Rick Armstrong’s 5 high school football games to watch in the Aurora-Elgin area and Week 5 predictions
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West Aurora, East Aurora, Sycamore, Oswego and Batavia are the picks to click for Week 5.
Elgin (2-2, 2-0) at West Aurora (2-2, 2-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The Maroons have bounced back from a slow start that featured lopsided losses to Woodstock North and Aurora Christian — 42-14 and 49-0, respectively — by winning their first two Upstate Eight West games with a 29-22 victory over Bartlett and a 47-20 victory over Streamwood.
Elgin needs to continue to take care of the ball and eat up clock behind senior running back Anthony Foster and junior running back LaMarin Powell. The Maroons will try to slow down West Aurora’s explosive offense, highlighted by senior running back Bryce Riley and junior running back Michael Williams.
The Blackhawks have played the same two conference foes, winning big over Bartlett and Streamwood by scores of 63-14 and 49-21, respectively.
Riley, who has 706 yards rushing, averages 10.9 yards a carry. Williams, who has 389 yards, averages 11.8.
X-factor:Tyree Haggard, West Aurora, junior, linebacker..
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: West Aurora.
Larkin (0-4, 0-1) at East Aurora (2-2, 0-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The struggling Royals have been shut out twice and have scored just 22 points all season. They come to Roy Davis Field riding a 17-game losing streak dating to midway through the 2024 season.
The Tomcats, looking to get back on track after 47-6 loss to South Elgin, have been explosive at times and are averaging 25.3 points a game behind senior quarterback Joseph Becker and senior running back/receiver Daivon Douglas.
Becker has thrown for 672 yards with eight touchdowns but six interceptions. Douglas has 776 total yards with 10 TDs and has 13 1/2 tackles with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception at defensive back.
Mason Estrada, a junior defensive lineman, leads the Tomcats with 17 tackles. He also has two sacks with a fumble recovery and pass breakup.
X-factor:Jeremiah Jackson, East Aurora, senior, defensive lineman.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: East Aurora.
Sycamore (3-1, 1-0) at Kaneland (3-1, 0-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The Knights broke through against the Spartans’ recent dominance in this series, taking a 34-14 decision last year at Sycamore for Kaneland’s first win since 2018.
Junior quarterback Brody Guthrie leads a balanced attack, having thrown for 649 yards with six TDs and just one interception for the Knights, whose strong ground game features three running backs.
Colton Ludwig, a senior, leads the way with 314 yards and three TDs on 51 carries. while sophomore Timmy Boryc has 310 yards and three TDs on 31 carries. Jackson Little, a senior who has scored four TDs, is the short-yardage closer.
“We kind of get a rotation and it’s been working,” Kaneland coach Mike Thorgesen said.
Rob Stover is Sycamore’s new coach. He succeeds Joe Ryan, who retired after leading the Spartans to the playoffs 16 times in 22 seasons. Stover, a Burlington Central graduate, was an assistant for Sycamore the previous 11 years.
X-factor:Santino Fiordirosa, Kaneland, senior, linebacker/safety.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Sycamore.
Plainfield South (4-0, 2-0) at Oswego (3-1, 1-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: First-year head coach Rob Szudarski is well-versed in Southwest Prairie Conference football, having served as an assistant for Plainfield South the previous 16 years.
His Cougars are undefeated and tied for first place in the Southwest Prairie East with crosstown rival Plainfield East. The road gets tougher this week with a crossover game at Oswego.
Plainfield South opponents are a combined 3-13, while the Panthers’ foes are 10-6.
Junior linebacker Christian Walsh and senior linebacker Caden Cooney lead Oswego’s defense with 33 and 31 tackles, respectively.
X-factor:Ethan Pilip, Oswego, senior, defensive lineman.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Oswego.
St. Charles North (2-2, 0-2) at Batavia (3-1, 2-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The North Stars started out strong with convincing wins over good teams in Minooka 28-7 and South Elgin 57-21, but then stumbled out of the gate in DuKane Conference play with a 49-17 loss to Geneva and a 34-17 setback to undefeated Wheaton North.
Giving up a punt return TD and getting stopped at the Wheaton North 4-yard line, both in the first half, were key setbacks for St. Charles North.
It won’t be any easier at Batavia, which appears to be hitting its stride after Week 2 loss at Rochester.
Wyoming-bound senior quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren passed for 324 yards and six TDs in last week’s 55-7 rout of Lake Park, connecting eight times for 132 of those yards and four TDs to Northern Illinois commit Brennon Zeng.
X-factor:Loukas Vatianou, Batavia, senior, defensive back.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Batavia.
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