Football: Tri Cities Week 4 previews

Western Sun

Geneva (3-0, 1-0) at Glenbard South (2-1, 0-1) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Geneva 31, Glenbard South 10.

Last week: Geneva 27, Yorkville 24; Batavia 13, Glenbard South 6.

Players to watch: Glenbard South quarterback Kevin Marshall seems to be the focal attraction to the Raiders offense. He couldn't get the ball into the end zone against Batavia last week but he was directly involved in 42 offensive plays, rushing 29 times for 96 yards and completing 13 of 24 passes for an additional 145 yards. Mike Oratowski had 11 carries for 62 yards and 3 catches for 15 yards. His role is expected to increase after senior running back Nick Summers' high school career was cut short with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 2. Marshall has several worthy receiving options. In addition to Oratowski, the speedy Will Hill, Chris Loos, Jon Holland and Ryan McKean are all capable targets. Defensively, Greg Calabrese, who led the Raiders in tackles last year, and outside linebacker Austin Teistsma (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) will look to disrupt the Geneva offense. Teistsma, who is only a sophomore, has been impressive. He continued to play well, even when matched up against Batavia standout Jordan Church last Friday. Geneva survived a sluggish start last Friday against Yorkville. Vikings quarterback Mike Mayszak has thrown for 546 yards and 7 TDs. Last week, Michael Ratay didn't seem too bothered by a bone bruise. He rushed for touchdown runs of 5 and 8 yards and also scored on a 44-yard screen pass and run from Mayszak. Joe Augustine caught his third touchdown pass of the season last week. Defensively the Vikings continue to get strong performances from defensive end Cory Hofstetter and linebacker Brennan Quinn, among others. They pressured the Foxes into three interceptions, by Jake Conforti, Casey Emanuel and Trevor Hyslop, and they'd like nothing better than to continue such a trend tonight.

Outlook: Before the season started, Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said he could easily see a team lose two games but still be among the top teams in the Western Sun Conference. He expects a tough game tonight. "They've always been a difficult game. We've always had trouble matching up with them and we've fortunately caught their number the last couple years," he said. "They remind me of their teams of 5 or 6 years ago. They have a lot of talent on the perimeter, very aggressive with offensive and defensive linemen and we're definitely aware of them." The Vikings will look to put the Raiders into an 0-2 hole when Geneva leaves the comforts of its home field for the first time this fall. "They're a good football team," Glenbard South coach Dan Starkey said. "They're well coached and we think they'll be our biggest test defensively with how they can throw and run the ball. They're very solid in all phases of the game." With Summers out, the Raiders' offense is trying to find a new identity and the Vikings would like to keep that from happening by aggressively pressuring Marshall. "We struggled (against Batavia) with personnel groupings," Starkey said "We need to reduce that during critical times and find a way to get the ball into the end zone." The Vikings need to get in sync offensively. "We need more consistency across the offensive line," Wicinski said. "Not just the line, the whole offense in general just needs to get rid some of the assignment mistakes and be more consistent."

Bottom line: The Vikings need to minimize their mistakes and keep the Raiders' offense from gaining confidence. If they can do that then they have a solid chance of winning their first game away from Burgess Field in 2007.

Batavia (2-1, 1-0) at Rochelle (3-0, 1-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Batavia 13, Rochelle 7.

Last week: Batavia 13, Glenbard South 6; Rochelle 35, Kaneland 24.

