A look at Week 4 games around the Sauk Valley

Western Big 6

Alleman (0-3) at Sterling (2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Golden Warriors: The Golden Warriors come in having played games which came down to the final few minutes in back-to-back weeks, losing by seven to Montini when a late drive was stopped by back-to-back sacks, and beating Galesburg on a late field goal. ... Sterling has outgained opponents 553-294 on the ground this year, with Antonio Tablante’s 319 rushing yards leading the way. He was a big part of the Week 3 comeback against Galesburg, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. ... Carter Ryan has more receiving yards than any other Golden Warrior this fall, and he’s played just one game. A foot injury kept him out of action the first two weeks, but he had six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in Week 3.

About the Pioneers: Through three games, Alleman has three shutout losses, falling to Davenport Assumption, Quincy Notre Dame and Rock Island by a combined 171-0. ... Andrew Torres is the Pioneers’ leading rusher this year, gaining 100 yards on 40 carries. No other Alleman player has more than 17 rushing yards for the season. ... Quentin Fonseca has completed 13-of-42 passes for 89 yards and three interceptions this year. ... In the Week 3 loss to Rock Island, Alleman gained a total of 69 yards on 42 plays, an average of 1.6 yards per play.

FND pick: Sterling

Big Northern

Dixon (3-0) at Stillman Valley (2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Dukes: Dixon won the last meeting, a Week 5 contest in the spring, on a late touchdown pass from Jacob Gaither to Hunter Gehrt. Gehrt then stymied a potential Stillman Valley attempt on the final play of the game with an interception. ... After playing in four one-possession games in the spring, Dixon has outscored opponents 147-7 this fall. ... In the Week 3 win over Rockford Christian, the Dukes outgained the Royal Lions 420-128 and averaged 11.4 yards per play. Tyler Shaner had 128 rushing yards on eight carries, and Ryan Ramsdell had 121 rushing yards on nine carries. Dixon also scored on an interception return and a blocked punt.

About the Cardinals: Since their Week 1 loss to Byron, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 84-7. ... In beating Oregon last week, Stillman Valley gained 419 yards on the ground while attempting zero passes. ... Gage Henderson led the Cardinals in rushing with 143 yards on 15 carries against Oregon. Porter Needs added 93 yards, and Jory Spain picked up 85.

FND pick: Dixon

Oregon (1-2) at Winnebago (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Hawks: Daniel Dominguez had a four-yard touchdown run in the loss to Stillman Valley in Week 3, picking up 103 yards on 19 carries for the game. That came on the heels of a 203-yard game in Week 2 against Rockford Christian. ... Oregon hasn’t been in a close game yet this year, losing by 36 and 29 points in Weeks 1 and 3, and winning by 25 in Week 2. ... Isaac Reber had two catches in the Stillman Valley game for nine yards.

About the Indians: After a pair of losses the first two weeks of the season to Byron and Genoa-Kingston, both of whom are currently 3-0, the Indians picked up a 45-8 win Week 3 over Rock Falls. ... Winnebago gained 455 yards on 52 plays in Week 3, getting 345 of that on the ground on 43 carries, and 110 through the air as Alec Weavel completed 7-of-9 passes. Michael Cunningham led the rushing attack with 14 carries for 213 yards and three touchdowns. ... Winnebago’s defense collected four turnovers in Week 3, intercepting three passes and recovering a fumble.

FND pick: Winnebago

Rockford Lutheran (0-3) at Rock Falls (1-2)

When: Noon Saturday

About the Rockets: Since its 50-0 win over Rockford Christian in Week 1, Rock Falls has been outscored 93-8 in a pair of losses. ... Rock Falls’ lone touchdown against Winnebago in Week 3 came on special teams, when Booker Cross returned a punt 75 yards for a score. ... In the passing game Week 3, Baraka Boards had a catch for 30 yards, and Audric Thomas had two catches for 20 yards.

About the Crusaders: Rockford Lutheran has been outscored 117-25 this year, but its opponents have a combined 7-2 record so far. ... The 19 points the Crusaders scored in Week 3 against Byron are the most the Tigers have given up so far this season. ... Ron Gates is in his first year as Rockford Lutheran’s coach, his first head coaching job after being an assistant at Lutheran and working at the youth level in Rockford.

FND pick: Rockford Lutheran

Three Rivers

Newman (2-1) at St. Bede (2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Comets: Week 3′s 27-13 win over Orion saw the Comets enjoy a stretch where they started four out of five possessions in Chargers’ territory, aided by an Orion fumble, a short Orion punt, and a long Owen McBride kick return. Newman scored on two of those possessions. ... Newman’s defense allowed minus-2 yards of total offense in the third quarter of their Week 3 game. ... Newman had two 100-yard rushers in Week 3, both getting long touchdown runs. Gabe Padilla had a 95-yard score in the fourth quarter, and Nolan Britt had a 92-yard run in the first quarter. Newman has now had a touchdown run of 50 or more yards in each game this season, with Marcus Williams scoring from 51 and 55 yards out in Week 1, and from 52 yards out in Week 2.

