A sneak peek at Week 10’s best high school football games

Class 8A: No. 24 Maine South at No. 21 Naperville North, Saturday 6 p.m.

In quarterback year, few were better than Naperville North’s Jacob Bell (7-2). The Ball State recruit has completed 72% of his passes for 2,788 yards and 34 touchdowns, setting season records for passing touchdowns and completions. Maine South (6-3) started 1-3 with losses to Lincoln-Way East, Hersey and Barrington, but has since won five straight. A move to second-year quarterback Jameson Purcell, who has multiple Power Four offers, has been one of the reasons for the recent surge.

Class 8A: Warren at No. 15 Palatine, Friday, 7:30 p.m

At 5-4, this is a bad year by Warren’s usual standards. But the Blue Devils are built to win in November with an elite running back in junior Aaron Stewart, who has 24 touchdowns and is averaging 27 carries and 196 rushing yards per game. Palatine (8-1) finished first in tough Mid-Suburban West, which sent five of its six teams to the playoffs and has won eight in a row since losing 28-27 to St. Charles North in Week 1 . is fueled by an offensive line led by guard Parker Brault, a Marshalll recruit, and Jaylen Williams, a four-star prospect committed to Michigan as a defensive lineman.

Class 7A: No. 17 Brother Rice vs. No. 18 Fenwick at Triton, Saturday 1:30 p.m

Brother Rice (6-3) lost in consecutive games to Marist, St. Rita and Loyola in September. But the Crusaders have since won five in a row, including a victory at Mount Carmel. The defense has allowed just 33 points during the run, and an offense led by running back Tyler Lofton and quarterback CJ Gray has found its stride. CCL/ESCC White champion Fenwick (7-2) has the area’s top prospect in defensive lineman Nate Marshall, an Auburn recruit who has also made his presence felt in the Friars’ passing game.

Class 7A: Hersey at No. 23 Prospect, Friday, 7 p.m

With 1-32 seedings in the two largest classes, it’s unusual to see a conference rematch this early in the playoffs. But here is the second meeting of the season between the Mid-Suburban East rivals. Prospect (7-2) is on a seven-game winning streak, including a 30-27 victory over Hersey, since opening the year with losses to Lyon and Palatine. In a banner year for quarterbacks, the Knights have a proven and productive veteran in Jack Skoog, along with a talented running back in Noah Easter. After a pair of early playoff losses, Hersey (6-3) deliberately beefed up its schedule, opening with losses to Warren and Barrington. But UCLA-bound quarterback Colton Gumino and the Huskies are 6-1 since then.

Class 7A: Kenwood vs. Young at Rockne Stadium, Friday, 7:15 p.m

Here’s another conference rematch between Public League Red co-champ Young (9-0) and Kenwood, the only 4-5 team to make the 256-team playoff field. Young won the first meeting 14-13 in Week 6 when Von Konrad threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Quinn Duhon with under two minutes remaining. That was one of three one-point wins over a four-week span for the Dolphins, who have a deep, experienced line anchored by four-year starter Nikola Dale. Kenwood has played as tough a schedule as any team in the region, with losses to the likes of St. Francis, Nazareth and Morgan Park.