Who is your schools biggest rival? Both historically and currently? I’m pretty interested in what people have to say. Some like Batavia-Geneva are very obvious but some are a little more interesting.

Some we know others we don’t.

I root for LWE

Who is your team?

LT vs DGN

Who wins this one?

Friday: Carmel Catholic at DePaul Prep

Sat: York @ GB West

How time flies! Can you believe we are already in Week 7? Seems like just yesterday that we were gearing up for Hot Thursday CPL Action, and now we in CPL Rivalry week! Yeah, I know there are a ton of them this week, but. like at the apple orchard this fall...I'm only picking the cream of the crop! On to the picks!!

Sullivan vs Senn
It's a north side slobber knocker! 1.2 miles apart. Sully riding high at 6-0. The Dawgs rolling in at 4-2. A rivalry so huge they'd play this one in the median of Clark Street if they could. Of course, Senn would still show up late and deliver a pounding.
DAWGS!!

Amundsen vs Whitney Young
This one is always interesting. Whitney Young is a selective enrollment school that can get kids from anywhere in the city, so there is no real regional rival. In an effort to build one, they tried Clark, but lose. They tried Payton, but lose. They tried Lane, usually lose. They tried Northside, no football team, but they most likely would usually lose. Amundsen is in the same boat. Sullivan? Usually lose. Senn? Usually lose. Mather? Come, on... Makes sense that these two would try to establish a rivalry... Of course if this game is at Winnemac on Saturday, you can bet the smell of pumpkin spice will be in the air as the lululemon baby stroller crowd hits the park on a beautiful fall afternoon in the city. Home field advantage baby!!!
Pumpkin spice...with TWO Pumps!

Simeon vs Kenwood
Not a traditional football rival. Simeon has dominated this series over the years. This one is spicy because the new coach at Simeon bolted from Kenwood to take over when Dante Culbreath retired from coaching. Get to Gately early. Not just to get through that security line, but I hear there is a fresh batch of Gately Dogs being rolled out for this one!
Relish and Extra Onions!

Lane vs Taft
Story time. For years, kids grew up on the NW side of Chicago and made the choice to go to Lane. In fact, many elementary teachers in the area would advise kids to go to Lane and not Taft. After a stellar run in the 70's, most of the best football players would go to Lane. The crazy thing was, most Taft people accepted it. It was a rivalry because kids from both schools lived next door to each other, not because the teams were matched up well on the field. Lane dominated. That changed about 10 years ago when a new principal took over at Taft and hired a new coach that had grown up across the Kennedy from Taft. Dude put together a staff of angry misfits, dressed them in Ditka sweaters, and lead them around carrying a skull. No lie. Dude would coach with a skull in his hand. Not sure if it was a real skull, but it was certainly museum quality if it wasn't. Anyway, I'm not sure what kind of magic that dude worked, but instead of getting rolled by Schurz, Taft became a CPL contender, playing for city championships and actually winning one. Also, a huge bonus that Taft is right down the street from the HarHig where old Taft coaches hang out and complain about how tough they had it in their day....not exactly the best conversation, but they are loose with the $$, and times are tight!
Free Beer!

A pre-game show will be aired by the Caravan Broadcast Network Thursday night at 7 on youtube:


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Each week I will prepare the Underclassmen Report which is a look at which underclassmen names I saw in person and made a positive impression at each game I cover live in person this season. This week I take a deeper look into some of the better underclassmen names for Batavia/Geneva and Lane Tech/Morgan Park

The Week 5 Underclassmen Report
The Week 4 Underclassmen Report
The Week 3 Underclassmen Report
The Week 2 Underclassmen Report
The Week 1 Underclassmen Report

Batavia Bulldogs

2026 QB Bodi Anderson (5-foot-11, 190 pounds)- Decent all around athlete here. Showed ability as both a runner and a passer and generally managed the Bulldogs offense pretty well here. Still is a work in progress b ut a name to keep tabs on this winter and spring.

2026 RB Preston Brummel (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) Part of a strong running back group for Batavia this season. Has good size and runs with power and good quickness. Will take a harder look this late fall/early winter on video.

2026 RB Greyson Kelly (6-foot-0, 195 pounds) See above. Another good sized running back in a very good positional group for Batavia.

2026 WR Brett Berggren (6-foot-1, 170 pounds) Looks the part and while he didn't get a ton of passes his way in this loss to Geneva Brett passed the eyeball test and I'll look harder at him on film this winter.

2026 OL Ryan Myers (6-foot-5, 285 pounds) Hands down the top underclassmen for the Bulldogs. Myers has a nice combination of good size/length and in some ways is already college ready physically. Plays with a high motor and also plays with a chip, showed to have good feet and also a good first step. Can add a bit more muscle and his overall hand usage can improve as well. Has a chance to draw looks and more attention from the FBS level schools and could also draw Power 4 looks this winter.

2026 Nick Jansey (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) Yet another Jansey playing at linebacker here. I still need to look harder into Nick this late fall and early winer on video but the bloodlines are there along with being a good overall athlete.

