Scouting Week 2 in Fox Valley football

Rockford Lutheran (0-1) at St. Edward (1-0)

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

Last: First meeting

Last week: St. Edward 32, Hampshire 6; Racine (Wis.) Lutheran 6, Rockford Lutheran 0

Outlook: Rockford Lutheran replaces Kirkland-Hiawatha on St. Edward's nonconference schedule. The Crusaders, a Class 4A team from the Big Northern Conference's West Division, are coming off a 1-8 season and were shut out in last week's season opener. But the Green Wave won't take running back Jonata Pike (19 carries, 110 yards) and his teammates lightly. "They look better and bigger on film than we anticipated," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said, "but if we play well, I feel we can be competitive with anybody. They didn't throw a ton last week due to conditions. They're a spread team. They run a single back and he runs down hill hard. Their tight end, quarterback and running back are really good athletes. As long as we maintain our discipline, know our assignments on defense and everyone plays their role we should be fine." Rolando was pleased with last week's season-opening win against Hampshire overall, but was irked by what he called undisciplined penalties and missed assignments. "We left a lot of meat on the bone," he said. "We have to shore that up before we go into conference play because we can't play like that and expect to win in the SCC." The offensive line paved the way for senior fullback Jordan torres to rush for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns on 9 carries and the offense gained 464 total yards. Quarterback Ben Lehman threw for 114 yards and a touchdown on 6-of-10 passing in his first varsity start.

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

When: Today at 7 p.m.

Last year: Vernon Hills 41, South Elgin 3

Last week: South Elgin 24, Marmion 14; Vernon Hills 42, Niles West 12

Outlook: The second meeting in this series presents an intriguing matchup. South Elgin stamped itself a playoff contender last week when the young team overcame a 14-0 deficit with 24 unanswered points. The inexperienced offensive and defensive lines improved as the game progressed and eventually took control. Vernon Hills' theme this season is "unfinished business" after going 8-1 last year before bowing out in a first-round playoff game against North Suburban Prairie rival Grant. Coach Tony Monken's Cougars have two top college prospects at wide receiver in juniors DaVaris Daniels (6-foot-3) and Evan Spencer (6-1). Both of their fathers played in the NFL. Daniels, who ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds this summer, is one of the top prospects nationally in the class of 2011. He opened last week's game at quarterback and threw a 41-yard strike to Spencer before giving way to sophomore quarterback Steve Nelson. The Storm counter with their own college wide receiver prospect, senior Jake Kumerow (6-4, 180), also the son of a former NFL player. He caught an amazingly acrobatic 34-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback John Menken (13 of 21, 162 yards, 2 ints.) to put South Elgin ahead to stay in the third quarter against Marmion. Kumerow finished with 104 yards receiving. "The sideline didn't get down," South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said of the early deficit last week. "They fought their way back to take the lead and get the victory. I was really proud of them for that. It showed a lot of character, especially when you play so few seniors with any real experience. Vernon Hills is very athletic with Daniels at wideout. He's a big-time talent and he plays quarterback, receiver, running back and on defense. Their secondary is very skilled, very fast. Offensively, they run double-wing, and that's tough to defend. You have to be disciplined, keep your assignments, read your keys and react quick because they'll be coming at you from all angles. It's another challenge."

Oswego East (0-1) at Larkin (1-0)

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

Last: First meeting

Last week: Larkin 15, McHenry 6; Benet Academy 21, Oswego East 6

Outlook: Larkin hopes to keep the momentum rolling after winning its season opener for the first time since 2004. "We have to make sure we maintain continuity week in and week out as far as making adjustments to the new opponent, keeping everybody healthy and getting a lot of good work accomplished at practice," Royals coach Matt Gehrig said. "From the time we got on the bus until the end of the game (the players) acted like they expected to win. They were going to do what it took to win the football game. Attitude-wise, there was an energy about the team and they had a true sense of purpose. They were eager to get on the field and prove that we have a competitive football team." The Royals outgained McHenry 266-151. This week they face a new team on the schedule that runs the spread and some two-back sets. McHenry ran mostly spread formations last week. Oswego East's 4-3 defense returns seven starters from last year's 2-7 campaign. However, eight players are new to the offense, including sophomore quarterback Dakota Skenandore. His screen pass to senior receiver Antoine Allen-Jackson pulled the Wolves within 7-6 of Benet early in the fourth quarter of last week's opener. Larkin's Jalen Williams rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, but Royals sophomore QB Kyle Newquist may have to throw more than the 10 passes he attempted last week. "Defenses will make adjustments against us to make us throw the football a little bit more," Gehrig said. "That's something we'll keep making progress with each week." The game could come down to the foot of Larkin senior kicker Alex Munoz, who booted field goals of 21 and 36 yards against McHenry.

