The Times Week 9 preview: Marquette-Dwight, Sandwich-Marengo both key playoff matchups

Illinois Central Eight

Streator (3-5) at Wilmington (8-0)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday at Reents Stadium

About the Bulldogs: Streator has a microscopic playoff path left open due to the annual increase in the likelihood more 4-5 teams will make the field of 256. It’s very unlikely, however, even if the Bulldogs can knock off the undefeated defending Class 2A state champions on their home field this Friday. A more attainable goal would be to have a positive showing – regardless of final score – to take into the offseason and a good high school finale for a strong at the skill positions senior group that includes career receptions leader Matt Williamson, fellow WR Jake Hagie, RBs Jordan Lukes and Tristan Finley and QB Isaiah Weibel, who led the team to a last-minute comeback in Week 8′s senior night win over Reed-Custer. If Streator can find a way to beat Wilmington, its four wins would be the most for the program since its 2017 playoff season under former head coach Brian Hassett.

About the Wildcats: The champions of the Illinois Central Eight Conference again, Wilmington the past two weeks has dismissed its two rivals for the ICE crown (Coal City 21-14 and Manteno 41-6) in efficient fashion. Wilmington will be either one of the smallest teams in the Class 3A playoff field or one of the largest in 2A and still has something to play for – a potential top seed in whichever class it winds up in, which could equate to an extra home game later in the playoffs. As for the X’s and O’s, it’s more of the same for the Wildcats. The defense has been suffocating, allowing two or fewer touchdowns in every outing this season, while the wing-T offense has been an absolute machine led by RBs Ryan Kettman and Kyle Farrell and QB Lucas Rink.

Friday Night Drive pick: Wilmington

Kishwaukee River

Marengo (4-4, 3-3) at Sandwich (5-3, 5-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About Marengo: The Kishwaukee River’s other Indians led six-win Richmond-Burton by seven points at halftime of an eventual 35-21 defeat. The result balanced Marengo’s results to this point of the season, with the Indians being 0-4 against teams that currently have winning records and 4-0 against teams with losing records. With a good-but-not-great 37 playoff points, they likely will need to buck that trend and get a win in this one to make it to Week 10. QB David Lopez is a dual threat, coming off a 168-yard passing/128-yard rushing performance against Richmond-Burton.

About Sandwich: Technically Sandwich is not in the field of 256 yet, but for all intents and purposes the SHS Indians are thanks to their five victories and guarantee to finish north of 45 playoff points. They can make it a 100% certainty and vastly improve their draw on the Class 4A bracket with a win here, not to mention likely capture a share of the conference title. Aside from a Week 6 loss to the same Richmond-Burton team that just beat Marengo, the Indians have been hot since losing their opening two contests to 7-1 Manteno and 8-0 Wilmington. RBs Nick Michalek and Simeion Harris are different kinds of threats but quite effective as a tandem out of the wing-T, and QB Braden Behringer came through with some clutch throws in last Friday’s 42-35 win at Woodstock North.

FND pick: Sandwich

Heart of Central Illinois Small

Fieldcrest (1-7, 0-7) at Heyworth (2-6, 2-5)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Hornet Stadium

About the Knights: Excluding the Knights’ lone win of the season, Week 4′s 54-0 shellacking of one-win Westmont, Fieldcrest has been outscored 260-68 and gone winless in the new Heart of Central Illinois superconference. Led by hard-nosed RB/LB Eddie Lorton, they’ll be aiming to reverse both trends and gain some positive momentum heading into the offseason against their old Midstate Conference rival. Fieldcrest lost a 29-28 heartbreaker to Heyworth last season, a loss that ultimately kept the 4-5 Knights out of the playoffs.

About the Hornets: Heyworth has lost six straight since a 2-0 start, but has been mostly competitive in most of those losses including Week 7′s 25-20 loss to Tuscola and last Friday’s 35-14 loss to Moweaqua Central A&M, both likely playoff teams. QB Parker Bell is coming off a two-touchdown, three-interception game in the loss to Moweaqua Central A&M in which he threw for 190 yards. The Hornets defense struggled, surrendering 419 yards to the Raiders.

FND pick: Heyworth

Nonconference

Dwight/GSW (5-3) at Marquette (5-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Gould Stadium

About the Trojans: While their low number of playoff points (29) is slightly concerning, current projections have Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington making the playoffs. That’s thanks to their answering a three-game midseason losing streak with their current two-game winning run, 29-27 over St. Bede and last Friday’s 42-0 decision over Alton Marquette. QB Collin Bachand and RBs Dylan Crouch and Ayden Collom have been the main weapons in a Trojans offense that has become more balanced with an opportunistic passing game added in since Dwight/GSW’s 26-21 loss to Ottawa Marquette back in Week 4 that started its three-game skid.

