Week 7 Rockford football predictions: Will there by a 3-way tie for 1st in the NIC-10?

Matt Trowbridge (22-2 so far predicting NIC-10 and Rochelle results) and Jay Taft (29-5 picking Big Northern Conference and NUIC games) are back to make their Week 7 predictions for Rockford-area high school football games.

This is a big week, with a pair of matchups that will shape the top of the NIC-10 (Belvidere North at Hononegah and Harlem at Boylan) and a probable battle for second place in the Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Blue when Rochelle goes to Sandwich. Several teams in both the Big Northern Conference and in the NUIC begin their races for the playoffs this week as well.

Here are our predictions:

Belvidere North (5-1) at Hononegah (6-0)

I voted for Part I of chaos last week when I picked Hononegah to beat Boylan. I will go all in on chaos again and pick North this week, which could give us our first three-way tie for the NIC-10 title since 1984. To win, Max Gyllenswan will have to do Gyllenswan things and throw a couple of TD passes (he has nine TDs on only 13 completions this year) and North’s defense will have to contain Isaiah Houi and Cole Schmall, who have a combined 844 yards receiving. Prediction: Belvidere North 24, Hononegah 21.

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Boylan (5-1) at Harlem (5-1)

Harlem has a big-play defense — it has scored four safeties this year, plus a couple of defensive touchdowns — but can the Huskies contain Boylan’s big-play offense? It doesn’t matter if Boylan goes backward on a few plays as long as Rasheed Johnson and Connor Dennis keep hooking up on 60-yard TD passes, as they did twice against unbeaten Hononegah. Prediction: Boylan 28, Harlem 14.

Auburn (3-3) at Belvidere (1-5)

Belvidere had allowed 40 points or more in four straight games before edging Jefferson 18-14 last week. That season high was also the fourth time in five games they scored at least 14 points. The Bucs are definitely getting better. But Auburn makes the playoffs if it wins the next two weeks against teams that are a combined 1-11 and the Knights have scored at least 35 points in their three games against teams .500 or below. Prediction: Auburn 35, Belvidere 14.

Freeport (1-5) at Jefferson (0-6)

Freeport is the NIC-10 team that most seems better than its record. It has played fairly well the last two weeks, losing 32-19 to Harlem and 21-20 to Guilford, teams that are a combined 8-4. The Pretzels’ problem is they can’t run and aren’t consistent passing, throwing for over 900 yards but completing less than half their passes and with a league-high 11 interceptions to go with their 12 TD passes. But receivers Zac Matz and Dedric Macon, who have a combined 690 yards receiving and 11 TDs, should be too much for the J-Hawks. Prediction: Freeport 42, Jefferson 20.

Guilford (3-3) at East (1-5)

Javius Catlin became the eighth 3,000-yard rusher in conference history last week. He needs 594 more in his final three weeks to break Brenton Shaw’s conference record. Expect him to carry a heavy load Friday. But this could also be the week when people start to really notice Guilford co-quarterback Grayson Weber, a freshman who is averaging almost 10 yards per attempted pass (20-for-43 for 416 yards on the season). Prediction: Guilford 28, East 20.

Rochelle (4-2) at Sandwich (5-1)

Last week, Rochelle destroyed a Marengo team that came in with the same record and had both beaten the same three common foes. This game is similar. Both are 2-0 against Johnsburg and Harvard, but Rochell has won those games by an average of 46 points to Sandwich’s 24-point margin. The Hubs can pass this year when they need to — Carson Lewis is 29-for-51 for 426 yards — but usually don’t have to. This could be another Rochelle 400-yard rushing game. Prediction: Rochelle 35, Sandwich 21.

North Boone (4-2) at Lutheran (3-3)

This should be the most competitive game of the week in the Big Northern Conference, unless North Boone's defense is really all that. The Vikings have allowed 115 points, but 69 of those came against No. 1-ranked Byron. Lutheran and running back Gavin Sanders could keep this one close. Or the Vikings could stuff the run, and open it up with their dangerous passing attack. I think it will be close. Prediction: North Boone 42, Lutheran 40

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Genoa-Kingston (3-3) at Stillman Valley (3-3)

Stillman Valley closes the regular season against another powerhouse Byron team, so the Cardinals need this one and the next one to feel comfortable about making the playoffs. Basically, Stillman Valley's playoffs begin this week, and they just lost starting quarterback Braden Engel, who dislocated his knee in a non-football injury on Sept. 28. Will the Cardinals respond? Yes. Prediction: Stillman Valley 35, G-K 33

Winnebago (1-5) at Byron (6-0)

This was a big rivalry, even as recently as 2015, when Byron knocked off Winnebago 41-40 in overtime, and both teams won playoff games. Winnebago last beat Byron 28-21 in 2013. This is not the year that trend will swing back the other way. Prediction: Byron 62, Winnebago 16

Dixon (6-0) at Rockford Christian (0-6)

Rockford Christian may have squandered its only two winnable games the past two weeks. This one is not. But the Royal Lions still have a fun offense. Prediction: Dixon 50, Rockford Christian 20

Rock Falls (1-6) at Oregon (3-3)

This is an Oregon team on the rise, and it will show through in this one. Watch the Hawks soar, as Logan Weems runs roughshod all over the Rockets. Prediction: Oregon 44, Rock Falls 14

Durand/Pecatonica (5-1) at Fulton (4-2)

Fulton is on a four-game winning streak, but I don't believe the Steamer are quite on the level of Du/Pec this season. QB Cooper Hoffman has been on target in every game this year, even their bad loss to Le-Win. He will light them up in this one. Prediction: Du/Pec 38, Fulton 26

Gibson City (Melvin Sibley) (5-1) at Forreston (6-0)

Forreston's lone non-conference game of the year is against a 5-1 Gibson City squad that is a lot like them. The Cardinals of Forreston have outscored their first six foes 172-70, while Gibson City has outscored its opponents 178-70. The Cardinals play a tougher schedule, in my mind, and they are just plain tougher. Prediction: Forreston 31, Gibson City 18

Eastland/Pearl City (1-5) at Lena-Winslow (6-0)

This should be a blowout and could be out of reach by early second quarter. We shall see how much time the Le-Win stars get; probably not much. Prediction: Le-Win 71, E/PC 6

Dakota (2-4) at Galena (2-4)

Dakota has to win out to become playoff-eligible, and it just might be able to pull it off. This is where it all begins, and I like Dakota's chances, coming off a 48-0 win over West Carroll following a four-game losing skid. Prediction: Dakota 28, Galena 24

Stockton (2-4) at West Carroll (0-6)

Stockton, like Dakota, has a backstretch of teams that are all beatable, and this is another team that could win out and become playoff-eligible in dramatic fashion. This should be a nice, smooth start. The rest is up to them. Prediction: Stockton 45, West Carroll 13

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Who will win Week 7 Rockford-area football games?