No. 2 Lincoln-Way East at No. 3 Batavia, Friday, 7 p.m
One could argue that no team has scheduled two more challenging road games to start the season than Lincoln-Way East (1-0), which began with a dominant 52-12 win over Kenwood at Gately Stadium. Caden O’Rourke, a speedy 6-5 lineman, leads the Griffins’ defense. Braden Tischer is a senior quarterback who passed for 170 yards and three touchdowns against Kenwood, and senior Nuri Muhammad ran for three touchdowns. Iowa commit Josh Janowski anchors the offensive line. Batavia also opened with a win against a Public League power, defeating Phillips 42-20. The Bulldogs (1-0) also have a proven quarterback in Ryan Boe, who passed for 307 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score. Ben Fiegel, who had four tackles for a loss, and Kyle Porter, who had an interception, led the defense.
No. 23 Morgan Park at No. 1 Mount Carmel, Friday, 7:30 p.m
Top-ranked Caravan (1-0) is on a 15-game winning streak. Junior quarterback Jack Elliott had a successful debut replacing state champion Blainey Dowling, finishing with 285 total yards and two touchdowns in a 36-33 win over East St. Louis last week. Wisconsin sign Darrion Dupree, Navy sign Alonzo Manning II and Maurice Densmore are additional playmakers for Mount Carmel’s dynamic offense. Morgan Park (1-0) opened some eyes last week with a 42-0 shutout against South Suburban power Richards. Multi-talented Illinois native Tysean Griffin leads a group of impact players for the Mustangs that also includes quarterback Marcus Thaxton, receiver Chris Durr and defensive back Jovan Clark.
No. 4 Loyola at No. 19 Naperville North, Friday, 7 p.m
The Ramblers (1-0) won Beau Desherow’s debut as head coach 45-7 at Grand Rapids (Michigan) Catholic Central. Quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald caught a pass for 98 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 42 yards and another score as Loyola took a 28-0 halftime lead. Linebacker Colin Scheid showed a strong defensive performance. Four-star Purdue commit Luke Williams was a standout player as he became just the third freshman to play on the Huskies’ varsity. He could leave Naperville North (1-0) with all of the school’s major receiving records. The Huskies cruised to a 35-21 win over Homewood-Flossmoor last week with a 21-0 third quarter run.
No. 11 Nazareth at No. 5 York, Friday, 7:30 p.m
Nazareth (0-1) allowed two long touchdown runs on Kankakee’s first three offensive plays last week, eventually tying the score but losing 33-26. Junior Gabe Kaminski, a four-star prospect as an edge rusher, showed off his offensive skills by catching a 50-yard pass in the loss. Third-year starting quarterback Logan Malachuk is another playmaker. York (1-0) opened with a 35-17 win over Glenbrook South. Sean Winton passed for 277 yards and three touchdowns, Luke Mailander had seven catches for 221 yards and a score and Jake Melion ran for 165 yards. Cole Ostendorf, who had 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, leads the Dukes’ defense.
No. 16 Providence vs. No. 20 Joliet Catholic, Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Joliet Memorial Stadium
This boastful game rarely disappoints. Last year, Joliet Catholic went 49-41 in the regular season before Providence turned the tide with a 24-14 win in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs. Both teams opened with wins out of state. Providence (1-0) defeated Lake Central (Indiana) 28-21 and Joliet Catholic (1-0) defeated Iowa City 48-13. Wisconsin commit Dillan Johnson anchored the Hilltoppers’ defensive line and HJ Grigsby ran for three touchdowns in the opening game.