Chicagoland Prairie

Marquette (1-2, 0-0) at Dwight (2-1, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Crusaders: Marquette enters the three-game conference portion of its schedule below .500, it’s true, but it has three quality outings under its belt. Last week’s low-scoring 9-6 loss to Wisconsin small-school champion Edgar was similar to the Crusaders’ Week 1 loss at Aurora Christian in that the Cru was in the game throughout with a perennial playoff team. Although obvious from the final score that last week was a slog, Marquette’s offense, led by QB/DB Anthony Couch and RB/LB Grant Dose, has proven effective at eating up yards and time, and the Crusaders defense is allowing 22.0 points per game, only 11.5 since the Week 1 loss to Aurora Christian.

About the Trojans: Dwight’s season has been a bit unusual with a Week 1 forfeit followed by games at Alleman (a 32-14 win) and Shelbyville (a 51-48 loss). One apparent thing, however, is that these Trojans can pile up points. After trailing Shelbyville 44-22 through three quarters last week, Dwight put up 27 fourth-quarter points in falling just short. While the offense is not a worry, a defense that is surrendering 32.5 points per game is, as last year’s Class 2A Cinderella tries to return to the playoffs – quite possibly in 1A this time – with a Week 5 visit to defending conference champion Seneca looming.

Friday Night Drive pick: Marquette

Interstate 8

Ottawa (2-1, 0-0) at Kaneland (3-0, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Pirates: Ottawa’s great start to the season hit a road bump in Week 3’s 41-24 loss to archrival La Salle-Peru. Ottawa not only was dealt its first loss of the season after opening with decisive wins over Plano and Streator, but lost QB Mark Munson for the foreseeable future to a scary, game-halting injury. Still, a 2-1 first third of the season leaves Ottawa with reasonable playoff hopes. To get there, however, they’ll have to pull off an upset or two in the Interstate 8. RBs Archer Cechowicz (290 yards, 7.1 avg., 6 TDs) and Ethan Poutre (147 yards, 5.9 avg., 1 TD) have been the main weapons in a balanced offense that, when the game script allows, leans on the run. Diego Martinez (21 tackles, eight solo, 2½ for loss) has been a force on defense. Ottawa is outscoring opponents 81-27 in the middle quarters.

About the Knights: The Kaneland defense had a monster game in a 35-7 win over DeKalb last week. Rogan O’Neil had 12 tackles, three for a loss; Brady Alsott had a pair of pass breakups and a sack; Jack Parker had four TFLs and two sacks; and Garrett Herst had five tackles for a loss with three sacks. The game plan was to keep pressure on the quarterback, and they did, recording 15 tackles for a loss, six sacks and six quarterback hurries. The Knights’ offense has been plenty effective itself, averaging 40.3 points per game led by dual-threat QB Jalen Carter (124 yards, two TDs passing; 121 yards, one TD rushing in Week 3) and favorite target Brady Brown (five receptions, 111 yards).

Friday Night Drive pick: Kaneland

• Eddie Carifio contributed to this report.

Illinois Central Eight

Coal City (2-1, 0-0) at Streator (1-2, 0-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Doug Dieken Stadium

On Shaw Local radio: Love 98.5 FM

About the Coalers: Coal City comes to town off a 49-0 shutout of Class 8A Bloom, a nice bounce-back from the previous Friday’s four-point loss at Richmond-Burton. Streator fans saw Connor Henline fill in at quarterback against the Bulldogs last season due to injury and throw three TD passes in eight attempts. It was a sign of things to come for Coal City, which with Henline under center full time, has shown an attack a bit more balanced between run and pass than last year’s Coalers. Henline threw for 157 yards and three TDs in last week’s blanking of Bloom, with Logan Natyshok leading the rushing attack with 45 yards and a score. The Coalers’ defense is allowing 12.3 points per game.

About the Bulldogs: A late comeback effort in Braidwood fell just short for the Bulldogs in Week 3’s 28-21 loss to Reed-Custer. The ICE Conference slate just gets tougher from there, but Streator found reasons to be encouraged with a performance that saw it recapture some of the big-play offensive spark it showed in Week 1’s win over Decatur Eisenhower, even with a different QB (Sam LeRette, who had a 50-yard TD run and a 65-yard TD pass to WR Aiiden Wilkinson) under center. Eliminating penalties and negative plays to stay ahead of the sticks will be paramount if the Bulldogs want to keep up with the Coalers, as will Streator’s defense continuing to improve after allowing 30.7 points per game in the opening third of the season.

Friday Night Drive pick: Coal City

Kishwaukee River

Johnsburg (2-1, 0-1) at Sandwich (1-2, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Skyhawks: Johnsburg comes in off its first loss of the season, a 49-14 defeat at the hands of Richmond-Burton that saw QB Carter Block start the game with a 36-yard touchdown pass but leave in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury. The Skyhawks’ offense threw four interceptions. Before their first loss, the Skyhawks won two very different ballgames, 35-30 over Thornwood and 7-6 over Addison Trail. Sandwich triumphed in last season’s matchup with Johnsburg 28-21.

