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Orion (1-0) at Princeton (1-0)
Game time: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Last matchup: Princeton 45-7 (2021).
About the Tigers: The BCR Game of the Week falls a day early with a Thursday night matchup. PHS coach Ryan Pearson said he has just a little bit of concern of the short week, “because a coach is going to want as much preparation as possible, but we’re having to play on a short week the same as Orion. We’re going to have make sure that we’re really dialed in and take care of the things we need to take care and fix the mental mistakes we had first half and just make sure they don’t have to again. I think if we do that, we’re still going to be a pretty good football team.” ... The Tigers led just 21-14 at the half over Rockridge last week, before outscoring the Rockets 20-8 in the second half. Brady Byers provided two big plays in the first half, the first with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown and 49-yard run for another score. Augie Christiansen added a 65-yard scamper. QB Teegan Davis helped the Tigers run away with in the second half with TD runs of 85 and 67 yards, gaining 228 yards overall. ... The Tigers have now won the last five season openers under Pearson, defeating Riverdale, Fulton, Lena-Winslow and Rockridge twice.
About the Chargers: Like Princeton, Orion had a decisive Week 1 victory. The Chargers held a 28-12 halftime lead over Hall before outscoring the Red Devils 14-0 in the second half to open up a 42-12 win. RBs Cole Kratzberg (19-127 yards, 1 TD) and Drake Gunn (14-105 yards), combined for 232 yards rushing. Freshman QB Kale Filler, the coach’s son, completed 8 of 21 attempts for 82 yards and 2 TDs. ... Orion saw its playoff streak of six straight appearances snapped last year with a 4-5 record. Veteran coach Chip Filler (86-45 in 14 years) believes the Chargers have the experience with eight returning starters on both sides of the ball. “We are off to a solid start at least for the first week,” Chip Filler said. “We have our hands full. Princeton is still the class of our conference until proven different. They are athletically gifted and well coached. Davis is a tremendous QB and is going to be extremely difficult to slow down. Defensively the Tigers are fast, physical, and very opportunistic. Could be a baptism by fire for our young QB. For us to stay competitive we need take care of the football and limit big plays. We need to be solid in all the fundamental areas - blocking, and tackling.” ... Even though Princeton has won the last three meetings, the Chargers hold the all-time series edge decisively at 7-3. Orion has only lost once in five games at Princeton dating back to 2009, dropping the last one, 44-0 in 2019.
FND pick: Princeton
Sherrard (0-1) at Bureau Valley (0-1)
Game time: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last matchup: BV 50-7 (2022)
About the Storm: BV coach Mat Pistole, whose team fell 33-12 in a Week 1 nonconference game at Villa Grove, said most teams make their biggest jump between Weeks 1 and 2 and that is the Storm’s goal. “Week 1 is always hard as you don’t know what the opponent is going to do and it made it especially difficult that we played a team we knew nothing about. Week 2 we can at least have a better idea on schematics and personnel,” he said. “Focus this week is we have to be a lot more fundamentally sound on all facets and play with more enthusiasm and emotion.” ... Mason Goossens scored both touchdowns for the Storm at Villa Grove on runs of 2 and 13 yards. The Storm allowed 328 yards passing (4 TDs), 464 total net yards. .... The Storm hold a 3-0 series edge, including last year’s win.
About the Tigers: Sherrard went 3-1 in the 2021 spring season in Brandon Johnston’s first year as Sherrard coach, but graduation took a heavy toll, going 0-9 last fall. ... The Rams fell to St. Bede 28-14 in last week’s opener. It was a 21-14 game until the Bruins tacked on a second fourth-quarter score. QB Holland Anderson completed 10-16 passes for 217 yards and two TDs and RB Bailey Nelson rushed for 93 yards on 14 carries. The Sherrard defense allowed 227 yards rushing, 369 net yards overall. “Sherrard is much improved from last year. Not shocked as I have a lot of respect for Coach Johnston and he will get that program turned around,” Pistole said. “Their QB and RB are very good players and they have better athletes on the edge than years past. They seem to be much more fundamentally sound defensively as well.”
