The penultimate week of the regular season features the headliner of TRAC football in 2025, an undefeated battle between division champions Rockridge and Monmouth-Roseville. Last week, the Rockets clinched the Rock Division title for the third time in the last four years, while the Tians won a second consecutive TRAC Mississippi championship.
Outside of Monmouth-Roseville and Rockridge, Newman and Erie-Prophetstown have also clinched playoff spots in the conference. Princeton and Riverdale have the chance to earn their postseason-qualifying fifth wins this week, as it looks likely that six teams will be postseason qualifiers from the TRAC.
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. More importantly than the action on the field this week, our three brave predictors are tied heading into Week 8.
Standings after Week 7
| Place | Picker | Record |
| T1 | Greg | 35-6 |
| T1 | Mitch | 35-6 |
| T1 | Ty | 35-6 |
Game of the Week: Monmouth-Roseville (7-0, 5-0 TRAC Mississippi) @ Rockridge (7-0, 5-0 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
The most highly anticipated game of the TRAC season features a pair of unbeaten teams with Rockridge hosting Monmouth-Roseville in Week 8.
Last year, Rockridge handed Monmouth-Roseville its first loss of the season in a 28-18 win on the road. This year, the Rockets enter the matchup as the No. 1-ranked team in this week’s IHSA 2A AP rankings following a 61-24 win over Mercer County last week. Rockridge started slow and held just a 26-17 lead early in the third quarter before pulling away. Rocket junior quarterback Cullen Schwigen accounted for six more TDs in the win, which brought his season total to 30. Tanner Dye added 149 rushing yards and a score in the win. The Rockets racked up 523 yards of total offense in the win. Rockridge, ranked No. 1 in 2A this week by the Associated Press, has outscored its opponents 296-99 in 2025. The Rockets close the regular season at Hall next week.
Monmouth-Roseville ran over Hall 57-14 last week. The Titans rushed for 492 yards in the win. Nick Huston set a single-game program rushing yardage record in the game with 282 yards and three TDs. Landon Montroy added 136 yards and two TDs. Monmouth-Roseville averages 46 points and nearly 370 rushing yards per game. The Titans have outscored their opponents 322-105 so far this season. Monmouth-Roseville hosts Newman in Week 9.
Picks
Ty: Rockridge
Greg: Monmouth-Roseville
Mitch: Rockridge
Princeton (4-3, 4-1 TRAC Mississippi) @ Mercer County (1-6, 0-5 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Princeton is aiming to clinch a playoff berth at Mercer County this week.
Princeton used a big second half to beat Mendota 48-10 at home last week. The Tigers led 14-10 at halftime and went on to outscore the Trojans 34-0 in the second half. Casey Etheridge rushed for 224 yards and four TDs on 13 carries. Gavin Lanham added 91 yards and two scores on the ground. Princeton rushed for 395 yards as a team in the win. The Tigers have won back-to-back games after their Week 5 setback to Monmouth-Roseville and are one win away from clinching a playoff spot for the seventh year in a row. Princeton closes the regular season at home against Erie-Propststown next week.
Mercer County suffered its fifth straight loss last week in a 61-24 setback at home against Rockridge. Despite the lopsided final score, Mercer County trailed by only nine points, 26-17, early in the third quarter. The Golden Eagles set a season-high with 329 total yards, 284 of which were rushing yards. Tannen Whitehall ran for 115 yards and a score, including a 78-yard TD run. John Baldwin added 94 yards and a TD on the ground. Mercer County’s defense struggled again, allowing nine TDs, 61 points, and 523 yards of total offense to Rockridge. The Golden Eagles wrap up the season at Mendota in Week 9.
Picks
Ty: Princeton
Greg: Princeton
Mitch: Princeton
Sherrard (1-6, 1-4 TRAC Mississippi) @ Orion (2-5, 1-4 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Sherrard makes the short trip to Orion to renew a longtime local rivalry this week.
