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Immaculate Conception (2-0) at St. Edward (2-0)

When: 7:30 tonight

Last year: St. Edward 46, Immaculate Conception 38

Notes: A pair of state-ranked teams square off tonight at Greg True Field in a matchup that will shape the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title race. The Knights are ranked No. 7 in the Class 3A state poll while the Green Wave is ranked No. 10 in the Class 4A state poll. St. Edward snapped a five-game losing streak against Immaculate Conception in last year's meeting between the teams.

* The Knights are coming off a 28-21 victory against Walther Lutheran last week. Senior Jose Godinez finished the contest with 177 rushing yards and three TDs despite not having a carry in the first quarter. Immaculate Conception missed the playoffs last year after winning the Class 2A state title in 2008. The Knights are in search of their first 3-0 start since 2002.

* Six different players scored TDs for the Green Wave in last week's 49-0 rout at Rockford Lutheran. Senior QB Ben Lehman threw for 199 yards and two TDs in the victory. Junior LB Luke Duffy had 12 tackles to lead St. Edward's defense, which posted its first shutout in a span of 19 games dating to Week 2 of the 2008 campaign. The Wave will sport special uniforms for tonight's SCC Gold opener.

Quote: "IC runs that split-back option real well, so we're going to see if we can play some disciplined defense and take care of our jobs. I don't think the kids need any extra drive going into this one."

-- St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

Erik Jacobsen's pick: St. Edward

Larkin (1-1) at Batavia (1-1)

When: 7:30 tonight

Last year: Did not play

Notes: A new rivalry begins tonight when the Royals and Bulldogs square off in the first Upstate Eight Conference River Division game for both teams. This is Batavia's first year in the UEC.

* Larkin is coming off a tough 35-34 loss at Oswego East last week. Senior WR Trevor Whitehead had two TD catches in the loss and leads the area with 24 receptions for 460 yards through two games. Coach Mike Scianna said he will make several personnel changes for this week's contest but declined to elaborate on those changes. Senior LB Brandon Williams will miss tonight's game, dealing a big blow to the Royals defense. Williams sustained a concussion early on against Oswego East and is considered week to week.

* The Bulldogs notched a 28-21 victory against West Chicago last week. Junior QB Noel Gaspari, the son of longtime coach Mike Gaspari, passed for 166 yards and a TD and also ran for a TD in the victory. Batavia finished 2-7 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Quote: "(Batavia) has a couple big kids, and I think they're going to kind of wildcat us a little bit. They have that in their package, so I think they will try to beat us up a little bit. We're expecting that to happen and we're making some adjustments, so hopefully we can answer that."

-- Larkin coach Mike Scianna

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Batavia

St. Charles East (0-2) at Geneva (0-2)

When: 7:30 tonight

Last year: Geneva 13, East 6

Notes: The Saints and Vikings squared off in each of the past three seasons, with Geneva winning all three meetings. Tonight's game is the first contest between the schools as members of the Upstate Eight Conference River Division.

* The Saints are hoping to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2003. After losing by 49 points in its season opener, East battled Class 8A powerhouse Naperville North to a scoreless tie at halftime last week before ultimately losing 17-0. The Saints will turn to their third-string quarterback as junior Jake Mazanke moves from receiver to QB tonight. Mazanke replaces junior QB Charlie Fisher, who is out with a groin injury he sustained last week. Fisher's backup, junior QB Dean Bowen, broke his left arm in the same contest.

* The Vikings find themselves in unfamiliar territory, having lost their first two games of the season for the first time since 1999. Geneva hasn't lost more than two games in a season since 2003. The Vikings are coming off a 30-17 loss at Morgan Park last week. Junior QB Matt Williams threw for 192 yards and a pair of TDs in the defeat. Tonight's game is Geneva's first league contest as a member of the UEC.

Quote: "We are very similar teams. Our team is young, their team is young, we're both sitting at 0-2 and both hungry for that first win."

-- East coach Mike Fields

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Geneva

Lake Park (0-2) at South Elgin (2-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Last year: Lake Park 20, South Elgin 15

Notes: The Storm is in search of its first victory against the Lancers in three tries going into Saturday's Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division opener for both teams.

* It has been a slow start for Lake Park in coach Andy Livingston's 17th and final season at the helm. The Lancers are coming off a 7-6 loss against Glenbard East last week in which they allowed only 194 yards of offense. Junior RB La Curt Evans and sophomore RB Ronald Castaldo give Lake Park a formidable duo in the backfield. The Lancers finished 8-3 last year, reaching the playoffs for the first time in three years.

