The Times Week 8 football previews

Christ the King (1-6) at Marquette (6-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Marquette 49, Christ the King 6 (fall 2021)

About Gladiators: Christ the King Jesuit Preparatory School out of Chicago scored a pair of touchdowns in a Week 1 home loss to Dakota and walloped winless Walther Christian 50-6 in Week 5. And that has been it for points scored this season by a Gladiators team that in all six of its losses has been outscored by 37 or more points and shut out five times. Jatwan Candler is one of the Gladiators’ go-to offensive weapons. The Gladiators no doubt will be hoping to stay healthy during their visit to Ottawa in anticipation of a Week 9 rematch with a still-winless Walther Christian.

About the Crusaders: Speaking of Walther Christian, that’s the team Marquette is coming off a 52-0 dismantling of Saturday. Firing on all cylinders down the home stretch, the Crusaders needed only 15 offensive plays in the first half to score six touchdowns and were led by RB Tommy Durdan’s 105 yards and three touchdowns on only four carries. He was one of 11 ball carriers on the day for Marquette, which with a win in this one and another next week at 1-6 Sherrard likely would wrap up a first-round playoff game in the comforts of Gould Stadium. Expect the Crusaders to try to jump ahead early and rotate in a lot of bodies again this week with eyes toward getting the “W” and staying healthy for a playoff run.

Friday Night Drive pick: Marquette

Seneca (7-0, 3-0) at Clifton Central (5-2, 2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Seneca 30, Clifton Central 14 (fall 2021)

About the Fighting Irish: Much has been said and written about Seneca’s power-T rushing attack, and with good reason. Asher Hamby, Braden Ellis, Nathan Grant, Collin Wright and Co. have run roughshod over opponents behind an offensive line anchored by Chris Peura, averaging 45.3 points per game in contests played with the offense’s lowest output coming in a 35-33 Week 1 win over 4-3 Westville and a 35-0 blanking of then-undefeated Iroquois West. What may be getting overlooked is the job the Irish defense has done of late. After surrendering 84 points through the first three weeks, Seneca has not allowed a point since Sept. 10, shutting out Ridge Farm, Iroquois West and Momence to go with a forfeit win over Watseka. The Fighting Irish likely would wrap up the Vermilion Valley Football Alliance’s North Division championship with a win in this one, barring Dwight pulling off a pair of huge upsets to close the season.

About the Comets: Much like the Iroquois West team Seneca dominated in Week 5, Clifton Central has not been as dominant this year as in seasons past but still is a formidable, playoff-bound power. The Comets had a five-game winning streak snapped Friday against Iroquois West, 39-32, and had to survive close ones with Dwight (48-36) and Westville (28-21) before that. Still, the Clifton Central defense has forced two shutouts, and the offense – spearheaded by QB Luke Shoven (320 passing yards, five TDs vs. Iroquois West) – since being held to one touchdown in a Week 1 loss to Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin has been averaging 41.2 points per game, meaning the Seneca defensive backfield should be tested.

FND pick: Seneca

Fieldcrest (1-6, 0-3) at Dee-Mack (3-4, 1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Dee-Mack 36, Fieldcrest 0 (fall 2021)

About Knights: Fieldcrest still is searching for its first on-the-field, nonforfeit win since the spring season of 2021. Maintaining offensive drives and cashing them in for points will be a necessity if the Knights hope to snap that skid this week in Mackinaw in a Heart of Illinois Conference Large contest. While there have been bright spots, such as the play of QB Brady Ruestman, RB Eddie Lorton and WR Landon Modro, Fieldcrest has yet to score more than two touchdowns in any game this season and has been shut out in three of its six games played.

About the Chiefs: It was pretty common knowledge the Chiefs were a much better, much more dangerous team than their 0-4 start this season – against teams currently holding a combined 24-4 record – may have indicated. Deer Creek-Mackinaw has spent the past few weeks proving its believers right, following a forfeit victory over Fisher with back-to-back blowout wins over Tremont (46-0) and LeRoy (44-6). A Week 9 win-to-make-sure-you-get-in showdown at Eureka still looms large, but this week the QB Carson Cassady and RB Lucas Blumeyer-led Chiefs have to take care of business against a scrappy Fieldcrest squad.

