Scouting Week 7 in the Fox Valley

St. Edward (3-3, 1-3) at St. Francis (5-1, 3-1)

When: today at 7:30 p.m.

Last year: St. Edward 28, St. Francis 26, OT

Last week: Driscoll 21, St. Edward 12; St. Francis 34, Marmion 32, OT

Last year, St. Edward snapped its school record 26-game losing streak last season by stopping a St. Francis 2-point conversion run in overtime. Both teams are better than they were a year ago. St. Francis lost to Montini two weeks ago, but has otherwise blown out Yorkville, DeKalb, Aurora Central and Driscoll. The Spartans slipped by Marmion last week in stunning fashion. Down by a touchdown with a minute to play, senior Ryan O'Donnell returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to send the game to overtime. The St. Francis offense boasts the leading rusher in DuPage County, Mark Kachmer (6-feet, 190 pounds). The senior has rushed for 1,210 yards and 21 touchdowns on 103 carries, an average of 11.7 yards per attempt. He'll lineup at fullback, tailback, even quarterback. Kachmer has also caught 11 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. "They seem to have a viable passing game, too," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "But if you don't stop Kachmer, they're not going to do anything different. They find ways to get him the ball. They'll let him run some quarterback sweeps and bootlegs and run him on pass routes out of the backfield. We have to know where he's at every single play." Kachmer averages 201 yards rushing per game. The St. Edward defense is holding opposing teams to 134 yards rushing, so something has to give. The Green Wave need to win 2 out of their last 3 games to qualify for playoff consideration. Though St. Edward has lost 2 straight to Marian Central and Driscoll, the Wave competed well in both games and remain confident they can play with anyone, according to Rolando. St. Edward will get a boost from the return of middle linebacker/fullback Moises Quiroga. He sat out the Driscoll game last week due to a concussion. Senior Andrew Richmond and junior Kevin Lawson, who split time on the offensive line and are both nicked up, are game-day decisions. The St. Edward offense is run dominated. The Wave average only 7.5 passes per game, which makes it hard to overcome penalties like the 6 they were whistled for last week. "We can't have those untimely penalties," Rolando said. "We're not a first-and-20 type of team."

Burlington Central (1-5, 1-1) at Marengo (1-5, 0-2)

When: today at 7 p.m. at Rod Poppe Fields

Last year: Burlington Central 49, Marengo 7

Last week: Richmond-Burton 34, Burlington Central 7; North Boone 53, Marengo 20

Outlook: With the playoffs out of reach, Burlington Central's attention turns to simple improvement, particularly along both lines of scrimmage where the vast majority of players will return next season. "From here on out, records aren't important," Rockets coach Aaron Wichman said. "We told the kids we're not going to talk about overall records, we're not going to talk about trying to score 40 points, we're not going to talk about shutting teams out. We're just going to talk about getting better. The kids took that to heart and that's kind of been their focus this week. The wins and losses will take care of themselves, but we're just going to talk about being better football players and being a better team." Junior Tim Botsford will likely get the start at quarterback again, Wichman said, with sophomore Tim Maroder lining up in the backfield. Maroder will continue to rotate in and take snaps. The Rockets can still play spoiler in the Big Northern East. They'll host rival Hampshire on homecoming next Friday, but first they'll try to get back on the winning track and gain a head of steam against a susceptible Marengo defense. The Indians snapped a 29-game losing streak in Week 2 with a 28-26 victory over Knoxville (1-5). But Marengo has otherwise been outscored 234-85 in 5 losses to Chicago Christian, Winnebago, Stillman Valley, Harvard and North Boone. Marengo runs the ball almost exclusively. Senior quarterback Scott Donley has rushed for 697 yards and 5 touchdowns and sophomore running back Ryan Gaines has 372 yards and 3 TDs. A Central defense allowing 275 rushing yards a game must stiffen. Offensively, the Rockets average 277 yards a game, led by Maroder's 300 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He has also thrown for 358 yards and 7 scores.

