Divisional play continues as we enter Week 4 in the TRAC.
Next week will bring games that likely will decide the conference championship on each side of the league, with Rockridge hosting Newman and Monmouth-Roseville traveling to Princeton. All four teams will try to keep momentum rolling in games they’re favored in.
WRMJ’s Ty Taylor is joined by Greg Armstrong and Mitch Stoermer from View from the West Podcast to preview and predict this week’s action.
Standings after Week 3
| Place | Picker | Record |
| 1 | Ty | 14-3 |
| T2 | Mitch | 13-4 |
| T2 | Greg | 13-4 |
Game of the Week: Newman (3-0, 1-0 TRAC Rock) @ Orion (2-1, 1-0 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Orion hosts Newman for Homecoming at Charger Field in the only game in the conference that features a pair of teams off to 1-0 starts in divisional play.
Orion hammered Mercer County 47-20 on the road last week in a game that felt like a must-win for both teams coming in. The Chargers scored off a pair of turnovers in the first quarter to jump in front 14-0 and led for the entire night. Orion senior quarterback and wide receiver duo Kale Filler and Owen Voorhees each scored six TDs in the blowout win. Filler was 17-24 for 272 yards with the aforementioned six TDs, while Voorhees caught 11 passes for 193 yards and five TDs and also rushed for a score.
Newman rebounded from a sluggish Week 2 performance to thump Erie-Prophetstown 49-14 in Week 3. The Comets, ranked No. 3 in this week’s 1A AP Poll, scored the first 21 points of the game and led 27-14 at halftime. Newman went on to outscore the Panthers 22-0 in the second half. Evan Bushman threw for two TDs, while Rylan Alvarado and George Jungerman each rushed for a pair of scores in the win. Through three weeks, Newman’s defense has allowed just over 15 points per game.
Picks
Ty: Newman
Greg: Newman
Mitch: Newman
Mercer County (1-2, 0-1 TRAC Rock) @ Riverdale (2-1, 0-1 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Mercer County hits the road to take on Riverdale in a matchup of teams looking for their first divisional wins.
Mercer County was routed by Orion 47-20 at home last week in a game that saw the Golden Eagles allow a pair of players to each score six touchdowns on them. Mercer County committed three turnovers in the loss and trailed 28-8 at halftime. The Golden Eagles have struggled early in games so far this year, with zero first-quarter points through three weeks, and they’ve been outscored 49-22 in the first half. With two losses already, and games still to come against Erie-Prophetstown, Newman, Rockridge, and Princeton in the following weeks, Mercer County’s back feels like it’s already against the wall heading into another must-win game on the road.
Riverdale suffered its first loss of the year, 49-21, to Rockridge last week. The Rams dug themselves into a 21-0 hole in the first quarter but rallied to get within 28-14 early in the third quarter, before fading in the fourth quarter. The Rams allowed seven touchdowns in the loss after giving up just seven points combined in their first two games of the season. Junior quarterback Abram Krier, a first-year varsity starter for Riverdale, accounted for all three TDs in the loss. He rushed for two and threw for another. The Rams will look to take a big step towards earning their first playoff berth since 2011 in Week 4.
Picks
Ty: Riverdale
Greg: Riverdale
Mitch: Riverdale
Rockridge (3-0, 1-0 TRAC Rock) @ Erie-Prophetstown (2-1, 0-1 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Rockridge will try to keep rolling on the road against Erie-Prophetstown this week.
In a matchup of undefeated teams last week, Rockridge put Riverdale away early in a game that garnered some hype heading into it. The Rockets scored the first 21 points of the game in the first quarter, and the game never got within one score the rest of the night. Rockridge junior quarterback Cullen Schwigen rushed for two TDs and passed for another to bring his season total to 14 through three games. Tanner Dye and Thomas Sowards also rushed for a pair of TDs each in the win.
Erie-Prophetstown took its first loss of the season last week, 49-14 to Newman. After allowing the first 21 points of the game, the Panthers fought within 27-14 at halftime, but were outscored 22-0 in the second half. Both of Erie-Prophetstown’s scoring plays were passes from Keegan Winckler to Gaven Adams. The Panthers have a brutal start to Rock Division play with a game against Newman last week and Rockridge this week. The schedule will lighten up a bit starting next week for Erie-Prophetstown, with games to come against Mercer County, Riverdale, Orion, and Mendota before playing Princeton to end the regular season.
