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Scouting WW South vs. Lake Zurich football

Lake Zurich (12-1) vs. Wheaton Warrenville South (13-0)

Class 7A championship, 4 p.m. Saturday in Champaign

Road to the final: Lake Zurich beat Jacobs, 41-7; Prospect, 14-7; Simeon, 17-14; and St. Rita, 21-0. WW South beat Benet, 49-7; Wheaton North, 44-0; Glenbard West, 40-20; and Belleville East, 41-7.

Playoff history: Lake Zurich, in its 14th playoff appearance and ninth straight, is making its third appearance in the Class 7A final. The Bears beat WW South 7-3 to win the title in 2007. Defending 7A champion WW South, a playoff qualifier for the 22nd time and for the eighth straight year, seeks its seventh state title in its 10th appearance in the final. The Tigers, denied a repeat by Lake Zurich in 2007, are the only IHSA program to win championships in four different classes.

Coaches: Lake Zurich's Bryan Stortz is in his fifth season at the helm and holds a record of 52-12. WW South's Ron Muhitch, in his ninth year as the Tigers' head coach, has a career record of 95-17.

Starting offenses:

Lake Zurich WW South

Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.

Zach Till 5-11 165 Jr. QB Reilly O'Toole 6-3 210 Sr.

Jacob Brinlee 5-10 170 Sr. RB Matt Rogers 5-11 185 Sr.

Mike Shield 5-11 175 Jr. RB/WR Titus Davis 6-2 175 Sr.

John Mularz 5-8 165 Sr. FB/WR Ryan Crowe 5-11 166 Sr.

Jack Lynn 6-3 205 Jr. WR Lucas Devick 5-11 175 Sr.

Mike Schnur 6-0 195 Sr. TE Jason Schuman 6-7 225 Sr.

Mark Herman 6-0 205 Sr. LT Eric Luhrsen 6-5 225 Sr.

Gus Coon 6-0 215 Sr. LG Dom DeAngelis 6-4 220 Sr.

Steve Garcia 5-10 205 Sr. C Joe Hall 6-5 225 Sr.

Mike Hembd 6-0 190 Sr. RG John Mulvey 6-1 230 Sr.

Mike Palombo 5-10 185 Sr. RT Luke Luhrsen 6-5 285 Sr.

Starting Defenses:

Lake Zurich WW South

Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.

Cody Cameron 6-5 215 Sr. NG Sparty Chino 5-10 165 Sr.

Kiah McGee 6-4 275 Sr. DT Zach Schneider 5-10 185 Sr.

Williams Hussey 5-8 175 Jr. DE Jack Lipinsky 6-3 190 Jr.

Jack Lynn 6-3 205 Jr. LB/DE Will Davis 6-3 200 Sr.

J.J. Raffelson 6-3 215 Sr. LB Mike Monterrubio 5-11 190 Sr.

Taylor Coleman 6-0 200 Jr. LB Brandon Peterson 6-1 200 Jr.

Tim Sayre 5-10 150 Sr. SS/LB R.J. Hoshell 6-1 200 Sr.

Danny Minogue 5-11 170 Sr. SS Mike Shelton 6-0 160 Jr.

Chris Rantis 5-10 160 Jr. FS Caleb Bednarz 5-9 150 Sr.

Grant Soucy 5-11 165 So. CB Casey Armbrust 6-0 175 Sr.

Zach Till 5-11 165 Jr. CB Austin Pannell 5-9 160 Sr.

Lake Zurich's offense (314 yards, 26 points per game) vs. WW South's defense (212 yards, 8 points allowed): The Bears' Brinlee, who's gained 1,477 yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns, is the primary cog in a speedy running game that's piled up nearly 3,400 yards this year. Pitches and sweeps are the primary focus as the offense takes advantage of a small but quick line. Till averages only 7 passes per game but offers a threat with play-action. WW South's defense comes in banged up with linebacker Jack Eshleman and lineman Brian Welker out with injuries. Will Davis will play with sore ribs. The Tigers have played two straight games against teams with similar run-dominant offenses utilizing speedy backs. In Eshleman's absence, Monterrubio has developed into the team's leading tackler. Chino brings incredible tenacity to the line. Bednarz is a ball hawk in the secondary in case Lake Zurich tries to pass on the Tigers.

WW South's offense (392 yards, 43 points per game) vs. Lake Zurich's defense (198 yards, 8 points allowed): This is the game's marquee matchup that begins with Illinois-bound O'Toole, who has completed 75 percent of his passes for 3,005 yards, 40 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Although the unit's lost receivers Travis Kern and Dan Vitale to broken collarbones, the corps is still potent headed by Titus Davis, who boasts 52 catches for 1,135 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rogers is one of the state's most underrated running backs. Not only has he rushed for 1,182 yards and 20 touchdowns behind a line led by Kansas-bound Luke Luhrsen and DeAngelis, he is also a threat in the passing game and has greatly improved his blocking. Lake Zurich's defense may be the best the Tigers have seen all season. Five times the Bears have scored 17 points or fewer and won. Raffelson is the team's leading tackler and has notched a stunning 23 sacks.

Intangibles: If the Tigers' offense has shown any weakness in the playoffs, it's been with penalties. Those need to be eliminated. Special teams play will be important, and WW South's Welker gradually has returned to his kicking duties. Kick coverage is key for WW South. The return tandem of Titus Davis and Bednarz has given the Tigers great field position all season. Against a stout Lake Zurich defense, that could be a difference-maker. WW South would love to put the Bears in an early hole and force them out of their comfort zone in the run game.