Here we are, ready for Week 5 of the prep football season. It is a week that could produce big headlines, and set the stage for some bigger things later in the season. Or, this week’s games could throw the LIC race into utter chaos. Let’s find out. Here’s the lineup for this weekend:

FRIDAY

Olney (2-0, 4-0) at Newton (0-2, 1-3), 7:00 p.m.
Olney seeking its’ 14th straight regular-season win… Tigers lead the LIC in scoring at 51.25 points per game…  QB Gavyn Cothern leads the league with 757 rushing yards, and is at 2,323 yards for his career… Throw in his passing yardage, and Cothern is 48 yards shy of the 4,000-yard mark for career total yards… Newton wants to end three-game losing streak… Eagles lost to Mt. Carmel last week, 32-7… QB Hayden Mulvey threw for 254 yards in season-opening win over Bethalto Civic Memorial… Mulvey followed that with a 222-yard passing night vs. Trenton Wesclin in Week 2… Massey says: Olney, 44-14.

Paris (1-1, 3-1) at Mt. Carmel (2-0, 2-2), 7:00 p.m.
Could be a quick Homecoming game… Both teams want to run the football… Tigers average over 45 points per game… Last week, Carter Crippes rushed for 162 yards vs. Lawrenceville… Dawson Rogers added 143 on the ground… Each had 18 carries…  Crippes also ran for 184 yards vs. Marshall… Mt. Carmel had 3 backs with 100+ yard nights vs. Newton last week… RB Elliott Acree ran for 112 yards vs. Newton and is now 112 yards away from 2,000 for his career… Aces defense has held last 3 opponents (Effingham, Robinson, Newton) to only single or low double-digit rushing totals… Massey says: Mt. Carmel, 36-23.

Robinson (0-2, 1-3) at Marshall (3-1, 1-1), 7:00 p.m.
Marshall hopes to bounce back from a 57-19 loss to Olney, which spoiled its’ first 4-0 start since 2018…   Lions RB Lucca Giannavola has rushed for 698 yards and is only 132 yards away from the 2,000-yard mark for his career… He ran for 225 yards last week vs. Olney… Robinson took an early lead over Casey-Westfield last week on a 25-yard TD pass from Reese Johnson to A.J. Knoblett, but Warriors came back later for the win…  Johnson threw two first-half TD passes in win over Charleston… Massey says: Robinson, 34-28.

SATURDAY

#7 1A Casey-Westfield (2-0, 4-0) at Lawrenceville (0-2, 1-3), 1:00 p.m.
Casey-Westfield is coming off a 38-14 win over Newton last week, rallying in the second quarter to go ahead for good… Warriors defeated Tuscola, 20-16, in a Week 2 battle of state-ranked Class 1A teams… C-W special teams and defense have produced several touchdowns this season… Lawrenceville snapped a 12-game losing streak, stretching over parts of three seasons, with opening night win over Carlyle… Indians had second-quarter leads over both Olney and Paris, but couldn’t maintain them… Indians QB Isaac Vennard threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns vs. Olney… Massey says: Casey-Westfield, 43-7.