IC Catholic Prep, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, hosts No. 1 Loyola Academy at Plunkett Park in Elmhurst at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.

The Knights (7-0, 2-0 Chicago Catholic League White) and Ramblers (7-0, 2-0 CCL Blue) are the last undefeated teams in the CCL. IC Catholic Prep competes in the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) Class 3A. Loyola plays in Class 8A, the largest classification. Only one team will enter Week 9 with a perfect record.

The size gap is striking. IC Catholic Prep's enrollment is 277. The Knights' varsity roster runs about 27 players deep, according to Shaw Local. Loyola fields a full Class 8A roster.

IC Catholic Prep junior Will Schmidt told Shaw Local on Oct. 6 that the team welcomes the challenge. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime to show the world who we are on our home turf," Schmidt said. "… The whole community should be there."

Head coach Bill Krefft, who has won four state titles in 14 seasons at IC Catholic, set the tone after the Knights' 42-14 rout of Benet on Oct. 2. He told the Daily Herald the team was resetting to "0-0" and preparing "to play the best team in the state."

The teams have not met since 2023, when Loyola won 47-0. IC Catholic was banged up and sat most of its starters that night, according to Shaw Local.

This year's Knights look different. Quarterback Nate Lang and backup Jake Yost combined for four touchdown passes in the Benet win. Junior wide receiver Grant Bowen, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound prospect with 35 scholarship offers, gives IC Catholic a big-play threat on the outside. Senior Anthony Carroccio, a Yale commit and team captain, caught a 75-yard touchdown from Lang against Benet.

Loyola brings its own firepower. Junior quarterback Matthew Lee has thrown for 1,983 yards and 19 touchdowns with just one interception, completing 70.8% of his passes through seven games, Shaw Local reported. Lee is a three-star recruit with offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas State.

His top target is junior Jordan McKinley, who has 39 catches for 736 yards and six touchdowns. Running back Melo Maldonado rushed for two scores and caught a touchdown pass in Loyola's 38-7 win over St. Ignatius in Week 7.

The Ramblers finished 4-5 in 2025, their first losing season in more than 20 years. Head coach John Holecek returned to the program before this season and has overseen the turnaround. Holecek told Shaw Local on Oct. 7 that Lee has "a powerful and accurate arm" and praised his poise and decision-making.

For IC Catholic, the stakes extend beyond the rivalry. The Knights entered Week 8 with 34 playoff points and are chasing a first-round bye in the expanded 384-team IHSA playoff field, where the top 16 seeds in each class sit out the opening round. A win over Loyola would strengthen that case heading into a Week 9 finale against Joliet Catholic.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Plunkett Park in Elmhurst.