About the Crusaders: Marquette had a four-game win streak that began with its Week 4 triumph over Dwight snapped last Friday in a tough battle and 21-6 loss to undefeated Seneca. While like the Trojans its five wins don’t guarantee it a playoff spot, Marquette’s higher number of playoff points (37) place the Cru comfortably in the 1A field in every projection. A win here would do wonders for Marquette’s seed and guarantee it an above-.500 record for the 13th consecutive year. Grant Dose (110 carries for 709 yards and nine TDs) is inching closer to a 1,000-yard season, while fellow featured RB Payton Gutierrez (81 carries for 447 yards and four TDs) approaches 500 and also leads the run-first, wing-T Cru in receptions (nine for 108 yards and one TD).

FND pick: Marquette

DuPec (7-1) at Seneca (8-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Rivermen: Despite being nonconference, this on paper appears to be one of the top small-school, Week 9 games in the state. A Class 3A quarterfinalist a year ago, Durand-Pecatonica comes in with just one loss (46-22 to undefeated Lena-Winslow in Week 6) and a powerful, balanced offensive attack that is averaging 42.6 points per game including last Friday’s 54-26 handling of Forreston. QB Cooper Hoffman (77-of-112 passing for 1,303 yards, 16 TDs, four INTs) and top two targets Jaxon Diedrich (40 receptions for 725 yards, 10 TDs) and Brody Black (30 catches for 446 yards, four touchdowns) lead the passing game, complemented by a three-man rushing attack spearheaded by Hoffman (559 yards, 14 TDs), Dermot Dolan (710 yards, six TDs) and Lukas Rossow (547 yards, seven TDs).

About the Fighting Irish: Seneca likely faces its biggest test of the regular season and puts its 28-game regular-season winning streak on the line against another program that’s been smashing most every team put in its path. Last Friday’s 21-6 home win over Marquette in the teams’ second meeting of the season was far and away the Irish’ closest game of the season. Seneca in seven games played (excluding a Week 7 forfeit victory) is outscoring its opponents by an average score of 40.1-10.7 and has only surrendered three touchdowns in a game twice, against Tremont in Week 1 and Dwight/GSW in Week 6. Seneca 1,000-yard rusher Brody Rademacher and the offense will look to churn up yardage and clock out of the power-T to keep DuPec’s potent attack off the field as much as possible.

FND pick: Seneca

Ottawa (1-7) at St. Bede (1-7)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Pirates: It has been 44 years – specifically Sept. 12, 1980 – since old Illinois Valley Conference rivals Ottawa and St. Bede have met in a varsity football game although the two in recent years have kept a relationship with summer 7-on-7s. That might be how this contest came together when both, due to their conferences losing multiple members in the offseason, found themselves with a Week 9 opening. Ottawa has lost six straight by a combined score of 224-37 against its Interstate 8 Conference rivals since its 34-7 win over Streator in Week 2. RB Jace Veith (279 yards on 5.1 per carry, two TDs) and fellow senior Weston Averkamp (156 yards and three TDs rushing; 151 yards receiving) along with QB Mark Munson (741 yards on 65-of-111 passing, four TDs, three INTs) and Owen Sanders (17 receptions for 278 yards and two TDs) have been the Pirates’ top playmakers on a junior-heavy roster.

About the Bruins: St. Bede has a few heartbreakers among its seven losses, including two to playoff-bound teams: a six-point loss to 7-1 Tri-Valley in Week 1 and a two-point defeat at the hands of Dwight/GSW in Week 7. Last week’s 28-3 loss at another likely playoff team, Bloomington Central Catholic, ran the Bruins’ losing streak to six since their lone win of the season, a 61-0 smashing of Walther Christian in Week 3. Dual-threat QB Gino Ferrari led the Bruins in both passing (9 of 18, 74 yards) and rushing (24 yards on eight carries) in last week’s game at BCC. WR Phillip Gray and workhorse RB Landon Marquez also are top options in head coach Jim Eustice’s attack. St. Bede – a 1A playoff team each of the last three years – is trying to avoid its first 1-8 season since 2019.

FND pick: Ottawa

Illinois 8-Man Football Association

Galva (0-8) at FCW (5-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday in Flanagan

About the Wildcats: Galva hadn’t made the IHSA’s 11-man football playoffs since the mid-1990s and joined the Mid-County co-op in the 2010s before setting out on its own and making the move to the Illinois 8-Man Football Association in 2021. It hasn’t gone great in terms of wins and losses to this point. The Wildcats are 2-33 since making the move and trying to avoid their second consecutive winless campaign. While its only two competitive games have both come against Peoria Heights – 20-14 and 22-20 losses in back-to-back weeks – Galva has shown the ability to score points, putting up 20 or more in four of its eight outings with 24 in last week’s 28-point loss to Bushnell-Prairie City its highest total.

About the Falcons: Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland likely has an I8FA postseason spot already locked up, but a win here would do wonders for their seed in the 16-team bracket. Despite lopsided losses to 7-1 teams in two of their past three games – 46-14 to Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio in Week 6 and 42-14 last week at Ridgewood – the Falcons have done a nice job taking care of business in games they should win and added a resume-topping 41-26 win at 6-2 West Central in between those aforementioned losses. This looks like a promising opportunity for FCW to build up some momentum against a team surrendering 47.3 points per game for what the Falcons hope will be a multiweek playoff run.

FND pick: FCW