Southwest Valley Blue

Lincoln-Way East (6-0, 4-0) at Homewood-Flossmoor (3-3, 2-2)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East put together another dominant performance, marking the sixth consecutive game where the outcome was effectively decided by halftime, resulting in a win over Metea Valley. QB Jonas Williams secured the state record for career touchdown passes in the victory and seems poised to keep going while he inches closer to the career passing yardage record as well.

About the Vikings: Homewood-Flossmoor has always had a bit of a spirited rivalry with Lincoln-Way East, but for quite a while, the Griffins have had the upper hand in the battles. H-F has lost its last nine meetings with Lincoln-Way East and comes into this matchup not playing its best. After inching its record to 3-1 after four games, the Vikings have dropped back-to-back matchups against Sandburg and Neuqua Valley. A troubled defensive unit going against an offense like Lincoln-Way East doesn’t appear to be a great recipe for H-F.

Friday Night Drive pick: Lincoln-Way East

Lockport (3-3, 2-2) at Sandburg (5-1, 3-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Porters: Lockport may not enjoy the tight rope it’s walked in multiple games this season, but at least the Porters are getting used to it. A week removed from pulling out a win over Naperville North in the final minute, the Porters needed extra time to squeak out a 14-7 win over Naperville Central. RB Chris Miller continues to be the key cog in the Lockport offensive attack, but Lockport’s success seems to ultimately be in the hands of a defense that has largely been staunch.

About the Eagles: Sandburg was cast from the ranks of the undefeated in Week 6 in a wild overtime loss to Naperville North, the first time the Eagles’ defense had been picked on after holding its first five opponents to single-digit scoring. The Eagles had been using a formula of relying on that defense, coupled with a potent offensive attack led by the lethal combination of QB Sean Ruisz and WR Quinn Durkin to run away and hide from foes, but Naperville North didn’t let them.

FND pick: Sandburg

Southwest Valley Red

Lincoln-Way Central (5-1, 3-1) at Andrew (4-2, 2-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Knights: Lincoln-Way Central continued its systematic work, containing a potent Bradley-Bourbonnais offense to just one touchdown over the first three and a half quarters before allowing a few late scores to tighten things up. The defense has set the tone for the Knights, but the offense has been doing a nice job of contributing. Multiple players have been chipping in as well, with Lucas Andresen finding ways to contribute in both the rushing and receiving game, while Justin Cobbs continues to thrive with a larger role in the offense.

About the T-Bolts: Andrew has quietly started 4-2, but in fairness, the four teams Andrew has defeated this season have a combined record of 1-25. Andrew does have the potential to frustrate opponents with its triple-option ground game that QB Camden Maniatis does a fine job of orchestrating, but the Andrew defense is going to have to do a better job as the level of competition steps up abruptly over the final third of the season.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way Central

Southwest Prairie West

Bolingbrook (4-2, 1-1) at Plainfield North (2-4, 0-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Raiders: Since a lopsided loss to Oswego in Week 3, Bolingbrook seems to have found itself, particularly on offense. The Raiders have steamrolled their last three opponents, scoring a whopping 161 points while allowing just seven. Although some of that can be attributed to a soft schedule stretch, one of those wins did come over an Oswego East team currently 5-1. RB TJ Lewis has been a consistent threat, but the Raiders also seem to have been adding a bit of aerial dimension as of late, making them harder to rein in.

About the Tigers: Plainfield North bounced back from a tough Week 5 loss by cruising to a win over district rival Plainfield East in Week 6. It was a must if Plainfield North hopes to actualize a playoff berth, but it still faces an uphill climb, likely needing wins in all three of those games. Plainfield North’s offensive attack has shown a little more spark over the last few weeks, and that’s going to have to remain viable, along with a serious clampdown on defense.

FND pick: Bolingbrook

Oswego (5-1, 1-1) at Minooka (4-2, 1-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Panthers: After dropping its first game of the year in Week 5, Oswego ran away from Joliet West and sewed up a playoff berth in the process. But the Panthers want more, and in order to do that will need to maneuver what looks to be a somewhat tricky back third of their schedule. Oswego’s defense has been solid for much of the season. If that can continue, Oswego should have a reasonably good chance of setting the tone against its remaining opponents.

