Scouting: Week 2 in Fox Valley area football

Bartlett (1-0) at Oswego (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. today at Ken Pickerill Field

Last year: Bartlett 33, Oswego 22

Last week: Bartlett 28, Glenbard North 21; Oswego 32, Benet Academy 7

Outlook: It's a new feeling for the Hawks, who remain undefeated going into Week 2 for the first time since 1998. The win over the No. 3 team in Class 8A vaulted Bartlett to No. 8 in The Associated Press poll this week and to No. 5 in the Daily Herald Top 20. This week Bartlett battles a physical Oswego team on its home turf without two injured defensive starters. Bartlett senior linebacker Mike Andreuccetti dislocated his elbow and will miss a month. Defensive tackle Dean Brady suffered a knee injury that could end his season. Junior Grant Becker steps in at linebacker and junior Joe Quartullo will play tackle. The Bartlett defense held Glenbard North to 73 yards rushing (286 passing). The run defense will get a stiffer test against a big Oswego offensive line and senior tailback Tim Riley, who carried 21 times against Benet for 210 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. Riley was named Class 6A All-State in 2007 and is drawing interest from Northwestern. "They just like to line up and power the ball down the field," Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. "They take what a defense gives them. If they have something, they'll go to the pass, but we have to stop their power game." Bartlett's balanced offense collected 300 yards last week, 122 on the ground. Senior quarterback Josh Hasenberg completed 19-of-25 attempts for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for another. Fabian Libreri rushed 12 times for 54 yards and a touchdown and Joey Lehto ran for 43 yards on 10 carries. Receiver Alex VanNess caught 11 balls for 99 yards and a touchdown. "This could be their year," Oswego coach Dave Keely said of the talented Hawks. "They have a senior-dominated team that plays well together. They get off the ball well and they're physical. We'll have our hands full and then some."

West Aurora (1-0) at Elgin (0-1)

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

Last year: West Aurora 21, Elgin 13

Last week: West Aurora 46, East Aurora 0; Plainfield Central 47, Elgin 25

Outlook: Elgin tries to win its first game under new coach Dave Bierman after miscommunication problems and a large Plainfield Central offensive line led to second-half breakdowns in the opener. Elgin senior Jamal Cook is a playmaker. Last week He returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and stripped the ball at the goal line on defense for a 99-yard fumble return. The Elgin defense must find a way to improve on the 424 yards rushing it allowed without the services of middle linebacker/fullback Cody Thomas, who will miss the game with a shoulder injury suffered last week. West Aurora quarterback John Nunnally ran for 2 scores and running back Leon Spears collected 48 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 carries last week. "They have some good receivers, some decent backs and a quarterback who can throw the ball pretty deep," Bierman said. "We have to do a better job of playing the angles and not letting them get outside or get behind us when they throw." Blackhawks linebacker Kevin Costin intercepted a pass to set up a touchdown against East Aurora and returned a fumble for another. West held the Tomcats to 24 yards rushing on 26 carries.

Kirkland Hiawatha (1-0) at St. Edward (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday at Greg True Field

Last year: Did not play

Last week: St. Edward 15, Hampshire 7; Kirkland Hiawatha 45, Luther North 14

Outlook: The first night St. Edward football game under permanent lights will feature two programs on the rise, near mirror images of each other. St. Edward, which went 1-26 the last three seasons, won its opener for the first time since 2002. Hiawatha has gone 3-42 the last five years, but those 3 wins have come in the last two seasons under coach Sean Donnelly, who took over the program in 2006. Both teams played numerous freshmen and sophomores for the last three years as they pointed toward breakthrough seasons in 2008. One will leave Greg True Field 2-0. Every starter but one for Hiawatha has at least three years of experience. Most starters for St. Edward have also played for three or four seasons on varsity. The Hawks have graduated only two offensive players in three years. Key returnees include senior running back Sean Griffin and third-year starting quarterback Jason Keneway, who operate behind a veteran offensive line. "We've been going over with our linemen that they are the key to this game," Donnelly said. "We saw the Hampshire game. St. Edward is good and they look good up front. They don't quit on their plays. Our job is to come out and answer their enthusiasm and continue where we left off Friday." St. Edward held Hampshire's solid ground game to 126 yards and will be tested again by the Hawks, who ran the ball without much resistance against Luther North. It's only Week 2, but the Green Wave need a win to give themselves a realistic shot at the school's third playoff berth. "We have to win this week," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "Our conference (Suburban Catholic) is just too tough." Seniors Jimmy Mathisen and Moises Quiroga combined for 167 yards rushing on 33 carries last week.

