Week 1 is always a time for people to overreact, so let's do just that, shall we?
Western Big Six results:
Moline 17, Glenbard North 12
Quincy 55, QND 12
LaSalle-Peru 34, UTHS 14
Minooka 42, Rock Island 7
Dunlap 53, Galesburg 14
Metamora 28, Sterling 14
Geneseo 56, Comer 0
Moline (1-0) vs. Benet (1-0). Benet beat Oak Forest 40-6 last week.
Talk about storylines. No matter that this is a rematch of last year's 4A boys' basketball state championship game; it's also the 5th game in this series, which has featured Benet wins by 14, 9, 2, and 3 points. Benet's win was impressive last week; will they be able to perform after getting off the bus and playing on the grass at Browning? Gut feeling here makes me go the same way as the game in Champaign - Moline finally gets Benet.
Quincy (1-0) at Alton (0-1). Alton lost to Cahokia 22-12 last week.
So Quincy does ned to have to get on the bus for this one... Once again, the talent gap between the Devils and their opponent will be huge and I fully expect them to be 2-0 going into the conference slate without breaking a sweat.
UTHS (0-1) vs. Muchin (0-1). Muchin lost to Argo 49-0 last week.
UT should beat this team by a large margin, no matter what other problems the Panthers will have. The loss of quarterback Matthew Kelley cannot be overstated to UTHS; he was seen wearing a sling at the end of the game and from the reports I've hearf, the injury seems bad. Hope it isn't, but at any rate this is a week where the Panthers can try to figure out a game plan for what things may look like going forward. The question will be whether there's a running clock at Soule Bowl.
Rock Island (0-1) at Dunlap (1-0). Dunlap beat Galesburg 53-14 last week.
The Rocks opened by stepping both feet on the same banana peel, although I'd be remiss not to mention how good Minooka seems to be. With that said, it didn't bode well for the Rocks, who still have Quincy, Moline, and Sterling on the horizon after seeing what Dunlap did to Galesburg this week. Rocky gets to go to Peoria County too... I go with Dunlap, and it may not be too close.
Galesburg (0-1) at Limestone (0-1). Limestone lost to Mount Zion 42-6 last week.
Galesburg really didn't look good against Dunlap (or did Dunlap just look really good themselves?). But the cure for what ails them is a matchup against a team that didn't win a game last year and doesn't look much better this year. Streaks should eventually get out of this week with a win.
Sterling (0-1) vs. St. Francis (0-1). St. Francis lost to Downers Grove North 27-22 last week.
This game becomes a massive must-win for both teams after they both lost "no shame" games first week. St. Francis desperately needs a win to preserve their playoff chances in their first year in the CCL/ESCC. Sterling, meanwhile, looks possibly the weakest they've been since joining the Western Big Six (which, admittedly, means little for a team that has lost exactly three conference games in four years). If they lose this week, they have very daunting tasks in Quincy and Moline to come, also facing games against Geneseo (who would love to ring that bell after a win that would probably produce a field storm and might be capable of doing it), Princeton (who looks just as strong this year and hosts that game), Rock Island (who will always have some athletes), and UTHS (who, if nothing else, has demonstrated a capacity to score against Sterling). Already the playoffs looks like something that will take some work. Maybe the powder blue jerseys can do it... but I gotta go with St. Francis this week.
Geneseo (1-0) vs. Grayslake Central (0-1). Grayslake Central lost to Bolingbrook 34-0 last week.
Routing Comer was entirely expected and tells me absolutely nothing besides that Geneseo is competent, which you already knew. Likewise, I don't feel too terrible about the Rams given their loss to Bolingbrook's all-everything quarterback, but their inability to put points on the board tells me something. On a neutral field, with no momentum issues, I think Grayslake Central is better, but in this game, in this place, this week, I take the Maple Leafs in a squeaker.
