Scouting Palatine @ Fremd

Posted October 22, 2009 11:00 pm

By Marty Maciaszek

Palatine (7-1, 3-1) at Fremd (8-0, 4-0)

When 7:30 p.m. today at Hale Hildebrandt Field

Last weekPalatine d. Conant 28-21; Fremd d. Hoffman Estates 44-10

Outlook The defending MSL West co-champions feature offenses which have much different ways of piling up yards and points en route to a meeting reminiscent of 1995 when both came into the finale with similar records and Palatine won 6-0. "I'm sure it will be Evan Wright right and Evan Wright left and they'd be foolish if they didn't with that offensive line," said Palatine coach Tyler Donnelly. "Fortunately we're coming off two good weeks of solid lines with Barrington and Conant, but they're a little different because of (Brian) Bobek, (Christian) Lombard and (TE Jack) Konopka." Wright (1,579 yards, 22 TDs) needs 112 yards to break the single-season rushing record set by Jake Smith in 2006. Palatine hopes to use its speed on its defense led by LB Jim Smearman, LB Phil Brand, DL Chad Bobbit and S Jesse Bobbit to keep Wright running east and west rather than north and south. "They have to prepare for rour size and physicalness," said Fremd coach Mike Donatucci. Palatine has rolled up an average of 370 yards a game with dual-threat QB Cody Bobbit (70 pct. passing, 974 yards, 10 TDs, 0 INTs; 280 rushing, 7 TDs), hard-running RB Joe Pelnar (766 yards, 3 TDs) and a deep crew of receivers led by Mike Luschen (30 rec., 411 yards, 8 TDs) and Dan Haze to test Fremd's solid defense of S Jayme Szafranski, Cameron Radis and DL John Josif. The Vikings also get a boost in the secondary with the return of Eric Shew from injury. "Their offense is explosive and they use their skill people very well," Donatucci said. "They always seem to come up with a new wrinkle every time we see them." Fremd, which clinched a share of an MSL record seventh straight division title, won last year's playoff opener 24-7 to lead the series 26-16 and is going for its fourth perfect regular season (1992, 2005, 2007). Palatine is trying to gain a share of the West title and get its biggest win total since it was 11-1 in 1997.

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