Game of the Week

Bradley-Bourbonnais (5-0, 2-0) at Lincoln-Way Central (4-1, 2-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

About the Boilermakers: Bradley-Bourbonnais is having a spectacular season. While offensively it has been pretty sensational, its surprisingly stout defense probably isn’t getting the credit it deserves. The Boilermakers have surrendered just 40 points all season, with 22 of those coming in Week 4. They have held four opponents to six points or less, including a 40-6 runaway victory over Stagg in Week 5. The offense showed its diversity in the Stagg win as QB Ellis Johnson engineered an attack that balanced the ground and air, as RBs Ky’ren Edmon and Issac Allison each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns.

About the Knights: Lincoln-Way Central wasted no time in bouncing back from its first loss of the season to Lincoln-Way West in Week 4 as it jumped out to a huge lead against DeKalb and carried that through for a comfortable victory. The Knights’ defense also hasn’t seen a lot of times of struggle as they’ve also allowed a scant number of points, just 38 to their first five opponents. The offense has also been significantly more robust than probably expected, especially after a season-ending injury to RB Luke Tingley, but RB Justin Cobbs continues to be very productive, shouldering most of the load. This win is a must for the Knights if they hope to keep their chances for a conference championship intact.

Friday Night Drive pick: Lincoln-Way Central

Chicagoland Christian Conference

Marian Central (2-3, 1-2) at Bishop McNamara (5-0, 3-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Hurricanes: Marian Central celebrated homecoming last week with a 43-0 rout of Chicago Christian as junior RB Eddie Kowalczyk rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries at George Harding Field. Sophomore QB Colin Hernon also ran for two TDs, and junior RB Mike Schmid rushed for one score. Hernon and junior WR Wilson Jakubowicz hooked up on a 78-yard TD. Junior DB Izayah Rosado led the Hurricanes’ defensive effort with two interceptions and a sack. ... Both of the Hurricanes’ wins have been by shutout (46-0 over Clemente in Week 2). They’ve allowed 40-plus points in each of their three losses against Richmond-Burton, Hope and Wheaton Academy.

About the Fightin’ Irish: Bishop McNamara survived a 45-42 nail-biter at Aurora Christian last week to all-but-snap a three-year playoff drought, and now with that burden a little eased, they return home to start the stretch run. Julius May ran for three touchdowns last week, his fourth game with at least three touchdowns. Coen Demack also had his second two-touchdown reception game in Week 5, catching both from Karter Krutsinger. But it’s perhaps junior slot receiver Malachi Lee who could see the most defensive attention Saturday. The speedster had a rushing, receiving and punt return touchdown apiece two weeks ago and ran another touchdown against the Eagles. The Fightin’ Irish are one of just five teams in the state averaging at least 50 points per game (55).

FND pick: Bishop McNamara

Southland Athletic Conference

Kankakee (3-2) at Rich Township (3-2)

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday

About the Kays: Don’t look now, but Kankakee has won its last three games, including a stellar defensive outing in a 31-0 win at Thornwood last week. Cedric Terrell III and Dayshaun Brown each caught touchdowns from Phillip Turner in that game, and along with Zeke Sherrod, who had a pick-six in Week 5, form the top three receiving targets for Turner. While Jaymari Hairston is still working his way back to full health from a Week 1 injury, Zayden Henley has commanded full control of the backfield, finding the end zone four times in the last three games. That’s not only the same amount of touchdowns the Kays have allowed defensively over that span, but also how many they’ve scored themselves.

About the Raptors: Following losses to nonconference foes Oak Park-River Forest and Zion-Benton to start the year, the Raptors have opened Southland play with a three-game winning streak. Offensively, they’ll look for Ortez Johnson (439 yards, four touchdowns) and the run game to complement Christian McCollum (589 yards, six touchdowns) and the pass game. Defensively, the Raptors have generated a good pass rush that’s generated 13 sacks. If they want a chance at their first win over the Kays since Rich Central, Rich South and Rich East merged in 2021, they’ll need that pass rush to get to Turner before he finds his playmakers.

FND pick: Kankakee

Illinois Central Eight Conference

Peotone (3-2, 2-1) at Reed-Custer (2-3, 1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Blue Devils: It appears that Peotone may have only been dabbling in a pass-happy attack in an attempt to surprise conference stalwart Wilmington a few weeks ago. After a bye week because of the Lisle forfeit, Peotone went right back on its grind to pile up a truckload of rushing yardage as it went back above the .500 mark with a Week 5 win over Streator.

