Preview: Tri-Cities matchups

T.F. North (1-2) at St. Charles North (2-1)

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

Last year: St. Charles North 21, T.F. North 13

Last week: St. Charles North 54, Streamwood 0; T.F. South 36, T.F. North 0

Players to watch: Jordan Huxtable ran wild for the North Stars last week for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 13 carries. Quarterback Nic Neari was cleared to practice earlier this week but Sean McGushin (3-of-6, 55 yards) filled in admirably last week. St. Charles North coach Mark Gould has voiced his faith in both players on numerous occasions and said he expects both to take snaps tonight. Eric Battle (2 touchdowns last week) and Jon DeMoss both have the potential of being big playmakers so keep an eye on them. T.F. North quarterback Jeremiah Barnes tossed 3 touchdown passes in Week 2 but the Meteors were kept off the scoreboard last week. In the Meteors' lone victory, which came in Week 1, David Sykes scored 3 touchdowns, Brandal Miles had a pair, and Braxton Dupree found the end zone once.

Outlook: After a big road victory and then a great start to conference play, the North Stars now will gear up for homecoming while the Meteors take a bus 60 miles from Calumet City. The North Stars can't look past this T.F. North team, which is something Gould has to stress with undefeated Bartlett looming on the schedule next Saturday. "Our kids are pretty good on keeping things focused and we're nowhere near the level that we can look past people," Gould said. "Kids aren't doing that and it's homecoming so there's the extra motivation to do well." Matching up with the speed and athleticism of the Meteors is one of the big concerns for the North Stars tonight. "We've watched them on film and they've got some really good athletes," Gould said. "They look like they can make big plays at any time." Speaking of big plays, a few playmakers might just be getting started for the North Stars. While Huxtable was tremendous last week, Battle, DeMoss and Jeff Stolzenburg are all capable of making things less enjoyable for the visitors. "We have some kids that can make plays," Gould said. "Now it's just figuring out the best way to get these kids the ball."

Bottom line: With Bartlett sandwiched between T.F. North and South Elgin (1-5 combined), getting another victory and stretching the winning streak to three games tonight would be huge. Some may have overlooked the North Stars defense that needs to shut down a lackluster T.F. North attack.

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

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

Last year: St. Charles East 46, Streamwood 0

Last week: St. Charles East 21, Waubonsie Valley 0; St. Charles North 54, Streamwood 0

Players to watch: Senior Wes Allen (73 carries, 405 yards) should be able to get his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game early in this contest with tackles Blake Griffiths and Eric Olstad and the rest of the Saints' O-line expected to control the line of scrimmage. It wouldn't be surprising to see fullback Kyle Wiebe (13 rushes, 64 yards last week) put up some big digits. Tim Russell bounced back from his 3 interceptions against Geneva to complete 7-of-12 passes for 62 yards last week, while Dan White also took some snaps (2-of-3, 6 yards) and caught a pair of passes from Russell. Both could get ample opportunities to showcase their abilities tonight. Quarterback Noel Rivera is at the helm for the sputtering Streamwood offense. He's completed half of his passes (19 of 38) the past two weeks, but for only 180 yards. Derrick King has some athleticism in the backfield and as a wide receiver, but the North Stars had little trouble slowing him last week.

Outlook: Both teams are coming off of big shutouts but are poles apart. St. Charles East responded from a disappointing loss to Geneva and cut the power on Waubonsie Valley's offense. At Streamwood the heartache continued with a 54-0 loss to St. Charles North. Things are looking very good for the Saints right now, as their remaining opponents are a combined 4-14 with St. Charles North the only team left that currently has a winning record.

Bottom line: This could be as lopsided as the action was at St. Charles North last Friday. As long as the Saints hold onto the ball they should have no problem putting points on the board. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Saints defense pick up their second shutout of the season.

