Week 2 preview of Lake County football
Highland Park (0-1) at Warren (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Highland Park lost to Stevenson, 34-0; Warren def. New Trier, 20-6.
Skinny: For the last six years, Warren's non-conference schedule has included perennial power Maine South. When that contract expired at the end of last season, the Blue Devils replaced one Central Suburban League foe with another. Highland Park is on Warren's schedule for the first time ever. "It's kind of nice when you get to know an opponent real well, like we did with Maine South," Warren coach Dave Mohapp said. "We were playing them so much it was almost like they were a conference opponent. But it's also kind of nice to play a totally new opponent."-Highland Park got handled by Stevenson last week but Mohapp thinks that's more indicative of the kind of team Stevenson is rather than Highland Park. "Highland Park played an outstanding team in Stevenson," Mohapp said. "I think Highland Park will be very tough. This is a very good team that always plays hard and is used to winning. Defensively, they have some kids that will hit the heck out of you." Senior linebacker Brett Weiss anchors Highland Park's gritty defense. "He's one of the best linebackers we've seen," Mohapp said. "When he hits you, you feel it. It will be a challenge for our line to block him."-Weiss and his defensive teammates will have their hands full trying to keep track of Warren running back Greg Kennedy, who rolled up 196 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in a victory over New Trier. Thanks to an additional 75 rushing yards by teammate Tom Lindal, Warren got 257 of its 271 total yards on the ground.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Wheaton North (1-0) at Lake Zurich (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Wheaton North def. Addison Trail, 23-7; Lake Zurich lost to Fremd, 10-7.
Skinny: A week after its defense was challenged on the ground by a relentless runner, Lake Zurich will be kept on its toes by a savvy thrower. Fremd back Evan Wright rolled up 168 yards on 44 carries in his team's victory over the Bears. Now, Wheaton North Taylor Graham will test Lake Zurich's coverage. He completed 14-of-26 passes for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns in a victory over Addison Trail. And that wasn't just a fluke. Graham is a proven performer who committed to Ohio State in the off-season. He also helped Wheaton North defeat Lake Zurich last year, 26-7. But shortly after that, Graham broke his ankle and was lost for the season. "Ever since I was in the emergency room and I found out my ankle was broken, I've been waiting for this day," Graham said after last week's victory-Lake Zurich was oh-so-close to victory last week but 3 turnovers in the second half was the difference. The Bears threw an interception and fumbled the ball away twice. "We made mistakes in critical situations," Lake Zurich coach Bryan Stortz said. "We just have to fix things."-The Bears don't want running back Jacob Brinlee to fix much. He rolled up 165 yards on 14 carries and also caught 3 passes for 56 yards.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Libertyville (1-0) at Carmel (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Libertyville def. Barrington, 22-21; Carmel lost to Joliet Catholic, 19-16.
Skinny: The Battle of Route 176 continues with a rivalry game that has been nothing short of exhilarating over the last two years. Carmel, which is separated from Libertyville by just a few miles of Route 176, owns a 2-0 advantage heading into the third game of the series. But, so far, each victory needed to be pulled out in the final seconds. The Corsairs won the first game in 2007, 9-6. Last year, Carmel tossed a spectacular 46-yard touchdown pass with 21.3 seconds left to slip away with a 21-14 victory at Libertyville. "This is a great series and we're looking forward to this game," Libertyville coach Randy Kuceyeski said. "This will be a typical Carmel team, well-coached and they'll try to control the game with their option offense. They'll try to keep us off the field."-Thanks to 95 yards from Eric Stevenson, Carmel ran the ball well against Joliet Catholic last week, netting 182 total yards. But, ironically, the Corsairs didn't score a single touchdown off a run. They got a punt return for a touchdown and a 49-yard touchdown reception from Mike Felicelli, who happened to haul in that 46-yard game-winner against Libertyville last year-Speaking of theatrics, Libertyville is already primed for the drama of this week. The Wildcats won a wild won at their place last week against Barrington. Running back Kevin Penny ran in the winning touchdown (4 yards) with 2:15 remaining-Libertyville's ground game got the job done, rolling up 217 of its 269 total yards. Penny finished with 66 yards and James Zotto had 43 yards while battling some cramping-Libertyville has beaten Carmel once, in the 2000 5A playoffs, 28-21.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Glenbrook South (1-0) at Stevenson (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Glenbrook South def. Minooka, 38-14; Stevenson def. Highland Park, 34-0.