2026 DL Gavin Pecor (6-foot-2, 255 pounds)- Nice sized interior defensive linemen here who has the look and the frame of a prospect who will get bigger and stronger from here on out.

Geneva Vikings

2027 WR Bennett Konkey (6-foot-1, 170 pounds)- Younger player who was a starter and who made a handful of nice catches in this win over Batavia. Impressed that this sophomore was able to break into the receiver rotation loaded with impressive senior heavy talent. I will definitely do more film study on Komkey this early winter and I'm encouraged that he will develop into a very strong player for the Vikings over the next year plus.

2027 OL Cameron Ziegler (6-foot-0, 250 pounds)- Pretty solid interior offensive linemen here. Has good strength and uses his hands well along with having good overall feet and balance. Could develop into a very strong OC type ay the next level.

2026 OL Nicholas Elliott (6-foot-5, 250 pounds)- One of the bigger kids in the Vikings offensive linemen group. Needs to improive his overall bend and first step but looks to have the frame and build to allow him to add much more good weight and strength over the next year plus.

2026 LB Tyler Drake (6-foot-1, 195 pounds)- Again just a very solid player here and also a name to watch this winter. Plays fast and also played very physical and can play as a safety or an OLB if needed.

Lane Tech Champions

2026 RB Vernon Cole (5-foot-8, 160 pounds)- Overall was just a very solid football player here who has decent speed and runs hard.

2026 WR Harrison Bakunas (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) - Goo sized receiver who in person looks more like a tight end in the making. Has a big frame and good strength and will get bigger and stronger from here on out. Needs to improve his overall speed and quickness along with becoming a better receiver technically but his overall look/frame will draw more attention this fall and winter.

2027 WR Blake Perkins (6-foot-0, 170 pounds)- Another sophomore starter here for Lane Tech who made some nice plays and whho I will look more at this off season.

2026 OL/DL Daniel Howard (6-foot-2, 270 pounds)- Played full time on both soides of the football and I elt his best position was on the defensive line. I'll need to do more film study this winter on Daniel but he has the raw physical tools to continue to develop into a really strong nose guard.

2026 DB Gabriel Xerogianes-White (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) Overall a decent player and another name to watch from Lane Tech.

2027 DB Paiden Buckner (6-foot-0, 160 pounds) Young guy who is a starter as a sophomore for the Champions. I'll do more research and film study on him this late fall early winter but he is a name to watfh.

Morgan Park Mustangs

2026 WR Nasir Rankin (6-foot-1, 185 pounds)- Easily the top overall underclassmen name I've seen live this season Rankin has very good speed and quickness, is an twitchy athlete with impressive hands and ball skills. Rankin in the open field is a nightmare to cover and then tackle in a one on one situation. Rankin is also fearless, can and will go over the middle to make the tough catch and plays with a very high motor at all times. Rankin will also get much bigger and stronger over the next year or two and this kid has a chance to develop into a possible 4 star ranked receiver.

2027 OL Langston Waithe (6-foot-1, 255 pounds)- Only a sophomore who is still a bit raw but also has the tools and look of a player ho will continue to get bigger and stronger.

2026 OL Delian Drakeford (6-foot-2, 295 pounds) Big, strong and pretty athletic big man here who is another name to watch.

2027 DL Daijon Overton (6-foot-3, 320 pounds) Another sophomore starter who has the possibility to develop into a higher level name down the line. Was impressed with Daijon's power and motor and is another name I'll go back and do a deeper dive on him this winter.

2026 DB Kendall Griffin (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) Nice overall athlete with decent speed and quickness. I'll also dig deeper into Kendall's video this late fall and early winter.

AP Week 7 1A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Princeville 15. 12, Carrollton 8. 13, Greenfield-Northwestern 3.



AP Week 7 2A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Chicago Christian 9. 12, Rockridge 1. 13, Vandalia 1.



AP Week 7 3A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Williamsville 19. 12, Monticello 15. 13, Dwight 2. 14, Peotone 1. 15, DuQuoin 1.



AP Week 7 4A Poll

Receiving votes: 12, Boylan 7. 13, Chicago Sullivan 7. 14, Cahokia 7. 15, IC Catholic 6. 16, Macomb 2. 17, Waterloo 2. 18, Peoria Notre Dame 1.



AP Week 7 5A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Woodstock North 13. 12, Mahomet-Seymour 11. 13, Benet 9. 14, Providence 5. 15, Carmel 2.



AP Week 7 6A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Bloomington 11. 12, Wauconda 4. 13, Normal West 3. 14, Lake Forest 3. 15, Crete-Monee 2. 16, Glenwood 1. 17, Washington 1.



AP Week 7 7A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Hersey 23. 12, Hononegah 4. 13, Glenbard East 2. 14, Prospect 2. 15, Schaumburg 2. 16, Lincoln-Way West 2.