Dundee-Crown (0-1) at Streamwood (0-1)

When: Noon Saturday at Millennium Field

Last year: Dundee-Crown 49, Streamwood 14

Last week: Geneva 49, Dundee-Crown 7; Crystal Lake Central 32, Streamwood 6

Outlook: One team will get a much-needed shot in the arm after each endured lopsided Week 1 losses. It's a fair matchup for both programs: D-C and Streamwood have gone a combined 4-32 the last two seasons. However, D-C returns quarterback Logan Kissack and many other skill-position players from the team that put 49 points on the scoreboard against the Sabres in last year's meeting, the Chargers' lone victory in 2007. This opens a stretch for Dundee-Crown of three games against opponents that went a combined 2-25 last year. The Chargers want to get on a roll. "If we can go in there and play well and get a win, it would obviously help us out a lot," D-C coach Mike Davis said. "We didn't get anybody hurt last week and we've been stressing the positives and really concentrating on tackling well." Kissack threw the ball 26 times for 74 yards last week but was constantly under pressure from a superior Geneva defensive unit. D-C rushed for only 63 yards last week, but should find more holes against a Sabres defense that allowed 263 yards rushing to Crystal Lake Central. Offensively, Streamwood senior quarterback Noel Rivera completed 9-of-17 attempts for 118 yards, receiver Joey Hanover caught 3 balls for 66 yards and Derrick King made 4 catches for 30 yards. Both teams were outsize in the trenches last week. "They're not as big as they were last year, but they still play some aggressive football so it will be a challenge," Sabres coach Cal Cummins said of the Chargers. "We're both coming off losses and would like to get on track here, so we're excited about the opportunity." Streamwood drove the ball deep into enemy territory several times last week but "we could not finish," Cummins said. The Sabres will be without linebacker/tight end Fenton Brislen due to injury.

Marian Central (1-0) at Cary-Grove (1-0)

When: 7:45 p.m. at Al Bohrer Field

Last year: Did not play

Last week: Cary-Grove 24, St. Charles North 21; Marian Central 21, North Chicago 6

Outlook: This highly anticipated matchup between the most successful private and public schools in McHenry County pits Cary-Grove, the No. 3 team in Class 6A, against the Hurricanes, who maintained the top ranking in Class 5A despite losing Wisconsin-bound senior quarterback Jon Budmayr to a broken collarbone in the season opener. Marian will also take the field for this game without senior running back/linebacker Brandon Smith, coach Ed Brucker said Tuesday. Smith suffered a strained knee and high ankle sprain last week. Sophomores Jarrod Koch and Corey Cavitt will share Smith's carries and Koch will fill in at linebacker. Marian still has top talent on its roster, but the 'Canes face a daunting challenge in the Trojans, who have won 43 of their last 47 games and have lost only once in the regular season since 2004. "We only had 19 (players) able to practice this week," Brucker said. "We're doing what we can do. It's going to be a pretty tall order, and it would have been tough with Jon. Now, it'll be questionable. I just hope we don't get banged up any more." Senior Andy Stochl steps in at quarterback once again. He started four games last year when Budmayr went down with a hamstring injury and completed 40-of-71 passes for 659 yards and 5 touchdowns. Marian went 3-1 in Stochl's starts. Despite the absence of key Marian starters, Cary-Grove remains wary of a program used to achieving success despite small roster numbers. "Our kids know some of their kids from other sports and have a high regard for all their football players," Trojans coach Bruce Kay said. "I don't want to downplay them not having (Budmayr), but they have a number of very good football players they put on the field. It's going to be a good game." Cary-Grove's defense played fast and physical in the first half of last week's season-opening win before eventually giving up 245 total yards. The option offense rushed 53 times for 287 yards, led by junior Alex Hembrey's 152 yards.

