Football power rankings: Rockford's top 10 includes a power dropping down one class
Opening night has become opening week for NIC-10 football teams, with games spread over three days. The season starts with three familiar small-school powers in state-title contention again — and one NIC-10 power that could make noise in a new (lower) class. But the NIC-10 as a whole, may be as competitive as it has been in decades with five legitimate contenders for the title.
"That was the whole goal, wasn't it?" Harlem coach Boy Moynihan said. "It should be a unique year in the NIC. A lot of good things are happening. I'd like to see everyone make a playoff run. It's time to show the world what the NIC is about."
Here are our preseason power rankings, listing the top 10 teams in the Rockford area in order of their projected playoff chances:
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1) Lena-Winslow
Le-Win returns only one starter on defense (linebacker Gage Dunker) and three on offense (Dunker at running back and offensive linemen Odin Stabenow and Tanner Kempel). So what. The Panthers have won three straight Class 1A state titles and six since 2010. They won every game by more than 20 points except Forreston last year, then beat Forreston by 22 in the playoffs in the rematch. Dunker, who ran for 120 yards and 3 TDs in last year's state title game, should have a huge season. So should Le-Win. Eastland/Pear City coach Jared McNutt put it simply when asked about the best team in the area: "Le-Win: Because they are Le-Win and they reload."
2) Byron
Caden Considine led Byron (11-2) with 665 yards rushing on 92 carries as a freshman. Senior Kye Aken (543 yards on 63 carries), junior Brayden Knoll (422 yards on 49 carries) and senior Ashton Henkel (290 yards on 21 carries, 192 yards receiving on only eight catches) also return for a team that has run its way to three Class 3A state title games and a 50-2 conference record in its last six full seasons. Byron also returns linebackers Jacob Ross and Carsen Behn and linemen Josh Harris and Jared Claunch, who could all contend for all-Big Northern honors. Most of Byron’s stars play both ways, led by Aken, a three-year starter at cornerback who broke Byron’s record in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.67 seconds. If Byron's scrimmage is any indication, the Tigers may also throw more this year.
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3) Boylan
Boylan (9-2) lost to the eventual Class 5A state champs in the second round of the playoffs the last two years. That probably won’t happen this year — because Boylan is projected to drop to 4A for the first time. Class 4A is no picnic either, dominated by the likes of Rochester, Joliet Catholic and Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, and featuring a No. 13 seed that reached the state title game in New Lenox Providence last year. But a Boylan team in 4A armed with senior QB Connor Dennis (2,871 yards passing the last two years) and Rasheed Johnson (689 yards rushing with one of the highest averages in NIC-10 history at 10.9 yards per carry) could join the 1994 Belvidere team and the 1985 East E-Rabs as teams that didn’t win the conference but won state titles.
4) Forreston
The Cardinals (8-5) return six starters on offense and seven on defense from a team that may have lost five times last year, but reached the state semifinals and was the only team to come within 20 points of Class 1A state champ Lena-Winslow. Forreston has won three state titles since 2014 and reached at least the second round of the playoffs every year. It will be hard to replace 1,400-yard rusher Johnny Kobler, but whoever becomes the Cardinals’ top back will have a lot of help. “We have a lot of seniors with valuable varsity experience, but an unproven junior class,” Forreston coach Keynon Janicke said. “We must improve on special teams.”
5) Belvidere North
Belvidere North (7-3) is the pick here to win what appears to be a very balanced NIC-10, but is less likely to make a playoff run because it is projected to be placed two classes higher than Boylan in the postseason. North returns four starters on defense and seven starters on offense from a team that started 7-0 last year, including quarterback Maddox Gyllenswan and explosive backs Nico Bertolino and Joseph Brown. North also may have the best special teams in the conference. “It all starts with Nico and Joseph and Max under center,” North coach Jeff Beck said. “Our defense is our biggest question mark.”
6) Hononegah
Hononegah (7-3) returns seven starters on both sides of the ball for a team that has made the playoffs 15 years in a row. Receiver/defensive back/kick returner Isaiah Houi gives Hono a star in all three phases. Linebacker Miles Schmidt and nose guard Mike Floryance, who were both injured at times last year, return and could elevate a defense that slipped to fourth in the NIC-10 last year. Quarterback Cole Warren threw for 1,301 yards and ran for 452 last year with a combined 27 TDs. Estin Fichter, Hononegah’s leading rusher, also returns, but will need more than his 562 yards last year for Hononegah to win the NIC-10. “We have a stable of running backs who can do a good job, but Estin has worked really hard this offseason to get faster and gain strength,” Hononegah coach Brian Zimmerman said.
7) Durand/Pecatonica
Star quarterback Cooper Hoffman leads a team that throws more — and better — than any of its conference rivals and returns seven starters on offense and six on defense. “And many of our new starters also have game experience,” coach Tyler Hoffman said. Du/Pec won the NUIC title in 2021 and lost the title to Le-Win on the final play in 2020, but has been somewhat quiet because it is a 3A team playing in a 1A league. It has reached the second round of the 3A playoffs its last two trips, but may have to fall to 2A — it is right on the cut-off line — to make a long postseason run. “We don’t worry about that,” Hoffman said. “Our goal is to win games and make the playoffs. Once we are there, we will play in whatever class we get put in.”
8) Harlem
Harlem (8-4) returns nine starters on defense and five on offense from a team that reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history. Jahmani Muhammad, who ran for 1,586 yards as a sophomore last year, is on track to become the league's all-time leading rusher, but Harlem needs to stop the run better itself. Harlem also changed its defensive front from a 5-2 alignment to a 4-6 after Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge set a state playoff rushing record against the Huskies in the third round. “We are coming with a lot of speed,” coach Bob Moynihan said. Prairie Ridge forced that issue. We are not going to be slow. We’ve got a lot of speed up front.”
9) Rochelle
Rochelle (9-3) must replace its best blocker and two backs who ran for a combined 3,000 yards but has six starters back on offense and six on defense from a team that has made the playoffs 20 of the last 23 years. Look for Erich Metzger, who ran for 843 yards as Rochelle’s third option last year, to emerge as the leading rusher in the Rockford area. “Our competitiveness has produced quality practices,” coach Kyle Kissack said. “We’ve grown consistently as a group. I look forward to what that trait can produce for our team.”
10) Guilford
Guilford (7-3) returns five starters on both sides of the ball from its best team in nine years. The Vikings will have to replace 1,000-yard rusher Jayvon Jones and some experience offensive linemen, but return quarterback Skyler Wolf (1,063 yards passing with 12 TDs and only three interceptions), a bunch of receivers and some key players on a defense that allowed 16.2 points to NIC-10 rivals, third in the league. “We have had the most competitive camp in my 13 years at Guilford,” coach Tony Capriotti said. “How well we adjust and overcome adversity will determine how far we go.”
Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Power rankings: Could Rockford football teams win state in 3 classes?
