It’s still early, but Week 2 will have a lasting impact on the Southland football season.

A schedule filled with showdowns did not disappoint. At places like Lincoln-Way Central, Brother Rice and Mount Carmel, the joy that comes with beating your biggest rival will not wear off anytime soon.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, which 0-2 teams are in trouble?

Let’s take a look with my Week 2 impressions.

The Knights take New Lenox … for now

Go back a few years and it would have been ludicrous to suggest Lincoln-Way Central could beat Providence.

Lincoln-Way Central’s Luke Tingley (2) finds a seam to run through against Bradley-Bourbonnais during a Class 7A state quarterfinal game in Bradley on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

But things have changed quickly for the Knights under coach Dave Woodburn.

Still, it’s one thing to go on a run through a favorable bracket to the Class 7A semifinals last season and it’s another thing to show you can actually handle the Catholic school down the street.

Lincoln-Way Central did the latter Friday night, topping the Celtics 26-14.

The Knights did it despite an emotional hit they surely took when senior running back/receiver Luke Tingley went down with a serious leg injury.

Lincoln-Way Central’s Lucas Andresen (81) catches a pass against Batavia during a Class 7A state semifinal game in New Lenox on Saturday, Nov 23, 2024. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

Without one of their top playmakers, the Knights were still unstoppable. Justin Cobbs ran for 197 yards on 25 carries, Lucas Andresen hauled in three touchdown passes from Drew Woodburn and Lincoln-Way Central piled up 496 yards of offense.

Yes, this team is for real.

I understand there being some offseason skepticism regarding exactly how far the Knights had come. It’s true their path to the semifinals last fall was not stacked with traditional powers.

But I saw them play in the quarterfinals and was very impressed.

Providence’s Xavier Coleman (2) turns up the field as Lincoln-Way Central’s Nolan Morrill (3) tries to bring him down during a nonconference game in New Lenox on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

Coming within seconds of knocking off Batavia — which IS one of those traditional powers — in the semifinals? And returning much of the core of that team?

That was enough evidence for me that Lincoln-Way Central deserved the high preseason ranking of No. 6 in the Southland. And the Knights are validating that belief thus far.

Kudos to both sides for making this rivalry happen the last two seasons. Intense games with huge, passionate crowds and crosstown bragging rights on the line? That’s what high school football is all about.

But about those bragging rights. The Knights are going to have put them back on the line in Week 4 when they head west down Route 30 again — and this time veer a bit south — to take on Lincoln-Way West.

That one should be great, too.

Maybe all those Village of New Lenox commercials I hear during Chicago Cubs games, lauding all the town has to offer, should start mentioning how good the high school football is there.

Joliet Catholic’s Lucas Simulick (11) throws a pass against Nazareth in the Class 5A state championship game at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

Panic time for these 0-2 teams?

Three teams that cracked the Daily Southtown’s preseason Top 10 are now 0-2. Marist, Joliet Catholic and Crete-Monee have some work to do.

The Hilltoppers have the most reason to feel optimistic about their Week 2 game as they pushed Glenbard West to the limit in a 27-21 road loss against a team that was coming off a very impressive 31-28 season-opening win against Batavia.

That’s the good news. The bad news? The schedule, of course. Joliet Catholic has Mount Carmel and Nazareth still ahead.

If the Hilltoppers lose those two, they have to be perfect the rest of the way, starting this week at Fenwick.

Win this week, and I believe they can sneak into the playoffs at 5-4. But there’s no margin for error.

Marist? The RedHawks have probably played their two toughest games of the season. The rest is no cakewalk but not quite as daunting. However, a quick bounce back is needed this week at Montini.

Crete-Monee? There should be a different kind of worry over there. The Warriors play mostly overmatched opponents the next six weeks and will make the playoffs.

But Friday’s 41-6 loss to Bradley-Bourbonnais raises serious doubts about Crete-Monee’s ability to compete with good teams.

A team that began the year with serious hopes for a deep postseason run in Class 6A has a lot of growing to do before the playoffs.

Brother Rice’s Jameson Davis (21) runs the ball and finds a hole against Marist during a nonconference game in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)

Most eye-opening score

Brother Rice 35, Marist 0.

The Crusaders made a statement in the Battle of Pulaski, ending a three-game losing streak to the RedHawks.

Some talented Brother Rice teams the past few years have come up just short again and again in big games. This is a convincing breakthrough for coach Casey Quedenfeld and his group.

The Green brothers, Jovan Jr. and Jaylin, also had big nights.

However, I will caution the Crusaders to not celebrate for too long. They visit a hard-nosed St. Rita team on Friday, and if Brother Rice has any sort of letdown, that will not go well.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/08/steve-millar-3-takeaways-week-2-ihsa-football-southland/