Crystal Lake South (1-0) at Glenbard North (0-1)

When: 7:45 p.m. today

Last year: Crystal Lake South 15, Glenbard North 13

Last week: Crystal Lake South 7, Crete-Monee 0; Bartlett 28, Glenbard North 21

Outlook: Glenbard North will be charged up for three reasons: it's their home opener; they lost last week after beginning the year as the No. 3-ranked team in Class 8A; and because they owe CL South a measure of revenge. The Gators bit the Panthers in Week 2 last season. Glenbard North rebounded just fine and went all the way to the Class 8A title game, led by 6-foot-6, 235-pound Northwestern-bound quarterback Evan Watkins. Watkins threw touchdown passes of 50, 39 and 21 yards in the loss to Bartlett last week. CL South's off-season switch to a 3-3-5 defense paid dividends with a shutout and 193 total yards allowed in Week 1. "Any time you make a change you always have questions, is it a good idea or not?" Gators coach Jim Stuglis said of the new scheme. "But the kids played hard and that helped. Hopefully, we can find out just how good we are, how good the defense is because (the Panthers) are a very good football team. (Watkins) is big and he can throw it a country mile. He's a very good athlete, so we've got our work cut out for us." CL South will likely be without the services of junior running back Colin Masterson, who ran for 26 yards on 9 carries last week. He suffered a concussion in practice on Tuesday and did not practice Wednesday.

Hampshire (0-1) at Winnebago (0-1)

When: 7 p.m. at Winnebago Athletics Field

Last year: Hampshire 35, Winnebago 19

Last week: St. Edward 15, Hampshire 7; North Boone 31, Winnebago 20

Outlook: Hampshire looks to rebound from a loss in the home opener by winning the first of two consecutive Big Northern Conference crossover games on the road. The Whip-Purs travel to Oregon next week. They'll face a Winnebago team short on experience with eight seniors on the roster after it graduated 18 players. The Indians return one defensive starter and two offensive linemen. Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh is more concerned with his team after last week's loss than any opponent. "After you come off a loss, you just want to get better at the things you do and work on your game plan as much as you can," Cavanaugh said. "(Winnebago) is well coached. Our focus is taking care of business this week. Looking at the film, there are a lot of things we need to work on." Senior fullback Joe Moore was held to 30 yards rushing and 1 touchdown last week on 9 carries while senior quarterback Evan Brenner ran 18 times for 60 yards. "They're very good up front and Moore can really run the ball," Winnebago coach Mark Helm said. "We'll really have to move our feet up front because they're big."

Vernon Hills (1-0) at South Elgin (0-1)

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

Last year: Vernon Hills, South Elgin

Last week: Vernon Hills 33, Niles West 19; Marmion 33, South Elgin 7

Outlook: South Elgin's season-opening defeat was closer than the final score indicated. South Elgin was about to score in the third quarter when two breakdowns on one play resulted in an interception return for a touchdown that changed the complexion of the game. Two late Marmion scores finished off the Storm, who hope to even their record in the home opener at Millennium Field. Tonight's home game is the only one of South Elgin's first five contests that will be played on home turf. The Storm offense showed promise last week. Senior quarterback Patrick Rae completed 18-of-37 attempts for 205 yards and a 37-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Ryan, and the ground game averaged 3.1 yards per carry in 27 attempts. But it wasn't enough to get over the hump. "We had over 300 yards of offense and only 7 points," South Elgin coach Dale Schabert pointed out. "We did a lot of good things, but it seemed like we always had a long field. We did some good things on defense, too. I thought the guys put good pressure on their passing game." The South Elgin defense will take the field without junior middle linebacker Sean Kolber, who is being held out for precautionary reasons. Vernon Hills rallied from a 13-0 deficit to upend Niles West last week. Senior running back Ernie Choi ran for touchdowns of 68 and 11 yards. Senior quarterback P.J. Marszek threw for 113 yards and a touchdown and ran for another.

Elmwood Park (0-1) at Huntley (1-0)

When: 7:45 p.m. today at Huntley athletic fields

Last year: Huntley 33, Elmwood Park 6

Last week: Huntley 35, Wauconda 14; Schurz 19, Elmwood Park 6

Outlook: Huntley dominated Wauconda in the season opener with a strong push from its veteran offensive line, which paved the way for 417 rushing yards in 48 attempts. "Last week we were happiest about our offensive line," Huntley coach Steve Graves said. "They put five running backs over a 6-yard average. It did not seem to matter which running back was in the game. They were all getting yardage because of the work of the offensive line." Senior Jordan Neukirch led the way with 201 yards rushing and scoring runs of 63 and 55 yards. Junior quarterback Brandon Luczak completed 3 passes for 93 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown to Marcus Popenfoose. Elmwood Park has a numbers problem. Of its roster of 27, only 22 players are eligible for Huntley's home opener. The Tigers have a blitz-heavy defensive scheme, but they are thin on the lines, according to Elmwood Park coach Luis Arroyo, which bodes well for the physical Huntley fronts on either side of the ball. "Our guys will play as hard as they can," Arroyo said. "You can bet we'll pull every trick out of the bag." Graves said he was pleased by the play of Tony Stangel and Joe Muren in the secondary, which was an area of concern last season. The Red Raiders held Wauconda's offense to 22 yards passing last week in 10 attempts.