* South Elgin's offense was in high gear again last week, topping the 450-yard mark for the second game in a row in a 49-26 victory against Class 4A defending state champion Metamora. Senior QB John Menken passed for 303 yards and four TDs and ran for 143 yards and two TDs in the triumph. The Storm's defense has allowed at least 350 yards in both contests this season but has forced five turnovers. South Elgin is ranked No. 9 in the Class 8A state poll.

Quote: "Andy and I have coached against each other for a long time and it's always a physical game. We'll expect that again. We've gotten our two preseason games out of the way and we think we've gotten better. The idea now is that we're starting our division play and these games are all important. Our goal is to be the champs of our division in the conference."

-- South Elgin coach Dale Schabert

Erik Jacobsen's pick: South Elgin

Bartlett (1-1) at Waubonsie Valley (1-1)

When: 7:30 tonight

Last year: Waubonsie Valley 21, Bartlett 14

Notes: The Hawks own a 5-2 lead in the all-time series against the Warriors. Tonight's game is the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division debut for both teams.

* A failed two-point conversion with 1:18 remaining was the difference in Bartlett's 10-9 loss at state-ranked Crystal Lake South last week. The Hawks defense has allowed only 13 points this season and held both of its opponents to fewer than 215 yards of offense. Junior LB Mike Partyka leads the unit with 15 tackles. Junior RB/LB Nate Odisho could miss the rest of the season with a broken ankle.

* The Warriors are coming off a 35-28 win against Oswego last week. Senior QB Tom Kozlow effectively ran Waubonsie Valley's option attack in the victory, passing for 159 yards and four TDs and running for 115 yards. The Warriors finished 6-4 in 2009, reaching the playoffs for the third straight year.

Quote: "It's tough playing down at Waubonsie with their crowd and everything else. But if we play like we did last week and keep making improvements like we have, we're going to win some games this year."

-- Bartlett coach Tom Meaney

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Waubonsie Valley

Burlington Central (0-2) at Genoa-Kingston (2-0)

When: 7 tonight

Last year: Did not play

Notes: This is the first meeting between the Rockets and Cogs since 2003 and only the second since 1996. The teams will get much more familiar with each other in the coming years as G-K moves into the Big Northern Conference East Division next season.

* The Rockets need a victory to avoid their second 0-3 start in the past three years. Central followed its season-opening loss against Kaneland with a 42-16 thumping at the hands of state-ranked Sycamore. Senior RB Tre Llanes has run for 150 yards and a pair of TDs this season. The Rockets, who lost two starters for the season to injury in Week 1, will be without junior LB Chandler Crary tonight as he battles a back injury.

* Cogs coach Bill McCarty admits his team hasn't played the type of competition Central faced in its first two games, but nonetheless G-K opened its season with back-to-back shutouts for the second year in a row. Senior QB Craig Billington ran for 121 yards and TD in last week's 24-0 victory at Iroquois West. Senior OL/DL Dom Calendo was injured in last week's contest and sophomore OL Ben Rabe sustained an injury in practice Tuesday. Both players could miss tonight's game.

Quote: "(G-K has) a few guys that stick out on film defensively. They haven't given up any points yet. Regardless of the competition, two shutouts in a row is impressive at the high school level."

-- Central coach Aaron Wichman

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Central

Hampshire (0-2) at Stillman Valley (2-0)

When: 7 tonight

Last year: Did not play

Notes: This is the first meeting between the Whip-Purs and Cardinals since Hampshire beat Stillman Valley twice during the 2005 season. Prior to that the Whips had lost nine straight in the series.

* Hampshire enters tonight's game hoping to avoid an 0-3 start for the third straight year. The Whips subsequently missed the playoffs following their two previous slow starts. Hampshire suffered a 20-14 defeat at DeKalb last week. Senior QB Bryan Roberts passed for 131 yards but was intercepted three times during the contest. Senior RB/LB Lorenzo Brandon is out for the foreseeable future with a separated shoulder he sustained last week.

* The defending Class 3A state champion Cardinals are in the midst of a 16-game winning streak that dates to 2008. Stillman Valley rolled to a 46-20 victory against Wauconda last week. RB Adam Cox ran for 180 yards and four TDs on 23 carries in the victory. The Cardinals, who are ranked No. 3 in the Class 4A state poll, also scored 46 points in their season opener. Stillman Valley has reached the playoffs in 12 of the past 13 seasons, winning four state titles during that span.

Quote: "We know what Stillman Valley is all about. They're the defending state champ and they don't look like they've missed a beat."

-- Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Stillman Valley

Johnsburg (0-2) at Dundee-Crown (0-2)

When: 7:15 tonight

Last year: Johnsburg 55, D-C 7

Notes: The Skyhawks and Chargers met for the first time last season.