About the Indians: Minooka has quietly strung together a three-game winning streak after dominating Plainfield Central in Week 6. Despite a scoring outburst in that game, the question remains whether or not the Indians can post enough points to keep stringing together wins against the better opponents on their schedule. The last three opponents on Minooka’s schedule provide those challenges, as they are a combined 14-4.

FND pick: Oswego

Southwest Prairie East

Plainfield East (3-3, 1-1) at Joliet West (2-4, 2-0)

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday

About the Bengals: Plainfield East has seen things take a turn for the worse after a 3-0 start. Granted, the level of competition has stepped up, but an offense that scored 165 points in the first three games has scored just 35 since. While losing this one wouldn’t completely squelch Plainfield East’s chances of returning to the playoffs, it would virtually eliminate any chance of the Bengals winning a conference title.

About the Tigers: Joliet West hasn’t enjoyed the crossover portion of the schedule much, as it was taken to task by Oswego in Week 6. That loss also leaves the Tigers on the brink of having a potential fifth loss. But the Tigers still have a key card that can play out for them. This is a pivotal game for Joliet West in regards to the SPC East, where they are currently the only team in the division without a league loss. A conference title, regardless of overall record, would secure Joliet West a playoff berth, and a win here would make it likely.

FND pick: Joliet West

Joliet Central (1-5, 0-2) at Romeoville (3-3, 1-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Steelmen: No one is happier to leave SPC crossover matchups than Joliet Central, which was thoroughly overwhelmed in losses to Oswego East and Bolingbrook. The Steelmen’s defensive woes have come to the forefront recently, as they have given up 50-plus points in four games. Any chance to find another victory over the course of the rest of the season has to be coupled with significant improvement on that side of the ball.

About the Spartans: Romeoville is another program that has stalled out after a 3-0 start. The Spartans, like every other SPC East team, found two matchups in crossovers that were clearly too much for them, and also dropped what could prove to be a pivotal game to Joliet West back in Week 5. Playoffs are still in the cards for Romeoville, but a win here is a must, and then the Spartans must at the very least claim a split in their final two games against Plainfield East and Plainfield South.

FND pick: Romeoville

Plainfield Central (2-4, 1-1) at Plainfield South (1-5, 1-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wildcats: Plainfield Central has already made significant strides after last year’s winless season, but the Wildcats are hoping to take another and possibly pick off another win or two. In order to do that, the Wildcats have to become more consistent on offense as their productivity has been hit or miss for most of the season.

About the Cougars: Plainfield South‘s record doesn’t feel like an accurate reflection of the team’s play. The Cougars were the only team to put up a good fight in SPC crossover games in Week 6 before eventually succumbing to undefeated Yorkville. And while the Cougars would need some help from other conference opponents, they still have an outside chance at the league title, but will definitely need to start that process by winning here and sweeping through the rest of the season, then hoping for the best.

FND pick: Plainfield South

CCL/ESCC crossover

Loyola (4-1) at Providence (4-2)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Ramblers: It is hard to imagine a scenario where Loyola might be flying under the radar, but that seems to be what’s happening. Loyola’s lone loss of the season came at the hands of Brother Rice back in Week 4, and otherwise, the Ramblers have just been going about their business with a roster that’s gaining experience week by week. Some strong play from key underclassmen, such as QB Matthew Lee and WR Jordan McKinley, has been key. Don’t be mistaken, this is still a very difficult Loyola team to defeat, youth or otherwise.

About the Celtics: Providence picked up what could prove to be a pivotal win over Marist that could give them a path to a conference title. Providence’s four-team league doesn’t come with an automatic bid (leagues need six to qualify for that), but the win was the Celtics’ fourth, meaning they need just one more to get to return to the postseason fray. A crossover win against a Blue Division team might be too tall a hill to climb right now, but this being a competitive game with the Ramblers wouldn’t be a huge stretch.