Skinny: For Stevenson, playing Glenbrook South might be like looking in the mirror. Stevenson features a punishing running back in senior Mark Weisman while the Titans have their own version in Michael Hirsch. While Weisman rolled up 123 yards and 2 touchdowns without even playing the second half last week against Highland Park, Hirsch finished with 202 yards on 26 carries in South's victory over Minooka. "Hirsch is a loaded back," Stevenson coach Bill Mitz said. "He's a bull. He hits the hole hard."-Glenbrook South quarterback Mike Pullano also can run. He rushed for a 41-yard touchdown last week. But he'll mix in some passes, too. Against Minooka, he completed 6-of-9 passes for 82 yards-While Mitz also got another 97 yards out of running back Matt Harris last week, he might have been most impressed with his team's defense. Linebacker Brion Wood picked off a pass and went 32 yards for a touchdown, Michael Crowley recovered a fumble and Evan Masters also picked off a pass. "We played with a lot of energy on defense," Mitz said. "The kids ran really well to the ball and got good pressure on their quarterback."
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Mundelein (0-1) at Marmion Academy (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Mundelein lost to Buffalo Grove, 26-0; Marmion Academy lost to South Elgin, 24-14.
Skinny: Field position will be the name of the game for Mundelein. In last week's loss to Buffalo Grove, the Mustangs practically handed Buffalo Grove great field position on a silver platter. "We had an 80-yard drive but we weren't able to score. Their three drives for scores probably didn't go 80 yards combined," Mundelein coach Bob Stone said. "It's hard to win when you keep giving the other team a short field."-Despite being shut out, the Mundelein offense did produce some bright spots with the running of Brandon Aranda and Brian Santiago, who rushed for 57 and 52 yards, respectively. Santiago, the Mustangs' quarterback, also completed 4 passes for 47 yards. "We did some good things, but the guys were really disappointed after the game," Stone said. "I think they're really focused for this week."-Marmion Academy had its share of disappointments last week, too. The Cadets, who like to run the ball out of the Wing-T, got up 14-0 on South Elgin but couldn't hold the lead.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Woodstock North (0-1) at Grayslake Central (0-1)
When: 7:15 p.m. today
Last week: Woodstock North lost to Grayslake North, 22-6; Grayslake Central lost to Johnsburg, 12-7.
Skinny: It's Grayslake, Part II for brand-new school Woodstock North. The Thunder, playing its first season of varsity ball with no seniors, got a not-so-warm welcome to the world from Grayslake North last week. Now, it's on to Central. "When you don't have any seniors, that's always hard," Grayslake Central coach Nick Goshe said. "But you know what? They still play very hard, very aggressive, very physical. They've got some guys who will run right at you."-The Rams have that same kind of guy in Mike Gentile, who scored last week's only touchdown on a 71-yard run. "Mike's going to have to make plays for us to be successful," Goshe said-The Rams' defense is going to have to do the same thing and it did last week in limiting Johnsburg to just one touchdown. The Skyhawks scored the rest of their points on a field goal and safety. "Our kids aren't satisfied with moral victories, though," said Goshe, whose team finished 1-8 last season. "Close calls aren't going to do it anymore. We need to continue to make good plays, but we also need to figure out a way to win some of these games."
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Grayslake North (1-0) at Woodstock (0-1)
When: 7:15 p.m. today
Last week: Grayslake North def. Woodstock North, 22-6; Woodstock lost to Prairie Ridge, 41-14.
Skinny: The monkey is off the back for Grayslake North, which went 0-9 last season, but put an end to that streak last week. "It's nice to get a win right away like that," Grayslake North coach Steve Wood said. "Now, there's not going to be that talk of 'Well, when will you get a win.' Hopefully, we can keep it going now. I know one thing: our guys are tired of losing."-The Knights didn't waste any time trying to turn over a new leaf. Glenn Mizowek ran in a 76-yard touchdown on the very first play of the game. "He hit it hard and was gone," Wood said. "He's one of our fastest kids." North has some other dangerous runners, too. Ross Sauer and Brandon Sackett also scored on long runs, 40 and 45 yards, respectively. Overall, the Knights rolled up more than 400 yards rushing-The Blue Streaks had their hands full with a tough Prairie Ridge team but were also relying on multiple guys going both ways. "We try not to do that very much," Wood said. "We might have a couple of guys who do that. Maybe we can take advantage (of the fatigue factor) a little bit."
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Plainfield North (1-0) at Grant (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Plainfield North d. West Chicago, 36-7; Grant lost to Crystal Lake South, 24-7.
