Week 8 Rockford football takeaways: Rushing race is on, building with youth, returning DBs

In Week 8 of Rockford-area high school football, we learned no one is even close to Byron in the Big Northern Conference after the Tigers steam-rolled previously 7-0 Dixon. We also got a strong hint that may also be true of Lena-Winslow in the NUIC as previously unbeaten Forreston lost before next week's title showdown with Le-Win.

Here are a few more things that we took away from this week's games:

Belvidere North doesn't try to be boring, but doesn't mind it either

Early in the third quarter, with Belvidere North nursing a 10-point lead, the radio announcers began talking about North running out the clock in its rainy 17-7 win over Harlem. They never dropped the topic for the rest of the game.

That doesn’t mean North (6-2 and ranked No. 9 in Class 6A) goes in hoping to squeak out wins.

“Nah. You want to win by a lot and get it over,” sophomore linebacker/running back Noah Rooney said.

More: Belvidere North football beats Harlem and the rainy conditions

Still, North is happy to not take any chances if it doesn’t have to.

“We are doing whatever it takes to get a win,” North coach Jeff Beck said. “If you have to run the ball 60 or 70 times, or if you have to throw it here and there, I just want our kids to do whatever the defense is giving us.”

That can make for a lot of somewhat dull 3- and 4-yard runs. The most exciting part of North’s rain-swept win Friday might have been five or six players celebrating by running to the sidelines after the handshake line and sliding on the slip-and-slide of a field. But North coaches quickly put a stop to that.

“It’s a lot of fun celebrating with your team after a big win like that,” star cornerback/running back Nico Bertolino said, “but our coach is also a little frustrated because we also have a home game next week. We want to keep the field nice and fresh for that game, too.”

The record chase is on

Javius Catlin needed to average almost 200 yards in his last four games to break the NIC-10 career rushing record. Well, he has done it for his first three. Friday, he had three TD runs alone that totaled 150 yards in East's 30-20 win over Freeport. East hasn't completed its final stats yet, but Catlin should have a shot at the record in next week's finale against Jefferson (0-7). And Harlem's Jahmani Muhammad, a year behind Catlin, bounced back from gaining only 11 yards in 16 carries in a shut-out loss to Boylan to running for 132 yards in Friday's 17-7 loss to Belvidere North. Muhammad, who last year became the only sophomore to ever lead the NIC-10 in rushing, also looks like a good bet to eventually break the record.

More: Two-way players among Rockford's brightest Week 8 top HS football performers

East could be good without Catlin

East (3-5) will have a very hard time replacing 3,000-yard rusher Javius Catlin after he graduates this spring, but the defensive backfield could spark the E-Rabs next year. Jordan McClelland intercepted his fifth pass of the season in Friday's 30-20 victory over Freeport and Chris Tolliver had two interceptions, including a long pick-6. "They are working hard and they are getting better," East coach Gary Griffin said of the E-Rabs defensive backfield. "And everybody returns. We're excited."

Harlem help is on the way

As promised, Harlem plugged in some big freshmen in its 17-7 loss to Belvidere North. Logan Hackler (6-2 and 300 pounds) and Tyson Hill (6-2 and 268) helped Jahmani Muhammad rush for 132 yards against one of the league's top defenses. Noah Crandall also played on the defensive line as a freshman. And JaQuavius Kimbrough moved up from the sophomore team and ran eight times for 44 yards in the second half.

"We've got to get better. And we will," Harlem coach Bob Moynihan said.

Du/Pec paved way for Le-Win

Lena-Winslow (8-0) earned its third shutout of the season, and it was the sixth time they've held a team to one TD or less, as the Panthers plowed over Galena 50-0 on Friday night. But on the same night, Durand/Pecatonica (7-1) notched the upset of the night (year?) with a 6-0 win over previously unscathed Forreston (7-1).

So Le-Win has the easy answer for how this year's squad can secure the NUIC title, and how it can gain the premium momentum heading into the playoffs: Beat Forreston this Friday night.

Forreston hosts Le-Win on Friday in the regular-season finale. However, Forreston has had to play Le-Win in the postseason eight times in the last 17 years, so there is a strong chance next week will not be the only time the two rivals face off.

If Forreston manages the upset of Le-Win next week, they will share the NUIC title, and they will both head into the playoffs with an 8-1 mark.

Other NUIC bubble teams are: Stockton (4-4) beat Dakota (3-5) by a 14-6 tally on Friday, and is now at Galena (2-6) with a chance at locking in that fifth win; and Dakota hosts E/PC (2-6) with a slim chance of getting into the playoffs with its fourth win this week.

More: BNC football 'This was Byron football': Tigers dominate Dixon in battle of unbeatens for BNC title

Rivalry game to try and slam the door

Byron (8-0) has Stillman Valley (5-3) in a Week 9 showdown, and a Cardinal upset in this one sure would throw a wrench into the BNC standings once again. Stillman Valley opened last season with a 15-7 win over Byron, which was fresh off a Class 3A state title run. But Byron knocked off Dixon late in the season (just like it did this past Friday night), and Stillman Valley bowed down to Genoa-Kingston 32-28 in Week 9 to eventually share the title with the Tigers.

At least it's clear that Byron isn't going to overlook Stillman Valley in this one.

"All I know is," Byron head coach Jeff Boyer said after his team dismantled previously unbeaten Dixon on Friday night, "we could be in for some even better battles coming up... When we play Stillman (Valley), we throw the records out the window."

Now it gets a lot tougher for Oregon

After Lutheran knocked off Oregon 22-14 on Friday, the two teams sat 4-4, in need of wins in their finales to get into the playoffs. While there will be a couple of teams throughout the state that will get into the playoffs with just four wins, it's hard to think any will come out of the top-heavy BNC this season.

Byron (8-0), Dixon (7-1) and North Boone (6-2)are locked in; Stillman Valley (5-3) plays Byron, but is most likely already in; Oregon is at Rockford Christian (0-8) in a must-win game; and Lutheran is at Genoa-Kingston, which is also 4-4, and also appears to be in a do-or-die game. The winner of that one could go on; while the loser could go home.

Or not.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Week 8 Rockford football takeaways