No. 3 Loyola at No. 18 Marist, 6:30 p.m. Friday
Loyola had (2-0) had a pair of pick-sixes in last week’s 27-6 win at Naperville North, a 54-yarder by Ethan Hogg and a 27-yarder by Donovan Robinson. Junior Ryan Fitzgerald, a dynamic dual-threat quarterback, left the game in the second quarter with a leg injury and was replaced by senior Lucas Holubar. Marist (1-1) has played a pair of close games, falling 7-6 at Glenbard West and beating Pulaski Road rival Brother Rice 30-24. Owen Winters ran for one TD and threw a 33-yard scoring pass to Stephen Brown with 38.6 seconds left for the game-winner.
No. 6 St. Charles North at No. 24 Wheaton North, 7 p.m. Friday
It’s a matchup of the top two teams in the DuKane Conference from last season. St. Charles North won last fall’s meeting 22-21 en route to a 7-0 league record. Junior quarterback Ethan Plumb and senior receiver Jake Mettetal have been a productive combo for the North Stars (2-0), connecting 12 times for 177 yards and two TDs vs. Palatine in Week 1 and another score against Crete-Monee last week. Wheaton North (1-1) also has a potent pitch-and-catch duo in quarterback Max Howser and receiver Matt Kuczaj. Howser threw for 330 yards and three scores in last week’s 37-22 loss to Lockport, while Kuczaj had 159 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
No. 9 Maine South at No. 10 Palatine, 7 p.m. Friday
Maine South (1-1) lost starting quarterback Jack DeFilippis to injury in a 10-7 opening defeat against Brother Rice. But junior Constantine Coines stepped up and delivered in last week’s 28-7 win over Warren, passing for 242 yards and running for 104 more with two total TDs. Palatine (1-1) was edged by St. Charles North in Week 1 before rolling by Buffalo Grove last weekend. The Pirates have one of the state’s premier running backs in Tulane commit Dominik Ball, who already has rushed for 315 yards and five touchdowns.
No. 11 St. Rita vs. No. 14 Joliet Catholic, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Joliet Memorial Stadium
St. Rita (2-0) relies on an effective run game with senior DJ Stewart (201 yards, six TDs) and junior Nick Herman (169 yards, TD) both averaging at least eight yards per carry. Joliet Catholic (2-0) is coming off a dominant defensive effort in a 19-0 shutout of Will County rival Providence, which knocked the Hilltoppers out of the IHSA playoffs last season. Joliet Catholic forced five turnovers, while Wisconsin commit Dillan Johnson and Mitchell Ragusa each had a pair of sacks.
Naperville Central at No. 21 Lockport, 6:30 p.m. Friday
Naperville Central (2-0) has leaned on its defense and special teams in opening with wins over Hinsdale Central (14-10) and Plainfield North (6-3). Gavin Wade has been a productive two-way player for the Redhawks at safety and running back, and Logan Ellison’s two field goals were the difference in Week 2. Lockport (2-0) started the season with impressive road wins at Plainfield North and Wheaton North. The Porters have an elite kicker in Nate Blazewski, whose three field goals vs. Wheaton North included 51- and 45-yarders.
