Scouting Mt. Carmel at Neuqua Valley

No. 3 Mt. Carmel (8-2) at No. 11 Neuqua Valley (7-3)

Class 8A

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

Last week: Mt. Carmel beat Bolingbrook 55-27; Neuqua Valley beat Downers Grove South 36-22.

Outlook: A great atmosphere awaits as the well-supported Wildcats, who've never reached a state quarterfinal, host a power whose 10 titles rank second to Joliet Catholic's 13. Frank Lenti became the fourth coach in Illinois to reach 300 wins in the victory over Bolingbrook, led by quarterback Chris Sujka's 3 first-half touchdown runs. Neuqua's defense, headed by Michael Ippolito, T.J. Rhattigan, Leif Munson, Travon McCain and others, must beware of getting spread out horizontally, giving Sujka gaps in the Caravan's precision option. The Wildcats, who rallied from a 22-21 fourth-quarter deficit to Downers South, will continue sending tailback Trent Snyder behind all-Upstate Eight linemen Joel Lange and Jordan Young. Snyder's 1,288 yards rushing, for 14 touchdowns, sits third on Neuqua's single-season list. Avoiding a one-down mindset against one of Illinois' storied programs is essential. "The challenge is there before us," coach Bryan Wells said.

Advancement: Winner advances to an 8A quarterfinal against the winner between No. 2 Lyons Twp. (9-1) and No. 7 Sandburg (8-2).