North Boone (3-3, 1-1) at Hampshire (3-3, 2-0)

When: today at 7 p.m. at Hampshire athletic field

Last year: Hampshire 35, North Boone 7

Last week: Hampshire 27, Harvard 20; North Boone 53, Marengo 20

Outlook: Hampshire took the lead in the Big Northern East race last week by handing Harvard only its second league loss in three seasons. It was the third straight win for the Whip-Purs, who can't let up on the gas pedal now against a team they've beaten the last two seasons by a combined score of 77-13. "We've tried to impress on the players that they've worked hard and gotten back to where they're controlling their own destiny," Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. "It would be a shame to take anything for granted at this point." The Hampshire offense put together four long scoring drives last week and the defense came up with a fumble and an interception to hold Harvard to 167 total yards. The Whips faced run-oriented offenses the last three weeks. North Boone presents a different challenge. The Vikings spread the field with four and five receivers, which gives athletic sophomore quarterback Alex Albrecht room to run. He returned from injury last week to lead North Boone to 53 points against Marengo by rushing 13 times for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also completed 11-of-14 pass attempts for 173 yards and 3 more scores. "He certainly changes what we can do," North Boone coach Aaron Sullivan said. "He runs the ball and throws the ball for us and he's just been a real pleasant surprise as a sophomore. We knew he was going to be good. I just didn't realize he was going to be this good this soon." Albrecht's favorite targets are his twin brother Jon (30 receptions 500 yards, 6 TDs) and Tyler Bielski (31-373-3). Hampshire can keep Albrecht and company off the field with more sustained drives like the marches they imposed on Harvard. Hampshire is rushing for an average of 187.7 yards per game, led by senior fullback Joe Moore (509 yards, 7 TDs).

Crystal Lake Central (5-1, 1-1) at Huntley (6-0, 2-0)

When: today at 7:45 p.m. at Harmony Road Campus Field

Last year: Huntley 28, CL Central 26

Last week: Huntley 44, Grayslake Central 6; Prairie Ridge 24, CL Central 0

Outlook: This game could be over in the blink of an eye as two run-oriented offenses clash in Huntley. The Red Raiders have sealed a playoff berth, but look to gain a higher seed with a win over the previously undefeated Tigers, who were knocked out of first place in the Fox Division of the FVC last week by Prairie Ridge. It's a step up in competition for the Red Raiders, who haven't played a team with a winning record. "Physically, this is no question the best team we've played up until this point," Huntley coach Steve Graves said of CL Central. "They've got good size and good strength and they play a good brand of power football. We've yielded some yards on the ground even against some passing teams, so we know we have our hands full there." The Huntley defense has allowed an average of 110 rushing yards per game. The Tigers attack on the ground with running backs Anthony Niemo (662 yards, 7 TDs) and Adam Smyth (481-8). Quarterback Connor Buxton has rushed for 202 yards and 2 scores and has thrown for 420 yards and 6 touchdowns. However, the Tigers struggled offensively against a physical Prairie Ridge defense that held them to 5 first downs until their final drive when the game was out of reach. CL Central could find the sledding just as tough this week against a Huntley defense with seven veteran starters holding opponents to an average of 156 total yards per game. Huntley running back Jordan Neukirch is the area's leading rusher with 958 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averages 10.9 yards per attempt.

Jacobs (1-5, 0-2) at Woodstock (4-2, 1-1)

When: today at 7:45 p.m. at Larry Dale Field

Last year: Woodstock 14, Jacobs 0

Last week: McHenry 33, Jacobs 14; Cary-Grove 14, Woodstock 0

Outlook: The Golden Eagles, who were eliminated from playoff contention last week with a fifth straight loss, will attempt to derail a Woodstock team aiming to become playoff-eligible for the 11th time in the last 13 years. The postseason goal may be unattainable at this point, but Jacobs isn't throwing in the towel. "We're playing because we want to represent Jacobs well and because we want to win, and that's the bottom line," Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter said. "If you're not out there every single game to win, I think your priorities are mixed up. We always want to win and we want to win now." To do so, the Eagles will have to slow Woodstock quarterback Derek Brown and a solid running game. Brown, a third-year starter, has thrown for 724 yards and 5 touchdowns, though he has been intercepted 7 times. But the Blue Streaks can also attack a Jacobs defense that allows 259.3 rushing yards per game with Kevin Smith and Zac Johnson, who have combined for 623 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. The Golden Eagles must find a way to jump start the offense. Jacobs is last in area offense with 183.8 total yards per game, but the team hasn't played to its capability yet, says its coach. "We're working on playing consistently," Schlueter said. "We don't think we've reached our peak performance yet, and we haven't done it all year. That's what we have to concentrate on. If we take care of ourselves and execute like we think we can, we can play with anybody. We have to come out and take care of the football, put pressure on them and play disciplined on both sides of the ball."

