Friday Night Drive Conference Previews

Can Downers Grove North build off a 2023 season that ended in the state championship game? Can York keep rolling with a new head coach? Can Downers Grove South three-peat in the Gold? Team breakdowns, five players to watch, five can't miss games and Steve Soucie's predictions.

Can Lemont continue its dominance of the South Suburban Blue with an experienced offensive group? Can Hillcrest return to its peak form? Can TF North duplicate a breakout 2023? Team breakdowns, five players to watch, five can't miss games and Steve Soucie's predictions.

Lake Zurich loaded with talent back from last year's 7A state semifinalist. An All-State running back leads Warren's returners. A new coach takes over at Mundelein. Mike Miazga's team breakdowns, plus Steve Soucie's predictions in the North Suburban Conference preview.

Maine South looks to move further in the playoffs after consecutive quarterfinal exits. Maine West is reloading after a magical 2023 season. Team breakdowns, five players to watch, five can't miss games plus Steve Soucie's predictions in the Central Suburban Conference preview.

Defending 3A state champion Byron looks as loaded as ever. Dixon brings back a ton of talent from a nine-win team. And Oregon and Genoa-Kingston look to be in the playoff picture. That, plus players to watch and Steve Soucie's picks in the Big Northern Conference preview.

The SouthWest Suburban Conference appears to have a number of top flight teams heading into the season, so many that every week in league season should be a dogfight.

Team-by-team info, schedules, and more for the 2023 season from the Northern Lake County Conference.

Team-by-team info, schedules, and more for the 2023 season from the DuPage Valley Conference.

Team-by-team info, schedules, and more for the 2023 season from the North Suburban Conference.

Carmel, St. Viator and St. Patrick all return to the CCL/ESCC Purple while Marmion joins the division.

Team-by-team info, schedules, players to watch and more for the 2023 season from the Mid-Suburban League.

York looks to build off a historic season. Lyons Township and Downers Grove North are poised to challenge York and Glenbard West for Silver supremacy. Can Willowbrook return to the top of the Gold? That, plus players to watch and Steve Soucie's picks in the West Suburban preview.

Everything you need to know about the Western Big Six, including team-by-team info, schedules, players to watch and more.

The CCL/ESCC Orange will have plenty of intrigue this season with defending state champions Nazareth and IC Catholic, two new CCL/ESCC members St. Francis Wheaton and the Knights and a Fenwick team that made the playoffs two straight seasons.

Batavia reloads for another run in the Class 7A playoffs. St. Charles North and Wheaton North aim to be chief contenders for the league title. Geneva's Talyn Taylor is one of the state's top talents. That and more in Jake Bartelson's DuKane Conference preview.

With defending Illinois Central Eight Conference champion Reed-Custer losing so much to graduation, Coal City and Wilmington are again the favorites to duke it out for the ICE championship this fall.

Everything you need to know about the Big Northern Conference, including team-by-team info, schedules, players to watch and more.

Everything you need to know about the Southwest Prairie Conference, including team-by-team info, schedules, players to watch and more.

Friday Night Drive's Joe Stevenson previews the Fox Valley Conference for 2023.

Longtime rivals Joliet Catholic, Marist and Niles Notre Dame reconnect in the CCL/ESCC Green this season while St. Ignatius moves up in the megaconference.

Princeton reloads behind two Division I commits, Morrison builds off a rebound season and Riverdale returns to the football field after its 2022 season was canceled. That plus players to watch, five can't miss games and Steve Soucie's picks in the Three Rivers Conference preview.

The CCL/ESCC White will feature four new teams this season that includes a state runner-up in Providence and three teams, Montini, St. Laurence and Benet, who are trying to return to the playoffs.

Richmond-Burton has dominated the Kishwaukee River/Interstate Eight Blue Division, while Sycamore ran through the White Division a year ago. Read all about the KRC/I8's top players, intriguing matchups and more.

Can Marian Central, led by Clemson commit Christian Bentancur, get back to the postseason? New-look Wheaton Academy breaks in a new quarterback. Find everything you need to know about the Chicagoland Christian Conference.

Can Fieldcrest capitalize on its experience? Fisher returns to varsity football. LeRoy brings back 16 starters. Find everything you need to know about the Heart of Illinois Conference Small Division.