Rochelle (2-1) at Batavia (1-2)

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

Last year: Rochelle 36, Batavia 31

Last week: Kaneland 16, Rochelle 12; Glenbard South 32, Batavia 21

Players to watch: How about a unit to watch? Batavia's offense could be ready to explode tonight. After losing Bai Kabba in Week 1 and having the passing game hindered in steady rains last week, the Bulldogs expect better weather and Kabba to be ready after a full week of practice. Kabba has been limited to minus-9 rushing yards and just 3 catches for 21 yards. Kyle Duhig leads the team in rushes (29) and rushing yards (169) along with quarterback Jordan Coffey (50 of 100, 681 yards) and prime target Erich Zeddies (17, receptions, 286 yards). Tyler Lindquist (4 receptions last week) has been a nice surprise at wideout while Ryan Webb is showing that he can catch and run with the ball as well as make big plays on defense. Fullback Dan Ruppenthal (53 carries, 308 yards) leads the Hubs offense and his role becomes even more important now that Devon Mancillas, who averaged nearly 110 rushing yards a game last year and scored 9 touchdowns, is out of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Austin Gabriel (24 rushes, 154 yards) and Ben Schwartz (33 carries, 234 yards) are also dangerous.

Outlook: While one could argue that this game is more important for Batavia to win because it's at home, it's huge for both teams as neither can afford to start conference 0-2. "Both teams need to win but we both still have tough football games ahead of us," Batavia coach Mike Gaspari said. "I feel like we've played as tough of a schedule as anyone in our league and (St. Charles) East and Glenbard South both run the ball so it's good preparation for Rochelle." The biggest anomaly in the Tri-Cities for football might very well be the minus-9 stat next to Kabba's name. He's just too good of a playmaker to not make an impact so if he's healthy tonight perhaps he causes mayhem for the Hubs. "We played as well as we could offensively against West Chicago even without (Kabba)," Gaspari said. "We want to get back to that. Hopefully we'll have a dry night, and get into that rhythm." Defensively, it won't be easy for the Bulldogs. Wes Allen and Kevin Marshall ran the ball down their throats in Week 1 and Week 3 respectively, so stopping Ruppenthal, Gabriel and Schwartz will be crucial. Also, Hubs quarterback Nate Eyster (13-of-22, 191 yards) throws the ball more often than the Rochelle teams the area has grown accustomed to recently.

Bottom line: Football fans could be treated to an old-fashioned shootout tonight, and it could be very beneficial to the Bulldogs. While the defense still needs to mature, it's going to encounter plenty of growing pains, especially against a talented rushing game. Batavia likes the comfort of playing at home and should be talented enough to duplicate some of the things it succeeded in doing against West Chicago. But will it be enough?

Sycamore (3-0) at Kaneland (2-1)

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

Last year: Sycamore 37, Kaneland 7 Last week: Sycamore 35, DeKalb 12; Kaneland 16, Rochelle 12

Players to watch: One thing that sets Sycamore apart from its past teams is the presence of playmakers. Quarterback Michael Buckner, in his first year behind center, has gotten off to a phenomenal start, completing 74 percent of his passes (17-of-23) for 465 yards and 5 touchdowns. More significantly is the fact that he's not making many mistakes with only 1 interception. A lot of that has to do with the multidimensional attack of the Spartans. Joe Dougherty leads the way (35 rushes, 206 yards) but running back Marckie Hayes (2 touchdowns last week, 3 interceptions against Kaneland last year) and Cody Bex (10 carries, 54 yards last Friday) are dangerous. Perhaps no one is as dangerous as wide receiver Tom Hensley who has just 5 catches, but he's collected 329 receiving yards for a 65.8 yards-per-reception average. Plus, 3 of the 5 receptions have gone for touchdowns. While the Knights' spread offense might not be putting 30-plus points on the scoreboard like it did in the past three seasons when they averaged 34 points a game, they are scoring enough to win. Quarterback Joe Camiliere has 4 touchdown passes and continues to be very efficient, completing 62-of-103 attempts for 708 yards. He had a great effort running the ball last week, collecting 77 yards on just 12 carries. The Knights have received a nice balance from their receiving crew that they hope continues tonight. Blake Serpa, Hayden Johnson and Naperville Central-transfer Pat Fleming each had 4 receptions last week with Fleming leading the way with 81 yards, while Ryley Bailey and the 6-foot-3 Tyler Callaghan both have had their numbers called as well. "We feel like we have a lot of depth to come off the bench," Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly said. "Fleming came in last week and made the most of opportunities and with that depth it can be anyone on any given night."