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

When: Today at 7:30 p.m. at the D-C Bowl

Last year: Dundee-Crown 21, Streamwood 7

Last week: Dundee-Crown 19, Elgin 18, OT; Antioch 34, Streamwood 0

Outlook: Dundee-Crown looks to start the season 2-0 for the first time since coach Chuck Feldmann's Chargers did so in 2002. Streamwood is itching for its first win after facing a loaded Antioch team last week. The Sabres worked to improve in key areas in practice this week. "A lack of consistency and penalties killed us offensively," Streamwood coach Cal Cummins said. "But I was happy with some things. We moved the ball, but we kind of hurt ourselves at times. Certainly, we feel coming into this game that we can be competitive. It comes down to correcting some of the errors we made on defense and making sure we don't hurt ourselves on offense. That will allow us to put a full game in and see what we can do." Sabres sophomore quarterback Dalton Lundeen completed 11-of-23 passes for 126 yards in his varsity debut. Dundee-Crown has much room for improvement despite last week's win. Playing on a soaked field the Chargers fumbled 10 times, lost 5 of them, and threw an interception that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown. They also allowed a 64-yard punt return for a score. "I think Streamwood is pretty good so if we turn the ball over like we did against Elgin, we'll be in big trouble," D-C coach Mike Davis said. "A lot of the fumbles we had were our own fault and didn't have much to do with the field. Hopefully, we've corrected that." Streamwood running back Derrick King and D-C running back Danny Sharp left their respective games last week with minor injuries, but each is expected to start tonight.

Crystal Lake South (1-0) at Bartlett (1-0)

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

Last: First meeting

Last week: CL South 24, Grant 7; Bartlett 47, Hoffman Estates 0

Outlook: Two state semifinalists a year ago clash in nonconference play for the first time. Bartlett picked up where it left off last season by dominating Hoffman Estates in the opener, thanks to 3 forced fumbles, a blocked punt and a punt return for a touchdown by sprinter Zach Konstanzer. However, the Gators are a giant step up in competition with their huge offensive and defensive lines and linebackers who average 220 pounds. CL South senior J.D. Barchard rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown as a fullback and led a 3-3-5 defense from his middle linebacker spot that held 2008 Class 6A quarterfinalist Grant to 72 total yards. The Gators are missing senior free safety Alex Macaulay, who had an appendectomy in late August and will be out four to six weeks. Two-way veteran starter Kameron Scott began practicing again on Tuesday but is questionable to return this week from his hamstring strain. "They're a tough team," Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. "They do have a few people who go both ways. Barchard looks like a pretty tough kid, a 6-2, 220-pound running back. We have to contain him on offense and block him on defense. And their quarterback (junior Drew Ormseth) is a good player. He's a two-year starter, so we have to stop the pass. Their defensive line is bigger than we're used to. (Junior lineman Fahn) Cooper is 6-6, 270 and (senior nose tackle Sam) McCole is 6-3, 280. They are big up front, but our offensive line is up to the challenge. Our offense has their work cut out for them for sure." Bartlett's defense held Hoffman Estates to 124 total yards and the offense gained 290 yards, 236 on the ground. The Gators will likely try to stuff the Hawks' running game with its big line and force Bartlett sophomore quarterback A.J. Bilyeu to throw. He completed 5-of-10 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown last week in his first varsity start. "For a young kid without a lot of experience he looked real solid," CL South coach Jim Stuglis said of Bilyeu. "Anytime you put up 47 points you must be doing something right. They are a solid football team, no doubt about it. They're playing with a lot of confidence right now and that's a positive thing for them after going so far in the playoffs as they did last year. We're just trying to get a few guys healthy and we'll see what we can do."

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

When: Today at 7:30 p.m.