Picks
Ty: Rockridge
Greg: Rockridge
Mitch: Rockridge
Sherrard (0-3, 0-1 TRAC Mississippi) @ Hall (1-2, 1-0 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Hall hosts Sherrard for Homecoming in Spring Valley in Sherrard’s return to the field for the first time in 14 days.
Sherrard was forced to forfeit to Princeton last week after the Tigers’ varsity roster was decimated by injury and illness. While Sherrard has committed to playing this week, but the Tigers are far from full strength. Sherrard is still likely to be missing multiple two-way starters this week, who have been unable to return from either being hurt or sick. The program, which has 34 players at full strength, will look to piece together a strong performance on the backend of a challenging two-week stretch for the Tigers.
Hall first-year head coach Nick Sterling notched his first win by beating Mendota 18-6 last week. The Red Devils limited Mendota to less than 100 yards of total offense in the win. Hall’s three scoring plays came on a 58-yard TD run by Dylan Glynn, a 48-yard TD pass from Glynn to Aiden Redcliff, and a 56-yard punt return by Braden Curran. The Red Devils were competitive in early-season losses to Orion and Erie-Prophetstown and will be aiming to ride last week’s momentum into a chance to even up their record on the season.
Picks
Ty: Hall
Greg: Hall
Mitch: Hall
Mendota (0-3, 0-1 TRAC Mississippi) @ Monmouth-Roseville (3-0, 1-0 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Undefeated Monmouth-Roseville hosts winless Mendota for Homecoming at Coach Dobry Field this week.
Monmouth-Roseville rolled to its third straight win to open the season 55-7 over Kewanee last week. The Titans led 32-0 at halftime in the victory. Monmouth-Roseville rushed for 332 yards in the game, which brought its season total to 1,097 yards on the ground in just three weeks. Nick Huston led the way on the ground for the Titans with 113 yards and two TDs. Landon Montroy added 97 yards and three scores out of the backfield. Monmouth-Roseville has outscored its opponents 138-49 so far this season.
Mendota dropped its Mississippi Division opener to Hall 18-6 last week. While the Trojans have now lost 16 games in a row, Mendota has been much more competitive in 2025 than it was in 2024. After trailing 6-0 at halftime to Hall, the Trojans allowed the Red Devils to extend the lead to 12-0 midway through the third quarter. Mendota answered with a 37-yard TD run by Corbin Furar to close the gap to 12-6 late in the third quarter, but couldn’t get back into the endzone.
Picks
Ty: Monmouth-Roseville
Greg: Monmouth-Roseville
Mitch: Monmouth-Roseville
Kewanee (0-3, 0-1 TRAC Mississippi) @ Princeton (1-2, 1-0 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Princeton and Kewanee meet for the 127th time this week in one of the state’s oldest rivalries. The series dates back to 1897 and features a traveling trophy.
Princeton will be back on the field for the first time in 14 days after picking up a forfeit win over Sherrard last week, which wasn’t how the Tigers wanted to pick up their first win of the year following two tight losses to state-ranked teams to start the season. Princeton and Monmouth-Roseville look to be in a class of their own in the Mississippi Division heading into next week’s clash.
Kewanee continued to struggle early this season with a 55-7 loss to Monmouth-Roseville last week. The Boilermakers trailed 32-0 at halftime and didn’t score until the game was out of reach in the third quarter. The Boilermakers have been outscored 138-20 so far this season.
Picks
Ty: Princeton
Greg: Princeton
Mitch: Princeton
WRMJ’s coverage of the TRAC is presented by:
- Midwest Bank, with locations that include Aledo, Andalusia, Monmouth, and Moline
- Local COUNTRY Financial representatives Tracy Bigham, Jason Potter, and John Waugh in Aledo, Brent Bigham in Edgington, and Julie Hessler in Orion.
- Breedlove’s Sporting Goods in Kewanee
Visit our TRAC webpage to stay updated with the conference throughout the season.