Scouting Waubonsie Valley at South Elgin

Waubonsie Valley (6-2, 4-1) at South Elgin (6-2, 4-1)

When: today at 7:30 p.m. at Millennium Field

Last meeting (2008): Waubonsie Valley 45, South Elgin 19

Last week: Geneva 31, South Elgin 28; Waubonsie Valley 51, East Aurora 0

Outlook: The winner earns a share of the Upstate Eight Conference's Valley Division title. It would be the fifth UEC title for Waubonsie Valley and second in four years. A win would give South Elgin the first football title in the program's five-year history. “Everything we do is first, first, first,” South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said. “They want to represent their school and start building these traditions. They're more than aware of the moment. I'm confident they'll come out and play a real good game. It's going to be a good ballgame. It's two teams with a lot at stake. We've had a lot of those this year.” The Storm played a nail biter at Geneva last week in which a 28-14 lead dissipated in a last-second loss. At a 7:30 a.m. practice the next morning, Schabert pointed to the eastern sky and showed his players that the sun had indeed come up. South Elgin has begun to strike a better balance between its running and passing games of late. The Storm rushed for 273 yards last week and 200 yards the week before against East Aurora. They'll be tested by the defense of Waubonsie Valley, which holds opponents to 17.8 points per game. “They've got really good athletes down there year in, year out,” Schabert said of the Warriors. “That never changes. The offense spreads the field and makes you defend sideline to sideline and they'll take it vertical on you, too, so we'll have to cover a lot of space. Defensively, their three linebackers are good players and the d-linemen they've got all do their assignments, make a lot of plays and keep the linebackers clean. They always play that cover-2 so tough, so we have our work cut out for ourselves.” Middle linebacker Justin Wright returned to the lineup last week but was limited. He's closer to 100 percent this week, Schabert said. South Elgin has not beaten Waubonsie Valley in three tries.