TRAC results:
Morrison 54, Mendota 0
Bureau Valley 26, EP 7
Orion 20, Hall 14
Dupo 36, Riverdale 0
Newman 12, Rockridge 7
Kewnaee 28, Sherrard 21
Princeton 40, Monmouth-Roseville 0
Erie-Prophetstown (0-1) at Kewanee (1-0)
EP started off bad, with Bureau Valley able to pull away late, and this is not gonna make it any easier, as the Boilermakers looked solid in a nice win over Sherrard. I would've picked this the same last week, but now I definitely am going with Kewanee to beat the Panthers.
Monmouth-Roseville (0-1) at Bureau Valley (1-0)
This one is hard to pick. I really do feel like the Titans are more talented, and that last week was more the product of their opponents for these teams than themselves. That said, momentum in high school is a real thing, and I will pick the Storm for what feels like the first time in a long time.
Morrison (1-0) at Princeton (1-0)
Now this looks very fun. Princeton winning big was not a huge surprise. Morrison winning big was very impressive. I think the Mustangs will give a good showing again. No running clock win for the Tigers this week, but Princeton hosting gets this one.
Orion (1-0) at Mendota (0-1)
I think if Orion played Hall again in Week 9 it might turn out differently but the Chargers will take a gritty win, especially given what happened to Mendota. I suspect Orion goes to Mendota and piles on with another victory this week.
Riverdale (0-1) at Hall (0-1)
Reality bit hard for the Rams, who looked dominated in all aspects of the game against Dupo. I don't expect it to get too much easier outside their friendly confines, as the Red Devils will look to rebound. Hall gets this one.
Sherrard (0-1) at Newman (1-0)
Sherrard looked solid in a loss - Newman looked great in a gritty win. Their offense, as always, is a work in progress, but the Comets can keep anyone from scoring and I think Sherrard will have to wait on that win. Their schedule is tough but I still see light at the end of the tunnel for the Tigers. Not this week, though.
Rockridge (0-1) at Ridgeview (0-1), who lost 41-13 to GCMS last week
What a heartbreaker for the Rockets, whose young kids couldn't hold on for five more seconds against Newman. Defensively they did great, but offensively they need to make improvements fast. Luckily Ridgeview looked bad last week too. Rockridge wins a get-back game.
Western Big Six results:
Moline 17, Glenbard North 12
Quincy 55, QND 12
LaSalle-Peru 34, UTHS 14
Minooka 42, Rock Island 7
Dunlap 53, Galesburg 14
Metamora 28, Sterling 14
Geneseo 56, Comer 0
Moline (1-0) vs. Benet (1-0). Benet beat Oak Forest 40-6 last week.
Talk about storylines. No matter that this is a rematch of last year's 4A boys' basketball state championship game; it's also the 5th game in this series, which has featured Benet wins by 14, 9, 2, and 3 points. Benet's win was impressive last week; will they be able to perform after getting off the bus and playing on the grass at Browning? Gut feeling here makes me go the same way as the game in Champaign - Moline finally gets Benet.
Quincy (1-0) at Alton (0-1). Alton lost to Cahokia 22-12 last week.
So Quincy does ned to have to get on the bus for this one... Once again, the talent gap between the Devils and their opponent will be huge and I fully expect them to be 2-0 going into the conference slate without breaking a sweat.
UTHS (0-1) vs. Muchin (0-1). Muchin lost to Argo 49-0 last week.
UT should beat this team by a large margin, no matter what other problems the Panthers will have. The loss of quarterback Matthew Kelley cannot be overstated to UTHS; he was seen wearing a sling at the end of the game and from the reports I've hearf, the injury seems bad. Hope it isn't, but at any rate this is a week where the Panthers can try to figure out a game plan for what things may look like going forward. The question will be whether there's a running clock at Soule Bowl.
Rock Island (0-1) at Dunlap (1-0). Dunlap beat Galesburg 53-14 last week.
The Rocks opened by stepping both feet on the same banana peel, although I'd be remiss not to mention how good Minooka seems to be. With that said, it didn't bode well for the Rocks, who still have Quincy, Moline, and Sterling on the horizon after seeing what Dunlap did to Galesburg this week. Rocky gets to go to Peoria County too... I go with Dunlap, and it may not be too close.
