Scouting: Week 5 in Lake County
Preview: Lake Zurich at Warren
North Suburban Conference (Lake) Lake Zurich (2-2, 1-1) Warren (3-1, 2-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Lake Zurich lost to Stevenson 24-17; Warren def. Lake Forest 42-21.
Outlook: On paper, this is Friday's best game in Lake County. Lake Zurich, the defending Class 7A state champion, is seeking redemption after allowing Stevenson to steal away a victory on its own field last week. The loss gives the Bears two losses in the regular season for the first time since 2005. Warren, meanwhile, is on quite a roll. The Blue Devils have looked tough all season, even in their loss to Maine South three weeks ago. A balanced offense has Warren averaging 30.5 points per game, most in the North Suburban Lake Division. Running backs Tom Lindal and Mike Liao did a lot of damage last week, rolling up more than 200 yards and 4 touchdowns between them. Lake Zurich likes to run the ball, too, with running backs Andrew Maloney and Tom Flaherty and quarterback Tanner Witt leading the way. Maloney had both of Lake Zurich's touchdowns last week.
Preview: Lake Forest at Mundelein
North Suburban Conference (Lake) Lake Forest (2-2, 0-2) Mundelein (0-4, 0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Lake Forest lost to Warren 42-21; Mundelein lost to Antioch 49-8.
Outlook: Since opening the season with two straight wins in which its offense averaged more than 300 passing yards per game, Lake Forest has been in a slump. Both Stevenson and Warren pretty much shut down the Scouts' high-powered offense. Against Warren, Lake Forest wound up with 21 points, but 2 touchdowns came late in the fourth quarter against Warren's subs. Lake Forest quarterback Thomas Rees still put up some big numbers (23-of-40 for 226 yards), but he also had 2 interceptions. Mundelein could use some big numbers of its own. Since scoring 10 points in a season-opening loss to Buffalo Grove, the Mustangs haven't again reached double-digit points in a game. And against Waukegan, Mundelein was shut out. Coach Bob Stone says that, on the bright side, he is getting some determined play out of Kenny Jernigan, Mike O'Donoghue and Aaron Metzger.
Preview: Grant at Round Lake
North Suburban Conference (Prairie) Grant (4-0, 2-0) Round Lake (0-4, 0-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Grant def. Lakes 30-7; Round Lake lost to Wauconda 39-22.
Outlook: This will be a much bigger test for Grant than it would appear on paper. The Bulldogs learned earlier this week that two of their top guns offensively would be out for the next four weeks - fullback Izzy Rodriguez and wide receiver Tommy Bychowski. Rodriguez had been playing on an aching knee all season and finally had it scoped. Bychowski, meanwhile, learned that he has mono. Not good news for the Bulldogs. However, they do have plenty of other weapons in the arsenal. Quarterback Justin Cokefair had a huge game in Week 2 against Grayslake Central in which he rushed for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. And fullback Dan Hourihan, who will fill in for Rodriguez, exploded in the season opener against Johnsburg for 182 rushing yards. Round Lake quarterback Matt Ortiz ran in 2 touchdowns last week against Wauconda. The Panthers are giving up 39 points per game, most in the North Suburban Prairie Division.
Preview: Vernon Hills at Lakes
North Suburban Conference (Prairie) Vernon Hills (4-0, 1-0) Lakes (1-3, 0-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Vernon Hills def. North Chicago 28-7; Lakes lost to Grant 30-7.
Outlook: Vernon Hills is 4-0 for the first time in school history and no one there wants the party to end. And speaking of parties, the Cougars sure have been having a lot of fun on the field, recovering multiple on-side kicks in a single game, scoring off of halfback option passes, and watching one of the best athletes in school - sophomore wideout DaVaris Daniels - put on a show with some of his acrobatic catches. Needless to say, Lakes' awareness needs to be raised against this sneaky Vernon Hills team. Of course, not only is Daniels a threat, but so is veteran Vernon Hills quarterback P.J. Marsek, running back Ernie Choi and wide receiver Evan Spencer, who is also just a sophomore. Lakes, meanwhile, has lost three straight games since winning its season opener and hasn't scored more than 7 points since Week 2. Vernon Hills coach Tony Monken says his defense must focus in on Lakes running back Josh Gaido, who ran for 63 yards by halftime of last week's loss to Grant.
Preview: Antioch at Wauconda
North Suburban Conference (Prairie) Antioch (4-0, 1-0) Wauconda (3-1, 2-0)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Last week: Antioch def. Mundelein 49-8; Wauconda def. Round Lake 39-22.
Outlook: What a homecoming this will be for Wauconda. After losing its season opener at home, the Bulldogs return to their own turf after two straight road games and are boasting a three-game winning streak. Antioch, meanwhile, is perfect on the season, so something will have to give. The Bulldogs have been rolling up the rushing yardage all season, thanks in large part to Colin McKenzie. But last week against Round Lake, Wauconda also showed a nice offensive balance by throwing the ball successfully. Quarterback Garrett Dorsey finished with 214 passing yards, including a 40-yard touchdown, on 10-of-14 attempts. Antioch also favors the run. And why not? The Sequoits have a Division-I caliber running back in Cameron White, who rushed for a season-high 261 yards against Grayslake North earlier this season. Against Mundelein he had almost 200 all-purpose yards while racking up more than 100 receiving yards. For the season, White has rushed for 637 yards on just 30 carries and scored 13 touchdowns overall. Antioch quarterback Matt Romani gave the Sequoits some balance by completing 4 of 5 passes for 139 yards.
