Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Joliet Catholic (0-0) at City High (0-0)

Where: Bates Field, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play.

Player to watch: Joliet Catholic senior defensive lineman Dillan Johnson is a Wisconsin commit that ranks among the best players in Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 287-pound Johnson is ranked as the No. 19 players in Illinois and No Wisconsin ranked No. 19 player in Illinois and 94^th best defensive lineman in the country by 247 Sports.

Key stat: City High averaged 44.1 points and 451 total yards per game last season and scored 49 or more points six times in 10 games.

About the Little Hawks: City High went 6-4 last season falling to Johnston 38-31 in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Little Hawks return 16 players with starting experience from last year’s team led by senior quarterback Drew Larson (6-1, 175) who completed 68 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,841 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 303 yards and five scores.

Senior Carsen Newton (5-7, 140) led City High in receptions last season with 39 grabs for 497 yards and six touchdowns.

Senior linebackers Holdon Clay (5-10, 180) and Sam Kueter (6-4, 200) return to lead the defense after combining for 62.5 tackles including 14.5 for loss last season.

About the Hilltoppers: A perennial power in Illinois, Joliet Catholic has won 15 state championships with the most recent title coming in 2021.

The Hilltoppers are coming off an 8-3 season last fall that featured a pair of overtime losses and a 24-14 setback in the second round of the playoffs.

Joliet Catholic averaged 39.4 points per game last season scoring 41 or more points eight times in 11 games.

Liberty High (0-0) at West High (0-0)

Where: Trojan Field, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play.

Player to watch: Liberty High senior quarterback Graham Beckman (6-1, 194) completed 63 percent of his passes last season while throwing for 2,580 yards and 31 touchdowns with just four interceptions and rushed for 320 yards and four touchdowns.

Key stat: Liberty High averaged a school-record 36.9 points per game last season and scored at least 20 points in every game.

About the Trojans: West High averaged better than 35 points per game during a 3-1 start to last season but averaged 22 points per game while losing four of its final five games en route to a 4-5 season.

The expectation is for West High to be improved in 2023 with 16 starters returning.

Junior quarterback Jack Wallace (6-3, 210) returns as a two-year starter after passing for 1,754 yards and 17 touchdowns with just two interceptions last season.

The biggest jump for West High should come on defense where four of the top five tacklers from last season return.

Senior linebacker Ashton Honore (6-0, 230) is back after making a team-high 66.5 tackles including 27 for loss and seven sacks while senior Santana Miller (5-11, 205) had 50 tackles with 6.5 for loss.

Junior Mason Woods (6-2, 200) returns in the secondary and at receiver after making 21 tackles and catching 19 passes for 392 yards and two touchdowns.

About the Lightning: Liberty High returns nine starters from the most successful season in program history that featured a 9-2 record and the first every playoff win.

Beckman headlines the list of returning starters after earning all-state honors last season in Class 4A.

Junior running back Owen Drapeaux (6-1, 196) returns after rushing for 337 yards and two touchdowns last season and Liberty High has three starters on the offensive line.

Senior defensive end Dantrell Skinner (6-0, 210) and senior linebacker Devin Anderson (5-11, 200) return to lead the Liberty High defense.

Skinner had nine tackles for loss and a sack among 39 tackles while Anderson ranked third on the team with 47.5 tackles last season.

Solon (0-0) at Davenport Assumption (0-0)

Where: Jack and Pat Bush Stadium in Davenport, 7:30 p.m.

Last season: Solon 35, Davenport Assumption 10

Player to watch: Davenport Assumption senior Angelo Jackson (6-1, 185) ranked second on the team with 426 rushing yards and had a team-high 11 rushing touchdowns last season, was second in receptions (19), led the team in receiving yards (311), made 26 tackles, intercepted a pass and returned kicks and punts.

Key stat: Solon has averaged 241 rushing yards per game in three wins over Assumption in the past two seasons putting up rushing totals of 256, 232 and 235.

About the Spartans: Solon returns 10 starters from a team that went 8-3 and lost to eventual runner-up Mount Vernon in the Class 3A quarterfinals.

The Spartans will have a quarterback making his first career start on Friday after three-year starter Blake Timmons graduated.

Aiding in the transition in the backfield is the return of three full-time starters on the offensive line.

Solon has a pair of all-staters back on defense in senior linebacker Brett White and senior defensive end Ben Kampman.

White led the team with 77 tackles last year while Kampman had 41 tackles and a team-high seven sacks. Both Kampman and White had 15 tackles for loss.

Solon has won five straight over the Knights since 2018 including a pair of wins in 2021.

About the Knights: Davenport Assumption is coming off its first sub-.500 season since 2008 after finishing 4-5 and missing the playoffs a year ago.

With a starting quarterback, a talented running back and the top receiver and tackler from last season all returning there are signs the Knights should be much improved in 2023.

Senior Jake Timmons (6-5, 190) returns at quarterback after passing for 1,045 yards and six touchdowns and rushing or 187 last season.

Jackson is back at tailback while senior Bauer Caspers (6-3, 200) returns after catching a team-high 25 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns last year.

Junior linebacker Keaton O’Neill (5-10, 190) led the Knights with 80 tackles last season while senior defensive lineman Rhett Schaefer (6-4, 240) is back after making seven tackles for loss.

