quarter but couldn’t punch it in the end zone. Dixon’s lone points came when Lutheran deliberately took a safety on fourth-and-10 from the 1 in the fourth quarter. … Dixon blocked two Lutheran punts.
About the Trojans: Mendota snapped a 20-game home losing streak last week with a 42-28 win over Rock Falls. … The Trojans got their ground game going against the Rockets, rushing for 280 yards, including 209 in the second half. RB Damien Magallanes ran for 117 yards and four touchdowns, while QB Ted Landgraf rushed for 132 yards and a TD. … Landgraf also threw for 165 yards, including a 73-yard TD to Emilio Perez. … Mendota held Rock Falls to 58 yards in the second half, with 30 coming on a halfback option pass in the waning seconds. … MHS allowed two kickoffs, including an onside kick, to be returned for TDs.
FND pick: Dixon
Stillman Valley (2-1) at Rock Falls (0-3)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Last meeting: 48-0 Stillman Valley (2019)
About the Cardinals: Initially slated to play North Boone this week, the Cardinals will look to rebound from a Week 4 loss to Byron when they take on Rock Falls. … The Cardinals’ defense allowed a total of 16 points in wins over Winnebago and Lutheran to open the season, then yielded 31 against Byron. … Stillman Valley is ranked No. 10 in Class 4A in the most recent AP football poll, down from No. 6 the previous week.
About the Rockets: In the Week 4 loss to Mendota, Rock Falls was limited to 58 yards of total offense in the second half, 30 of which came on a halfback pass option late in the game from Booker Cross to Kamerin McGlown. … The Rockets scored twice on kick returns against the Trojans, one when Cross and Dillon Schueler ran a reverse with Cross going 80 yards for a score, the other when Schueler recovered a Mendota onside kick and went 55 yards into the end zone. … The Rockets have had a 100-yard rusher each of the past two weeks. Cross gained 101 against North Boone, while Schueler gained 102 against Mendota.
FND pick: Stillman Valley
THREE RIVERS
Princeton (4-0) at Newman (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Newman 25, Princeton 21 (2019)
About the Tigers: Last year, Princeton led Newman 21-10 at halftime before allowing the Comets to rally. … The Tigers have scored 40 points or more in 19 of 37 games under coach Ryan Pearson, including last week’s 48-7 win over Orion. PHS is averaging 43.8 points per game this spring. … RB Ronde Worrels has run for 426 yards and nine touchdowns this season. … QB Tyler Gibson has thrown for 594 yards and six TDs this season. He’s also run for two scores. … The PHS defense, which allows 78.5 rushing yards, 76.8 passing yards and 7.8 points per game, forced four turnovers against Orion.
About the Comets: Newman won a battle of unbeatens last week, topping St. Bede 35-6. … The Comets had 260 yards – just 4 passing – against St. Bede while limiting the Bruins to 32 total yards, including 15 against Newman reserves. … Andrew Velasquez ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns, Brennen Cook had 38 yards and two TDs, and Marcus Williams added 46 yards and a score against St. Bede. … Newman has allowed 13 points in three games.
FND pick: Princeton
Morrison (1-3) at Erie-Prophetstown (1-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last meeting: 26-0 Morrison (2019)
About the Panthers: After their first home game of the year was held in Erie, this game will be in Prophetstown. … The Panthers rebounded from a pair of losses to open the season with a resounding 44-0 win over Bureau Valley in Week 4. EP quarterback Kolby Franks rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two more. … Against the Storm in Week 4, Erie-Prophetstown’s defense allowed a total of 102 yards, 96 of those on the ground, and recovered a pair of fumbles. … Connor Sibley has gained a total of 190 yards in the past two games.
About the Mustangs: Morrison’s offense struggled to get on track against Fulton, with quarterback Nate Helms picked off twice, the Mustangs seeing nine plays go for a loss, and Morrison gaining a total of 37 yards of offense. … Last season’s win over the Panthers was the third shutout the Morrison defense registered that year, and second in a row. Starting with a Week 3 win over Riverdale through the Week 7 win over E-P, Morrison’s defense did not allow a touchdown.
FND pick: Morrison
Monmouth-Roseville (0-3) at Fulton (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last meeting: 33-16 Monmouth-Roseville (2018)
About the Steamers: Fulton came up with big plays on special teams in the Week 4 win over rival Morrison, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown, then recovering a Mustangs’ fumble on the ensuing kickoff. … Ethan Rash followed up a 41-yard touchdown in the Orion game with 128 rushing yards in the win over Morrison. … Fulton’s defense just seems to keep getting stronger and stronger as the season goes on. In Week 2, the Steamers held Orion to 14 points, then held Riverdale to six points before shutting out the Mustangs. Fulton has outscored opposing teams 150-20 this season.
About the Titans: Though they lost to St. Bede 27-0 to open the season, the Titans have played a pair of close games since, dropping a Week 3 matchup with Orion 13-8 and a Week 4 game against Sherrard 34-28. … In the loss to St. Bede, the Titans managed just 46 rushing yards. Having to turn to the passing game, Monmouth-Roseville threw two interceptions.