Sherrard is coming off its first win of the season, a 52-7 blowout of Kewanee on the road. The Tigers opened the scoring with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown by Javin Jones and led for the rest of the night. Carter Brown rushed for a score and threw a TD pass to Emery Partlow. Harrison Curry ran for two TDs and Cooper Thomas, Landon Clark and Wes Easley each added a rushing TD of their own. The Tigers snapped a 10-game losing streak with the win. Sherrard closes the season at home against Riverdale next week.
Orion had its playoff hopes erased in a 40-14 loss to Erie-Prophetstown last week. The Chargers opened the scoring late in the first quarter on a 2-yard TD rush by Kale Filler and led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, before surrendering the next 40 points of the game. Orion enters Week 8 on a four-game losing streak and will finish the year at Kewanee next week.
Picks
Ty: Sherrard
Greg: Sherrard
Mitch: Sherrard
Hall (3-4, 3-2 TRAC Mississippi) @ Riverdale (4-3, 2-3 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Riverdale will look to avenge a loss to Hall last season in a game with big playoff implications for both teams.
Riverdale entered Week 8 last season at 3-4, needing wins over Hall and Sherrard to get into the postseason. The Rams were upset by the Red Devils, dashing their playoff aspirations. This year, Riverdale hosts Hall with a chance to secure its fifth win of the season, which would put the program into the playoff field for the first time since 2011. The Rams have lost back-to-back close games since a 4-1 start to the season – 42-36 to Erie-Prophetstown and 24-14 to Newman. Riverdale plays at Sherrard in Week 9.
Hall is trying to keep its playoff hopes alive after falling to Monmouth-Roseville 57-14 last week. The Red Devils allowed 492 rushing yards in the loss last week. Hall has lost back-to-back games after putting together a three-game winning streak in the three weeks prior. The Red Devils will play at home against Rockridge in the regular season finale next week.
Picks
Ty: Riverdale
Greg: Riverdale
Mitch: Riverdale
Mendota (2-5, 2-3 TRAC Mississippi) @ Erie-Prophetstown (5-2, 3-2 TRAC Rock) – Friday 7 p.m.
Preview
Erie-Prophetstown will try to bolster its playoff seeding at home against Mendota in Week 8.
Erie-Prophetstown secured a playoff spot with a 40-14 win over Orion last week. The win was the third straight victory for the Panthers. Erie-Prophetsown trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter before rattling off 40 consecutive points. Keegan Winckler threw a TD pass to Gaven Adams and rushed for four scores. Tristan Hovey added a rushing TD in the win. The Panthers play at Princeton next week.
Mendota had a two-game winning streak snapped in a 48-10 loss to Princeton last week. The Trojans trailed just 14-10 at halftime, but were outscored 34-0 in the second half. Mendota gave up nearly 400 rushing yards in the loss. The Trojans will host Mercer County in Week 9.
Picks
Ty: Erie-Prophetstown
Greg: Erie-Prophetstown
Mitch: Erie-Prophetstown
Kewanee (0-7, 0-5 TRAC Mississippi) @ Newman (6-1, 4-1 TRAC Rock) – Saturday 1 p.m.
Preview
Newman will look to keep the momentum rolling into a Week 9 showdown with Monmouth-Roseville in a Saturday afternoon game against Kewanee.
Newman has won two games in a row after suffering its only loss of the season to Rockridge in Week 5. Last week, the Comets downed Riverdale 24-14. Evan Bushman threw three TD passes in the win. Looking at the postseason picture, Newman looks to be right on the bubble of being placed in the 1A or 2A bracket. Early season projections had the Comets in 1A, but this past week, they have been forecast to be the smallest school in the 2A field from our friends Kyle Kampmeir at NUIC Football and Steve Soucie with Friday Night Drive.
Kewanee took its seventh straight loss last week, 52-7 to Sherrard. The struggles continued for the Boilermakers, who have now been outscored 342-52 this season. The Boilermakers face another stiff test in 1A No. 5 Newman this week. Kewanee hosts Orion next week.
Ty: Newman
Greg: Newman
Mitch: Newman
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.