Outlook: Kaneland hasn't forgotten the one-sided drubbing it received last season. The Knights will look to get some revenge for what happened last fall in Sycamore and hope to improve to remain in a first-place tie in the Western Sun. Both teams head into this clash as optimistic as possible with Sycamore driving into Maple Park with a 3-0 record for the first time in at least 24 years while Kaneland's still enjoying the excellent defensive effort it displayed in edging Rochelle last Friday. "It's been a whole team thing defensively," Fedderly said. "We put it on those guys to make an improvement from Marmion and we kind of were embarrassed in the first quarter but as a team they stepped it up to defend Rochelle. They've made great improvements and we're happy with the whole situation." On the offensive side of the ball, the Knights have been pleased with how they've been able to accumulate yards, but Fedderly pointed out that they need to turn more of their nice drives into points. "We have been disappointed in the red zone and that's something we're working on improving," he said. "We're happy with how we've been moving the ball but we just need to put it in when we get down there." This is the 12th straight year the two schools will play each other and Kaneland has won 9 of those 11 previous contests but just 3 of the last 5.

Bottom line: Sycamore is Kaneland's oldest rival and things should be intense tonight since expectations are high for both teams. That's a good thing. These players have heard "Defensive wins games," many times and it certainly has for both teams this season. Sycamore is giving up 12.7 points per game this year while the Knights' defense has yielded just 13 points total in their two victories. The defense that plays best tonight will likely win.

Glenbard South (2-1) at Geneva (3-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today. Last year: Geneva 17, Glenbard South 0

Last week: Glenbard South 32, Batavia 21; Geneva 41, Yorkville 6

Players to watch: According to www.maxpreps.com, a Web site that seeks to be the most comprehensive source for reliable sports information, Geneva's Michael Ratay's is tied for third in the nation with 13 rushing touchdowns through three games. He's comfortably ahead of Niles West's Leonard Panion (10) for the lead in the state of Illinois. Ratay has done all of his scoring, and gaining (64 carries, 581 yards) while playing half games against Dundee-Crown and Yorkville. Teams know that Ratay is going to get the ball. What remains to be seen is whether or not junior quarterback Brandon Beitzel (12-of-25, 174 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD) can move the ball through the air. Glenbard South quarterback Kevin Marshall has been impressive - at least with his legs. Marshall tore apart the Batavia defense for 230 rushing yards last week and has just less than 300 rushing yards this fall. Throwing the ball has been problematic though as he's only completed 38 percent of his passes and like Beitzel has thrown an interception. In addition, he's fumbled the ball away three times. Nick Slezak (7 catches, 71 yards) and Jon Holland (5 catches, 83 yards) are nice threats for the Raiders, while Curtis Ford (37 carries, 298 yards, 2 TDs) is their featured back. Defensively, Andrew Clausen leads the Vikings with 17 tackles. Frank Boenzi and Brennan Quinn are right behind Clausen with 16 apiece.

Outlook: The proverbial driver's seat is at stake in this early conference matchup as the winner will share a 2-0 conference record with the winner of Kaneland-Sycamore. "They're a well put together team and they were good last year," Boenzi said. "They are still a threat to us but we want to do our thing and keep the ball rolling with a win." In an odd turn of events, half of this week's Western Sun contests feature teams that won their conference opener while the other two pit teams that came up short-handed last Friday. Geneva and Glenbard South have relied heavily on the running game, which isn't to say that either quarterback can't pass the ball downfield. For the Raiders, the 6-foot-3 Marshall has done it before as he threw for more than 1,400 yards and 11 TDs last fall. For the Vikings, Beitzel lacks the experience but has the potential, as well as the faith of his teammates, to do damage to opposing defenses. The weather prohibited him from getting many fair opportunities to throw the ball last week. "We had planned on seeing what he could do and were excited but we didn't know it was going to be this bad (weather conditions)," Ratay said. "We're really looking forward to seeing what he and our wide receivers can do." The big question is if tonight's the night they'll have breakout passing games. "We want to try to be balanced and throw the ball a bit more," Glenbard South coach Dan Starkey said. "It was nice to see the offensive line play as well as they did (last Friday). They were really our MVP and Kevin, who runs very hard and is a heck of a player, was the recipient of their outstanding effort." That same offensive line will face a much more difficult task going against Geneva's fearsome unit. "Those seven guys up front for Geneva are very good," Starkey said. "It's a big game. We know Geneva is well coached, a great program, putting up a lot of points and playing very well. It's a tremendous challenge for us." Defensively the Vikings hold a big edge, especially when it comes to experience. The Raiders only returned four starters defensively this fall, but all four were all-Western Sun picks as juniors in 2007. Geneva has won the last five meetings, including a pair in 2004. The Raiders last upended the Vikings 50-21 in 2003.