About the Bruins: After allowing 13 points through the first two games, the Bruins gave up 57 as they suffered their first loss in Week 3 against Kewanee. … St. Bede has been balanced offensively, averaging 180 rushing yards and 152 passing yards per game. … Tyreke Fortney has racked up 572 total yards and eight touchdowns — four rushing and four receiving. … John Brady leads the Bureau County area in passing with 473 yards. He’s completed 25 of 49 passes and thrown four TDs and four interceptions. … The Bruins have lost four straight against the Comets. St. Bede’s last win against Newman was a 20-18 victory on Sept. 17, 2011.

FND pick: Newman

Morrison (0-3) at Hall (0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Mustangs: After scoring six points in Week 1 and six more in Week 2, the Mustangs offense came alive in Week 3 and scored 28 points in a loss to Monmouth-Roseville. Alex Anderson, Danny Mouw and Carson Strating each had rushing scores, and Anderson totaled 124 rushing yards. Anderson has scored a touchdown in every game this season: a 53-yarder against Newman, a 2-yarder against Kewanee, and a 56-yarder against Monmouth-Roseville. ... Morrison has allowed 56 points in the second quarters of games this year, and 49 points in the other three quarters combined. ... Mouw, in his first year as a starting quarterback, threw his first touchdown pass against Monmouth-Roseville.

About the Red Devils: Hall struggled in Week 3 in a 49-20 loss to rival Princeton, trailing 49-0 at halftime. … The Red Devils fumbled the opening kickoff against the Tigers and Princeton scored five plays later. … Mac Resetich scored on an 18-yard run and an 80-yard punt return in the second half against Princeton. … Caleb Savitch has rushed for 286 yards this season, while Dominic Guerrini has 186 yards and three TDs, and Resetich has run for 162 yards and a pair of TDs. … The Red Devils are allowing 38.3 points per game, and have allowed 40 or more in each of the last two weeks.

FND pick: Hall

Rockridge (2-1) at Erie-Prophetstown (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: After narrow losses the first two weeks, E-P finally broke through in Week 3 with a 55-0 win at Sherrard, scoring three times in the first quarter and jumping out to a 34-0 lead by halftime. ... Braxton Froeliger headlined a strong Panthers defense in Week 3, recovering a fumble and returning an interception for a touchdown.

About the Rockets: A 55-12 win over Riverdale in Week 3 lifted the Rockets over .500, and it’s been a tough stretch to start the season with games against Princeton and Newman the first two weeks before taking on the Rams. ... Brayden Deem was 12-for-18 passing for 245 yards and four touchdowns against the Rams, with three of those touchdown throws going to Nate Henry. He also rushed for 29 yards. ... Alex Zarlantanes rushed for two touchdowns against Riverdale, with Peyton Locke adding another.

FND pick: Rockridge

Kewanee (3-0) at Bureau Valley (2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Storm: On the heels of 100 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns in Week 2, earning the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week MVP belt in the process, Jaden Michlig carried 15 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3 against Mendota. ... The Storm won their first two games of the season, snapping a 13-game losing skid before falling at Mendota last week. Two long second-half touchdown passes by Mendota kept the Storm at bay. ... These teams last played in 2014 – also in Week 4 at BV – with the Storm prevailing 43-6. Both teams were 0-3 coming into that meeting. … BV allowed 42 points and 426 yards last week after giving up 19 points and 280 yards combined through the first two games.

About the Boilermakers: The Boilers’ 3-0 start has seen strong defense, holding Monmouth-Roseville to six points and Morrison to eight, and strong offense, with a 51-27 Week 3 win over St. Bede. ... The Boilermakers are 3-0 for the first time since 2003. ... QB Will Bruno completed 9 of 13 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for a 2-yard score against St. Bede. … Niko Powe caught four passes for 66 yards and a pair of TDs last week, while Jordan Johnson grabbed five passes for 113 yards and a score.

FND pick: Bureau Valley

NUIC

Durand-Pecatonica (3-0) at Eastland-Pearl City (0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcatz: Mason Brenner led EPC with nine tackles in a Week 3 loss to Forreston. ... Kellen Henze has had a hand in three of EPC’s five touchdowns this season, running for two of them and passing for one. The Wildcatz also got a fumble returned for a touchdown by Riley Schauer in Week 3 against Forreston. With 67 yards on 11 carries, Henze was EPC’s leading rusher in Week 3.

About the Rivermen: Durand-Pecatonica has outscored teams 90-32 so far this year. Only Lena-Winslow has scored more points among NUIC teams, and only Le-Win has allowed fewer. ... In a Week 3 win over Fulton, the Rivermen rushed for 349 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. AJ Mulcahy led the way both offensively and defensively, with 205 rushing yards and nine tackles.

