Scouting this week's preps football action
Class 2A
No. 7 Lena-Winslow (8-2) at No. 15 Immaculate Conception (6-4)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday, Monsignor Plunkett Field, Elmhurst.
The quick hit: Talking to Lena-Winslow coach Ric Arand, if both teams do what they're accustomed to, this game could be over by 2:15. If there's more than 10 combined pass attempts either the Lena Panthers or IC coach Bill Schmidt's Knights are in trouble. IC quarterback Will Cronin throws on occasion, completing 6 of 8 for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns last week. But aside from the odd inside reverse by tight end Antonio Taylor the Knights are straightforward, fullback Carlos Rodriguez and halfback Paul Hornstra - with Robert Peachey in reserve and Cronin running option - battering opponents for about 273 yards a game behind an offensive line that averages 250 pounds. In Lena's 35-6 win last week over No. 10 seed Lanark Eastland, Arand said the bottom line was ball control achieved by a dominating effort on both sides of the line. But the successful 12th-year coach (85-41) is concerned that despite top two-way linemen Nick Wybourn (235 pounds) and Jake Doyle (200), his "tiny" line will be outplayed by IC's combination of size and athleticism. Indeed, Schmidt said last week's 42-6 win over No. 2 seed Orion may have been IC's most complete game since the 2002 Class 3A championship season - which included a 27-8 quarterfinal win over Lena - due in large part to great efforts on the offensive line by Taylor, tackles Matt Purdom and Robert Rivera, blocks by receiver Dan Muisenga and, on both sides of the ball, lineman Josh Fenton. Linebacker Erik Hansen and Co. will target Lena halfback/defensive back Wes Ertmer, who has just less than 1,500 yards rushing this season, and fullback/middle linebacker Ryan Werhane, who has some 600 yards rushing. Schmidt said run defense has been this 3-5 unit's strength, but none of IC's opponents has been as fully committed to the run as Lena. Commitment and focus carried IC last week and must again. "If we don't, and just show up, we'll put ourselves in position to get beat," Schmidt said.
Class 4A
No. 5 Mendota (8-2) at No. 4 Driscoll (8-2)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday.
The quick hit: Mendota, the undefeated winner of the NCIC-Lincoln Conference, was poised to play Driscoll in the 2007 Class 4A quarterfinals had it not lost to Chicago Christian in the second round. So in its debut against the Highlanders, Mendota will attempt to end the seven-time defending state champion's 36-game playoff winning streak. Outscoring its opponents 236-106, Mendota's only losses came against two quality teams, Aurora Christian and Lena-Winslow, giving Aurora Christian its toughest game all season, 10-6. When the Trojans are playing right, coach John McKenzie's three top running backs enjoy about the same production. Out of an option set halfback Curtis Knapp has run for about 1,260 yards while another halfback, Matt Sondgeroth, has more than 500 and fullback Alex Caruso around 350 yards rushing. In Mendota's 17-6 first-round win over No. 12 seed Leo, Sondgeroth had 105 yards rushing and the other two were in 60-yard territory. Linebackers Patrick Cassidy and Jacob Hince, and Vince Bruno, a cornerback with 5 interceptions, aim to contain Driscoll. McKenzie said the key is ball control, no turnovers. Driscoll continued its title defense with a 42-14 win over No. 13 seed Herscher despite committing 4 turnovers, including a fumble at Herscher's 4-yard line. The Highlanders, an un-Highlander-like plus-2 in turnover ratio, allowed 378 yards of offense but 96 of them came on one blown-coverage play. Offensively, without key ingredient Pierre Washington-Steel (shoulder, probable) Driscoll's spread set gained 547 yards; Austin Baker and Joey Calabrese had 100-yard days and tailback Nick Campanella ran for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns. That was great news since Campanella had slight offensive impact in the prior week's Suburban Catholic Conference loss to Montini. "They can't take away everybody," Highlanders coach Brandon New said, but his goal defensively is for linebacker Frank Randich and friends to limit most of what Mendota offers.
Class 5A
No. 1 Montini (10-0) at No. 9 Hillcrest (6-4)
Game time: 7 p.m. Saturday, Country Club Hills.