About the Comets: Reed-Custer has made substantial progress over the past few weeks, but that came to a bit of a halt in a Week 5 loss to Coal City, as one of the conference’s strongholds made sure the Comets didn’t have much of a chance to make an impact. This is a very pivotal game for Reed-Custer, though, as the chance to get back to .500 this deep in the season for a program that has been a long way from it in recent years at this stage would be quite the accomplishment.

FND pick: Peotone

Coal City (4-1, 3-0) at Manteno (3-2, 1-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Coalers: Coal City showed it is still capable of bullying people on the ground despite its recent passing prowess. Showcasing that, Logan Natyshok ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns for the Coalers as they breezed to a win over Reed-Custer. Excluding its loss to Richmond-Burton, Coal City has surpassed 40 points in four of its victories to date.

About the Panthers: This is clearly the roughest two-game stretch of the Manteno slate, as the Panthers were overwhelmed in a Week 5 loss to Wilmington. Manteno ran for just six yards on the ground and for less than 100 yards of total offense and found itself trailing 42-0 in that game at the half. Things weren’t much better for the Panthers defensively as they gave up just short of 400 yards of total offense, all of it rushing, as Wilmington followed its typical blueprint.

FND pick: Coal City

Herscher (3-2, 2-1) at Streator (1-4, 0-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Tigers: Herscher got a week off with a forfeit win over Lisle. It came at a good time to recover from a 49-7 loss to Wilmington in Week 4. Quarterback Tanner Jones was banged up in that contest, with the Tigers hoping he can return to spearhead the team both offensively and defensively, where he’s an All-ICE caliber safety. Against Streator’s run-heavy offense, the Herscher defensive line, led by seniors Nash Brubaker, Brock Crane and Mavric Strahan, can neutralize the Bulldogs.

About the Bulldogs: Streator will look to not just get its first ICE win of rookie head coach Jay Slone’s career, but also give him a win against the same Tigers program he assisted last year. Since a 36-14 win over Decatur Eisenhower to open the year, the Bulldogs have hit a four-game skid, giving up 40 or more points in three of those games. Their 28-21 loss at Reed-Custer in Week 3 showed that they can be competitive in conference play, while losses to Coal City and Peotone by a combined 91-20 margin show how much room there is to grow. They’ll look to establish their ground game behind Leodies Jordan, hoping to take an early lead, chew up clock and first downs, and go from there.

FND pick: Herscher

Vermilion Valley Conference

Clifton Central (5-0, 5-0) at Westville (5-0, 5-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Comets: Clifton Central piled up the points last week, topping rival Watseka 67-20. Brady Shule had his fourth multi-touchdown game at quarterback with 274 yards and a pair of scores in that contest, while Derek Meier had a season-high 112 rushing yards and found the end zone. The running game is coming along to complement the passing game, which has seen Shule throw for 17 touchdowns, just in time for a trip to Westville that just might decide the VVC champion. Keeping the Tigers at bay will be their toughest task of the season, but if the Comets can keep the Tigers to the three touchdowns per game they’ve averaged surrendering the last two weeks, they could move to 6-0.

About the Tigers: Veteran Westville coach Guy Goodlove has had no shortage of talented teams in his 31 years leading the Tigers, and this year’s group might be one of his best yet. After losing their first three games by a combined four points last year, the Tigers ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak and have now won their first five to open 2025. Their 60.2 points per game average is the best in the state, with the offense scoring at least 63 points in each of their last three games. Last year’s game was a 48-40 shootout in favor of the Tigers, and this year’s contest looks to be just as back-and-forth and high-scoring as the 2024 version.

FND pick: Clifton Central

Salt Fork (3-2, 3-2) at Momence (2-3, 2-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Storm: Salt Fork enjoyed a healthy three-game winning streak earlier this year that featured three straight offensive performances of 40 or more points, but that came to a screeching halt in the form of a 19-3 loss to Bismarck-Henning in Week 5. They’ve lost the last two meetings with Momence, including a 28-21 heartbreaker last year, but won the first two meetings when the pair began VVC play against one another beginning in 2021.

About Momence: Despite a 0-3 start, there’s been no panic in Momence, and a pair of multi-touchdown wins since then have the team right back in the thick of the playoff hunt. Erick Castillo made it three straight seasons of at least 1,000 passing yards last week, now sitting at 1,054 yards with 13 touchdowns. His 204 rushing yards also lead the team, and his two rushing touchdowns are tied for a team high. Classmate Eddie Ferreira has continued his senior explosion at receiver, catching a pair of scores in last week’s 28-7 win over Iroquois West. Look for the senior duo to continue displaying their chemistry this week.

