This is one in a series of articles previewing Butler County high school football matchups this FridayOffense gets the ink.And when you have one that is averaging 48 points per game, that's a lot of ink.It's easy to get caught up in the crooked numbers the North Catholic football team has been putting up this season behind quarterback Joey Prentice, running back Kyle Tipinski, receivers Nick Maher and Tyler Maziarz, and, well, everyone else on that side of the ball.Defense, though, is another big factor on why the Trojans are rolling heading into a clash with Freeport Friday at 7 p.m. at the Mars Athletic Complex in a battle of section unbeatens.“A lot of the reason we're 6-0 is because of the defense,” said North Catholic coach Patrick O'Shea. “We've had so many three-and-outs.”That unit is a deep one, too.O'Shea considers there to be 16 starters on that side of the ball. He and his coaching staff have the luxury of rotating defensive linemen and linebackers with little drop-off.It doesn't hurt that the defense as a whole for the Trojans is supremely talented.“I've been doing this for 29 years, almost 30, and this is one of the fastest defenses I've had,” O'Shea said. “Everybody has been doing a great job.”That defense, which has given up just a shade more than seven points per game this season, figures to be tested by a red-hot Freeport offense.The Yellowjackets got a shot in the arm when sophomore Ben Lane was moved from running back to quarterback.In his first game as the starter at quarterback in Sept. 25, Lane threw for 237 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 142 yards and three more scores in a blowout win over Derry.The Yellowjackets had two games canceled because of COVID-19 after that, but Lane and Freeport picked up right where they left off last week in another rout, this one over Burrell.Lane threw for 198 and two touchdowns and rushed for 53 yards and another TD.“I always knew he was resilient and up for any challenge,” said Freeport coach John Gaillot of Lane. “I knew he could throw the ball, but I didn't know he could throw as well as he has.”Lane has made a believer out of Gaillot.“Ben has been very smart and hasn't forced things too much,” Gaillot said.One of the main beneficiaries of Lane's rifle arm has been junior Vinnie Clark, who has 12 receptions for 254 yards this season as a big-play target.Throw in Brady Stivenson and Mario DeVivo and the Yellowjackets have plenty of viable targets in the passing game.O'Shea has taken notice.“His athletic ability really sticks out,” O'Shea said of Lane. “He turns what looks like nothing into something. When you watch him on film, you see a kid who just has raw athletic ability and who manages the game well.”O'Shea has a quarterback like that, too, in Prentice.The junior was in a battle with Carson Laconi to take over for Zack Rocco at quarterback in camp and won the job.Prentice has shown why he was the choice. He has thrown for 1,031 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 455 yards and 11 more TDs.“They are athletic all around,” Gaillot said of North Catholic. “(Prentice) can really move and he throws a nice deep ball. There's not a flaw, really. It's definitely going to be a big challenge for us.”Freeport is also missing six starters for this showdown.The Yellowjackets hope to overcome that with an us-against-the-world mentality.“We've had everything stacked against us,” Gaillot said. “People thought we'd win one game and we've already won three. We've already exceeded that. When things like this happen, and no one expects you to win, it makes you kind of get a little chip on your shoulder. Good football teams have that chip, that it's them in that room against the whole world.“We expect our kids to come prepared and ready to play and make Freeport proud.”