Previewing Week 5's top high school football games

It’s a loaded weekend around the area in Week 5. Here are previews of a few of the best games.

No. 9 Batavia at No. 10 St. Charles North, 7 p.m. Friday

It's a matchup of the last two teams still unbeaten in one of the state's better conferences, the DuKane. Batavia (3-1, 2-0) has one of the state's top young quarterbacks in junior Michael Vander Luitgaren, who has completed 63% of his passes for 761 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception. Preston Brummel (399 yards, four TDs) and Henry Hahn (288 yards, seven TDs) have been productive running backs. Senior linebacker Tony Minnec leads the Bulldogs' defense with 40 tackles, including eight for loss. St. Charles North (4-0, 2-0) also has a capable passer in JT Padron, who threw for 328 yards and three TDs in a win over Wheaton North last week. His favorite target is senior Northwestern commit Keaton Reinke.

No. 16 Lyons at No. 5 Glenbard West, 1:30 p.m. Saturday

The West Suburban Silver is the state's deepest conference with five ranked teams, so there are good matchups like this one every week. Lyons (3-1, 0-1) is coming off its first regular-season loss since 2023, 29-26 to No. 14 Hinsdale Central. Quarterback Jack Slightom and running back EJ Kuhlman lead a diversified offense. Glenbard West (4-0, 2-0) has a quarterback in AJ Rayford who can make plays with his arm and legs and a deep stable of running backs including Bryce Ellens, Amari Harris and Jamarcus Kelly.

No. 6 Nazareth vs. Joliet Catholic, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Joliet Memorial Stadium

Arguably no team in the state has played a tougher schedule than Joliet Catholic (1-3), which has three losses to ranked teams (No. 5 Glenbard West, No. 16 Lyons and No. 17 Fenwick). Lucas Simulick's touchdown pass as time expired last week gave the Hilltoppers their first win against a Marist team better than its 0-4 record suggests. Frankie Nichols has won the quarterback job for Nazareth (3-1) and has two elite receivers in Trenton Walker and Illinois State commit Jake Cestone.

Yorkville at No. 20 Oswego, 7 p.m. Friday

These are two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the Southwest Prairie West along with Oswego East. Senior quarterback Jack Beetham has completed 56% of his passes for Yorkville (4-0, 1-0) for 560 yards and seven TDs with no interceptions. TJ Harland has 488 yards on 60 touches (8.1 average) with six touchdowns. Oswego (4-0, 1-0) is allowing under nine points per game. Mariano Velasco scored on a 66-yard reception and a 25-yard interception return last week against Plainfield South.

Kenwood vs. Simeon, 4 p.m. Saturday at Gately Stadium

This is a matchup of two of the Public League's traditional powers, who look to be solid again this season. Kenwood (3-1, 2-0 Public League Metro) has won three straight since opening the season with a four-point loss to No. 18 St. Francis. Senior quarterback Kenyonte Louis is completing 66% of his passes for 788 yards and nine TDs with one interception. Simeon (2-2, 2-0), which opened with losses to Wheaton North and Bolingbrook. has a pair of elite edge rushers in senior Michigan commit McHale Blade and junior Brian DeMoss, whose offers include Indiana and Michigan.