Larkin (0-1) at Jacobs (1-0)

When: 7:45 p.m. at Jacobs athletic field

Last year: Jacobs 75, Larkin 58

Last week: Jacobs 31, Moline 30 (3OT); McHenry 18, Larkin 7

Outlook: Last year's score above isn't a misprint. Jacobs and Larkin combined for the second-most points scored in one game in state history. Don't expect a repeat. Under new Larkin coach Matt Gehrig and defensive coordinator Adrian Barbera, the Larkin defense showed improvement over last season when it allowed 38.2 points per game. "It's not going to be that kind of game," Gehrig said of last year's shootout. "Let me put it this way: our main goal this year, fundamentally, is to be able to block and tackle to the best of our ability." Larkin's season opener against McHenry was tied 7-7 at the half, but a few miscues and lack of execution in the second half proved to be too much for several two-way Larkin starters to overcome. They were worn down by the McHenry running game late, according to Gehrig, but it was an effort that impressed Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter when he watched the film. "It was a close ballgame almost the whole game, and Larkin played hard the whole time," Schlueter said. Their defense, for the most part, played a McHenry team pretty tough. Any defense that can do that is a pretty good defense."Larkin threw the ball the majority of the time last season in a spread offense. The Royals ran the ball 35 times last week for 120 yards, including 15 attempts by senior quarterback Jeff Saurbaugh. Jacobs rushed 41 times for 120 yards in a triple overtime victory against Moline. Running back Adam Dybeck caught a 15-yard yard pass from junior quarterback Alec Starr. Dybeck also scored on a pair of short runs in overtime. The Golden Eagles impressed their coach most by playing as a team in the opener. "The biggest thing is that we played very intensely throughout the game," Schlueter said. "Many guys stepped up in big situations, things not even noticed by people in the stands. It was a great team win. No matter what situation we faced we came back and got the job done."

Burlington Central (0-1) at Sycamore (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. today at Harry Engh Field

Last year: Burlington Central 35, Sycamore 21

Last week: Kaneland 31, Burlington Central 7, Sycamore 35, Streator 12

Outlook: Kaneland manhandled Burlington Central in the season opener for the fourth straight year. The last three times that's happened, the Rockets have rebounded for victories in Week 2, including wins against Sycamore the past two seasons. "Kaneland always lets you know right away what your strengths and weaknesses are," Central coach Aaron Wichman said. "Then our kids have always taken it upon themselves to work that second week and get better. The last few years we've been fortunate to do that, but this year Sycamore has a really decent team on film. I was impressed with a lot of their athletes, so it will be a challenge for us definitely." The Spartans bounced Streator with the help of senior quarterback Michael Buckner, a three-year starter playing QB for the first time since the end of his sophomore year. He completed 10-of-12 passing attempts for 179 yards and 2 TDs last week to go with 50 yards rushing. Five backs ran for 50 yards or more, including junior running back Marckie Hayes, an all-Western Sun selection last year who played in the opener with a splint on his hand. The splint came off this week. Senior Michael Hensley is a player to watch. He caught a 92-yard touchdown pass from Buckner, carried 5 times for 69 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a pass on defense. Three-year starting linebacker Cody Bex had a sack, forced a fumble and made some big hits. He'll be a key against the Burlington option offense, which was held to 163 yards of total offense last week, 135 on the ground. But the Spartans aren't getting complacent. They've felt sky-high after season-opening wins the last two years only to be beaten by the Rockets. "I know Burlington Central lost last week, but they always come in here and play us really tough," Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said. "We're expecting the same thing this weekend." The Rockets lost junior defensive lineman Arturs Kirik to season-ending knee surgery in the Kaneland game and senior safety Bobby Timm will miss this game with a sprained MCL.

Compiled by Jerry Fitzpatrick