FND pick: Loyola

Mount Carmel (6-0) at Joliet Catholic (2-4)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Caravan: Mount Carmel has the most talent-laden roster in the state, and it showed that in a showdown game with Brother Rice. Both the offense and defense came up big, as QB Emmett Dowling utilized his plethora of talented receivers to consistently move the football, while the defense bent a little against a potent Brother Rice offense but did not break. Mount Carmel will move up to the Class 8A postseason this season after winning the last three 7A state titles and would like nothing more than to continue to run the table to help it possibly secure the No. 1 seed.

About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic collected a win in Week 6 to keep its fading playoff hopes intact. But the Hilltoppers are still having a lot of problems moving the football consistently and aren’t likely to find a whole heck of a lot of relief against a defense like Mount Carmel’s. RB Anthony Finnegan did have a 100-yard rushing effort in the win over Niles Notre Dame, but uncharacteristically, that type of rushing effort has been more the exception than the norm this year.

FND pick: Mount Carmel

Interstate 8

Morris (6-0, 3-0) at Ottawa (2-4, 0-4)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Morris: Morris has continued to power its way through the Interstate 8, besting Rochelle in Week 6 and avenging another loss from a year ago. Morris has developed a nice one-two punch in the backfield with RBs Caedan Curran and Mick Smith, while Morris also doesn’t hesitate to keep opponents honest by going to the air behind QB Brady Varner. Morris has also gone through a stretch of games defensively that looked to be more taxing on paper than they turned out to be for a unit that has been imposing its will.

About the Pirates: Ottawa was downed for the second time this season by La Salle-Peru in Week 6, and the Pirates have now dropped four games in a row after starting 2-0. The Pirates have had a ton of problems keeping Interstate 8 opponents from stacking up points and aren’t strong enough offensively to keep themselves viable in high-scoring affairs. RB Archer Cechowicz is a real grinder for Ottawa and netted 100-plus yards in the L-P loss, but he’s likely to find the sledding more difficult against a salty Morris defensive front.

FND pick: Morris

South Suburban Blue

Hillcrest (3-3, 2-1) at Lemont (4-2, 4-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Hawks: Like Lemont, Hillcrest seems to be recovering from a rough start. Hillcrest lost both its nonconference clashes with Montini and Benet, then slid to 0-3 with a one-point loss to T.F. North in Week 3. Hillcrest has won three straight, outscoring opponents 108-18. Hillcrest is typically one of – if not the only – obstacles Lemont has in collecting a South Suburban Blue title. And although the Hawks don’t seem quite as prominent as in years past, they can’t be looked past.

About Lemont: Lemont had its first somewhat competitive conference game in Week 6 as it toppled T.F. North 29-14 after barreling through league tilts by an average of 43 points a game. Lemont still has its eyes on another conference crown and will likely be pushed considerably more from the final third of its schedule (Hillcrest, Richards, Oak Forest) than it has been since it started 0-2.

FND pick: Lemont

Nonconference

Lincoln-Way West (6-0) at Lapeer, Mich. (2-4)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West continues to impose its will on opponents, slowly inching away from DeKalb in Week 6 to keep its record spotless. The Warriors are doing a lot of damage on the ground, with Jimmy Talley Jr. turning in a strong performance against DeKalb, and others have also contributed to the cause. The defense also continues to set a high standard. Although DeKalb did score 21 points – a season-high point total allowed by the Warriors’ defense – several of those points were scored well after the outcome was in hand.

About the Lightning: Lapeer, located about 60 miles north of Detroit, hasn’t had the best of seasons. The Lightning are currently in the midst of a two-game losing streak and dropped a 51-0 decision last week.

FND pick: Lincoln-Way West

Dwight (3-3) at Walther Christian (2-4)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Trojans: Dwight snapped a three-game losing streak with an easy win over St. Bede in Week 6. The Trojans haven’t had significant problems scoring points, but the defense was finally able to rein in an opponent as they got back to .500. The Trojans look well-positioned to pick up another win here, but with both Week 8 (Warrensburg-Latham) and Week 9 (Oregon) looking a bit more challenging than originally anticipated, a win here is an absolute must.

