ROCHELLE — The Hubs varsity football team racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense in a 50-0 win over the Corliss Trojans this past Friday. But roughly 50 miles southeast of Rochelle, the Johnsburg Skyhawks were busy obliterating the Plano Reapers, scoring touchdowns left and right en route to a 70-0 victory.

Both Rochelle and Johnsburg entered the 2017 football season in the top 10 of the Associated Press Preseason Poll, with the Hubs ranked sixth in Class 5A and the Skyhawks ranked fifth in Class 4A. The two squads will collide in Johnsburg this Friday, and after the Skyhawks took down the Hubs 46-21 at Rochelle Township High School last year, head coach Kevin Crandall and his players are looking to bounce back.

“We got whipped pretty good up front and they had a great running back,” Crandall said. “They had a couple of good receivers and we didn’t match up very well personnel-wise. I think we’ll match up much better this year, but they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

Johnsburg (1-0) ran Rochelle (1-0) off its home field last season, with senior running back Alex Peete (Wisconsin-Whitewater) totaling 235 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Riley Buchanan (Coe College) added 171 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.

The Skyhawks took second in Class 4A with a 13-1 record in 2016, and while many of their offensive players graduated, there are key returners for the Hubs to keep an eye on including wide receiver Nico LoDolce, running back Jack Kegel and quarterback Adam Jayko. The Johnsburg offense received plenty of credit for the team’s spectacular run last year, but the Skyhawks are also returning several starters on a defense that shut out five opponents and held teams to an average of just 12.2 points per game.

“I think in the past it’s been a lot about their personnel,” Crandall said. “They run good schemes but so do a lot of teams. It’s not as if they have some secret offense. They’ve had really good personnel over the last two years… They’re aggressive and they tackle well. They’re well coached and they aren’t going to beat themselves. We’re going to have to beat them.”

The Hubs may have lost by 25 points last season, but Rochelle managed to record 271 yards of total offense and three touchdowns while dominating the time of possession (28:11 to Johnsburg’s 19:49). Two fumbles and an interception led to 14 Johnsburg points in 2016, and the purple and white will be aiming to avoid self-inflicted damage this weekend.

“We can’t give up big plays and we have to be more physical than they are,” Crandall said. “That’s going to be the biggest key to the game for us, especially on offense. We have to get off the football and establish drives to keep their offense off the field. I think the kids realize this is going to be a significant test.”