Galesburg (0-1) at Limestone (0-1). Limestone lost to Mount Zion 42-6 last week.
Galesburg really didn't look good against Dunlap (or did Dunlap just look really good themselves?). But the cure for what ails them is a matchup against a team that didn't win a game last year and doesn't look much better this year. Streaks should eventually get out of this week with a win.
Sterling (0-1) vs. St. Francis (0-1). St. Francis lost to Downers Grove North 27-22 last week.
This game becomes a massive must-win for both teams after they both lost "no shame" games first week. St. Francis desperately needs a win to preserve their playoff chances in their first year in the CCL/ESCC. Sterling, meanwhile, looks possibly the weakest they've been since joining the Western Big Six (which, admittedly, means little for a team that has lost exactly three conference games in four years). If they lose this week, they have very daunting tasks in Quincy and Moline to come, also facing games against Geneseo (who would love to ring that bell after a win that would probably produce a field storm and might be capable of doing it), Princeton (who looks just as strong this year and hosts that game), Rock Island (who will always have some athletes), and UTHS (who, if nothing else, has demonstrated a capacity to score against Sterling). Already the playoffs looks like something that will take some work. Maybe the powder blue jerseys can do it... but I gotta go with St. Francis this week.
Geneseo (1-0) vs. Grayslake Central (0-1). Grayslake Central lost to Bolingbrook 34-0 last week.
Routing Comer was entirely expected and tells me absolutely nothing besides that Geneseo is competent, which you already knew. Likewise, I don't feel too terrible about the Rams given their loss to Bolingbrook's all-everything quarterback, but their inability to put points on the board tells me something. On a neutral field, with no momentum issues, I think Grayslake Central is better, but in this game, in this place, this week, I take the Maple Leafs in a squeaker.
TRAC results:
Morrison 54, Mendota 0
Bureau Valley 26, EP 7
Orion 20, Hall 14
Dupo 36, Riverdale 0
Newman 12, Rockridge 7
Kewnaee 28, Sherrard 21
Princeton 40, Monmouth-Roseville 0
Erie-Prophetstown (0-1) at Kewanee (1-0)
EP started off bad, with Bureau Valley able to pull away late, and this is not gonna make it any easier, as the Boilermakers looked solid in a nice win over Sherrard. I would've picked this the same last week, but now I definitely am going with Kewanee to beat the Panthers.
Monmouth-Roseville (0-1) at Bureau Valley (1-0)
This one is hard to pick. I really do feel like the Titans are more talented, and that last week was more the product of their opponents for these teams than themselves. That said, momentum in high school is a real thing, and I will pick the Storm for what feels like the first time in a long time.
Morrison (1-0) at Princeton (1-0)
Now this looks very fun. Princeton winning big was not a huge surprise. Morrison winning big was very impressive. I think the Mustangs will give a good showing again. No running clock win for the Tigers this week, but Princeton hosting gets this one.
Orion (1-0) at Mendota (0-1)
I think if Orion played Hall again in Week 9 it might turn out differently but the Chargers will take a gritty win, especially given what happened to Mendota. I suspect Orion goes to Mendota and piles on with another victory this week.
Riverdale (0-1) at Hall (0-1)
Reality bit hard for the Rams, who looked dominated in all aspects of the game against Dupo. I don't expect it to get too much easier outside their friendly confines, as the Red Devils will look to rebound. Hall gets this one.
Sherrard (0-1) at Newman (1-0)
Sherrard looked solid in a loss - Newman looked great in a gritty win. Their offense, as always, is a work in progress, but the Comets can keep anyone from scoring and I think Sherrard will have to wait on that win. Their schedule is tough but I still see light at the end of the tunnel for the Tigers. Not this week, though.
Rockridge (0-1) at Ridgeview (0-1), who lost 41-13 to GCMS last week
What a heartbreaker for the Rockets, whose young kids couldn't hold on for five more seconds against Newman. Defensively they did great, but offensively they need to make improvements fast. Luckily Ridgeview looked bad last week too. Rockridge wins a get-back game.
