Football Game Preview: Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers vs. Niles Notre Dame Dons

The Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers will face off against the Niles Notre Dame Dons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Joliet Catholic is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Nazareth Academy, who was ranked fifth at the time (Joliet Catholic was ranked 21st). The Hilltoppers had to suffer through a 48-21 loss at the hands of the Roadrunners. The Hilltoppers haven't had much luck with the Roadrunners recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.

Meanwhile, Niles Notre Dame played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by St. Rita and fell 48-13. The Dons were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 26-6.

Niles Notre Dame now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Joliet Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.

Everything came up roses for Joliet Catholic against Niles Notre Dame in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 28-0 victory. Will the Hilltoppers repeat their success, or do the Dons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.