Mount Carmel, Richards, Sandburg, Marist and St. Rita are picks to click for the sixth week of the regular season.
Mount Carmel (4-1, 1-0) at Brother Rice (2-3, 0-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The Caravan heads into this CCL/ESCC Blue showdown averaging 43 points a game. Senior quarterback Jack Elliott (Vanderbilt) has thrown for 11 touchdowns and ran for 11 more, doing much of his damage of late on the ground.
Junior quarterback CJ Gray continues to improve, but Brother Rice will undoubtedly need a big game from senior running back Tyler Lofton (Illinois State) to keep up with the Caravan.
That will be tough against a Mount Carmel defense led by senior linebacker Matthew Mucha.
Can prized recruit Christian Pierce, a senior linebacker, and the rest of Brother Rice’s defense find a slow to slow down the Caravan?
X-factor: Cooper Lehman, Mount Carmel, senior, receiver.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Mount Carmel.
Richards (4-1, 3-0) at Shepard (4-1, 2-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: District rivals battle for first place in the South Suburban Red.
After dropping its season opener to Joliet West, Shepard has outscored its opponents 158-20 during a four-game winning streak.
Senior running back/defensive back Anthony Loughran has emerged as the go-to guy for the Astros, rushing for 155 yards and two TDs in Friday’s 40-0 win over Evergreen Park.
It was the third straight two-TD game for Loughran, who also had six tackles.
Richards has its own two-way star carrying the ball, as senior running back/linebacker Myles Mitchell (North Dakota State) piled up 196 yards and five TDs in a 41-0 rout of Argo.
The Bulldogs have won 22 straight conference games going back to 2020.
X-factor: Noah Escobedo, Richards, junior, quarterback.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Richards.
Sandburg (4-1) at Lincoln-Way Central (3-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Sandburg continued to roll last week, extending its winning streak to four straight with a 53-12 blowout of Metea Valley.
Senior quarterback Anthony Shelton has thrown for 1,114 yards and 15 TDs for the Eagles.
Sandburg’s defense has been opportunistic lately, with Vincent Smith coming down with two interceptions Friday.
The Knights are coming off a big 28-6 win over previously undefeated Bradley-Bourbonnais.
Senior running back Tyler Tulk and junior quarterback Drew Woodburn — son of Lincoln-Way Central coach Dave Woodburn — will hope to put enough points to keep up with Shelton and Co.
X-factor: Charlie Snoreck, Sandburg, senior, receiver/punter.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Sandburg.
Providence’s Gavin Hagan (32) goes up for an interception that was called back against Highland during a Class 5A state quarterfinal game in New Lenox on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Providence (3-2, 1-0) at Marist (4-1, 0-1)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The Celtics will look to ride the momentum from their miracle win over Wheaton St. Francis into this CCL/ESCC Orange road game.
Senior receiver Jayden Mikulski, who caught the game-winning 26-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback AJ Rayford on the last play of the 27-25 victory over the Spartans, has been a consistent playmaker for Providence.
Senior defensive back Gavin Hagan, the CCL/ESCC White Defensive Player of the Year last season, has become a two-way standout, also starring at running back for the Celtics.
Marist has gotten consistently terrific play from senior running back John McAuliffe (Cornell) and senior quarterback Jacob Ritter.
Senior linebacker Ricky Ericksen is a player to watch on the RedHawks’ defense.
X-factor: Gavin O’Brochta, Marist, senior, receiver.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Marist.
Nazareth (4-1, 1-0) at St. Rita (4-1, 1-0)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The battle for the CCL/ESCC Green lead could come down to how effectively St. Rita, led by senior running back Nick Herman, can move the ball, control possession and keep Nazareth’s offense off the field.
The two-time defending Class 5A state champion Roadrunners, led by senior quarterback Logan Malachuk, scored at least 33 points in each of their first four games but were held in check during Friday’s 16-13 win over Joliet Catholic.
If the talented St. Rita defense, which is boosted by the return from injury of senior linebacker James Kingsbury, can be similarly effective as JCA’s defense, the Mustangs can win this game.
X-factor: Justin Buckner, St. Rita, senior, linebacker/running back.
Steve Millar’s prediction: St. Rita.
