advertisement

Scouting Friday's Week 1 football games in DuPage County

Glenbard West (10-1) at Addison Trail (3-6)When: Friday 6 p.m.

Last year's result: Glenbard West 49, Addison Trail 0

Outlook: Addison Trail opens up the truncated season by playing one of the top teams in the DuPage Valley. The Hilltoppers won't be able to add another 10-win season to their program's impressive run, so expect Chad Hetlet to have his players primed and ready to compete every second of every game this season. That's bad news for the Hilltoppers' opponents, starting with Addison Trail. Expect running backs Jalen Moore and Samson Zander to have plenty of touches. Meanwhile, Addison Trail opens up a new era with new coach Chris Bazant, who takes over for Paul Parpat Jr., ending the Parpat family coaching run at the school. The Blazers have a young team, but their strength is on the offensive line, which returns four starters.

St. Francis (10-2) at IC Catholic Prep (10-2)When: Friday, 7:15 p.m.

Last year's result: St. Francis 20, IC Catholic Prep 19

Outlook: One of the best matches of the season takes places in Elmhurst on Friday. The Knights have a ton of motivation for their season opener. Besides finally being able to play a football game, the Knights want to avenge last season's one-point loss to the Spartans. The defeat ended the Knights' 33-game winning streak. St. Francis senior quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse leads the offense. The Illinois State recruit passed for 1,967 years and 29 touchdowns in his junior season, winning the Metro Suburban Conference MVP. Sophomore two-way offensive lineman TJ McMillen added nearly 50 pounds to his frame since the end of season, raising his weight to 273 pounds. IC Catholic senior running back Kyle Franklin headlines a strong offense that scored 404 points in 12 games last season.

York (4-5) at Hinsdale South (3-6)

When: Friday, 6 p.m.

Last year's result: Did not play

Outlook: This should be a key matchup since both teams are looking to build some more momentum after losing seasons. The Hornets closed out the 2019 season with four straight losses, while the Dukes lost four of their last five games. The Hornets enter the season with a big question mark at quarterback following the graduation of Marquese Garrett. The offense is still strong due to the return of senior wide receiver Jaylon Smith, and the defense brings back linebacker Jesse Villegas and Logan Bryant, among others.

Mt. Carmel (14-0) at Montini (8-3)When: Friday 7:30 p.m.

Last year's result: Mt. Carmel 27, Montini 20

Outlook: Whenever the Broncos and Caravan hook up on the football field, it's often a memorable matchup. Montini is going to rely on its strong and big offensive line to dominate the point of attack against the Caravan. Quarterback Tre Jones is slated to start the opener, so if he plays the Broncos will look to spread the ball out and make Mt. Carmel defend the entire field. The Caravan, the defending Class 7A state champions, are loaded on both sides of the ball. The Caravan have one of the top quarterbacks in the state in Justin Lynch. The Temple signee is a nightmare to game plan against because of his passing and running ability. The Broncos have to limit Lynch's big-plays and not allow running back Kenenna Odeluga, an Illinois recruit, to chew up big yards.

Glenbard North (7-4) at Wheaton North (4-5)When: Friday 5:30 p.m.

Last year's result: Glenbard North 21, Wheaton North 7.

Outlook: Glenbard North rode a balanced team to a seven-win mark in 2019. The Panthers open up the season with a key test against a hungry Wheaton North team which failed to make the playoffs. The Panthers will try and rely on their size and experience on the lines to dominate Wheaton North. The Falcons lost all three linebackers from last season, including Northwestern recruit Xander Mueller. But the Falcons have a strong core of returnees on both sides, and have the potential to be a strong offense. Quarterback Mark Forcucci and running backs Hugh Werner and Brayton Maske are part of a strong offense that will look to overpower the Panthers' defense.

Glenbard South (6-4) at Bartlett (8-2)When: Saturday 2 p.m.

Last year's result: Bartlett 49, Glenbard South 14

Outlook: Bartlett is coming off a strong 8-2 season that ended with a 28-8 loss to Brother Rice in the playoffs. Bartlett's win over Glenbard South in Week 3 kickstarted a seven-game winning streak. The Hawks return most of last season's team, with seven starters back on offense and nine on defense. Although the offensive line has four returning starters, the Hawks open the season with a new quarterback. Junior Jacob Scearce is the new starter. Meanwhile, the defense is big, physical and athletic, according to coach Matt Erlenbaugh. Bartlett's defense only allowed 146 points in 10 games last season. Glenbard South also welcomes a new quarterback after the graduation of record-setting Nick Plaso. Junior running back Trevor Burnett, who has multiple scholarship offers, should get plenty of carries as the Raiders look to slow down Bartlett's offense by eating up the clock.

Other games

Friday

Benet at St. Ignatius, 7:30 p.m.

Bishop McNamara at Wheaton Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Chicago Christian at Westmont, 7 p.m.

Proviso East at Downers Grove North, 7 p.m.

Glenbard East at Larkin, 7:30 p.m.

York at Hinsdale South, 7 p.m.

Lake Park at Wheaton Warrenville South, 5:30 p.m.

Leyden at Willowbrook, 7 p.m.

Lisle at Wilmington, 7 p.m.

Oak Park-River Forest at Hinsdale Central, 7:30 p.m.

West Chicago at Streamwood, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Metea Valley at DeKalb, 2 p.m.

Naperville North at Neuqua Valley, 2 p.m.

South Elgin at Fenton, 1 p.m. at Serpico Field, Melrose Park

Waubonsie Valley at Naperville Central, 2 p.m.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.