FND pick: Durand-Pecatonica

Dakota (1-2) at Forreston (2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cardinals: Nine different Forreston players combined for 391 yards rushing in a Week 3 win over Eastland-Pearl City. Jacob Fiorello led the way with 115 yards on 17 carries, with McKeon Crase chipping in 105 yards and Matthew Beltran rushing for 93. ... Forreston trailed EPC 7-0 late in the first quarter of its Week 3 game before rattling off 34 straight points, starting with a 45-yard run by Crase less than a minute after EPC had gotten on the board. Forreston scored 20 points in the second half to pull away. ... Forreston’s first-half scores in Week 3 were on big plays, a 45-yard run and a 38-yard run. In the second half, the Cardinals scored rushing touchdowns from up close, with scoring runs of two and four yards. ... Logan Dyson completed one pass in Week 3, and it went for a 23-yard touchdown to Fiorello.

About the Indians: Adrian Arellano gained 165 yards on the ground in Week 3, bringing his season stats to 53 carries for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Cam Foesch has contributed 14 carries for 137 yards and a score. Arellano also has had an 84-yard kick return for a touchdown. ... Dakota’s Week 3 win was sealed by a fumble, which Case Rockey forced and Kaidyn Niedermeier recovered with two minutes left in the game. ... Niedermeier is 9-for-31 passing for 106 yards. Caden Shenberger is his top target, with four catches for 50 yards.

FND pick: Forreston

Fulton (2-1) at Madison (1-2)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Steamers: Fulton scored 24 points in Week 3 against Durand-Pecatonica. The Rivermen had allowed a total of eight points in the previous two games. ... Patrick Lower completed 4 of his first 5 passes in Week 3 against Durand-Pecatonica before the Rivermen started throwing more pressure his way. ... The Fulton defense contributed to the scoring in Week 3, as Baylen Damhoff intercepted Rivermen quarterback Hunter Hoffman and returned it 60 yards for a score.

About the Trojans: Madison is an independent team. The city is located just north of East St. Louis near the Mississippi River. ... This is Madison’s second NUIC opponent of the season, having lost to Galena 28-0 in Week 2. ... After a pair of losses to open the season, Madison picked up a 50-14 win over Dupo in Week 3.

FND pick: Fulton

8-man

Milledgeville (2-1) at Blue Ridge (0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Missiles: Milledgeville scored in all three phases in a 64-0 win over River Ridge in Week 3, with four touchdown runs, three touchdown passes, an 83-yard Bryce Aude punt return TD, and a 53-yard Izaac Toms-Smith fumble return TD. ... The Missiles rushed for 302 yards on 27 carries, good for a whopping 11.2 yards per carry. ... Connor Nye has thrown for 400 yards and 11 TDs through the first three games, and Ashton Nobis has caught a TD pass in each game so far. ... Kacen Johnson had a touchdown run and caught two TD passes in Week 3, and Peyton Sarber and Bryce McKenna both ran for more than 55 yards and a score. Nobis added 87 yards on the ground.

About the Knights: As a team this year, Blue Ridge is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and has put up nearly 700 rushing yards. ... Blue Ridge is winless on the year, having been outscored 166-20 in games against Kirkland Hiawatha, Bushnell Prairie City and Champaign St. Thomas More.

FND pick: Milledgeville

AFC (0-3) at River Ridge (0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Raiders: AFC is coming off its third loss of the season, and has given up more than 50 points in each game. The Raiders lost 52-14 to South Beloit in Week 1, 56-0 to Polo in Week 2, and 52-8 to Peoria Heights last week. ... It’s the third road game in four weeks for AFC, which plays four of its final five games at Mel Barron Field.

About the Wildcats: Brian Appleby leads the team in tackles with 31. Ethan Gonzalez has 22, and Caden Albrecht had 20. Albrecht is the team’s leading receiver with 16 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns. No other receiver has more than six catches this year. ... Breyton Fry leads the team in rushing with 33 carries for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Seth Nicholas has 18 carries for 94 yards and a score. ... Two different River Ridge players have attempted passes this year, with Fry completing 32-of-76 for 482 yards and Sam Ries completing 3-of-7 for 24 yards. Fry also serves as the punter, averaging 38.1 yards per punt.

FND pick: AFC

West Central (3-0) at Amboy (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Heat: After a 42-40 win over Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland to open the season, the Heat have outscored their last two opponents, Sciota West Prairie and Bushnell Prairie City, 104-8. West Central shut out Bushnell Prairie City in Week 3 after BPC had won its first two games of the year by a combined 108-20.

About the Clippers: Amboy scored on its opening two possessions of the second half last week to cut a 30-16 halftime deficit to 30-28, before Polo put away the win with a 15-play, 61-yard TD drive that took 8:28 off the clock. ... Tucker Lindenmeyer nearly doubled his season rushing total in Week 3, running for 127 yards and a touchdown against Polo; he now has 276 yards and 4 TDs on the ground, while throwing for 104 yards and 3 TDs on 8-for-20 passing. ... Joe Quest has 82 rushing yards and 3 TDs in the first three games.

FND pick: West Central

Decatur Lutheran at Polo

About the game: The Marcos will receive a forfeit victory, as Decatur Lutheran is in COVID quarantine and Polo was unable to find another opponent.