No. 8 St. Rita at No. 1 Mount Carmel, 7:30 p.m. Friday
This South Side rivalry is one of the best in the state, and it carries a little more weight this season with St. Rita (3-0, 0-0 CCL/ESCC Blue) back in the same conference as Mount Carmel (3-0, 0-0). The Mustangs in general — and quarterback Jett Hilding in particular — showed plenty of resilience in rallying from a 10-0 halftime deficit to win 20-10 last week at Joliet Catholic. Hilding showed off his dual-threat capabilities, which complement a running game led by DJ Stewart. Caravan junior Jack Elliott has been a capable successor to state-champion quarterback Blainey Dowling. Division I commits Darrion Dupree (Wisconsin) and Alonzo Manning II (Army) are among Mount Carmel’s other offensive playmakers, and Ohio-bound linebacker Parker Startz leads a defense that makes the big plays when they’re needed.