The quick hit: For its unbeaten season Montini earned a great 5A playoff opener, drawing Clark. The Broncos waltzed through that 47-0, coach Chris Andriano employing the second team while still in the second quarter. Backup quarterback Brandon Pechloff ended up attempting and completing more passes than starter Tom DiCristina, and 3 went for touchdowns. Six different Broncos, including second-teamers Bobby Ilich and Alan Milarski, came up either with fumble recoveries or interceptions. Turnovers are even more crucial come playoff time, and Hillcrest's Earnest Sutton - the highly successful coach was a teammate of Montini legend Bob Westerkamp at Benedictine - said that when things go wrong for his Hawks it's turnover-based. They've received benefits themselves, as Sutton said safety Herb Offord has picked off 11 passes. Offord, a 6-foot-1 junior who is also the quarterback, represents Andriano's major concerns with Hillcrest, which beat Marshall 38-6. Offord doesn't share the throwing ability of DiCristina - who has completed 134 of 212 passes (63 percent) for 1,927 yards, 19 touchdowns, 6 interceptions - but is a major run threat out of double-wing and power sets, a firm test for the likes of Montini defensive ends Carl Foreside and Bob Pinter. "This is the fastest team we've seen," Andriano said. Hillcrest defensive coordinator Mike Leavy runs a base 4-4 but uses constant blitzing to send up to seven players to the line. Junior linebackers Jamison Wilson and two-year starter Mike Young are strong, and the secondary allows a limited window for completions. Along with fixing PAT inconsistencies, pass protection is Andriano's top emphasis. Offensive line coach Mark Placey will drill center Josh Stevenson, guards William Hau and Mike Size, and tackles Paul Luhrsen and Carl Meister on picking up Hillcrest's blitzes and trying to replicate its speed. Entering the season Andriano's main worry was an all-new offensive line, but they've been "outstanding," enabling DiCristina and Co. to generate 3,554 yards of offense.
No. 5 Nazareth (8-2) at No. 4 St. Francis (9-1)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday.
The quick hit: Who would have thought that the last Wheaton football team left standing would be St. Francis? The Spartans earned a decisive 49-14, running clock win over No. 13 Belvidere North, getting touchdowns from six different players while allowing scores only on a kickoff return and a late touchdown against the second-team defense. Yet it could prove to be a painful win, as 1,494-yard rusher Mark Kachmer (ankle) and top receiver Brett Robinson (hip) are listed by Spartans coach Greg Purnell as day-to-day. While running back Stan Bobowski has come to the fore with 611 yards rushing and consecutive 100-yard games, should St. Francis' two injured stars be held out it'll mean greater roles for backs like Dave Sufranski, Tony Vargyas and Ryan O'Donnell, and will leave improved play-action passer Jeff Reckards without his chief long threat. Purnell said the key will be the Wing-T offense's ability to move the chains and eat the clock against a Nazareth team that returns top linebackers Jon Nelson and Mike Williams from injury. To reach its first state quarterfinal since 2000, the Spartans will also need their defensive quickness against a big offensive line to contain Division I recruit LaSteven McKinney and Nazareth quarterback Adam Marske. Former Driscoll mastermind Tim Racki has his Roadrunners on the fast track to success, taking them to the 2007 quarterfinals just three years removed from a 1-8 campaign the year before his arrival. Rocking No. 12 Freeport last week 63-29, Lining up in a variety of spots, McKinney scored 3 touchdowns both rushing and receiving; he has 1,042 yards rushing with 22 touchdowns, has caught 20 passes for 262 yards and is a factor on kick and punt returns. St. Francis linebacker Ryan Ferguson, the Spartans' leading tackler with 99, will draw the bead on McKinney, but Purnell sees the Roadrunners' linchpin as Marske, who has completed 120 of 214 passes for 1,506 yards, 14 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions.
Class 6A
No. 6 Glenbard South (8-2) at No. 3 Hubbard (9-1)
Game time: 7 p.m. Saturday at Chicago's Gately Stadium.
