Football Game Preview: Thornton Wildcats vs. Kankakee Kays

Thornton is 0-6 against Kankakee since August of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Wildcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Kays at 6:00 p.m. Thornton has given up an average of 26.7 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Friday, Thornton took a blow against Thornwood, falling 34-6.

Meanwhile, Kankakee entered their tilt with Bloom on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They breezed past the Blazing Trojan to the tune of 48-0. Given the Kays' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Blazing Trojan are ranked 384th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Kankakee's win came from a few key players Thornton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Phillip Turner, who threw for 169 yards and three TDs on only 15 passes. His passing game has become a key predictor of Kankakee's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Zayden Henley helped Turner out on the ground, rushing for 12 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also picking up 37 receiving yards and one score.

Kankakee didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Caden Benson and Angelo Ervin. With that strong performance, Benson is now averaging an impressive 5.4 total tackles per game.

Thornton's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Kankakee, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.

Thornton was dealt a bruising 41-0 loss at the hands of Kankakee in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Wildcats, James Stampley (who rushed for 42 yards and one TD, and also picked up 70 receiving yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.