Wheaton Warrenville South (4-4, 3-1) at No. 8 Naperville Central (7-1, 4-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last meeting, Sept. 19: Naperville Central 10, Wheaton Warrenville South 7.
Key players: Wheaton Warrenville South — WR Keishawn Watson, RB Jonathan Johnson; Naperville Central — RB Kevin Clifford, LB/TE Joe Schweikart.
Outlook: DuPage Valley Conference title is on line, but much more is at stake for Wheaton South, namely its season. The Tigers need a win or season comes to a close. Redhawks already have peace of mind knowing they’ll be playing on Halloween weekend. Both teams have relied on defense to earn hard-fought victories in DVC. Who will be able to move chains? Will it be Johnson or Clifford?
Naperville North (2-6, 0-4) at Glenbard North (3-5, 1-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last meeting, Sept. 19: Glenbard North 20, Naperville North 19.
Key players: Naperville North — QB Evan Kujawski, LB Colin Herbstritt; Glenbard North — LB Jimique Davis, LB Luke Greenberg.
Outlook: Glenbard North rallied to stun Naperville North in Week 4. While there was plenty of excitement in that game, this one is about pride and finality for the seniors as both teams will finish under .500. The Panthers have been competitive, losing by seven points the past two weeks. Huskies have struggled, outscored 83-3 in last two games, and are winless since Week 2.
Marian Catholic (1-7, 0-6) vs. Benet (5-3, 3-3) at Benedictine, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Benet 40, Marian 7.
Key players: Marian — QB Cameron Thomas, WR Tyrice Richie; Benet — RB Brad Sznajder, WR Karl Schmidt.
Outlook: Marian Catholic has not won an ESCC game since Week 5 of 2011. Spartans have playmakers on offense, but haven’t made enough, scoring seven points or less in six games. Benet has counted on Sznajder to move the chains.
Neuqua Valley (5-3, 5-1) at Metea Valley (5-3, 4-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Neuqua Valley 65, Metea Valley 28.
Key players: Neuqua Valley — QB Broc Rutter, WR Isaiah Robertson; Metea Valley — RB Bryson Oliver, WR Nick Dodson.
Outlook: Neuqua tries to improve to 5-0 lifetime against Metea. Both teams appear to have enough playoff points to qualify, but getting win No. 6 against a fellow Valley team certainly would be big both for peace of mind and for momentum. Team that makes the most big plays likely will come out on top, similar to what happened when the Wildcats fell to Waubonsie last Friday.
South Elgin (5-3, 4-2) at No. 20 Waubonsie Valley (7-1, 5-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Waubonsie Valley 63, South Elgin 29.
Key players: South Elgin — RB Kyle Ware, QB Hayden Nelson; Waubonsie Valley — QB Zack Bennema, FB Ryan Berg.
Outlook: After sluggish three-week stretch, Waubonsie bounced back with a big win over Neuqua last Friday, showcasing solid aerial attack to complement potent rushing attack. That should present defensive challenge for South Elgin team, which has won three straight.
