No. 6 St. Rita at No, 1 Mount Carmel, 7:30 p.m. Friday
They haven’t been conference rivals for a few years, but this matchup of South Side powers — the 100th in the series — should be one of the regular-season games of the year. St. Rita has advanced to the state championship the past two offseasons (there were no playoffs in 2020 because of COVID) and is loaded with talent and experience once again. Edge rusher Pat Farrell, an Illinois recruit, and linebacker Matt Kingsbury lead the defense, while junior Ethan Middleton will run behind an offensive line anchored by 6-4, 310-pounder Nick Strelczyk. With 18 starters back, Mount Carmel also expects to be playing on Thanksgiving weekend. Quarterback Blainey Dowling is among the returning starters, as are a pair of FBS commits: defensive lineman Asher Tomaszewski (Kansas State) and edge rusher Danny Novickas (Ohio).
