Herald-News Week 3 football capsules

Updated: September 7, 2011 5:40PM

Lockport (2-0) at Lincoln-Way East (2-0)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Lockport used Ted Snidanko’s blocked punt in the fourth quarter as the springboard to a 28-21 Week 2 victory over Plainfield North. That kept the Porters’ record unblemished, but moving to 3-0 will be a difficult task in the SouthWest Suburban Blue opener at Lincoln-Way East. The Griffins have overpowered Edwardsville and Dunbar and are ranked second in the Joliet area and sixth in the Chicago area by the Chicago Sun-Times. Quarterbacks will be in the spotlight. Lockport’s Billy Reed returned from injury and saw his first action last week, and East’s Blake Winkler has thrown for 414 yards and seven touchdowns already.

Minooka (0-2) at Plainfield Central (2-0)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday

The rundown: So, how much stock do you put in nonconference results? The pundits would have said Minooka is a Southwest Prairie title threat and Plainfield Central maybe not. Yet, here are the Wildcats, entering conference play 2-0 while Minooka is 0-2. Of course, the Indians lost to formidable foes Morris and Providence and have their own mistakes to blame. Central scored a wild 26-21 victory over St. Charles North when Mike Farr recovered a blocked punt in the end zone in the final minute. The Wildcats have displayed a strong running game, led by Jordan Ellingwood, who has rushed for 240 yards and is averaging 6.5 per carry, and Minooka’s rush defense has been stingy.

Richwoods (0-2) at Joliet Catholic (2-0)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium

The rundown: While some of the luster may have been erased from this much-anticipated match-up now that Richwoods is 0-2, the game remains very important from the Joliet Catholic perspective. The Hilltoppers dropped a heartbreaking 17-14 decision at Richwoods in last year’s state quarterfinals, and they have not forgotten. Richwoods’ early losses were 29-28 to Pekin and 35-32 to Washington, two passing teams. Now the Knights defense will be challenged by Joliet Catholic’s explosive running attack. Malin Jones has moved into 10th place on the school’s all-time rushing list, last week passing Rick Thayer and Chris Gruber, and area rushing leader Ty Isaac (393 yards, 14.6 average) has been nothing short of sensational.

Plainfield North (1-1) at Plainfield East (0-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Plainfield North came close to a 2-0 start, but a blocked punt in the fourth quarter set up the decisive score for Lockport in a 28-21 victory over the Tigers. Plainfield East, meanwhile, is attempting to right the ship after absorbing a 48-7 beating at the hands of Batavia. The Bengals allowed 396 yards of offense and managed a net of 28 themselves. North shared the Southwest Prairie Conference championship with Plainfield South and Minooka in 2010, and the Tigers’ early performance, keyed by QB Kurt Palandech, indicates they could be a factor this time around as well.

Joliet Central (0-2) at Bolingbrook (2-0)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Bolingbrook is ranked third in the Joliet area and 18th in the Chicago area by the Sun-Times, and the Raiders are on the upswing entering SouthWest Suburban Blue play. Central played a good half Friday against Romeoville before falling 35-0 and now is facing a short week of preparation time.

Sandburg (2-0) at Joliet West (0-2)

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday

The rundown: SouthWest Suburban Blue play opens with Joliet West wanting to finish what it starts. The Tigers have had opportunities in their first two games but have failed to cash in with any regularity. SaVaughn Alexander rushed for 121 yards in Friday’s 26-8 loss to Plainfield South.

Homewood-Flossmoor (2-0) at Lincoln-Way Central (1-1)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Lincoln-Way Central got its first “W” on Friday, beating Thornridge 41-20 as Brett Ditchman rushed for 271 yards on 41 carries. However, Homewood-Flossmoor is No. 5 in the Chicago area by the Sun-Times and an entirely different animal.

St. Laurence (1-1) at Providence (2-0)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The rundown: St. Laurence scored 70 points in beating Lindblom in Week 2, but it won’t happen that way in the Chicago Catholic League crossover against Providence. The Celtics blanked Minooka on Friday and have allowed six points total in two games.

Plainfield South (1-1) at Oswego East (2-0)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Two teams with hopes of contending in the Southwest Prairie collide in this conference opener. South returned on Labor Day to finish off a 26-8 win over Joliet West, but now has a short week of preparation time. Oswego East has relied on a strong running game to stay perfect.

Oswego (0-2) at Romeoville (1-1)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Offensive-minded Oswego is considered one of the teams to beat in the Southwest Prairie but has not shown much defensively, allowing an average of 40.5 points in losses to Marian of Woodstock and Waubonsie Valley. Romeoville faces a quick turnaround; the Spartans completed a 35-0 win over Joliet Central on Labor Day.

Lincoln-Way West (1-1) at Thornridge (0-2)

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday

The rundown: Lincoln-Way West needs to rebound from Friday’s 35-0 loss to Crete-Monee as the SouthWest Suburban Red opens. Lincoln-Way Central ripped Thornridge 41-20 on Friday.

Richards (1-1) at Lemont (2-0)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday

The rundown: Morris stunned Richards 28-16 on the Bulldogs’ home turf Friday, and Lemont could be the class of the South Suburban Blue again this year. But this battle will be a good one. The Indians won last year’s meeting 30-20.

Streator (0-2) at Morris (2-0)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday

The rundown: After two huge victories, Morris must avoid a letdown against a struggling opponent in Streator. The Redskins kicked their running game into gear Friday and are ranked No. 24 in the Chicago area by the Sun-Times.

Around the Interstate Eight

The games involving area teams, all on Friday night, are Coal City (2-0) at Peotone (1-1), Wilmington (1-1) at Reed-Custer (0-2) and Seneca (0-2) at Dwight (0-2). The Coal City-Peotone game in the Interstate Eight Large could be interesting. Peotone is attempting to rebound from a 30-0 loss to Wilmington, and Coal City is attempting to continue erasing memories of a 4-5 season in 2010. Wilmington appeared to have righted the ship and again will be the team to beat in the I-8 Small.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.