FND pick: Dee-Mack

Wilmington (6-1, 4-1) at Streator (2-5, 1-4)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Wilmington 45, Streator 13 (fall 2021)

About Wildcats: Previously unbeaten Wilmington bounced back from a Week 6 blowout at the hands of Reed-Custer with a 39-6 trouncing of Lisle last weekend at Benedictine University. Despite the lopsided loss to a Reed-Custer team that is handing every team in front of it lopsided losses, the defending Illinois Central Eight Conference and IHSA Class 2A state champions look like your typical powerhouse Wildcats with a churn-it-out run game led by RBs Kyle Farrell and Colin James as well as QB Ryder Meents and a hard-nosed defense. Wilmington has, however, given up some points this season even before the Reed-Custer loss, allowing 17.4 per contest with only one shutout (Week 2 vs. Lisle).

About the Bulldogs: Since before the season started, the Bulldogs knew the home stretch was going to be a demanding one. That continues Friday in Streator’s first of two games at Doug Dieken Stadium to end the regular season, this week hosting the defending Class 2A state champs. Streator comes in off putting up 14 points on undefeated Reed-Custer, including a 99-yard Christian Benning-to-Aneefy Ford completion – the most points allowed by the Comets this season – but also allowed 73 points in that defeat, the Bulldogs’ fourth straight since Week 3′s win at Herscher. Although on the extreme edge of the trend, it did follow Streator’s habit of scoring in bunches (at least two TDs every game and 26.9 points scored on average) but not being able to stop opponents from doing the same (allowing 42.2 points per game after Week 1′s shutout at East Peoria). The Bulldogs likely will have to score a lot to win this one, but they’ll also need to find a way to stop Wilmington’s running game.

FND pick: Wilmington

Ottawa (4-3, 1-3) at Morris (6-1, 4-0)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Morris 49, Ottawa 0 (fall 2021)

About the Pirates: A demanding stretch of Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 White games continues for the Pirates, who have gone 1-3 since a 3-0 start to the season, but the important thing is Ottawa almost certainly needs only one win over the final two weeks – Friday at 6-1 Morris or Oct. 21 at King Field against 2-5 Woodstock – to qualify for the IHSA playoffs for the first time in a decade. Ottawa would rather not have it come down to a do-or-die scenario in Week 9, and the Pirates have shown the strength on the lines and the talent from players such as RBs Ryder Miller and Julian Alexander, QB Colby Mortenson and WR Levi Sheehan to have success against the KR/I8′s best. Sustaining it for four quarters, however, will be a requirement to pull off the upset and qualify this Friday instead of waiting until the regular-season finale.

About Morris: Aside from a slight scare in a 32-24 Week 3 win against Kaneland, Morris looked like an unstoppable maroon machine until Week 6′s 31-7 loss to also unbeaten at the time Richmond-Burton. Morris bounced back and then some Friday night with a 61-0 smashing of a two-win Woodstock team, a game the victors led 54-0 at halftime. QB Carter Button and RBs Ashton Yard and A.J. Zweeres lead an offense that, the Richmond-Burton loss excluded, has been averaging 43.8 points per contest while allowing just 9.2. Morris needs to be mindful of not to be caught looking ahead to a Week 9 showdown with Sycamore likely to decide the conference championship.

FND pick: Morris

8-man: FCW (2-5) at Polo (5-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: Polo 1, FCW 0, forfeit (fall 2021)

About the Falcons: Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland had kept itself in the conversation for a spot on the Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoff bracket by showing a knack for winning close games like Week 2′s 20-16 triumph over River Ridge and Week 6′s 44-38, overtime trip to the “Dub Club” earned by edging Martinsville. But last week’s close game – a 38-28 loss to Blue Ridge co-op – likely ended the Falcons’ postseason hopes. It was a tough road ahead in any event, as FCW closes to season visiting 5-2 Polo and 6-1 AlWood/Cambridge, but the Falcons have shown tenacity, playing hard against a demanding eight-man schedule. The record of their opponents this season stands at 47-17.

About the Marcos: Polo comes in on a three-game winning streak, one of those – a 44-32 decision in Week 5 – handing Hiawatha one of only two losses the Hawks have suffered this season. The Marcos‚ the defending I8FA state champions, have scored 38 or more points in every game since Week 1′s 28-12 loss to Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio. They do almost all of that damage with their ground game, coming off a 436-yard rushing effort against River Ridge in which Polo’s Brock Soltow ran for 242 yards and four TDs, all of 28-plus yards.

FND pick: Polo