Marist ‘D’ seeks to stifle Thorne
If not for a season-opening loss to Brother Rice, Marist would be in the discussion as arguably the area’s most impressive team.
Now the RedHawks (9-1) get a chance to continue their march toward the Class 8A championship with a second-round road game against Naperville Central and quarterback Payton Thorne at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Marist has allowed more than seven points once in the last seven weeks and that was in a 34-13 blowout victory against Nazareth and star quarterback JJ McCarthy.
The RedHawks beat a good Stevenson team 28-6 in the opening round.
Naperville Central (7-3) has scored more than 34 points in all but two games. Thorne is a contender for player of the year and has several talented receivers, including Sam Jackson, Jared Suchevits and Cade McDonald.
8A: Oak Park (8-2) at No. 6 Brother Rice (10-0), 6 p.m. Saturday
Brother Rice, the top seed in the Class 8A playoffs, faces a tough test against the 16thseeded Huskies. The winner will face Warren or Hinsdale Central in the quarterfinals.
The Crusaders, led by running back Jessi Plunkett, had little trouble rolling past Zion-Benton in a 49-0 first-round victory. They’ve posted four consecutive shutouts dating to the start of October, including an impressive 31-0 road blowout of Montini. Few teams in the state have played better over the last month.
Oak Park earned its spot in this game by defeating New Trier 34-16. Since starting the season with a 1-2 record, the Huskies have won seven in a row, including a 10-7 road upset of Glenbard West on Oct. 13. If Oak Park’s defense can step up like that again, an upset is possible.
8A: No. 4 Homewood-Flossmoor (9-1) at Barrington (7-3), 1 p.m. Saturday
Barrington, coming off a 23-14 victory over Oswego East, seems to have found its groove after three-game skid in September. Homewood-Flossmoor should provide a tougher challenge. The Vikings’ stout defense has allowed 17 combined points in four games since being pummeled in a 48-6 loss to Lincoln-Way East.
7A: No. 5 Simeon (10-0) at Lincoln-Way West (8-2), 1 p.m. Saturday
Since a statement victory over Phillips in early September, Simeon has overwhelmed teams week after week. The Wolverines’ latest victory was a 46-0 thrashing of Rockford East. Lincoln-Way West, meanwhile, keeps grinding out victories, including a 24-17 road win over Harlem last week. Can the Warriors pull off a big upset at home?
6A: No. 20 Prairie Ridge (8-2) at No. 17 Phillips (8-2), 1 p.m. Saturday
Gately Stadium will host the only game that pits two Super 25 teams. The Wildcats nearly were upset a week ago before Jahleel Billingsley’s second-half heroics powered the team to a 30-24 win over Lake Forest. Prairie Ridge, which had no trouble with Hinsdale South in a 38-14 victory, won’t be an easy out.
Want the latest information and analysis on high school football? Our team of Michael O’Brien, Beth Long and Annie Costabile will share the latest news, insights and weekly Super 25 rankings in a livestream show called ‘‘Sun-Times Game Week’’ at 4:30 p.m. every Monday. Like and follow our high school sports Facebook page and watch the show on Facebook Live. You also can ask questions using #suntimesgameweek.