Illinois high school football: Top standouts, best performances in Week 2

Alessio Milivojevic accounts for five TDs in St. Francis win

We're taking a look at some of the top standouts and performers from Illinois high school football games in Week 2.

See: Top standouts, best performances in Week 1

Jackson Alcorn, QB, Burlington Central

Alcorn carried the Burlington Central offense during a Fox Valley Conference bout with Dundee-Crown. The junior QB completed 17 of his 24 passes for 295 yards and five touchdowns to secure the Rockets a 41-6 victory.

Dominik Ball, RB, Palatine

A Tulane recruit, Ball was the go-to-guy for the Palatine offense on Friday. The senior racked up 182 yards and scored three touchdowns while playing in just the first half of the Pirates' 42-17 win over Buffalo Grove.

Noah Battle, RB, Downers Grove North

Battle scored a career-high four touchdowns as visiting Downers Grove North defeated rival Downers Grove South 35-13 on Friday night. He ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass. 

Brett Centnarowicz, RB, Johnsburg

A junior, Centnarowicz ran 21 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the Skyhawk's thrilling 40-37 win over Reed-Custer on Friday night. 

Constantine Coines, QB, Maine South

After stepping in for an injured starter last week, Coines settled into the starting role with a big performance in Maine South’s 28-7 win over Warren Township. The junior was 13-of-22 passing for 242 yards and a touchdown and he rushed eight times for 104 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

See: Illinois high school football scores: Live updates, live streams from Week 2 (9/1/2023)

Carter Deien, WR, Breese Central

Deien proved to be the deciding factor in Breese Central’s hard-fought 17-14 victory over rival Mater Dei. The junior caught four passes for 93 yards and both of the Cougars' touchdowns.

Patrick Durkin, K, Joliet Catholic

Durkin was the hero for the Hilltoppers in their matchup with CCL/ESCC rival Providence Catholic on Friday. The senior converted on field goals of 22, 27, 28, and 39 yards and added the point-after kick on the only touchdown of the night as Joliet Catholic won 19-0.

Jack Finn, RB, Prairie Ridge

Starring as the fullback in the Wolves' option offense, Finn was tough to bring down on Friday night. The junior finished with 169 yards on 25 carries and scored two fourth quarter touchdowns as Prairie Ridge defeated Crystal Lake South 38-14.

Torey French, WR, Carmel

Carmel found many ways to get the ball in French’s hands during their 20-10 non conference victory over Lake Forest. The senior playmaker had 4 catches for 53 yards, he picked up 33 yards on a reverse, and he broke free for a 54 yard kick return to give the Corsairs excellent field position.

Joseph Holcomb, QB, Sterling

The Golden Warriors came up short in a 42-28 loss to St. Francis, but the junior quarterback impressed with a three-touchdown performance. He completed six passes for 114 yards and two scores and also ran 26 times for 108 yards and a TD.

See: Who should be SBLive's Illinois High School Athlete of the Week (August 21-27)?

Colton Gumino, QB, Hersey

A junior, Gumino was effective through the air and on the ground against Fremd. He completed 20 of 24 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns while adding two scores on the ground in a 49-14 Huskies victory.

Dierre Hill Jr, RB, Althoff Catholic

Hill set the tone early for the Crusaders in their 46-13 victory over St. Teresa on Friday. The senior had three first-quarter rushing touchdowns and finished with 66 yards rushing.

Brett Kasper, QB/DB, Wheaton Academy

Kasper made an impact on both sides of the ball during the Warriors' 41-23 victory over St. Charles East. Offensively, the senior threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, he hauled in two interceptions.

Jack McQueeney, WR/DB, Lyons Township

McQueeney did it all on both sides of the ball on Friday. The senior captain had a 24-yard touchdown reception and rushed for 99 yards and a score. He was also a big contributor in the Lions' defensive effort that allowed just 65 yards of Wheaton Warrenville South offense as Lyons won 13-0. 

Alessio Milivojevic, QB, St. Francis

A Ball State commit, Milivojevic shined in a 42-28 win at Sterling on Friday night. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for a score. 

Colby Mortenson, QB, Ottawa

Mortenson accounted for five touchdowns in the Pirates' 41-0 win over Streator on Friday night. He ran nine times for 79 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 157 yards and a TD.

Rex Pfeifer, RB, Reed-Custer

Ran 22 times for 226 yards and a touchdown – a 76-yarder in the third quarter – in the Comets' 40-37 loss to Johnsburg. Pfeifer was coming off a five-touchdown performance in Week 1.

Nick Peipert, QB, Barrington

Peipert was slinging the ball all over the field during Barrington’s 49-14 victory over Prospect on Friday. The junior quarterback completed 16 of 21 passes for 182 yards and five touchdowns. 

Mitchell Ragusa, DL, Joliet Catholic

A senior defensive lineman, Ragusa had two sacks and recovered a fumble in the Hilltoppers' impressive 19-0 shutout victory over rival Providence Catholic. 

See: Illinois Top 25 high school football rankings (8/30/2023)

Joey Scrivani, RB, Jacobs

A senior, Scrivani handled all of the scoring duties for the Golden Eagles offense in their Fox Valley Conference matchup with Hampshire. He carried the ball 10 times for 56 yards and scored four touchdowns in a 28-7 victory.

DJ Stewart, RB, St. Rita

Stewart did the heavy lifting for the Mustangs in their matchup with Kenwood Academy on Friday. The senior scored all four St. Rita touchdowns on the ground and his final score with 4 minutes left put the game out of reach as St. Rita won 33-20.

Braden Tischer, QB, Lincoln-Way East

Tischer carried the Griffins offense in a highly-anticipated matchup with Batavia on Friday night. The senior connected on 14 of his 23 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns as Lincoln-Way East won a thriller 14-13.

Ian Willis, WR, St. Francis 

A junior, Willis had a career day in the St. Francis road win over Sterling on Friday. He caught nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns – from 56, 44 and 46 yards out. 

Owen Winters, QB, Marist

A junior, Winters showed his poise and his dual-threat ability to help Marist defeat archrival Brother Rice, 30-24, on Friday night. Winters rushed for 96 yards and threw for 160 yards. He tossed the game-winning touchdown pass with just 38 seconds left to play.

Sean Winton, QB, York

In a non-conference matchup with Nazareth Academy, Winton could not be stopped as he finished the game with four touchdown passes – three in the second quarter – to lead the Dukes to a 42-13 statement victory.

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NOTE: To nominate a player for the top performances list, please email SBLive Regional Editor Nate Latsch at latsch@scorebooklive.com or via Twitter/X at @natelatsch.

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