Crystal Lake South (5-1, 2-0) at Cary-Grove (6-0, 2-0)

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

Last year: Cary-Grove 54, CL South 0

Last week: Cary-Grove 14, Woodstock 0; CL South 42, Dundee-Crown 7

Outlook: Get your parking spots early. This rivalry has drawn overflow crowds in recent years. The energy level will be sky high as the top two teams in the Valley Division square off. Cary-Grove has won the last four regular-season meetings, and 2-of-3 playoff matchups since 2004. The Trojans have won 30 straight Fox Valley Conference games and are bidding for their fifth straight league title. CL South is, literally and figuratively, the biggest obstacle standing between Cary-Grove and title No. 5. "They're big and physical," Cary-Grove coach Bruce Kay said. "They have a lot of football players over there who are filling out shirts that are either extra-large or double extra-large." The Cary-Grove triple option offense is averaging 350 yards and 32.3 points per game, but it didn't finish drives off last week against Woodstock. The Trojans turned the ball over on downs deep inside Woodstock territory twice, missed 2 field goals, had 2 scores called back due to penalties and were stopped at the 1-yard line as time ran out in the first half. They'll face a CL South defense that switched in the off-season to a 3-3-5 scheme, similar to the defense employed by the Trojans. Both defenses have excelled of late. Cary-Grove is coming off back-to-back shutouts. The Gators shut out McHenry two weeks ago and held Dundee-Crown to 7 points last week despite giving up 347 total yards, 229 via the pass. Though Cary-Grove quarterback Tyler Krebs has only attempted 27 passes this season, completing 12 for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns, CL South remains wary of his ability to throw. "When you concentrate so much on the run, especially with option football, you're not focusing on your pass drops and that's when they catch you," CL South coach Jim Stuglis said. "We have to work real hard and be disciplined this week." Cary-Grove could see the return of junior running back Alex Hembrey, who missed 3 games with a sprained ankle and knee. The CL South offense has been humming of late, averaging 36 points in four straight victories. "We're healthy, we're coming off some big wins and the kids have a lot of confidence going in, which is very important when you're facing a team like Cary-Grove," Stuglis said.

McHenry (2-4, 1-1) at Dundee-Crown (3-3, 0-2)

When: today at 7:45 p.m. at the D-C Bowl

Last year: McHenry 48, Dundee-Crown 12

Last week: CL South 42, Dundee-Crown 7; McHenry 33, Jacobs 14

Outlook: Dundee-Crown needs to win 2 of its remaining 3 games to qualify for the playoffs. With undefeated Cary-Grove on the schedule next week, a win over McHenry is a virtual must. "If we can win tonight, it'll guarantee us a chance no matter what happens (next week) against Cary-Grove, that we'll be playing for a chance to make the playoffs in our last game (at Jacobs)," Dundee-Crown coach Mike Davis said. The Chargers face a McHenry team that stared down playoff elimination last week and didn't blink. The Warriors have made the playoffs for 20 straight seasons, but a loss to Dundee-Crown would end that streak. That would be sweet revenge for a D-C program that lost to McHenry in this decade by scores of 62-13, 55-6, 56-14, 36-6, 38-7, 49-21, 41-20 and 48-12. The Chargers moved the ball on offense last week against Crystal Lake South, gaining 229 yards on the passing of Logan Kissack to five receivers who each made 2 or more catches. Tight end Brandon Schumacher made 5 receptions for 79 yards and Willy Larsen, playing in place of injured receiver Justin Strzelczyk, caught 5 passes for 54 yards. Strzelczyk will again sit out this week with an injury. D-C incurred 7 penalty flags last week, many of which stalled drives. The Chargers will face a McHenry defense that held Jacobs to 50 yards in the first half last week and sacked the quarterback 6 times. Offensively, the Warriors are led by running backs Mike Soto (351 yards, 3 TDs) and Dana Kohn (310-4). "They're a good team," Davis said. "They've played a lot of tough opponents and they play hard. I think they got a lot of their confidence back after drilling Jacobs last week. They have good running backs. We have to match their physicality and hope we can compete with them."