Last year: West Aurora 41, Elgin 26

Last week: Dundee-Crown 19, Elgin 18, OT; West Aurora 46, East Aurora 13

Outlook: Despite 7 turnovers in the season opener, Elgin amazingly fell just a 2-point conversion in overtime away from victory. The miscues resulted in only 107 total yards by the offense. Electric junior Jordan Dean gained 65 of those yards on 11 carries. He scored all 3 Elgin touchdowns: a 10-yard run in overtime; a 64-yard punt return; and a 94-yard interception return. "We're going to try to give him some more touches," Elgin coach Dave Bierman said. "He's explosive, there's no doubt about it." The Maroons will make a quarterback switch this week as junior Jake Meyer gets his first varsity start. "We'll start Jake and let him see what he can do, get a couple of series under his belt and let him work his way out of problems if there are any," Bierman said. "I'm not going to go to the bullpen right away. If he makes his mistakes, he'll have to step up and correct it. I want to make sure he gets a good opportunity." The Elgin defense kept the team in the game by coming up with 6 turnovers against Dundee-Crown. That unit will be tested by a West Aurora offense that boasts tackles Michael Kim (6-5, 310) and Matt Gorges (6-5, 265) and tailback Leon Spears, who returned the opening kick against East Aurora for a touchdown and rushed for 194 yards and 2 more scores on just 6 carries. "You have to make sure he doesn't score on long runs," Bierman said of Spears. "You have to give your defense a chance to regroup. They also have wideouts who run and catch the ball well. Offensively, they have some weapons, but I think our kids played a heck of a game defensively last week. The biggest concern is the offense sustaining some drives and hanging onto the ball."

Johnsburg (1-0) at Jacobs (1-0)

When: Today at 7:15 p.m. at Jacobs Athletic Field

Last met in 2007: Johnsburg 28, Jacobs 20

Last week: Jacobs 21, Moline 9; Johnsburg 12, Grayslake Central 7

Outlook: A victory would give Jacobs its first 2-0 start since 1999. The Golden Eagles were on the attack throughout their 21-9 season-opening victory over Moline. "I thought we played really hard and aggressively on offense, defense and special teams," Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter said. "I liked our go-get-'em attitude. We made some execution mistakes, but they were aggressive in nature. We can change that and get going in a better direction, but we really charged after it. For a team that's pretty inexperienced and young it's good to know that we're ready to play every play hard." Fullback Ben Albano rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. The Eagles gained 264 yards on the ground and did not attempt a pass. The Jacobs defense, led by middle linebacker Brandon Huckabone and free safety Alec Starr, held Moline to 164 total yards. That defense will be tested by Illinois recruit C.J. Fiedorowicz at tight end and running backs Justin Peete and Brandon Taylor. "They're an aggressive team on both sides of the ball," Schlueter said of the Skyhawks. "They come after you. Their running game has good potential and their quarterback and running back are good athletes who can explode at any time. They have a corps of receivers who are quick with good hands and can do things after the catch. We have to be ready to defend every play as a team defense, otherwise, some big plays could occur."

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

When: Today at 7 p.m. at George Harding Field

Last year: Cary-Grove 38, Marian Central 17

Last week: Cary-Grove 40, Crystal Lake Central 0; Marian Central 42, North Chicago 6

Outlook: Two of McHenry County's best football programs meet head to head for the second straight year. Cary-Grove is coming off an impressive season opener in which it dominated CL Central with its overall speed on both sides of the ball. The Trojans executed like it was Week 9 instead of Week 1, protected the football and played hard-nosed defense. Senior quarterback Tyler Krebs ran for 109 yards and 2 scores, senior Alex Hembrey rushed for 93 yards on 9 carries, including scoring runs of 18 and 44 yards, and fullback Eric Chandler scored on a 13-yard run to open the scoring. Cary-Grove outgained CL Central 325-74. "We'd like to improve on the special teams, but overall it was a pretty good game for the opener," Trojans coach Bruce Kay said. A stiffer test awaits in Woodstock, where the Trojans will play their next three games (also vs. Woodstock and Woodstock North). The Hurricanes missed the playoffs (4-5) last year, when all five of their losses were suffered against eventual state quarterfinalists. Last week junior running back Andrew Stone rushed for 94 yards and 3 touchdowns on 10 carries behind four returning offensive linemen. The 'Canes didn't need to pass to beat North Chicago, throwing only 5 times for 72 yards and an interception. But C-G expects a more balanced attack tonight. "They can throw and run the ball; It's a typical Ed Rucker team," Kay said. "We loaded up on the run (vs. CL Central). This week will be quite a bit different. Ed always likes to throw the ball. They have a 6-foot-5 quarterback (Ben Krol), and they have good skill kids, some good running backs and some good linemen. They have six or seven kids going both ways, so we're hoping we can wear them down. But (defending Class 8A champion) Maine South has that many guys going both ways also and it doesn't bother them.'

