CCL/ESCC BLUE GOES TOP SHELF
Loyola-Brother Rice, Mount Carmel-Marist kick off league play
NO. 1 LOYOLA AT NO. 3 BROTHER RICE
6 p.m. Friday: The state’s best conference, the CCL/ESCC Blue, kicks off league play with two games featuring four of the area’s top six teams. This one matches Loyola (3-0), fresh off statement wins over downstate power Rochester and St. Rita, and Brother Rice (3-0), aiming to make departing coach Brian Badke’s last season one to remember. Loyola quarterback Jake Stearney showed last week why coach John Holecek has been touting his college potential. With St. Rita committed to stopping the run, Stearney threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-7 victory. Quarterback Jack Lausch, who will be a preferred walk-on in baseball and football at Notre Dame, and running back Aaron Vaughn are playmakers for Rice.
NO. 6 MOUNT CARMEL AT NO. 4 MARIST
6 p.m. Friday: This is the other CCL/ESCC showdown of 3-0 teams. The Caravan were something of an unknown quantity coming into the season after graduating an exceptionally talented senior class, including current Temple starting quarterback Justin Lynch. But an opening win over St. Rita served notice that Mount Carmel remains an elite program thanks to the emergence of quarterbacks Blainey Dowling and Damarion Arrington, among others. For Marist, Coastal Carolina recruit Dontrell Jackson Jr. is one of the state’s top dual-threat quarterbacks with 319 passing yards and five TD passes to go along with 267 rushing yards and two TDs. Running back Jaylen Johnson is another playmaker with 175 rushing yards and five scores.
PROVIDENCE AT NO. 5 JOLIET CATHOLIC
7:30 p.m. Friday: Both of these Will County rivals have big playoff dreams — Providence (2-1, 0-0 CCL/ESCC Orange) is ranked No. 2 in 5A by the Associated Press, while Joliet Catholic (3-0, 0-0) is No. 1 in 4A. Providence’s only loss was to No. 14 Wheaton North, and the Celtics handed Fenwick its first loss last week. Joliet Catholic’s closest game was a 30-20 victory over St. Louis power Cardinal Ritter in which the Hilltoppers opened a 23-0 lead. Malachi Hood, headed to Illinois as a linebacker, has been a productive two-way player for JCA.
NO. 24 ST. CHARLES NORTH AT NO. 14 WHEATON NORTH
7:30 p.m.: It’s a little early to say any game is a must win, but neither the North Stars (2-1, 0-1 DuKane) nor the Falcons (2-1, 0-1) want to go to 0-2 in a league that has four teams in the Super 25. Both are coming off narrow losses: St. Charles North, 12-10 vs. WW South on a field goal with 4.5 seconds left, and Wheaton North, 23-20 in overtime at Batavia. Twoway standout Drew Surges had a TD and an interception for St. Charles North last week. Holy Cross-bound quarterback Mark Forcucci leads a balanced Wheaton North offense.
NO. 20 LOCKPORT AT NO. 19 H-F
6 p.m. Friday: Both teams are 3-0 heading into their Southwest Suburban Blue opener, and neither has been tested. They’ve outscored their opponents by margins of 132-7 (Lockport) and 112-8 (H-F). It has been a while since Lockport’s loyal fan base, one of the area’s best, had much to cheer about. But former Lincoln-Way North coach George Czart has turned around a program that has only one playoff appearance since 2011, going 11-7 in twoplus seasons. H-F went to the 8A quarterfinals or beyond six times in 10 seasons under Craig Buzea and aims to remain a playoff power under his successor, Terrell Alexander.