Bismarck-Henning (3-2, 3-2) at Watseka (1-4, 1-4)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Blue Devils: The defending VVC champions were dealt an 0-2 start to the season, and while their conference hopes were cut quite a bit then, they’ve recovered to win three straight games and remain on the outskirts of the conference conversation. Since allowing 83 points in those first two games, they’ve allowed just one touchdown since, coming in a 49-6 win over Georgetown-Ridge Farm in Week 3. Clifton Central, Westville and Oakwood may have emerged as the conference favorites early on, but the Blue Devils are proving to be a steady presence as the season hits the back half.

About the Warriors: The 20 points they scored last week were the team’s most since Week 3 of 2024, but the 67 points they allowed to Clifton Central were the most points a Watseka team has allowed since 2023. While teams like Central don’t mind airing things out, the Blue Devils will be more ground-based, something Watseka will look to do as well behind Dennis Goodman. The Warriors have the experience in the trenches to get running lanes open, but they’re taking on a Bismarck-Henning defense that’s started to lock in.

FND pick: Bismarck-Henning

Georgetown-Ridge Farm (2-4, 2-3) at Iroquois West (1-4, 1-4)

When: 7 p.m.

About the Buffaloes: Georgetown-Ridge Farm won its first game since the COVID-19 pandemic when these two teams met a year ago. After a 28-23 win over Hoopeston last week, the Buffaloes have now wrapped up their first multi-win season since 2019 and have a chance at their first winning streak since Weeks 7 and 8 of that season. Junior wideout Will Runyan has burst onto the scene this fall, totaling 416 yards and a handful of touchdowns on just 18 catches.

About the Raiders: After back-to-back weeks of allowing more than 40 points, the Iroquois West defense was able to hold Momence to just 27 points last week. Unfortunately, the offense was once again held to a touchdown or less for the fourth straight week. Senior running back Christian Gaytan had one of his best games in Week 5, tallying 68 rushing yards, while promising sophomore quarterback Aayden Miller found the end zone. Those two will look to again be the main characters in Week 6.

FND pick: Iroquois West

Nonconference

Thornton (2-3) at Wilmington (4-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Thornton: This seems like a rather unorthodox pairing of opponents, but the Southland Conference’s odd number of teams, coupled with Wilmington’s need for a game after Lisle’s decision to forfeit the season, brought this pairing about. The Wildcats have played a bit better than they have in recent seasons, but still look like they are going to have trouble matching up here, especially offensively, as they’ve scored just 47 points in five games.

About Wilmington: Wilmington is truly firing on all cylinders. Its dominant rushing attack piled up almost 400 yards rushing and did so at a clip of about nine yards per attempt in a comfortable win over Manteno in Week 5. The Wildcats’ combination of a ground-chewing clock-containing offense coupled with a defense that simply refuses to give up much, if any, yardage is making for a lethal combination for Illinois Central Eight opponents to try to deal with. Even though Wilmington is stepping out of conference play here, expect that recipe to continue to bear fruit.

FND pick: Wilmington

Illinois 8-Man Football Association

St. Anne (4-1) at Unity Christian/Mt. Pulaski (2-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Cardinals: The offense had some shining moments, namely Grant Pomaranski and Matthew Langellier connecting for a pair of touchdown bombs, but St. Anne got a reality check from South Fork/Edinburg/Morrisonville in the form of a 48-26 loss last week, the Cardinals’ first defeat of the season. They allowed 453 rushing yards in that tilt, a defensive effort that linebacker-turned-coach Alan Rood will surely look to address this week. As long as the defense can get back to form and the offense can continue clicking, the Cardinals shouldn’t take long to get back on the winning side.

About the Lions: The Lions have been a tale of two teams thus far. They’ve scored 58 points in each of their two wins, including a 58-36 shootout at Oblong last week. But in their three losses, they haven’t scored more than 12 points in a game, totaling just 28 points in those contests. But offensive performances like last week are encouraging for a program that suffered a 1-8 record last year, including a 61-8 loss at St. Anne in these two teams’ last meeting.

Meridian (1-4) at Milford/Cissna Park (4-1)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Hawks: A week after dropping 60 points against Hutsonville/Palestine for their first win of 2025 in Week 4, the Hawks were on the other side of that score last week, a 60-26 loss to Metro-East Lutheran. That loss has put them in win-now mode over the final month of the regular season to keep their dreams of the I8FA Playoffs alive in their first year of 8-Man football.

About the Bearcats: Milford/Cissna Park saw its hopes of an undefeated season end with a 56-16 loss to state title contender Pawnee last week, giving veteran coach Clint Schwartz and his Bearcats an idea of what needs to improve if they want to get back to being on that same pedigree. Junior receiver Skylar Estay continued his breakout campaign with 121 yards and a touchdown catch in that loss, and as long as he continues to be a consistent target for star quarterback Dierks Neukomm, the Bearcats will have a chance at victory.

FND pick: Milford/Cissna Park