East Aurora (2-4, 1-2) at Elgin (0-6, 0-3)

When: today at 7:45 p.m. at Memorial Field

Last year: Elgin 40, East Aurora 6

Last week: Bartlett 49, Elgin 22; East Aurora 14, Thornwood 0

Outlook: Elgin's winless season will feel a lot rosier tonight if the home team can earn a victory on homecoming. To win, the Maroons will have to stop East Aurora's running game, led by consistent ground-gainer Michael Turner (402 yards, 4 touchdowns) and power runner Leon Harden (183 yards). "The dive is their No. 1 play out of all the formations they line up in," Elgin coach Dave Bierman said. "We have to be strong up the middle, but at the same time, they'll run the option. So we can't have 11 guys going for the dive and all the sudden the quarterback pitches it. We've struggled against the run, so we have to take care of that first." The Elgin defense has allowed an average of 276 yards rushing per game. The improved Tomcats shut out Thornwood (1-5) last week on homecoming for their second victory of the season, matching the program's win total of the previous three seasons combined. It's the most wins for any East Aurora team since the 2000 Tomcats finished 5-4. Elgin's offense has big play capability, as demonstrated once again last week by receiver Jamal Cook. He caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Roth just before halftime. Roth has completed 74-of-171 attempts for an area-high 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cook has been his main target with 26 catches for 554 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Bartlett (6-0, 4-0) at Neuqua Valley (3-3, 2-2)

When: today at 7:30 p.m.

Last year: Neuqua Valley 24, Bartlett 23

Last week: Bartlett 49, Elgin 22; Neuqua Valley 49, St. Charles East 42, 4OT

Outlook: If Bartlett can win in Naperville against the Wildcats, only East Aurora (2-4) in Week 9 will stand between the Hawks and their fourth Upstate Eight Conference championship and first since 2002. Neuqua presents a formidable challenge. The Wildcats are coming off a 49-42 victory over St. Charles East in quadruple overtime last week. Quarterback Alex Lincoln threw for 7 touchdowns, 4 of them to wide receiver Josh Schaffer (6-2, 200), a Western Michigan recruit with 4.5 speed. The Neuqua Valley offense averages 327 yards and 27 points per game. The Wildcats have won 2 straight after losing 3 of their first 4 games to Naperville North (6-0), Lake Park (1-5) and Waubonsie Valley (3-3). "They're a very solid team and they're coming on," Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. "(Neuqua Valley coach Bryan) Wells mentioned in the preseason outlook that they didn't know what they had yet, but that they'd be good by the end of the year. I'll tell you what, there are a lot of skilled kids on that team." Bartlett has its share of skilled players as well and a defense that is holding opponents to 247 total yards and 10.5 points per game. The Bartlett offense is led by quarterback Josh Hasenberg, who has completed 74-of-120 pass attempts for 984 yards and 7 touchdowns. He'll face a defense that allows an average of 134 passing yards per game and 304.5 yards overall. The Hawks could find running room against a Neuqua defense that has given up 1,022 yards on the ground. The game holds conference title implications, but Bartlett approaches every game the same way regardless of the opponent. "The kids are just going to come to play," Meaney said. "The offense has their game plan, the defense has ours, what we think will work. We're just going about our business like we normally do and preparing. If the kids want to win a conference championship, this is a big game. It's always nice to win a conference championship." The Upstate Eight rivals have split 10 regular-season meetings since 1998.

Larkin (3-3, 2-2) at St. Charles North (4-2, 2-1)

When: today at 7:30 p.m.