Players to watch: Devon Mancillas appeared in the backfield for the Hubs last week for the first time this season and he responded with 18 rushes for 145 yards and a touchdown. As if the Hubs needed another weapon in their backfield, Mancillas and the Hubs have now rushed for 957 yards on 172 carries. Other key offensive players for the Hubs include Rosie Garcia (53 rushes, 322 yards, 6 TDs), beefy fullback Jeff Ruppenthal (45 rushes, 201 yards, 4 TDs), Jake Simmons, who did not play against Kaneland, (24 rushes, 124 yards, 2 TDs), Boone Lockard (7 rushes, 50 yards, 1 TD) and quarterback Alex Prough (19 rushes, 88 yards). Prough isn't asked to throw the ball often as the southpaw has completed 3 of his 7 attempts for just 60 yards. Defensively, Ben Schwartz is coming off a 5 tackle, 1 INT game for the Hubs. Offensively the Bulldogs need to get some production from their quarterbacks Jack Creed and Jordan Coffey. How little have they gotten? Well, last season Alex Schroeder had 3 TD passes by halftime in Week 1. It's Week 4 a year later and the Bulldogs have only 1 TD pass and have combined to complete only 16-of-52 passes (31 percent) for 239 yards. The good news? The Bulldogs have found a way to win two in a row and they should eventually get in sync. Brian Krolikowski is averaging over 6 yards per carry (34 rushes, 211 yards) and don't be surprised if the Bulldogs try to get J.R. Kabba involved in the offense in a bigger capacity. His numbers in the backfield aren't mind-blowing but he showed his ability to make the big play last week with a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown.

Outlook: Batavia hopes it can give Rochelle the wake-up call it gave them last year. A year ago, Rochelle netted 542 yards of total offense against Kaneland in Week 3 only to be limited to just 142 yards against Batavia in Week 4. The Hubs had an astonishing 70 rushes for 437 yards last week and will try to continue scurrying past opponents. On the flip side, the Bulldogs haven't given up a touchdown in their past two games. "The kids on that side have stepped up and played extremely well and you hope it can carry you in the first few games since it takes the offense time to get going," Batavia coach Mike Gaspari said. Batavia isn't panicking over the fact that its offense has sputtered all season and Gaspari feels that the team is ready for a breakout game. Both Creed and Coffey are getting plenty of reps during practice and he expects one or both of them to help get the offense on track. "Part of the this has to do with playing good opponents the first three weeks," Gaspari said. "And we're a different team and any team is going to miss some seniors and we're still replacing those kids."

Bottom line: If the Bulldogs can take the Hubs a bit out of their game plan by stopping the run then they have a good chance at winning their third consecutive game and giving their Hubs their first setback. But, the Bulldogs also need to stop relying on defense and special teams to do the majority of their scoring.

Kaneland (1-2, 0-1) at Sycamore (1-2, 0-1)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Kaneland 34, Sycamore 13.

Last week: Rochelle 35, Kaneland 24; DeKalb 28, Sycamore 21.

Players to watch: Sycamore junior quarterback Nick Anderson gained plenty of experience as a sophomore a season ago and leads the offense. He passed for 164 yards and rushed for 84 more last week, but he made two costly mistakes as he was intercepted twice. He also threw a pair of interceptions in last year's 34-13 loss to the Knights. Wide receiver Trae Mottet and running back Michael Buckner were key players in the offense a year ago and remain so today. Kaneland quarterback Jody Henningson (70-of-120 passes, 955 yards) was slowed last week from a lack of opportunity as Rochelle controlled the ball with long run-filled scoring drives. He'll look for more chances tonight and should eclipse 1,000 passing yards in the first quarter. Sophomores Blake Kendrick (3 catches, 45 yards) and Ryley Bailey (4 catches, 85 yards) had solid efforts against Rochelle and have helped fill in for the injured Korey Maple, who missed the Rochelle game with a stress fracture in his collarbone. "(Kendrick's) a sophomore and he had a nice game," Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly said. "Bailey's developing each game and we're encouraged by their progress." Maple could likely be unavailable tonight as could right tackle Will King who suffered a concussion against Rochelle. Brian Claesson, Jamie Snyder and Alex Blazek also can help move the Kaneland offense.