FND pick: Fulton
St. Bede (3-1) at Bureau Valley (0-3)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Last matchup: St. Bede 41, Bureau Valley 33 (2018)
About the Bruins: St. Bede looks to get back on track after losing 35-6 to Newman for its first loss of the season. … The Bruins managed just 32 offensive yards against Newman, but in the first three games averaged 152 rushing yards, 149.7 passing yards and 26 points. … Tyreke Fortney scored St. Bede’s lone touchdown Saturday on a 15-yard run. He has 113 yards and three TDs rushing, and 246 yards and two scores receiving. … QB Braden Damerell completed 1-of-4 passes for 5 yards in wet conditions against Newman. For the season, he is 24-of-39 for 454 yards and four touchdowns while also running for 156 yards and two TDs.
About the Storm: Bureau Valley has three common opponents with St. Bede, losing to Newman (44-0), Hall (26-7) and Erie-Prophetstown (44-0), while the Bruins beat Hall (27-6) and E-P (24-21) and lost to Newman (35-6). … The Storm managed 110 yards (104 rushing, 6 passing) last week against E-P while allowing 344 yards (268 rushing, 61 passing). … BV has 240 rushing yards, 72 passing yards and 7 points through three games. … The Storm have lost 12 straight games.
FND pick: St. Bede
NUIC
Amboy-LaMoille (1-2) at Milledgeville (3-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Amboy-LaMoille 25, Milledgeville 6 (2019)
About the Clippers: A-L earned its first win under new coach Scott Payne with a 16-8 victory over West Carroll last week. … RB Sean Fitzpatrick ran for 166 yards and both touchdowns against West Carroll. He has 365 yards and 3 TDs on 74 carries through three games. … A-L had 231 rushing yards on 39 attempts last week.
About the Missiles: QB Nick Smith threw a touchdown pass to Daniel Lohnes with 13.2 seconds left in the first half last week to give Milledgeville the lead for good in a 22-12 victory over Eastland-Pearl City. … Smith was 5-of-8 for 19 yards. He also scored on a 1-yard QB sneak. … Damon Miller ran for 80 yards and a TD on 19 carries, while Ryan Kendall ran for 54 yards.
FND pick: Milledgeville
Rockford Christian (0-3) at West Carroll (0-3)
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
About the Thunder: West Carroll opened the season with shutout losses to Galena and Eastland-Pearl City before finally breaking through in the fourth quarter of the Week 4 game against Amboy, a 14-8 loss. … Ashton St. Ores had 18 carries for 105 yards against the Clippers, and completed five passes for 90 yards. All of his completions were to Andrew Lee. St. Ores also scored the Thunder’s lone touchdown. … The game was originally scheduled to be played in Clinton, Iowa, but has been moved to the Pretzel Bowl at Freeport High School.
About the Royal Lions: It was a wild ride to even have a season for the Royal Lions after the former Big Northern Conference member found most of their Northeastern Athletic Conference rivals jumping to 8-man football or forgoing a season altogether this spring. They were still in the process of calling around to try to pick up games when, just before the season, AFC elected to drop down to 8-man immediately, and the NUIC asked Rockford Christian to come on board to fill the Raiders’ place in the schedule. … Senior quarterback Caden Norquist has thrown for 3,328 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career, completing 57 of 80 passes through three games this year for 691 yards. Isaiah Johnson is his favorite target, with 26 catches for 331 yards. Gage Wiebe has pulled in 12 catches for 205 yards. …. As a team, the Royals Lions have gained 96 rushing yards this season.
FND pick: West Carroll
Eastland-Pearl City (2-2) at Durand-Pecatonica (3-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last meeting: 36-34 Du-Pec (2019)
About the Rivermen: Quarterback Hunter Hoffman threw for 7 touchdown passes in a Week 4 win over Orangeville. That tied a conference record for most touchdowns in a game with Orangeville running back Austin Guy, who had seven rushing touchdowns in a 2017 win over Hiawatha. He has 16 touchdown passes in four games. … Du-Pec’s win over the Wildcatz in Week 2 in 2019 came in overtime. EPC led 16-6 midway through the third before the Rivermen rallied to take a 28-22 lead. EPC tied it with 7 seconds left in regulation. In the OT, both teams scored, with EPC missing its extra point and the Rivermen converting.
About the Wildcatz: In the loss to Milledgeville in Week 4, Eastland-Pearl City quarterback Kellen Henze threw for 120 yards and a touchdown and rushed 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown. ….. EPC had more than 25 minutes in time of possession against the Missiles, including a nine-minute drive to open the game capped off by a touchdown run from Henze. … Logan Krell had nine tackles against Milledgeville.
FND pick: Durand-Pecatonica.
8-MAN
Polo (3-1) at River Ridge (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last meeting: Polo 64-20 (2019 semifinal)
About the Wildcats: Caleb Rhodes gained 235 rushing yards in a Week 4 win over Hiawatha. … When they last met Polo, River Ridge managed just 72 yards of total offense in the second half, though the Wildcats did get a 64-yard touchdown pass from Bryton Engle to Rhodes in the second quarter. … Despite Polo entering the season as reigning champion, River Ridge was the top-ranked team in the preseason 8-man football poll.
About the Marcos: The 2019 semifinal was one of the closer games Polo played en route to the 8-man state championship, at least early on. The Marcos led 24-20 midway through the second quarter (after River Ridge took advantage of a pair of Polo turnovers), but then pulled away, scoring late in the second quarter and cashing in on all but one possession in the second half. … The Marcos bounced back in Week 4 after suffering their first loss. Polo beat Hiawatha 24-22 behind 25 carries for 184 yards from Avery Grenoble. Parker Wolber also gained 60 rushing yards, and Tyler Merdian threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Bennett Soltow.
FND pick: Polo