Previews of Week 2’s top five high school football games

Breaking down the best games of Week 2.

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Maine South’s Johnny Palumbo (31) picks up yardage as Glenbard West’s Samson Zander (34) closes in for a hit.

Maine South’s Johnny Palumbo (31) picks up yardage as Glenbard West’s Samson Zander (34) closes in for a hit.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Here’s a look at the five best football games in Week 2.

No. 12 Mount Carmel (1-0) at No. 25 Maine South (0-1), 7 p.m. Friday.

Quarterback Justin Lynch, the younger brother of Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch, made a splash in his debut as a starter, accounting for 185 total yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 win over Calumet (Ind.). Running back Kenenna Odeluga and receiver Tony Livermore are two more playemakers for the Caravan offense. Maine South’s Luke Leongas also was impressive in his first game as the No. 1 QB, passing for 205 yards and two TDs before leaving with an injury. Hawks coach Dave Inserra said Wednesday that Leongas is out this week. 

No. 17 St. Rita (1-0) at No. 6 Richards (1-0), 7 p.m. Friday.

After making a name as a grind-it-out offense in the Catholic League tradition, St. Rita has the speed to spread the field this fall. Sophomore Kaleb Brown, a state medalist in the sprints in May who already has three Power Five offers, accounted for 157 yards and two scores in last week’s win over Joliet Catholic. Junior Henry Wilson, who has a Boston College offer as a receiver, showed his versatility with a pick-six in Week 1. Richards gutted out a 14-7 win at Lincoln-Way Central behind Iowa recruit Leshon Williams’ 160 rushing yards. Cramps forced two of the Bulldogs’ starting offensive linemen ouit of the game.

Bolingbrook (1-0) at No. 11 St. Charles North (1-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Bolingbrook leads this series 2-0, including a 34-24 win last season when St. Charles North finished second in Class 7A. The Raiders, who opened with a 42-10 win over Proviso West, have plenty of star power in junior safety Justin Walters, who has four Big Ten offers, and three seniors who are D-I recruits: offensive lineman John Williams (Cincinnati), tight end Trevor Borland (Buffalo) and quarterback Devyn Suggs (Yale). Junior Nick DeMarco paved the way for the North Stars’ comeback win over Palatine, running 35 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 1 Lincoln-Way East (1-0) at No. 23 Naperville Central (0-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Lincoln-Way East’s offensive depth means no one is needed to pile up big numbers. In last week’s win over Stevenson, Michigan recruit AJ Henning had 72 yards and a TD on 13 touches, while quarterback Kyle Quinn totaled 129 yards and a TD, and Devon Williams ran for two scores. Kicker Dominic Dzioban, who was 3-for-3 on field goals, is one of the state’s best. Naperville Central figured to have one of the state’s passing games with Big Ten recruits Sam Jackson (Minnesota) at quarterback and Jadon Thompson (Illinois) at receiver. But the Redhawks struggled offensively in a 14-6 loss to Hinsdale Central.

New Trier (1-0) at No. 2 Loyola (0-1), 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

New Trier has a pair of juniors who figure to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Lineman David Davidkov is the state’s No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2021 and has 19 offers. Running back/safety Brody Roth did a little bit of everything in last week’s comeback victory over Lyons, picking off a pass and running for 190 yards and two TDs. Loyola opened with a 27-10 loss to Ohio power Cleveland St. Ignatius, which converted a fumble recovery and blocked punt into two of its touchdowns. 

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