FND pick: Sherrard
Erie-Prophetstown (1-0) at St. Bede (1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: St. Bede 15-13 (fall 2021)
About the Panthers: E-P turned in a dominating rushing performance in a 54-34 win over Mendota in the opener, running for 501 yards. Jase Grunder led the Panther ground game, rushing for 215 yards and six touchdowns on 21 attempts, while Tyler Ballard ran for 195 yards and two scores — of 48 and 70 yards — on 11 carries. EP quarterback Jack Minssen completed 3 of 5 passes for 13 yards. … The Panthers built a 40-12 lead after three quarters. … The E-P defense gave up 520 yards to Mendota — 303 rushing and 217 passing. … E-P has won eight regular season games in a row with its last regular season loss coming last season in Week 2 against St. Bede.
About the Bruins: St. Bede has had a knack for pulling out close games against the Panthers over the last five years. The last five meetings between the teams have been decided by three points or less, including three one-point games, with the Bruins winning four of them. Last season, Stephen Shaver booted a late field goal to lift St. Bede to a 15-13 victory. … The Bruins relied heavily on the Brady twins in their 28-14 win over Sherrard in the opener. Quarterback John Brady ran for 231 yards and four touchdowns and completed 7 of 16 passes for 122 yards, while safety Ryan Brady made nine tackles, intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble and broke up two passes, including one in the end zone. … Ben Wallace caught five of Brady’s passes for 88 yards. … St. Bede limited the Tigers to 73 rushing yards.
FND pick: St. Bede
Monmouth-Roseville (1-0) at Hall (0-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: Monmouth-Roseville 40-32 (fall 2021)
About the Titans: M-R beat Kewanee 22-16 in its season opener. The Titans trailed 7-6 at halftime before outscoring the Boilermakers 16-9 in the second half. … M-R running back Jerome Jackson scored all three of the team’s touchdowns — two rushing and one passing. He ran for 123 yards on four carries and caught two passes for 19 yards. … M-R quarterback Silas Braun completed 7 of 10 passes for 79 yards, a TD and an interception while running for 56 yards on 10 attempts. … C.J. Johnson led the M-R defense, making 15 tackles, including one for a loss, and intercepting a pass. Braun had nine tackles with three for a loss.
About the Red Devils: Hall lost 42-12 to Orion in Randy Tieman’s return to the sidelines. … Hall relied heavily on senior Mac Resetich offensively, running the Wildcat to give him plenty of opportunities to touch the ball and make plays. Resetich scored a rushing touchdown and returned a kickoff for a TD against Orion. He had a third touchdown wiped out by a penalty. … The Red Devils are 2-13 in their last 15 games. … Hall has scored 31 points in its last four games.
FND pick: Monmouth-Roseville
River Ridge (0-1) at Amboy-LaMoille (1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last matchup: First meeting in eight man
About the Wildcats: River Ridge led by two touchdowns at halftime but ended up losing 42-36 to South Beloit in three overtimes in the opener. The Wildcats lost a fumble in the third overtime to seal their loss. … George Winter ran for an 8-yard touchdown and caught a 25-yard TD pass from Sam Ries in regulation. Winter also scored on a 5-yard run in the first overtime. Ries also tossed a 42-yard TD pass to Traighton McGovern in regulation.
About the Clippers: Amboy returns for its home opener after making a statement on the road in Week 1, beating two-time defending eight-man champion Polo 28-12. The Clippers scored three touchdowns on plays of 30 yards or longer, including on back-to-back offensive plays in the first four minutes. … Amboy quarterback Tucker Lindenmeyer completed 3 of 6 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns with all three passes going to Brennan Blaine. Lindenmeyer also ran for 76 yards and a TD on eight carries. … Kye Koch ran for 75 yards on 10 carries, including a 55-yard TD on Amboy’s first possession of the third quarter to put the Clippers up 28-6.
FND pick: Amboy