Skinny: Grant makes history tonight with its first game ever on its new synthetic turf. Grant's entire stadium has a fresh look, as it also features new bleachers, new lights and a new press box. The Bulldogs look to rebound after an Opening Night loss at Crystal Lake South, whose muddy grass field made the footing difficult. Perhaps playing on their spiffy, mud-free field will allow the Bulldogs to get their running game going after returning all-area fullback Dan Hourihan garnered just 17 rushing yards on 10 carries against South. Veteran quarterback Justin Cokefair looks to play better, too, after completing just 2 of 10 passes for 27 yards and 1 interception. ... Plainfield North is in its fourth season of varsity football. The Tigers went 4-5 last year.
- Joe Aguilar
Lakes (1-0) at Harvard (0-1)
When: 7 p.m. today
Last week: Lakes d. Chicago Perspectives Charter-Calumet, 55-0; Harvard lost to Big Foot (Wis.), 48-7.
Skinny: Lakes has won four of its five season openers, including the last four, but has started 2-0 only once. That was in 2006, when the Eagles busted out to a 4-0 start en route to earning a playoff berth. Coach Luke Mertens' squad is coming off its most-lopsided win ever and second shutout ever. The Eagles' only other whitewashing came in Week 3 of that '06 season, when they blanked Vernon Hills, 11-0. Against Chicago Perspectives Charter-Calumet last Friday night, Lakes had plenty of heroes on both sides of the ball. John Werba had 2 of the Eagles' 5 interceptions, with Donte Arnold, Josh Rigali and Tyler Menheer grabbing the others. Arnold returned his pick 34 yards for a touchdown. Werba, Ben Hohenstatt and Brody Griffin recovered fumbles. The Eagles came up with 8 turnovers and held CPCC to 50 yards... Offensively, Lakes senior running back Andrew Tubek had a monster first half, rushing for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 11 carries. He also had two 60-plus-yard runs called back because of penalty. ... Harvard, a Class 4A school, was 5-4 last season under veteran coach Tim Haak.
- Joe Aguilar
Maine West (0-1) at Round Lake (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: Maine West lost to Wheeling, 27-13; Round Lake lost to Westosha Central (Wis.), 24-0.
Skinny: Round Lake's defense will have to be especially on its toes tonight against a Warriors offense that used a no-huddle attack all game against Wheeling. Maine West quarterback Ron Gajewski put up big numbers, completing 22 of 33 passes for 204 yards. ... Round Lake is trying to avoid an 18th straight defeat. The Panthers mustered just 1 first down against Westosha Central (Wis.).
- Joe Aguilar
South Elgin (1-0) at Vernon Hills (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Last week: South Elgin d. Marmion Academy, 24-14; Vernon Hills d. Niles West, 42-12.
Skinny: So what does DaVaris Daniels do for an encore? The Vernon Hills junior was expected to be great Opening Night after an all-state campaign last year, and he didn't disappoint. He threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Evan Spencer, scored on a 49-yard run and caught a 19-yard TD pass from sophomore QB Steve Nelson. Spencer finished with 2 TD catches. ... South Elgin, which is in its fourth year of varsity football, features sure-handed wide receiver Jake Kumerow, who had 4 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown against Marmion Academy. Brad Birchfield rushed for a pair of scores for the Storm, which has finished 3-6 in each of the last two years after going 0-9 in its inaugural season.
- Joe Aguilar
Antioch (1-0) at Waukegan (0-1)
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Weiss Field
Last week: Antioch d. Streamwood, 34-0; Waukegan lost to Glenbrook North, 28-0.
Skinny: As great as Antioch was last season - going 12-0 before a state-semifinal loss to Lemont - the Sequoits never posted a shutout. They already have that this season. Last Friday night's 34-0 victory over Streamwood at Millennium Field was Antioch's first shutout since 2002, when it blanked Wauconda, 42-0, in Week 3. ... And despite the graduation of all-state running back Cameron White, Antioch showed its option attack is still lethal. Junior Josh Guadarrama had rushing touchdowns from 56 and 7 yards out and also returned a kickoff 91 yards for a TD. Veteran fullback Steve Lorenzini led the ground game with 106 rushing yards (2-yard TD run) on 23 carries.
- Joe Aguilar
Wauconda (0-1) at Orr (0-1)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday in Chicago
Last week: Wauconda lost to Huntley, 28-23; Orr lost to Oak Forest, 44-8.
Skinny: The Bulldogs seek their first win under new head coach Dave Mills against a team that they beat 39-0 last year. Wauconda's special teams have to tighten up after allowing Huntley to return 2 kickoffs for touchdowns last Friday night. Wauconda's offensive highlights included Brandon Dorsey's 2 touchdown receptions (44 and 86 yards) from quarterback Brian Kent.
- Joe Aguilar