T.F. North, Argo, Brother Rice, Homewood-Flossmoor and Mount Carmel are picks to click for third week of regular season.
T.F. North (2-0, 0-0) at T.F. South (1-1, 0-1)
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: These longtime rivals play for the Wooden Shoe-Mushroom Trophy, which the Meteors have possession of for the first time since 2019 after pulling off a thrilling 17-14 win last season over the Red Wolves.
This is the South Suburban Blue opener for both teams and the first test for T.F. North, which rolled over Prosser 40-0 and Hansberry 34-0 in its first two games.
The Meteors, coming off a 7-3 season in 2023, have leadership up front in senior offensive/defensive lineman Carlos Roa. Senior receiver/defensive back Trevon Conner is a playmaker on both sides.
T.F. South, coming off a 21-20 loss to Lane Tech, will look to ride senior running back Christian Streeter and get solid play from senior quarterback Nick Ford.
X-factor: Joseph Merritt, T.F. North, senior, running back/linebacker.
Steve Millar’s prediction: T.F. North.
Reavis (2-0, 0-0) at Argo (2-0, 0-0)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: This is the most fired up these two communities have been for this rivalry battle in ages as both are undefeated headed into their South Suburban Red opener.
Argo was dominant against De La Salle and Bloom, outscoring them by a total of 66-0. Senior running back Steven Holmes is one of the area’s under-the-radar stars. Senior linebacker/tight end Maciej Jarosz is a force on both sides of the ball.
Reavis, which beat the Argonauts 34-14 last season, will look to junior quarterback Jonathan Liesen and senior running back/receiver Jorden Brown to make big plays.
X-factor: Kacper Lobas, Argo, senior, kicker/punter.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Argo.
St. Rita (1-1) at Brother Rice (1-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Both teams are looking to bounce back after Week 2 losses. As tough as the CCL/ESCC is, back-to-back losses could send either team spiraling, so this sets up as a vital showdown that will likely come down to the wire.
Look for St. Rita’s Nick Herman and Brother Rice’s Tyler Lofton, a pair of senior running backs, to both get plenty of carries.
The Mustangs’ front seven, led by senior linebackers James Kingsbury and Justin Buckner, were able to pressure Mount Carmel star quarterback Jack Elliott in a 28-0 loss last week and will look to get after Brother Rice junior quarterback CJ Gray.
How will the Crusaders respond to last week’s heartbreaking 34-27 overtime defeat to rival Marist?
X-factor: Jimmie Maxson III, Brother Rice, senior, receiver.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Brother Rice.
Homewood-Flossmoor (2-0) at Sandburg (1-1)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The longtime SouthWest Suburban Blue rivals are now in different divisions of the Southwest Valley but face off for this key crossover game.
Both teams have senior quarterbacks coming off four-TD performances — H-F’s RJ McDonald in a 35-0 win over Marian Catholic and Sandburg’s Anthony Shelton in a 43-12 win over Oak Forest.
The key battle will be up front as Sandburg’s veteran offensive line, led by senior Matt Marek (Indiana), tries to hold off H-F’s huge defensive line, anchored by senior Cameron Brooks (Illinois).
X-factor: Myles Ellis, Homewood-Flossmoor, senior, receiver/punter.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Homewood-Flossmoor.
Nazareth (2-0) at Mount Carmel (1-1)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The two-time defending Class 7A champion Caravan take on the two-time defending Class 5A champion Roadrunners.
Mount Carmel’s defense, led by senior linebacker Matthew Mucha, was back to its dominant self in a 28-0 win over St. Rita. But the Caravan will be tested majorly by Nazareth’s Logan Malachuk, a senior and two-time state champion quarterback who threw six TD passes in the first half of a 42-15 win over Kenwood.
Mount Carmel needs to get a ground game established, and coach Jordan Lynch would likely prefer senior quarterback Jack Elliott (Vanderbilt) to not have to do as much running as he did last week.
X-factor: Danyil Taylor, Mount Carmel, senior, running back.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Mount Carmel.
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