We’ve got stars, storylines, marquee matchups, new faces in new places, and much, much more to look forward to as another season of Friday Night Lights kicks off.
Every Friday in this space we’ll pick out five games to watch, and the toughest part of writing it continues to be narrowing the list to five. You can find much more on all the area matchups on Page 4 and online at football.dailyherald.com.
Hersey at Warren
This is one of several new nonconference matchups. Hersey has started 10-0 the past couple seasons but lost in the second round of the playoffs. The Huskies wanted to upgrade their nonconference schedule and certainly did by adding the Blue Devils, who return as much talent as anyone off a 9-3 team. Warren coach Bryan McNulty is well aware of Hersey QB and UCLA commit Colton Gumino, comparing him favorably to Nazareth grad and recent NFL first round pick JJ McCarthy.
Maine South at Lincoln-Way East
Another new matchup, this one pitting two tradition rich programs. The Hawks are coming off a 10-2 season; the Griffins even better going 13-1 and reaching the Class 8A championship game. Lincoln-Way East also debuts quarterback Jonas Williams, a transfer from Bolingbrook and Oregon commit.
Barrington at South Elgin
Barrington is coming off its best season since 1998, going 12-1 and returning senior quarterback Nick Piepert. The St. Thomas commit threw for 35 touchdowns and 2,905 yards. South Elgin also returns its quarterback John Ginnan, who threw 20 TDs. Win or lose, the Storm is getting a long overdue step up to its schedule, which has been locked into nine Upstate Eight Conference games. Now with two nonconference dates to play with, South Elgin and new coach Patrik Pistorio aren’t messing around, playing Barrington and Batavia — a combined 23-3 a year ago.
St. Charles North at Palatine
Ah, finally a rematch, a nonconference matchup that’s provided some thrillers the past few years. That included the North Stars’ 37-34 win in the final seconds a year ago, giving them a 3-1 edge in the series. They bring back senior quarterback Ethan Plumb, in his fourth varsity year, and running back Joell Holloman. Palatine has plenty of talent again, including defensive end Jaylen Williams (Michigan) and offensive lineman Parker Brault (Marshall).
Batavia at Glenbard West
We have to wait until Saturday for this one, but that’s going to be one wait that’s well worth it. Batavia has made back-to-back Class 7A semifinal appearances; Glenbard West has 16 consecutive playoff appearances. These two proud programs under veteran coaches Dennis Piron and Chad Hetlet are meeting for the first time. Both teams have some holes to fill but plenty of talent to do it with.