Breaking down this week’s Top 10 football teams
First and 10
Team (record) This week’s opponent
1. York (6-0) Glenbard West, Friday
Comment: The Dukes started the toughest three-game stretch on their schedule last week with an impressive 32-21 win over previously unbeaten Downers Grove North. Jake Melion rushed for 257 yards and scored 3 touchdowns a week after running for 213 yards and 3 TDs. Next comes a pair of 4-2 teams, Glenbard West and Lyons.
2. Hersey (6-0) At Rolling Meadows, Friday
Comment: The Nasir McKenzie comeback story added another impressive chapter last week in a 28-3 win over Prospect. McKenzie, a senior who tore his ACL as a sophomore, rushed for 211 yards — his second straight 200-yard rushing game. Combined with QB Colton Gumino and Hersey’s lethal passing game, the Huskies continue to be near impossible to stop.
3. Batavia (5-1) St. Charles East, Friday
Comment: Much, much, much closer this time — full marks to Boone Thorgesen’s Geneva squad — but another year, another Bulldogs win, this time 21-18. Now 13 straight, the one-time lopsided series is narrowed to 51-49-5 with Batavia coach Dennis Piron aiming to tie it in his final two years as coach. Batavia’s schedule finally eases up last 3 weeks.
4. Barrington (6-0) At Hoffman Estates, Friday
Comment: The Broncos continued their bounce-back season with a 55-14 win over Schaumburg last week, though the schedule gets harder to end the year. Next up are a couple of 4-2 teams with the Hawks and then Palatine before closing the regular season against Conant. QB Nick Peipert threw for 330 yards last week.
5. Downers Grove N. (5-1) At Lyons, Friday
Comment: The Trojans gave top-ranked York a battle last week despite missing RB Noah Battle. Sophomore QB Owen Lansu threw for 223 yards and found Oliver Thulin for a pair of touchdowns. Now they get another toughie against Jon Beutjer’s Lions before closing the regular season against the two Hinsdales — a combined 3-9.
6. Maine South (5-1) Glenbrook South, Friday
Comment: The Hawks enter on a five-game winning streak. The latest came against Glenbrook North — a game they trailed 7-0 before quickly putting 40 unanswered points on the board. Constantine Coines tossed three more TD passes and scored on an 8-yard run. Glenbrook South also is 2-0 in the Central Suburban South that the Hawks have absolutely owned.
7. Palatine (4-2) Conant, Friday
Comment: Kole Fager ran for 3 TDs last week in the Pirates’ 24-10 win over Fremd in the annual Battle of the Tracks matchup. Now comes a Cougars team that struggled last week in a 28-0 loss to Hoffman Estates. Cooper Hanson did rush for 151 yards for Conant, who let up all 28 points in the second quarter.
8. Warren (4-2) At Waukegan, Friday
Comment: After an absolute gauntlet of a schedule, the Blue Devils get 1-5 Waukegan this week and 1-5 Zion-Benton in Week 9 sandwiched around a Lake Forest team that just lost to Stevenson last week. Warren is in the driver’s seat for the North Suburban Conference title, and it is also looking like a strong bet for another long postseason run.
9. Lake Zurich (5-1) Lake Forest, Friday
Comment: The Bears bounced back from a hard-fought loss to Warren with an equally hard-fought win over Libertyville, 29-28 in overtime. Chris Pirrone rushed for 113 yards, quarterback Lucas Lappin added 75 more, and Lappin also threw the 2-point conversion pass to force OT before Pirrone scored the eventual game-winner on a 1-yard run in overtime.
10. Naperville C. (5-1) DeKalb, Friday
Comment: Watch out for the Redhawks, who have opened DVC play with a 27-0 win over an improved Waubonsie Valley team, then beat Neuqua Valley 21-7 and Naperville North 21-14 in back-to-back weeks. With 2-4 DeKalb and 0-6 Metea Valley up next, the Redhawks are in a great position with their lights-out defense and improving offense.
Second and 10
11. IC Catholic Prep 5-1 Lost to St. Francis 35-34; Loyola
12. Geneva 5-1 Lost to Batavia 21-18; at Wheaton North
13. St. Francis 4-2 Beat IC Catholic 35-34; St. Rita
14. Glenbard West 4-2 Beat Hinsdale Central 42-21; at York
15. Cary-Grove 5-1 Beat Hampshire 41-21; Huntley
16. St. Charles North 4-2 Beat St. Charles East 40-14; Glenbard N.
17. Glenbard South 6-0 Beat South Elgin 14-13; hosts W. Chicago
18. Prospect 4-2 Lost to Hersey 28-3; Elk Grove
19. Huntley 5-1 Beat Crystal Lake South 54-43; at Cary-G
20. Neuqua Valley 3-3 Beat Metea V. 41-0; at Waubonsie V.