The quick hit: A fast track on the carpet of Gately Stadium should benefit both teams, maybe more for a Glenbard South offense that's looked pretty good on grass and even mud in recent weeks. The Raiders cruised to a 48-31 win over Riverside-Brookfield last week after breaking out to a big third-quarter lead. Quarterback Trace Wanless, still unbeaten in six games as a starter, again did a masterful job leading a surging unit with his passing and running ability. Unheralded running back Curtis Ford rushed for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns while Nick Slezak added three more rushing scores in a game dominated by the passing numbers. Speaking of those passing numbers, look for the Wanless-to-Jon Holland combination to test the Greyhounds, who are led defensively by 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker Darius Moffett. The senior has double-digit sacks and boasts seven scholarship offers from colleges such as Illinois, Michigan State and Nebraska. Hubbard, a playoff qualifier for a 14th straight season, has advanced to the second round for the 11th time during that span. Rallying from a 9-6 deficit last week, the Greyhounds scored three unanswered touchdowns to top Oak Lawn 27-9. The Power I-dominated offense rolled for more than 400 rushing yards, with William Taylor and Ronnie Oliver accounting for more than 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. After a week of preparation for all-out pass defense against Riverside-Brookfield, the Raiders shift to a mode of run defense. Hubbard will use plenty of power sets and toss sweeps, which will put pressure on Raiders outside linebackers Austin Teitsma and Brian Duffy. Against run-oriented offenses from Glenbard West and Geneva earlier this season, the Raiders saw mixed results. But while they performed especially well against Geneva, both of those games represented the Raiders' losses this year. Team discipline could be a factor - Hubbard lost 120 yards in penalties last week.
Class 7A
No. 4 Fenwick (7-3) at No. 1 Glenbard West (10-0)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday.
The quick hit: After beating No. 8 seed Wheaton North by a low 14-0 score, Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said the Hilltoppers were able to work through first-round jitters. Fenwick coach Joe DiCanio isn't fooled, stating that Glenbard West could win 7-0 and still dominate. In fact the Hilltoppers defense continued to dominate, allowing Wheaton North just 54 yards rushing and 81 passing. The speed of players like linebackers Garrett Richards and Kyle Krumwiede, defensive ends Theo Odom and Pat Loveless and defensive backs Dave McCaffrey and Connor Loftus is what concerns DiCanio, who employs three of his brothers on his coaching staff. ("Patronage," he quipped.) Fenwick, which lost to Providence, St. Rita and DeLaSalle, offers running back Greg Killingsworth, who has killed teams with more than 1,600 yards rushing. He ran for 109 yards on 11 carries in the Friars' 49-15 win over No. 5 seed Lincoln Park. Like Glenbard West, Fenwick is a run-first unit, which then allows the Friars to strike deep with the pass when it chooses. Quarterback Joe Romano has thrown 16 touchdown passes - 6 to Joe Musso - with only 2 interceptions. But DiCanio said if his team is unable to run the ball, "it could get ugly." At this time of year it doesn't really matter what it looks like. Glenbard West converted on fourth-and-15 and on a fake punt by Robert Cook to slide past Wheaton North. The Hilltoppers, though tackle Chris Watt was hobbled by an ankle injury, got 110 yards rushing from Cook, though it was Adam Bruere and Matt Hassan who scored the touchdowns. Mainly playing keepaway against Wheaton North, the Hilltoppers' offense rumbled between the 20s but had its momentum occasionally stopped. They'll try to adjust against Fenwick linebacker Jack Dittmer, the Friars' defensive leader. Hopefully for Glenbard West the jitters are gone. "I think we just kind of have to get our rhythm back on offense," Hetlet said.
No. 3 Proviso East (8-2) at No. 7 Downers Grove North (6-4)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The quick hit: The feel-good hit of the season. Long downtrodden Proviso East, reinvigorated by coach Aaron Peppers and tons of speed, last reached a second-round playoff game in 1998, also entering at 8-2. Downers North shocked our corner of the world with an 8-7 victory over host Wheaton Warrenville South, the No. 2 team in Class 7A according to The Associated Press, behind only East St. Louis. Proviso East defensive linemen Billy Rogers and Anthony Blackburn, who has committed to Western Illinois, have each made at least 63 tackles and are backed up by linebacker Jawon Spivery and safety Devonte Duerson each with similar numbers. "Our defense will wear down an offense," said Peppers, whose team's two losses have been by 7 total points to St. Patrick and Downers South. It's more Proviso East's offensive speed that concerns Downers North coach John Wander, who counters with linebacker/quarterback Dan Sheppard, defensive back Marco Diaz, linebacker Leo Ellis IV and lineman Ryan Mussatto. The Pirates, who return 900-yard rusher Darnell Swanigan from a broken finger and feature 6-foot-3 quarterback William Crowder, have a 4.4 sprinter in receiver Corey Cooper. Along with 20 passes defended and 4 interceptions at safety, Illinois recruit Cooper has 40 receptions for 700 yards and 6 touchdowns along with 4 scores on kick returns. It's Downers North's continued objective to keep opposing offenses sidelines by a monotonous option offense headed by Sheppard along with backs Jermal Jones and Joe Tokarski. Typifying the Trojans heart was Ryan Conroy's short-yardage blocking for Tokarski's 1-yard touchdown run and Sheppard's 2-point conversion against WW South. The key for the Trojans is to keep that option marching at 3.5 yards a carry, which helped limit WW South to one play longer than 15 yards. "If they don't have the ball, then they can't have their speed," Wander said. Now, back to that 1998 second-round game: It was Downers North 29, Proviso East 6.