Outlook: Kaneland will look to put an end to its 2-game losing streak when it heads to Sycamore to face its oldest rival. The Spartans have also lost two in a row and are coming off a tough loss to DeKalb. The Knights have taken care of business against the Spartans recently posting a 9-1 record in their past 10 meetings. The last time the Knights fell to the Spartans was a 19-18 decision in 2003. "They're our oldest rival so it doesn't matter what the records are," Fedderly said. "It's a big game for both teams. They have a lot of talent on offense, can score some points and are going to be a challenge for us and we need to get a win." The Knights need their defense to step up with big defensive plays. The Knights are giving up 35.3 points per game. "We're looking for everything we can do from coaching to personnel," Fedderly said. "We're taking a look if we have too many guys going both ways and we brought up 14 sophomores last game and we're seeing who can play." To minimize their defensive struggles the Knights know they have to keep mistakes to a minimum tonight in order to beat Sycamore. "We're trying to limit our mistakes because a lot of these games are going to come down to turnovers and who is hurting themselves," Fedderly said. "We've had turnovers and some mental errors and take pride in not beating ourselves and we're spending a lot of time on those things."

Bottom line: Kaneland has to play defense. Opposing teams know the Knights will find the end zone at least a few times a game but lately they feel like they can score a few touchdowns themselves. Perhaps tonight's the night the defense comes through?

DuPage Valley

West Aurora (2-1, 0-1) at Glenbard East (1-2, 0-1) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Glenbard East 34, West Aurora 8.

Last week: Naperville Central 27, West Aurora 13; Naperville North 47, Glenbard East 6.

Players to watch: A year ago the Rams came to Aurora and spoiled West Aurora's celebration of its 1,000th game in school history. The Blackhawks will try to reverse that loss tonight in Lombard. West Aurora's winless streak in the DVC extended to 16 straight with last week's loss, but three strong quarters of play signaled hope for the future. Quarterback John Nunnally accounted for both touchdowns including a 51-yard pass to Theo Hicks.

Outlook: Glenbard East seeks a return to its roots of hard-nosed, clock-eating offense. A run game headed by running back Toney Greene, however, will be tested by a huge West Aurora defensive line. Rams three-year starter Brandon Spinner, who intercepted a pass last week, will play despite suffering a broken thumb in the loss.

Bottom line: It won't be easy, but this is a great opportunity for West Aurora to break through with its first DVC win under coach Buck Drach -- especially with the two Wheaton schools and Naperville North coming up the following three weeks.

Upstate Eight

Streamwood (0-3, 0-1) at St. Charles East (2-1, 1-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: St. Charles East 27, Streamwood 13.

Last week: St. Charles North 34, Streamwood 7; St. Charles East 14, Waubonsie Valley 13.

Players to watch: Streamwood is sputtering and has some inexperience at its helm. Senior backup Gabe Roman stepped in recently for injured starting quarterback Noel Rivera. Roman completed 12-of-23 passes for 99 yards last Friday against St. Charles North. Tailback Kevin Wohlhart (13 rushes, 43 yards last Friday) is a big presence in the Sabres backfield, and Dan Poierier (5-foot-7, 162 pounds) has been getting some touches as well. Sam Gunther kept the ball in the hands of his team after throwing 4 interceptions in Week 2. The Saints are 2-0 when he doesn't throw an interception. He has completed 47-of-81 passes for 386 yards and 2 TDs. A week after the North Stars were able to run the ball well against the Sabres, look for Wes Allen (247 rushing yards, 4 TDs) to have a big game. Matt Hammer (23 catches, 192 yards) and Jake Krzeczowski (13 catches, 116 yards) have proven to be a nice tandem for Gunther to find. Look for a nice balance tonight with those two and Allen's ability to run. Defensively the Saints enjoyed a couple of especially big plays last week and they've played extremely well in the first three games. Eian O'Brien had a blocked field goal and Jake Leopardo had an interception return for a touchdown in the win against Waubonsie Valley. Will they come up with the big play tonight or will it be a teammate?