About the Broncos: A former member of the Chicagoland Prairie, Walther Christian is now an independent. The Broncos had a rough time competing in the league as a member, and going it alone, the program hasn’t done much better. The two wins came against Westmont (another former Prairie team), which isn’t fielding a full schedule and just recently forfeited its most recent game and a forfeit win over a Wisconsin team. Three of its four losses come to teams that only have one win on the season, over Walther Christian.

FND pick: Dwight

Illinois Central Eight

Streator (1-5, 0-4) at Wilmington (5-1, 3-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Bulldogs: Streator rolled to a Week 1 win over Decatur Eisenhower, but while the Bulldogs have shown a few pockets of being more competitive, they haven’t been able to record win No. 2. This isn’t exactly an ideal opponent to try to get that win, but the Bulldogs are likely just looking to bridge the gap a bit. RB Leodies Jordan has been productive for Streator over the past few weeks, but likely won’t find a whole lot of room to run against a stingy Wilmington run defense.

About the Wildcats: Wilmington‘s run offense was dominant once again, as it averaged nearly 10 yards an attempt in an easy win over Thornton in Week 6. And as impressive as that was, the defense was even better, limiting Thornton to just 17 rushing yards and less than 20 yards of total offense. The Wildcats, at this point, are just trying to keep the solid momentum going as they start to look toward a Week 9 showdown with Coal City.

FND pick: Wilmington

Coal City (5-1, 3-0) at Peotone (3-3, 2-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Coalers: Coal City is in a mode of complete domination right now, seeming to use its Week 2 loss to Richmond-Burton as fuel. The Coalers are on a four-game winning streak where none of their opponents has been remotely competitive, outscoring opponents 202-20 during that stretch. Coal City is throwing the ball more than usual, including a four-touchdown performance from QB Connor Henline in the Week 6 win over Manteno, but is also balancing that with the gritty run attack the Coalers are typically known for. That blend is currently causing all kinds of problems for opposing defenses.

About the Blue Devils: Peotone lost a heartbreaker in Week 6, as Reed-Custer connected on a game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. It could prove to be a costly loss for the Blue Devils, who now need to win two of their last three games to secure a playoff berth. All three of those games (Coal City, Manteno, Herscher) come against teams with at least .500 records. Peotone still has a pretty solid running game to lean on, but the Blue Devils are currently giving up more points than they’d like.

FND pick: Coal City

Reed-Custer (3-3, 2-2) at Herscher (4-2, 3-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Comets: Reed-Custer stormed back into the playoff discussion with a late-game field goal against Peotone that allowed them to climb back to the .500 mark. The Comets have clearly put last year’s 1-8 mark in the rearview mirror and have built a diversified offensive attack keyed by RB/WR Kaiden Klein and RB Hudson Cook, that tandem accounted for over 200 yards of offense and three scores in the Peotone win. Reed-Custer is already assured of a Week 9 win – a forfeit from Lisle – so the Comets need only split their two remaining games to get to five wins.

About the Tigers: Herscher took a little while to separate itself from Streator in Week 6, but eventually got there and moved to within one win of securing a playoff slot, which would be Herscher’s first postseason since 2018. Herscher is doing a lot of damage with its backfield weapons, most notably Aleksander Draper and Mason Roberts. Those two will likely be leaned on heavily in the hopes of getting the playoff qualification locked in sooner rather than later.

FND pick: Herscher

Chicagoland Prairie

Peru St. Bede (2-4, 0-2) at Seneca (6-0, 2-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Bruins: With the exclusion of one game, St. Bede has had a fairly consistent pattern this season: score a lot of points in wins, give up a lot of points in losses, and not a lot in between. The Bruins are probably going to have a hard time avoiding giving up a lot of points in this one, as Seneca has one of the most proficient offensive attacks in the state. St. Bede needs to try to trade points to have a chance, but that’s also a path not many teams have taken to success.

About the Fighting Irish: The typical distribution of Seneca‘s vaunted ground game took a little bit more of an individual turn in the Fighting Irish’s Week 6 win over Ottawa Marquette, and it’s hard to argue with the deviation from the norm considering the results. RB Cam Shriey ran for 215 yards and four scores, getting the lion’s share of the work for Seneca, which still managed to run for nearly 400 yards as a team despite the redistribution of the workload.

FND pick: Seneca