Huntley (1-0) at Kaneland (1-0)

When: Today at 7:30 p.m.

Last year: First meeting

Last week: Huntley 28, Wauconda 23; Kaneland 35, Burlington Central 0

Outlook: Don't judge the Huntley offense by its 62-yard output last week. Thanks to a 21-7 lead at the half and 2 kick returns for touchdowns by Nick Davila, the Red Raiders didn't have to show much as they ate clock and held the lead. "We kind of got control of the game early, so we were very, very conservative in our play calling as a result," Huntley coach Steve Graves said. "With the field conditions we wanted to get out of there with the win and not turn the ball over, though we ended up doing that anyway. What happened that game and what would happens on a dry field in a 7-7 ballgame I don't think are the same. Having said that, it's no secret that we lost our linemen (to graduation). We're really working hard to clean that up and we have been since the start of June. We think they're getting better all the time with a long ways to go." The Huntley defense allowed 185 passing yards and the secondary will be tested again by the spread passing attack of Kaneland. Junior quarterback Joe Camiliere last season completed 195-of-336 attempts for 2,551 yards and 20 TDs. Last week he completed 13-of-27 attempts for 349 yards and 3 TDs and rushed for another. Receiver Ryley Bailey caught 5 balls for 110 yards and a touchdown. Both Tyler Lycos and Brandon Luczak saw time at quarterback for Huntley and the decision as to who will play will be "week to week," Graves said.

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

When: Today at 7 p.m. at Rocket Hill

Last year: Sycamore 33, Burlington Central 14

Last week: Kaneland 35, Burlington Central 0; Sycamore 42, Streator 7

Outlook: This is the fourth consecutive years these teams have met. The Rockets won the first two meetings before Sycamore prevailed last year. Central looks to bounce back from an opening-night loss in tonight's home opener. The Rockets were burned by 4 long screen passes in the loss to Kaneland, but most of the problems are fixable, said coach Aaron Wichman. "When we went back and watched our film over the weekend, I think we played much better on both sides of the ball than the score indicated," he said. "Kaneland was successful completing some screens on us for some long gains and 4 touchdowns. It's something we probably should have adjusted to better and probably would have had it been the middle or the end of the year, but being the opening game those kinds of things happen. Take away a few of those long screen plays and I think it's a different story." The Rockets will face a physical mismatch in the trenches against the Spartans, who have several linemen of the 6-foot-3, 250-pound variety. "We don't have any size like that, so that's something people will notice," Wichman said, "but quickness is what Central teams are usually known for. Since I've been here we haven't had a lot of size. We've had smaller, quicker athletes and we're in the same situation this year." The Rockets worked on their discipline in practice this week, addressing missed assignments on those screen plays as well as offensive line miscommunications. Tre Llanes was Central's leading rusher last week with 54 yards.

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

When: Today at 7 p.m. at Hampshire Athletic Field

Last year: Winnebago 21, Hampshire 13

Last week: St. Edward 32, Hampshire 6; Winnebago 42, Canton 7

Outlook: Hampshire lost to the Indians last season when the Whip-Purs were a senior-heavy team and Winnebago was stocked with juniors. Those roles are reversed now. "They beat us last year with a lot of juniors, so they're very strong this year," Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. "I think they're one of the favorites in the (Big Norther-West) division. They're very balanced between the run and the pass and they're a very physical team." Winnebago running back Seth Gustafson rushed for 1,156 yards last season and Michael Sojka rushed for 555 yards. Sojka led the way last week in a romp of Canton with 11 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Jeff Sartorious completed 7-of-12 attempts for 103 yards and a touchdown to 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior tight end A.J. Thomas (4 catches, 71 yards). A young Hampshire team showed flashes of quality football last week against St. Edward but didn't maintain that level play in, play out. "We have to have more consistency," Cavanaugh said. "We knew coming in that we were plugging in a lot of people who hadn't played varsity ball before. At times we looked very good and at times we didn't look so good. We have to get better from week to week and play more consistently. We think we'll be able to do that." A.J. Sabate led the Hampshire offense with 62 yards on 11 carries.