Marion (0-0) at Clear Creek Amana (0-0)

Where: Clipper Field, 7:30 p.m.

Last season: Clear Creek Amana 26, Marion 0

Player to watch: Marion junior quarterback Kaleb Diers (6-6, 220) passed for 731 yards and rushed for 126 yards last season as a sophomore.

Key stat: Seven on the nine teams on Clear Creek Amana’s 2023 schedule were above .500 last season and those teams combined for 58-19 record.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana lost four in a row to end last season closing the season 3-6.

With 12 players with starting experience returning the Clippers are seeking a bounce back season this fall.

The addition of City High transfer quarterback Quinton Tran (5-9, 165) is a major boost to a Clipper offense that scored 24 points during its four-game losing streak to end the season.

Four players return with starting experience on the offensive line led by multi-year starters Carson Nash (5-10, 225) and Vinnie Keller (6-0, 270).

Junior defensive end Brody Clubb (6-4, 255) returns after ranking third on the team with 44 tackles including 7.5 for loss and joins Zach Vance (6-1, 225) who had 27 tackles with three for loss on what should be an improved defensive front.

About the Wolves: Marion won three straight games following a 2-4 start to finish 5-4 last season.

The noticeable loss for the Wolves is departed senior and current Iowa player Alex Mota who led the team in rushing yards and total touchdowns and was second on the team in tackles last season.

There is talent returning starting with Diers and his top target senior Kaiden Griffith (6-2, 180) who caught a team-high 16 passes for 309 yards last season.

Senior Trey Franck (6-2, 195) returns after leading the Wolves with 51.5 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.

Marion and Clear Creek Amana have played each of the past seven seasons with Clear Creek Amana holding a 4-3 edge in the series over that stretch.

The Clippers have won back-to-back games after an 18-14 loss to Marion in the 2020 playoffs, winning 36-35 in the 2021 opener and 26-0 last season.

West Liberty (0-0) at Regina (0-0)

Where: Regal Field, 7:30 p.m.

Last season: Regina 49, West Liberty 14

Player to watch: West Liberty senior Jayce McHugh (6-2, 175) ranked third on the team with 14 receptions for 205 yards and was fourth on the team with 27.5 tackles including three tackles for loss and had two interceptions last season.

Key stat: Regina outgained West Liberty 195 to -2 in rushing yards in a 35-point win over the Comets last season in Iowa City.

About the Regals: Regina is seeking a resurgent season in 2023 with 10 starters returning from a team that went 5-4 and lost in the opening round of the Class 1A playoffs last season.

The Regals return starting quarterback Gentry Dumont (6-2, 205) and top receiver Jackson Naeve (6-1, 180) on offense along with four starters on the offensive line.

Two of the top three tacklers are back on a Regina defense that allowed 16.4 points per game last season in senior lineman Jack Clark (6-2, 215) and Drew Streb (6-2, 235).

Streb and Clark combined for 10 tackles for loss and six sacks last season.

Regina has won nine in a row over West Liberty dating back to 2008 with each of the last eight wins all coming by 28 points or more.

About the Comets: West Liberty went 3-6 last season falling to Dubuque Wahlert in the opening round of the Class 2A playoffs.

The Comets faced a challenging schedule last season that started with six consecutive games against playoff teams including loss to 3A quarterfinalists Solon and Independence.

West Liberty must replace starting quarterback, leading rusher and leading tackler from last season in graduated senior Drake Collins.

McHugh will be a key piece for the Comets along with senior Morgan Lehman (5-10, 180) who had 23 tackles including three for loss a year ago.

West Branch (0-0) at Williamsburg (0-0)

Where: Bob Murphy Stadium in Williamsburg, 7:30 p.m.

Last season: Did not play.

Player to watch: Williamsburg senior linebacker Derek Weisskopf (6-3, 210) had 59.5 tackles including 43 solo stops and 4.5 tackles for loss, had a team-leading six interceptions and led Williamsburg with 37 receptions for 628 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Key stat: Williamsburg allowed just 8.6 points per game last season and held opponents to eight or fewer points in nine or 13 games.

About the Raiders: Williamsburg is coming off a 12-1 season that ended with a 10-6 loss to Central Lyon/George-Little Rock in the Class 2A state title game.

The Raiders were among the stingiest defensive teams in the state last season holding teams under nine points per game and posting three shutouts while allowing more than 10 points just three times.

Two of the top players on that defense return in Weisskopf and last year’s top tackler junior Rayce Heitman (6-0, 170) who had 88 tackles including 7.5 for loss last season.

Senior Clayten Steckley (6-0, 170) returns after making 33 tackles recovering three fumbles and intercepting three passes.

Williamsburg forced 40 turnovers in 13 games last season.

About the Bears: West Branch is coming off an impressive 11-1 season that ended with a 48-17 loss to Van Meter in the Class 1A semifinals.

The Bears bring back seven starters from last year’s squad that outscored opponents by better than 30 points per game.

There are holes to fill with the loss of starting quarterback Tye Hughes, top rusher and tackler Andy Henson and top two receivers but West Branch should be strong up front on both sides of the ball with four starters returning.

Senior all-state defensive lineman Logan Wright (6-3, 235) returns after leading the team with 18 tackles for loss and six sacks last season while senior linebacker Reese Trepanier (6-1, 210) returns after ranking third on the team with 42 tackles a year ago.

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