AP Week 7 8A Poll

Receiving votes: 11, Aurora West 13. 12, Palatine 1. 13, Minooka 1.

This was submitted by one of our loyal EDGY Board fans who is also a life long Hilltopper fan and an alum.

Does anyone have any insight as to what's going on at Niles West? Heard they put their coach on leave right before last week's game. I know there are various rumors as to why.

In The Battle of the Carmelites, two perennial champions, envy of the also-rans, both 4-2 this year, who wins?

We have hit the 2/3 portion of the season. So here we go.

1 - That we finally have playoff qualifiers - 256 is enough by the way leave it alone.
2 - That saying someone is a clear favorite in any class right now is fools gold.
3 - That Fremd is legit LEGIT legit - at least for this week.
4 - That Lena Winslow still rules the NUIC
5 - That losing a star player sure makes a difference.
6 - That I prefer to call it Hubbed instead of Rochelled- both work though.
7 - That Geneva’s offense is more than just one really good player.
8 - That Glenbard West isn’t dead yet, just sleepy.
9 - That it wasn’t Vandy-Bama upset big, but Carrollton taking out Hardin Calhoun was a big messer-upper in 1A
10 - That Fenwick is here to stay and will be a factor - much like everyone else, in a crazy wide open 7A.

That’s it.

Make sure to catch my latest from the Daily Herald

I’ve been putting the playoff outlook into brackets on Mondays since 2004. Looked forward to doing it every week. I used to be off work on Mondays. I’d put The Score on, pour a beer, and clack away at the computer for an hour to build my post. Sports dork heaven.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m so busy these days, I wasn’t sure I had the bandwidth to continue. I have a two-year-old boy who powers through our house the way Mike Alstott used to power through Holy Cross. I’m back in school for some strange reason, at U of Wisconsin, still chasing that diploma that eluded me in the 90s. I work Mondays now, and the wife works until 8 on Mondays. I have 2 ref clinics this week and next. Basically I have a lot of excuses to skip this season.

But, insert Ditka quote here about cowards and losers and yada yada yada… I’m gonna keep my legs moving and get it done.

The outlook isn’t out yet, as of 4pm on Monday. Tonight I have a that basketball clinic. But tomorrow night, late, after Alstott is asleep and my homework is done, I should be able to crank out what it would look like if the playoffs started today.

Or not…. We’ll see.

Friars score 28 in a row after an early Pick 6

DE Nate Marshall with a 61-yard TD reception (around 45 after the catch).

Friars also had a 55-yard punt return for TD

Vikings close out 1st Half scoring with about an 80-yard run at 1:01

Last week it was done on Sunday, this week still not out yet.

Nothing of note last week. I guess the Herscher/Streator game probably could have been GOTW, but I just felt like the CC/Peotone game had more implications for the playoffs. This week has one key matchup, and two lower tier teams looking to just get a win.

Braidwood (0-5) @ Coal City (4-1) - Nothing to worry about here for the Coalers. They get a tune up week before traveling to Wilmington for what many would have considered to be the ICE championship next week, but we will dive more into that next week. I think CC rolls coal and comes away with an easy win. CC 49 RC 7

Hershcer (3-2) @ Wilmington (5-0) - Another one sided affair. Even if the score isn't astronomical (I do think it will be) in the end, I think it will be a classic Wilmo ground and pound. Controlling victory for Wilmington. Cats 42 Herscher 14

Lisle (0-5) @ Streator (1-4) - Lisle won't find their first win of the season this week. Give me the team who has done it once this year. Streator 28 Lisle 7

Peotone (3-2) @ Manteno (5-0) - Route 50 Rumble is your ICE GOTW........I like Manteno to remain undefeated. They haven't beat anyone great, however they still haven't lost. Although Peotone's losses were to Wilmo and CC they happened to be in the last two weeks and the momentum is down for the 'Tone. Plus this is probably the toughest 3 week stretch for any team in the ICE this year. I like the Panthers to pull the "upset" here and secure their spot as the 3rd best in the ICE. Manteno 35 Tone 20

Without looking too much into the future can we just talk about how awesome week 9 will be? CC Manteno will be huge and I'm going to predict that RC and Lisle will be using week 9 to get one of those teams their lone win.

No Change in Power Rankings.

1. Wilmington
2. CC
3. Manteno
4. Peotone
5. Herscher
6. Streator
7. RC
8. Lisle

Anyone have final in Lombard? Last a saw Montini was up but Taylor slinging it

Blue Division
Lincoln-Way East 48 Neuqua Valley 14

Green Division
Bradley-Bourbonnais 38 Stagg 14

Divisional Crossovers
Andrew 54 DeKalb 21
Homewood -Flosmoor 54 Metea Valley 6
Naperville Central 31 Lockport 21
Naperville North 38 Lincoln-Way West 33
Sandburg 28 Lincoln-Way Central 27

Non Conference
Normal Community West 21 Waubonsie Valley 7

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Both offenses moving the ball cleanly. 2 TD passes for O'Brien