FOOTBALL FRIDAY: True Fans Continue Support After the Game

Every week I've written Football Friday this season, I've tried to look at different groups of people who help make high school football what it is: a huge community event.

I've talked about the cheerleaders, the marching bands, student sections and dedicated parents. But what about the athletes?

This week, we turned our Athlete of the Week feature into an interactive poll. Three names, one winner. Your call. The focus is on the athlete, but in this first poll the fans in the area showed their true support.

We had more than 11,000 votes on the poll through a day and a half of voting, and Lincoln-Way East's Kevin Bayer was the leader thanks to a ton of area fans. Read the story here:

Below are some links to everything we've covered and more you'll want to know heading into the big game. But this is your site, and we want you to get involved. Send us your fan photos and video. Tell us what you think is the best part of the game. And check back every week for some great stories.

Game of the Week

This game shouldn't be close, but any cross-district matchup between two Lincoln-Way teams is fun to be at. We'll be on hand when (6-0) plays at plays at (1-5) at 7:30 p.m. tonight. More games:

• (3-3) has lost three of four but could have the remedy with a trip to Thornridge (0-6) at 1 p.m. Saturday
• (4-2) looks to stay on top of its conference with a 7 p.m. Friday trip to (1-5). We'll be at the game, so look for coverage this weekend.
• (3-3) hopes to stop a three-game skid with a trip to Lake Forest Academy (1-5) for a 1 p.m. Saturday non-conference game.

Get Connected

Make sure you join the Lincoln-Way Sports Fans group on Facebook. It's a forum for fans in the Lincoln-Way High School District to talk sports. Whether you're a Griffin, Knight, Phoenix or Warrior, alumni, current students, coaches, teachers, administrators and all members of the community are welcome to join and invite others!

Also follow @PatchPreps on Twitter for instant scores and updates. You can get them directly to your phone or check in when you please.

Want More Coverage?

Check back every week for game coverage, video highlights and athlete profiles.

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Latest Standings

For a full rundown of conference standings, go to the Illinois High School Association website. See where the local teams rank in Patch sports editor and his .