Scouting Bartlett at East Aurora

Bartlett (6-2, 4-1) at East Aurora (0-8, 0-5)

When: today at 7:30 p.m. at Roy E. Davis Field

Last meeting (2008): Bartlett 51, East Aurora 6

Last week: Bartlett 25, Neuqua Valley 23; Waubonsie Valley 51, East Aurora 0

Outlook: Clear a spot in the case; There's another football trophy coming to Bartlett, assuming the Hawks can handle winless East Aurora. A win would give Bartlett a share of the Valley Division title. It would be Bartlett's fifth title in the Upstate Eight Conference in 10 seasons (third shared title). Bartlett will split the title with the winner of the South Elgin-Waubonsie Valley game. “It's nice. This was our main goal to start with, to get back to where we were,” said Bartlett coach Tom Meaney, whose team won the Upstate Eight in 2008. “We think we can do it every year. It's the first step. This is where we want to be. This is where we always think we should be.” The Hawks have been led offensively by area leading rusher Andrew Puccini (880 yards, 9 TD, 130 att.). They get a lift this week from the return of running back Nate Odisho. The junior suffered a stress fracture in his ankle in Week 2 against Crystal Lake South and hasn't played since. In limited action, Odisho rushed for 108 yards on 21 carries (5.1 avg.). He provides a team on a 5-game winning streak with yet another weapon. Defensively, three linebackers are playing with casts on broken hands: juniors Mike Partyka and Tyler Barlass and senior Randy Draeger. “I've never had that before, three guys with casts on,” Meaney said. “It's kind of humorous. They're good for knocking down passes because it seems like (the cast) adds an extra four or five inches to their hands. Otherwise, we are sitting a few people in this game. We have some people banged up from the Neuqua game.” Bartlett has won 6 of the 7 meetings between these schools.