About the Indians: Sandwich scored its first win of the season last week over its fiercest rival, 32-30 over Plano. Nick Michalek (218 yards, two TDs) and Jeffrey Ashley (127 yards, two TDs) led a Sandwich running game that returned to form after the Indians were held to six points in Week 2’s loss to Wilmington. Even with the Wilmington game figured in, however, the Indians’ run-first offense has been pretty solid this season, averaging 22.7 points per contest. It’s the defense that has been concerning, surrendering 44.3 points per game. This could be a key to Sandwich’s playoff hopes, with three of the Indians’ remaining opponents currently 3-0.

Friday Night Drive pick: Johnsburg

Heart of Central Illinois crossover

LeRoy (0-3) at Fieldcrest (0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Park

About the Panthers: While Fieldcrest has to some degree been a victim of a tough schedule early in the season, the Knights have faced nothing in that regard compared with LeRoy. The Panthers’ three losses have come to 3-0 Ridgeview/Lexington (22-7), 2-1 Tri-Valley (21-7) and 3-0 Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (21-12), all in somewhat close contests. Things ease up considerably in this middle stretch, and LeRoy, which made the Class 1A semifinals during a 12-1 season last fall, will want to make hay with three teams currently 2-1 waiting in Weeks 7 through 9.

About the Knights: Through two weeks, the Knights’ story was much like LeRoy’s, as Fieldcrest faced a pair of powerhouses in Tri-Valley and El Paso-Gridley. Last week, however, the Knights saw a close game get away from them late in a 42-14 loss at Tremont that saw the Turks snap a 20-game losing streak. Strong play from the likes of Lucas Anson (77 yards, TD rushing, three receptions, 24 yards receiving), Zach Overocker (43 yards, TD rushing), Braydin Eplin (two tackles for loss) and Chance Hedrick (fumble recovery on a botched snap) are encouraging bright spots even heading another tough two-week stretch of schedule, with LeRoy and Dee-mack (2-1) coming to Minonk.

Friday Night Drive pick: LeRoy

Nonconference

Seneca (3-0) at Genoa-Kingston (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca continues to roll through the season, starting the four-week nonconference portion of its schedule last Friday, going to Clinton and overwhelming the Maroons 50-0. Head coach Terry Maxwell’s power-T rushing game and suffocating defense led to video-game team statistics: Seneca rushing for 419 yards (RB Cam Shriey spearheading the attack with 199 on 11 carries; QB Gunner Varland adding a 25-yard TD run) and allowing just 107 total yards from scrimmage. It all starts up front with lines that are shaping up to be as good as any in the Irish’s impressive recent history. After this matchup of 2024 playoff teams, Seneca enters its three-game stretch of Chicagoland Prairie Conference contests.

About the Cogs: Genoa-Kingston enters off its first win of the year, 48-21 at Winnebago. G-K hit the running clock midway through the third. Quarterback Cody Cravatta was 7-of-9 passing for 188 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another three TDs on 11 carries, finishing with 102 yards. He also blocked a punt. Coach Cam Davekos said Cravatta didn’t miss any summer workouts as the team worked on its new gun-T offense, and it’s showing up in his success. Blake Ides and Jaiden Lee have been the two main targets for Cravatta. Lee had a 32-yard touchdown catch, and Ides had a 64-yarder and a 4-yarder. The Cogs started the year with a pair of one-touchdown losses to Oregon and Stillman Valley.

• Eddie Carifio contributed to this report.

Friday Night Drive pick: Seneca

8-Man Football Association

FCW (2-1) at Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio (2-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Falcons: It’s been tough to truly evaluate Flanagan/Cornell/Woodland so far, but after failing to match up with Polo in a 40-20 Week defeat, the Falcons get another crack at the I8FA’s elite with this Friday’s visit to two-time defending state champion Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio. When things are going right, the Falcons hope to have a few different runners break or approach the century mark – like last week’s 211-yard performance from Logan Ruddy coupled with Leelynd Durbin’s 110 and Brezdyn Simons’ 92. Amboy won last year’s meeting 46-14.

About the Clippers: The Clippers lost a state-title rematch 30-22 to Milledgeville in the season opener, but have absolutely rolled since with a 64-12 smashing of Rockford Christian Life and a 56-6 dismissal of Bushnell-Prairie City. The Falcons should pose a bigger threat but will have their hands full with a diverse offense that features the likes of RBs Jose Lopez, Coly McCoy and Cadien Heath, as well as dual-threat QB Tanner Welch.

Friday Night Drive pick: Amboy