Outlook: The Saints are 2-1 after facing three outstanding opponents in the first three weeks and they should be able to take care of business against a Streamwood team that's reeling. "If someone told me in July that we'd be 2-1 I'd have been pleased with that," Saints coach Ted Monken said. "We thought we could be 1-2 or 0-3 because you didn't know what to expect with what Batavia lost, you kind of knew with Lincoln-Way, and Waubonsie Valley's numbers are up and are the big surprise, the sleeping giant awakened." Now that they've been able to slay Batavia and Waubonsie Valley they'll look to push the Sabres to an 0-4 start. "We're getting our young guys a lot of reps and they're getting better," Monken said. What's scary for Streamwood is the young Saints offense is steadily improving with experience and getting acclimated to the speed of the game from week-to-week. "Against Waubonsie we were one or two guys away from getting the job done and getting our assignments," Monken said. "I think we'll have a chance of moving the ball on anybody once we do that."

Bottom line: The Saints have plenty of stoppers on defense that should give the Sabres plenty of trouble and Gunther, Allen and Co. shouldn't have a problem scoring at least a few touchdowns on offense.

Nonconference

St. Charles North (1-2) at Thornton Fractional North (1-2) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today

Last year: Did not play.

Last week: T.F. South 35, T.F. North 21; St. Charles North 34, Streamwood 7.

Players to watch: T.F. North has several players that are expected to play both ways. Defensive end/tight end Marcus Deloney (2 TDs last week), linebacker/tailback David Davenport, wide receiver/cornerback Chris Murry, wide receiver/cornerback Calvin Jackson and fullback/linebacker Shannon Winesberry. Julian Hopkins, who has shown that he can throw the ball well and last week executed screen passes very well, paces the Meteors offensive attack at quarterback. The North Stars finally broke out with a potent rushing attack last week with Kyle Harmon leading the way with 120 yards on 12 rushes. Harmon (25 rushes, 145) leads the team in carries and rushing yards. Colton Hinrichs (18 rushes, 65 yards), Nic Higgins (14 carries, 51 yards) and quarterback Nick Neari also will aim to move the chains. Junior wide receiver Jonathon DeMoss (5 catches, 57 yards) returned from an injury last Friday and hauled in 2 TD passes. He gives the North Stars a second potent wideout in addition to Tim Ohlrich. He might not be a player to watch but if T.F. North first-year coach Rodney Lacy looks familiar to those from St. Charles that's because he was an assistant at Edwardsville last year. The Tigers beat archrival St. Charles East last year in an opening round 7A playoff game.

Outlook: The North Stars will look to win their second in a row against a Meteors team that is still trying to learn the new offense, defense and special teams of Lacy and his staff. "We have 6 of 11 coaches who are all new to the school," Lacy said. "So when you're revamping the coaching staff and offense, defense and special teams, it's a lot for high school kids to handle but we're hoping it'll come around." St. Charles North just hopes it doesn't come around too soon. After two consecutive losses by a touchdown apiece, the North Stars are coming off a nice victory over Streamwood in which they were able to move the ball on the ground and have more of a balanced attack. They'll hope to do the same tonight and try to use size advantages at the line of scrimmage. "I've seen the first two games on film and they're very well coached, spread the ball around, have a big offensive line, size and guys who do what they're supposed to do," Lacy said. The North Stars defense hopes to continue to shut the door on opponents and Lacy has concerns. "Defensively they do a great job with their 3-5," Lacy said. "You can tell they're well coached."

Bottom line: The North Stars put themselves in a hole with the 0-2 start but they could even things up tonight with a strong effort against a team still trying to learn a new system. Including tonight, the North Stars' next four opponents are all 1-2. With St. Charles East and Neuqua Valley looming at the end of the schedule, the North Stars can't afford losses now if they want to be a playoff team.

Lake Forest Academy (0-2) at Aurora Christian (3-0) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today at East Aurora.

Last year: Aurora Christian 52, Lake Forest Academy 22.

Last week: Chicago Christian 56, Lake Forest Academy 0; Aurora Christian 55, Rockford Christian Life 0.

Players to watch: Aurora Christian junior quarterback Jordan Roberts has put staggering numbers on the board in his three-year career, but one of the most amazing stats came in last week's blowout win. Roberts threw for 319 yards on just 15 attempts, an average of 21.2 yards per pass. You could see more of the same this week as the Eagles make their way through the easier part of their schedule. John Smith returned a kick 83 yards for a touchdown last week and also scored on a 44-yard run.