Preview: Libertyville at North Chicago
North Suburban Conference (Lake) Libertyville (1-3) North Chicago (1-3)
When: 7:30 p.m. today.
Last week: Libertyville def. Zion-Benton 35-14; North Chicago lost to Vernon Hills 28-7
Outlook: Two proud programs come into the North Suburban Conference crossover game with uncharacteristic 1-3 records. Libertyville, which started 0-3 for the first time in Randy Kuceyeski's 15 years as head coach, broke into the win column by beating winless Zion-Benton, as both Nate Johnson and Nick McDowell rushed for a pair of touchdowns. The Wildcats got interceptions from Bryan Dickson, Pat Callan and Dan Nield. North Chicago is under the direction of first-year head coach Darryl King. The Warhawks got a 160 passing yards fron quarterback Blake Collins in their loss to Vernon Hills. Marquise Miller, one of the best playmakers in the county, caught 7 passes.
Preview: Stevenson at Zion-Benton
North Suburban Conference (Lake) Stevenson (2-2, 2-0) Zion-Benton (0-4, 0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today.
Last week: Stevenson def. Lake Zurich 24-17; Zion-Benton lost to Libertyville 35-14
Outlook: Stevenson needed a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Wujcik to unheralded wide recevier Henry Wood with 1:41 left in the fourth quarter to rally past Lake Zurich in a battle of North Suburban Lake Division heavyweights. It was just the fourth catch all season for the 6-foot-6 Wood. The lefty Wujcik, who passed for 1,704 yards last season, has thrown for 632 yards. Wide receiver Mike Bilton, who like Wujcik was an all-conference player as a junior, grabbed a season-best 10 passes, including one for a TD against Lake Zurich. He also scored on a 95-yard kickoff return. Junior Mark Weisman (298 yards) is the primary rushing threat for the Patriots, who are seeking their third win in a row, all against NSC-Lake opponents. While Zion-Benton has scored double-digit points in each of its four games, the Zee-Bees have lost 11 straight games. Coach Kelly Rice's team last won in Week 2 last season against Niles West.
Preview: Carmel Catholic at Marian Catholic
East Suburban Catholic Conference Carmel Catholic (3-1, 1-1) Marian Catholic (1-3, 1-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today.
Last week: Carmel def. Benet 49-13; Marian Catholic def. St. Joseph 20-12
Outlook: Carmel rebounded from its Week-3 loss to Marist by pounding Benet, as senior running back Mike Taylor rushed for a career-best 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. QB Andrew Nerup also had a good game on the ground, grinding out 128 rushing yards and 2 TDs. The Corsairs got an additional 77 yards on the ground from Sean Madison. Carmel has attempted only 19 passes all year, and completed just four. When Nerup does throw, he looks for wide receiver Matt Felicelli, whose 3 catches have all gone for touchdowns. Ryan Hrabek and Jake Sinkovec are the Corsairs' top tacklers with 33 and 31 stops, respectively. Patrick Cox has 2 interceptions, and Steven Lester has 3 tackles for loss. Marian Catholic's Spartans opened the season with three straight losses but were competitive in each game, losing to Homewood-Flossmoor (18-13), Bloom (13-7) and Notre Dame (13-10).
Preview: Grayslake Central at Crystal Lake Central
Fox Valley Conference (Fox) Grayslake Central (0-4, 0-0) Crystal Lake Central (4-0, 0-0)
When: 7:45 p.m. today.
Last week: Grayslake Central lost to Dundee-Crown 28-12; Crystal Lake Central def. McHenry 41-27
Outlook: It's the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division opener for both teams, and the Rams and Tigers are going in opposite directions. Grayslake Central is led offensively by Mike Gentile and Kevin O'Rourke, two good athletes who share the quarterback duties, but the Rams have allowed 149 points (an average of 37.3 per game). Crystal Lake Central's win over McHenry marked the first time that the Tigers beat the Warriors in 20 years. QB Connor Buxton and running back Anthony Niemo lead an offense that has averaged nearly 30 points per game. Against McHenry, Buxton passed for 2 touchdowns, while Niemo rushed for four.
Preview: Huntley at Grayslake N.
Fox Valley Conference (Fox) Huntley (4-0, 0-0) Grayslake N. (0-4, 0-0)
Huntley (4-0, 0-0) at Grayslake N. (0-4, 0-0)
When: 7:45 p.m. today.
Last week: Huntley def. Jacobs 36-0; Grayslake North lost to Woodstock 42-0
Outlook: With 4 victories, Huntley has already matched its 2007 total. The Red Raiders haven't started a season 4-0 since 2001. Coach Steve Graves' team boasts one of the top players in the Fox Valley Conference in linebacker/running back Jordan Neukirch, who's committed to Illinois State. Neukirch torched Jacobs for 166 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Huntley has allowed only 41 points. Grayslake North, which is missing several key players with injuries, has scored only 28 points and has given up 130 (32.5 per game).