Last year: St. Charles North 28, Larkin 13

Last week: Larkin 22, Streamwood 21; St. Charles North 35, South Elgin 24

Outlook: Larkin needs 2 wins in its last 3 games to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The Royals face Elgin (0-6) next week and Waubonsie Valley (3-3) in Week 9. Larkin rallied last week from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat Streamwood by a point, the Royals' second 1-point victory of the season. They face a St. Charles North team short star receiver Jon DeMoss, who was injured two weeks ago against Bartlett and is out for the season. But the North Stars still have weapons in running back Jordan Huxtable (684 yards, 9 TDs) and rotating quarterbacks Nic Neari and Sean McGushin. That duo has combined to throw for 713 yards and 6 touchdowns. They've also been picked off 8 times. The North Stars also rallied to win last week after trailing South Elgin 17-7 in the fourth quarter. Huxtable gained 52 of his 246 rushing yards on a fourth-quarter touchdown run that put the North Stars in the lead for keeps. "They are very efficient and very systematic," Larkin coach Matt Gehrig said of the North Star offense. "They have a system they execute very well and they do it several different ways. They have a lot of balance and they force the opponent to defend the whole field." Larkin senior Jeff Saurbaugh was a force last week in his second game since switching to running back from quarterback. He executed a fake-punt run for a critical first down to fuel the comeback and rushed 12 times for 115 yards, including a 57-yard gallop that set the Royals up at the 2-yard line for the eventual go-ahead score. New quarterback Justin Kalusa has completed 15-of-39 passes for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns in the spread offense. He has also thrown 2 interceptions. Larkin must protect the ball in order to beat St. Charles North. The Royals have an area-worst turnover differential of minus-7, St. Charles North is plus-4.

Lake Park (1-5, 1-3) at Streamwood (1-5, 1-3)

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

Last year: Lake Park 32, Streamwood 0

Last week: Larkin 22, Streamwood 21; Waubonsie Valley 26, Lake Park 7

Outlook: Streamwood is playing respectable football. After beating East Aurora two weeks ago for their first victory of the season, the Sabres grabbed a 15-point lead on Larkin at halftime last week but couldn't hold on in the fourth quarter. Still, Streamwood took a bit of solace from competing well for the second week in a row despite the bitter ending. "We are definitely playing much better football," Streamwood coach Cal Cummins said. "You'd like to have that win last week, but we're doing things much better: we're executing, we're playing harder and I think we're preparing better for games. Our whole approach to the game has improved tremendously." The Sabres face a tough opponent this week in hard-to-figure Lake Park. The Lancers have played a brutal schedule against Conant, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, Bartlett, St. Charles East and Waubonsie Valley. Those teams have a combined record of 23-13. Streamwood is the first team the Lancers have faced with a record below .500. Lake Park showed how dangerous it can be in its only victory: a 20-6 win over Neuqua Valley in Week 3. "They've had some tough losses themselves and have faced a really good schedule against some tough opponents," Cummins said. "They stood toe to toe with some decent football teams, so I think it's a real challenge for us." Streamwood is led by running back Derrick King, who last week gained 125 yards on 17 carries. Much of that yardage came via a 67-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Noel Rivera completed 7-of-11 passes for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns against Larkin. For the season he has thrown for 395 yards. Lake Park quarterback Larry Nawrot completed 22-of-44 passes for 180 yards last week against Waubonsie Valley, but the offense twice stalled in the red zone and came away without points.

South Elgin (2-4, 1-2) at St. Charles East (4-2, 3-1)

When: today at 7:30 p.m. at Norris Stadium

Last year: St. Charles East 38, South Elgin 19

Last week: St. Charles North 35, South Elgin 24; Neuqua Valley 49, St. Charles East 42, 4OT

Outlook: Close isn't good enough anymore at South Elgin. Following victories over Elgin and T.F. South, the Storm last week led St. Charles North 17-7 in the fourth quarter before the game slipped away. "We're all beyond moral victories," South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said. "If we were a bad team, we could feel good about what happened Saturday. But we're better than the way we started out this season and we've been improving so much every week that the only thing that would have felt good was a victory. We're past the moral victory thing." The Storm will face a St. Charles East team that also lost a fourth-quarter lead last week. The Saints saw Neuqua Valley tie the game on a touchdown pass with a minute left in regulation before falling in 4 overtimes to the Wildcats. The loss overshadowed a tremendous performance by senior running back Wes Allen. He rushed for 254 yards and 6 touchdowns on 38 carries against Neuqua Valley a week after he rushed for 280 yards and 6 TDs on 42 carries in a 42-41 double-overtime win against Lake Park. Allen has 1,105 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns this season. "They're very physical running the football and (Allen) is so patient behind that big line," Schabert said. "When he sees that seam, he hits it hard. That's a major concern for us. We've given up some rushing yards this year, so we really have to be better at stopping the run." The South Elgin defense is allowing 336 yards per game this season, 208.3 via the rush. The Storm offense averages 321.2 yards and 16.5 points per game.