Bottom line: The Vikings have overmatched its opponents on both sides of the line of scrimmage while the Raiders' offensive line is confident after dominating Batavia last week. But then there's the defensive line for Glenbard South. It's brand new this year and could be the biggest difference in the game as no one has been able to slow Ratay nor close the holes the Geneva offensive line has opened.

Driscoll (2-1, 0-1) at Marmion (2-1, 0-1)

Game time: 7:30 p.m.

Last year: Driscoll 41, Marmion 0.

Last week: St. Francis 27, Driscoll 7; Marian 28, Marmion 6.

Outlook: It's Suburban Catholic win streak ended at 11 last week, the Highlanders regain the swagger against a Marmion unit seeking to again put pressure on quarterback Steven Schwabe.

St. Edward (2-1, 0-1) at Aurora Central (0-3, 0-1)

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

Last year: ACC 52, St. Edward 36.

Last week: Immaculate Conception 22, St. Edward 0; Montini 49, Aurora Central 7.

Outlook: This is always one of the best chances either team has to win a Suburban Catholic game, and last year was no different with Mike and Mark Adams hooking up for three late touchdown passes to ignite an Aurora Central comeback win. This year's Chargers are still trying to put four quarters together after another strong start last week that saw them stay within a touchdown of Montini.

St. Francis (3-0, 1-0) at Montini (3-0, 1-0)

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

Last year: Montini 51, St. Francis 7.

Last week: St. Francis 27, Driscoll 7; Montini 49, Aurora Central 7.

Outlook: Beating Driscoll for the first time since 2000, St. Francis hopes to end a longer streak - the Spartans last topped Montini in 1994, 12-6. St. Francis back Mark Kachmer came off a 412-yard effort against DeKalb with 150 more rushing yards plus an 87-yard kickoff return for touchdown that got signaled Driscoll's demise. He's Montini's obvious focus on defense. St. Francis' defense faces another spread offense, with Montini quarterback Tom DiCristina completing 64 percent of his passes for 720 yards and 7 interceptions. Defensive backs like Brett Robinson and Tony Vargyas shut down Driscoll's receivers while blitzes plus lineman Jason Lombardi pressured the quarterback. Montini will try to control the ball through the air and, with defensive lineman Rob Pinter, Carl Foreside, Mark Kaseeska and Chris Wisniewski getting penetration, stop Kachmer's big plays. If the Broncos offensive line can handle St. Francis' quickness, an aerial shootout would benefit the homecoming host rather than a ground-based slugfest.

Glenbard East (2-1, 0-1) at West Aurora (2-1, 0-1)

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

Last year: West Aurora 9, Glenbard East 6.

Last week: Naperville N. 35, GE 0; Naperville Cen. 41, W. Aurora 2.

Outlook: Both teams were brought back to earth with harsh losses last week to the Naperville schools. West Aurora's most dangerous on special teams - the one area the Rams saw success in against Naperville North. West Aurora coach Buck Drach was dismayed with every facet of his team's play. The Blackhawks lost 4 fumbles and were held to 2 first downs. "We lost last summer when some guys decided not to show up all summer," Drach said. "We lost three weeks ago when some guys decided not to show up at practice on time or run hard or learn their plays. It's my fault for not preparing them."

Aurora Christian (3-0, 1-0) at Lake Forest Academy (1-2)

Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday.

Last year: Aurora Christian 77, Lake Forest Academy 6.

Last week: Aurora Christian 62, Rockford Christian Life 0; Chicago Christian 32, Lake Forest 6.

Outlook: The toughest thing for the Eagles in this matchup might be bringing their A game. With their annual PSL showdown against Chicago Christian next week and an emotional victory in the first game on their new field last week, logic says the Eagles certainly could look past this one a little.