Friday Night Drive: Lake County newsletter
Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they review what they saw in Week 8 of Illinois high school football and go over the two latest IHSA playoff proposals
After a few relative stable weeks, chaos hit in a big way to premier programs around the state. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 8.
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 8!
Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 8 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in
Another proposal has been put forth to the Illinois High School Association in attempt to modify the football postseason. Monticello High School has submitted a proposal that will add a week the postseason structure and increase the playoff field from 256 to 384 teams.
Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview Week 8 in Illinois high school football and dig into where we are heading into the playoffs with only two games left
Some unexpected results led to a lot of seeding changes in this week's projections. It did not, however, lead to a lot of new teams breaking into the field. Steve Soucie's latest playoff projection can be found here.
A proposal has been put forth to the IHSA to expand the playoff field by 96 teams and introduce a flexed regional scheduling concept to ease the pressures for teams having difficulties putting together a full football schedule
Congratulations to these 23 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 7 of the 2025 high school football season
In a week that seemed to be a less challenging one for ranked teams, that did not come to fruition as several ranked teams were upset. Check out the shuffled rankings here:
Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they review Week 7 in Illinois high school football and start looking ahead to the playoffs.
Five CCL/ESCC football teams have secured automatic playoff bids through seven weeks of the IHSA regular season. Nazareth, Fenwick and Brother Rice all improved to 6-1, joining Mount Carmel and Montini in the postseason. Several five and four-win teams are still in the hunt.
The CCL/ESCC had a number of fantastic matchups this week further proving the power possessed by the strongest conference in the state. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 6.
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 7!
Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 76 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in
12 new or returning teams joined the projection this week but week over week the projection was fairly stable. Steve Soucie's latest playoff projection can be found here.
Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview Week 7 in Illinois high school football and take a look at what the brackets could look like come playoff time
Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 6 of the 2025 high school football season
It was another strong week for the teams at or near the top of the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings as three new or returning teams joined the group. Check out this week rankings here:
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 6!
Joe Brigham and Luke Harvey had huge games to help Rolling Meadows dispatch Buffalo Grove 59-27 on Friday.
Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 6 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in
As we move past the half way point, the edges off the playoff field start to become clearer. But a few small upsets can cause quite an adjustment which bore out after Week 5's games. Steve Soucie's latest playoff projection can be found here.
Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 5 of the 2025 high school football season
Previously ranked teams in the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings went 22-3 collectively in Week 5 as the top teams officially start to separate themselves from the pack. Check out this week rankings here:
Join hosts Steve Soucie and Matt Rodewald as they break down what happened in Week 5 in Illinois high school football
More undefeated teams fell and statewide the losses are stacking on a lot of programs you aren't used to see them with. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 5.
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 5!
Jackson Cacini threw six TD passes - four to Nathan Cichy - as Prospect rolled to a 56-8 victory over Buffalo Grove.
Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 5 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in
An unexpected wrinkle was introduced into the projection this week, changes of the enrollment number to over 300 schools by the IHSA, as such some things moved around. Steve Soucie breaks down how the playoff field projects after the fourth week of games.
Congratulations to these 23 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 4 of the 2025 high school football season
Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview Week 5 in Illinois high school football
Brother Rice continued its climb up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings in a week with substantial shuffling of the rankings.
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 4!
Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 4 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in
Join hosts Josh Welge and Steve Soucie as they preview Week 4 in Illinois high school football
Are their warning signs as to whether or not the field will need 4-win teams to complete the field of 256? The data seems to think so. Steve Soucie breaks down how the playoff field projects after the third week of games.
Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 3 of the 2025 high school football season
Minor shuffling was all that really happened in the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings as all but four of the previous week's ranked teams claimed victory.
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week for Week 3. Vote for your favorite players!
Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 3 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in
A group of 23 new teams worked their way into the projection this week. Where do they fit? And how did they change the projected classification breaks for all eight classes. Steve Soucie breaks down how the playoff field projects after the second week of games.
Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 2 of the 2025 high school football season
Five new teams broke into the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings based on strong performances in Week 1.
Join hosts Steve Soucie and Matt Rodewald as they break down Week 2 in Illinois high school football on the Friday Night Drive podcast
Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players!
William Eloe scored the winning TD in overtime and the Naperville North defense made an OT stop to lead the Huskies to a 21-14 win over Libertyville.
Jameson Purcell threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns to lead Maine South past Warren on Friday.