Outlook: The Caxys, an independent team, are not eligible for the IHSA playoffs. They play a unique schedule, with their final game against LaPorte, Ind., scheduled for Oct. 27 when the rest of the state is starting the opening round of the playoffs. Thus, Lake Forest Academy has only played two games so far, losing 44-20 to North Shore Country Day in its opener.

Bottom line: This promises to be a tune-up for Aurora Christian as the Eagles get ready to play at Chicago Christian next week in a matchup that always goes a long way to deciding the Private School League title.

Suburban Catholic Conference

Montini (3-0, 1-0) at Aurora Central (1-2, 1-0) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Montini 35, Aurora Central 8.

Last week: Montini 51, St. Francis 7; Aurora Central 52, St. Edward 36.

Players to watch: Two Aurora Central receivers came up with huge games last week in an exciting come from behind win at St. Edward. The Chargers outscored St. Edward 28-0 in the fourth quarter to overcome a 36-24 deficit. Kyle Edwards caught 5 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns -- outstanding numbers that were surpassed by Mark Adams and his 7 catches for 175 yards and 4 touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Mike Adams was the one firing those passes, and he finished with 6 TD passes.

Outlook: The Chargers take a huge leap this week going from St. Edward to Montini, the second-ranked Class 5A team in the state. "We are getting better, but taking on Montini this week is an enormous task," Aurora Central coach Mike Curry said. "Speed, size, depth and talent are pretty tough to beat. They have it all. Our kids are getting better, but there is no way we match up with Montini. Still , I think that there are some things that we can do against them."

Bottom line: Curry called the matchup "David and Goliath." It certainly will be more fun for the Chargers to take their best chance against the Broncos coming off last week's comeback win. "They are one of the top teams in the league, area, and state," Curry said.

Marian (3-0, 1-0) at Marmion (2-1, 0-1)

Game time: 7 p.m. Saturday.

Last year: Marian 28, Marmion 6.

Last week: Marian 14, Immaculate Conception 0; Driscoll 41, Marmion 0.

Players to watch: This is the first opponent for Marmion that doesn't rely heavily on the pass. Last week Driscoll QB David Schwabe fired 4 touchdowns against them and ran for another. Marmion coach Dan Thorpe is expecting a different challenge against Marian, who defeated Kaneland in last year's Class 5A semifinals. "All of their kids run hard, hit, and they don't turn the ball over," Thorpe said. "You must defeat Marian, they will not defeat themselves. Marian is very large and physical."

Outlook: Thorpe said last week was just the third time in 22 years his team has been shut out. "Bouncing back from a very embarrassing game is something I haven't had to do very often," Thorpe said. Look for a return to the Marmion team you saw in the opening two weeks when they defeated South Elgin and Kaneland. Immaculate Conception did a good job holding Marian to 14 points last week. The Cadets will need to improve offensively after being outgained 405 yards to 88 by Driscoll.

Bottom line: A night game at Marmion promises to add to the excitement. The Cadets will need a boost from the home fans and atmosphere to try to upset Marian.

St. Francis (1-2, 0-1) at Driscoll (3-0, 1-0)

Game time: 1 p.m., Saturday.

Last year: Driscoll 44, St. Francis 7.

Last week: Montini 51, St. Francis 7; Driscoll 41, Marmion 0.

Outlook: St. Francis goes from frying pan to fire. After mustering quarterback Jeff Reckards' touchdown run against the No. 2 team in Class 5A they face No. 1 in Class 4A. The Spartans will be challenged to open holes for fullback Stan Bobowski and tailback Mike Kachmer, but sustained offense is what's required against the state champions. Driscoll looked title-ready, hammering Marmion with great games from quarterback David Schwabe, tailback Tim Franken and linebacker Adam Davis, in his season debut. Linemen like Kyle Sanders, Vinny Miceli, Anthony Campanella, John Liberto and Anthony Arena pave the way to success on both sides of the ball.