Class 8A
No. 7 Marist (8-2) at No. 2 Naperville North (10-0)
Game time: 8 p.m. today at Lisle's Benedictine University.
The quick hit: Expect a much different game for the Huskies than last week's 42-16 dismantling of Simeon that featured a running clock the entire second half. Huskies coach Larry McKeon believes Marist's offense is the best his team has seen all season, and the numbers back it up. The RedHawks, playoff qualifiers for only the second time since 1997, pounded Lincoln-Way Central 42-21 last week after breaking out to a 28-0 lead. Quarterback Mike Perrish, who's thrown for about 1,700 yards and is regarded as one of the state's top junior signalcallers, threw 3 touchdown passes to Nick Valla. The spread offense also has a big running threat in Bill Seiler, who rushed for 140 yards last week. But while this may be an offense running in top form, don't underestimate the efforts from Naperville North's defense this season. Linemen Tim Weidenbacher and Casey Domek and linebacker Nick Liftka have combined for 24 of the team's 36 sacks. And even though Simeon rushed for 250 yards last week, much of that output came in the second half with the Huskies starters on the bench. Offensively, few teams have been as consistent as the Huskies this season. While the double wing thrives on balance, running back Nick Mlady is the undisputed leader in the backfield. He leads the team in rushing yardage (1,257), pass receptions (17) and yardage (325) and has scored a team-high 18 touchdowns. Pat Waite and Jack Roberts combined for 80 rushing yards last week, proving the Huskies have many options in the ground game. That list includes quarterback Matt Manade, who also has completed 54 percent of his passes. The offensive success has hinged on an offensive line with three returning starters - Arizona-bound Jake Baratz, Alex Helms and James Fissinger. With Marist's defense, all eyes with be on Northern Illinois-bound nose man Nabal Jefferson, a 6-foot-1, 270-pound force who is adept at causing offensive disruption.
No. 1 Bolingbrook (10-0) at No. 9 Hinsdale Central (8-2)
Game time: 7 p.m. Friday.
The quick hit: In an array of great second-round Class 8A games this figures to be among the best. These teams have scored 720 points between them while allowing a total of 261, just 94 by Bolingbrook. This is the first time the Raiders have reached 10 wins since Phil Acton's final season, in 2001. Coach John Ivlow said Bolingbrook may have had better players in the past, but compared this group to Naperville North's championship squad last season. "They had 22 good high school football players," he said. "We have 22 good high school football players."Jamel Martin and John Seigler are the leading ball carriers for the Raiders - who hammered No. 16 Curie 62-13 - but neither has much more than 700 yards, Ivlow said. His quarterback, junior Brad Geever, has thrown for around 1,000 yards and run for about 400. Ivlow noted his team's big-play ability, with Alfonzo Sylvester heading a group of six receivers with at least 12 catches. Bolingbrook's 4-4 defense featuring hard-hitting safeties Brandon Westphal and Alex McNulty and 303-pound defensive tackle Roosevelt Holliday, also creates turnovers, averaging nearly a plus-3 margin each game. Hinsdale Central doesn't have that gaudy of a ratio but is still in the positive. The biggest positive for the Red Devils is the return of running back Rich Zajeski, who has been sitting on 536 yards rushing and 284 receiving - he averages 13.9 yards every offensive play - from a Week 7 ankle injury. He'll have to hold onto the ball while adjusting to game speed and hard hits. With Zajeski and Mick Culligan around, it's somewhat scary when Red Devils coach Mike DiMatteo said Bolingbrook may be a bit faster. But Hinsdale Central's John Whitelaw is a difference-maker at quarterback who has run for 856 yards and thrown for 1,659 yards, 17 touchdowns. Hinsdale Central needs a good push from Pat Clegg, Mike Owens and its defensive front. Getting off to a fast start as the Red Devils did with 21 first-quarter points in their 46-12 win over No. 8 seed Downers Grove South would also be smart.