Five Week 1 high school football games to watch

Maine South (10-2) at Batavia (10-3)

It would be hard to find a matchup of two programs with more success or more elite talent. Maine South won state in 1995, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2016 with four second-place finishes over the same span. Batavia captured 2013 and 2017 state championships and was second in 2022 and 2024. Both teams feature highly recruited QBs: the Hawks' Jameson Purcell (Indiana) vs. the Bulldogs' Michael Vander Luitgaren (Wyoming). They combined to throw for 5,700 yards and 62 touchdowns last year. Maine South’s Matthew Schlenhardt and Vuk Strbac and Batavia's Thomas Prescott, Brennon Zeng and Darin Ashiru are all playing Division I football next year.

Naperville Central (2-7) at Wheaton Warrenville South (7-4)

These longtime former DuPage Valley Conference foes meet again for the first time since 2017. The Redhawks are coming off a tough season but look to rebound behind 13 returning starters including last year’s defensive MVP, junior cornerback Eron Kennedy. Leading rusher Landon Nelson and leading receiver Mark Williams also are back. Wheaton Warrenville South is excited about a junior class that has gone undefeated the past two years at the lower levels. AJ Rogers is one of those juniors, a 6-foot-2 three-sport athlete who takes over at quarterback.

Carmel Catholic (8-3) at Hersey (9-3)

Kentucky-bound QB Jake Nawrot is back for the Huskies while Carmel’s quarterback last year, Nebraska-bound Trae Taylor, moved to Omaha. Advantage, Hersey. Nawrot, who threw for 3,078 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior, will try to get the Huskies off to a better start this season after opening 0-2 in 2025 before winning nine straight. Hersey starts the season ranked No. 4 in the Illinois Media Class 7A preseason poll; Carmel is No. 5 in the Class 6A poll.

Barrington (10-2) at Lyons (8-3)

Barrington found a new opponent to open the season, traveling to LaGrange to face a Lyons program with 20 playoff appearances in the last 21 years. Junior RB Lamar Osterhues, who totaled 1,153 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns last year, and Barrington’s massive offensive line will try to get the defending MSL West champions started on the right foot.

Libertyville (5-5) at Geneva (4-5)

Another new matchup to kick off the season, one that should see plenty of points. Tight end Brock Williams, a Texas recruit, leads the way for the Wildcats while Geneva has a Division I receiver of its own, Illinois-bound speedster Bennett Konkey, last year’s Class 3A state track champion in the 100- and 200-yard dashes.

Previews of games throughout the suburbs, pages 4 and 5.