Football Game Preview: Pittsfield Saukees vs. Maroa-Forsyth Trojans

Pittsfield is 0-4 against Maroa-Forsyth since September of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Saukees will head out on the road to face off against the Trojans at 7:00 p.m.

On Friday, Pittsfield came up short against New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly and fell 27-14. The matchup marked the Saukees' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Pittsfield didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Dominic Cooper led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself.

Meanwhile, Maroa-Forsyth strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They claimed a resounding 56-0 victory over Riverton. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 69th, while the Hawks are ranked 442nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Pittsfield better keep an eye on Ryne Sheppard. He was instrumental in Maroa-Forsyth's win, throwing for 271 yards and six touchdowns while completing 84.2% of his passes, and also rushing for 37 yards. Another player making a difference was Zach Smith, who picked up 67 receiving yards and three scores.

Pittsfield's defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Maroa-Forsyth, their win bumped their record up to 5-0.

Pittsfield took a serious blow against Maroa-Forsyth in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 50-8. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Sheppard, who rushed for 90 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries, and also threw for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 86.7% of his passes. Now that the Saukees know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.