Old rivals and new opponents are the theme in the 2023 season for Seneca, St. Bede, Dwight, Elmwood Park, Marquette, Westmont, Walther Christian and Ridgewood in the new Chicagoland Prairie Conference.

Loyola and Mount Carmel will both defend state titles while Brother Rice and St. Rita try to advance further in the playoffs. It should be another strong season for one of Illinois' best divisions.

Maine South has won the CSL 20 times in the last 21 years. The Hawks are one again the favorites in the South Division, while Deerfield and Vernon Hills enter the season as the top contenders in the North Division.

Wauconda became the first team other than Antioch last season to win the Northern Lake County Conference since it was formed in 2016. The Bulldogs are out to defend their title, but will face stiff competition from Antioch and Grayslake Central.

South Elgin is the two-time defending Upstate Eight Conference champ with a 25-3 record over the last three seasons, while top contenders Glenbard East returns 13 total starters and Glenbard South a talented group of returners led by Notre Dame recruit Cam Williams.

IC Catholic and Bishop McNamara have found themselves playing for state titles on multiple occasions in recent seasons. Wheaton St. Francis and Wheaton Academy are among the other Metro Suburban teams who hope to join them.

St. Patrick will try to build off a historic season while St. Viator, Carmel and Marian Catholic all try to return to the playoffs in the CCL/ESCC Purple.

The road to the North Suburban title runs through Warren, but Lake Forest should be a strong contender while Lake Zurich and Libertyville are coming off postseason appearances as well.

Lemont has made the South Suburban Blue Conference its playground over the past few years. Is anyone ready to challenge its position on the top of the league's leaderboard?

The DuPage Valley Conference proved to be unpredictable last fall. Naperville North and Neuqua Valley lead the way entering the 2022 season, but the DVC should be action-packed throughout the fall.

Willowbrook has won five straight West Suburban Gold Division titles, while Hinsdale Central, Glenbard West and York look to be the top contenders in the Silver Division.

Joliet Catholic took down the Class 4A title and was the only CCL/ESCC Orange member to reach the postseason last fall, but Montini, Providence and St. Laurence are more than capable of bouncing back in 2022.

The Mid-Suburban League provided a lot of excitement in 2021, including a Class 7A semifinals appearance for Prospect and breakout seasons from Hoffman Estates and Buffalo Grove.

Wheaton North emerged as the Class 7A state champion, but does it have enough to vie for a repeat? Batavia rolled through an undefeated regular season and returns several standout defenders. Here's a look at the DuKane Conference football teams.

Reed-Custer, Wilmington, Coal City look to be the class of the ICE in 2022, though Lisle, Peotone and Streator are also thinking playoffs.

Moline won the Western Big 6 title last year, snapping Sterling's two-year reign at the top. Both teams should be strong again this season, and Rock Island could be in the mix as well.

Defending Class 3A state champion Byron enters the 2022 season as the favorite in the Big Northern Conference, but the Tigers will see tough competition against Stillman Valley and Genoa-Kingston.

Plainfield Central went undefeated in Southwest Prairie Conference East play last season, while the West remained tremendously competitive with five of six teams reaching the 2021 postseason.

Cary-Grove or Prairie Ridge have represented the Fox Valley Conference in every Class 6A state championship game since 2016.

St. Rita and Nazareth are ready to take their next steps in the playoffs while Benet and Notre Dame try to return to the postseason in the CCL/ESCC Green.

The SouthWest Suburban Conference was an intriguing follow last fall with Lockport taking down the Class 8A state championship and Sandburg surprising pretty much everyone.

Erie-Prophetstown, Kewanee and Princeton led the way for the Three Rivers Conference last season, but they weren't alone with Mendota, St. Bede, Newman Central Catholic and Monmouth-Roseville all reaching the postseason.

Fenwick is coming off the Class 5A state title, while St. Ignatius enjoyed its best season in program history last fall.

Richmond-Burton won the Blue Division, while Morris took the White Division title last fall in the first season of Kishwaukee River/Interstate Eight alliance, which sent eight teams to the 2021 postseason.

The HOIC Large Division saw five of its six teams make the postseason last fall. That includes Tri-Valley, which went on to reach the Class 2A state semifinals.