* Johnsburg hopes to avoid its first 0-3 start since 1994 tonight. The Skyhawks are coming off a 37-17 loss to Jacobs last week. They mustered only 111 yards of offense in the defeat. Senior QB George Bielis is the top offensive threat for Johnsburg, which finished 8-4 in 2009 and advanced to the Class 4A state quarterfinals.

* D-C's losing streak reached 10 games with last week's 27-12 setback at Streamwood. The Chargers committed five turnovers on their final five possessions and allowed 321 rushing yards in the defeat. Senior QB Tanner Kotlan has passed for 424 yards and three touchdowns through two games.

Quote: "Johnsburg has a lot of big linemen and their quarterback is really good. He can run the ball and he can throw it. They played two pretty good teams, so it's going to be a tough game."

-- D-C coach Mike Davis

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Johnsburg

Neuqua Valley (1-1) at St. Charles North (1-1)

When: 7:30 tonight

Last year: North 31, Neuqua Valley 5

Notes: The North Stars beat the Wildcats each of the past two seasons. The all-time series between the teams is tied 2-2.

* Neuqua Valley bounced back from a one-point loss to Naperville North in its opener with a hard-fought 20-18 triumph against Naperville Central in Week 2. Senior RB Trent Snyder is the top offensive threat for the Wildcats. He has run for 363 yards and five TDs so far this season. Neuqua Valley missed the playoffs each of the past two years.

* An inexperienced defense continued to struggle for North in a 62-49 win at McHenry last week. The Stars have allowed at least 450 yards and 49 points in both of their games this season. Luckily for North, its offense was able to set a program scoring record last week. Senior QB Matt Shiltz threw for a school-record six TDs. Senior WR Josh Mikes was his top target, finishing with 212 receiving yards and a school-record four TD catches. Junior DL Sean Meaney will return after missing last week's game with a concussion. Senior QB Jake Bergren is still at least a week away from returning from a broken left hand.

Quote: "This is probably one of the best Neuqua teams we've seen in a few years. Both their offensive and defensive lines are aggressive and fast. A real big concern is how our linemen are going to step up against their line."

-- North coach Mark Gould

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Neuqua Valley

Jacobs (2-0) at Prairie Ridge (2-0)

When: 7:15 tonight

Last year: Prairie Ridge 27, Jacobs 10

Notes: The Golden Eagles have lost nine straight meetings against the Wolves dating to 2000. Prairie Ridge owns a 9-3 lead in the all-time series.

* Jacobs hits the road for the third straight game after securing its first 2-0 start since 1999 with last week's 37-17 triumph at Johnsburg. Junior RB Caz Zyks ran for 113 yards and a touchdown in the victory. The Golden Eagles defense has held both of its opponents to fewer than 150 yards. Jacobs hasn't started a season 3-0 since 1994.

* The Wolves are ranked No. 8 in the Class 6A state poll after knocking off Crystal Lake Central 26-6 last week. FB Connor Greenwald ran for 90 yards and two TDs in the triumph. In two games, Prairie Ridge's defense has allowed six points. The Wolves finished 9-4 in 2009 and reached the Class 6A state semifinals.

Quote: "We've got to play disciplined defense against (Prairie Ridge's) option, which they run well. We think we present some things to them that they haven't seen before and vice versa, so I think it's going to be an exciting game and a good test for both teams."

-- Jacobs coach Bill Mitz

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Prairie Ridge

Huntley (0-2) at Woodstock North (0-2)

When: 7:15 tonight

Last year: Huntley 42, Woodstock North 7

Notes: The Red Raiders enter tonight's game hoping to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2004. The Thunder is still in search of its varsity win in program history. Woodstock North, which first fielded a varsity team last year, has lost all 11 of its games.

* Huntley is coming off a 40-12 loss against Kaneland. The Raiders have allowed at least 40 points and 350 yards in both of their losses. Senior QB Tim Lycos has run for three TDs and passed for three TDs this season.

* The Thunder had only two first downs in a 35-0 defeat against Grayslake Central last week, which was a familiar result for a team that managed to score only 20 points all of last season. QB Brian Loftin leads Woodstock North's double-wing offense. The Thunder plays an eight-man front on defense.

Quote: "(Woodstock North) wants to take away the run and make you put the ball in the air. On defense we'll have to play assignment football and make sure we read our keys."

-- Huntley coach Matt Gehrig

Erik Jacobsen's pick: Huntley

ERIK JACOBSEN'S RECORD Last week: 10-3

Season: 19-5