Scouting St. Charles North @ St. Charles East
By Dave Oberhelman
St. Charles North (6-2, 4-2)
at St. Charles East (6-2, 6-0)
Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday
Last year: St. Charles East 21, St. Charles North 0.
Last week: South Elgin 10, St. Charles North 7 (OT); St. Charles East 7, Neuqua Valley 3.
Outlook: There was no need for further drama to heighten this Cross-town Classic, but then along came the flu outbreak that had nearly 1,000 St. Charles East students out Tuesday and canceled school there from Wednesday-Friday. There already were several story lines in the running. St. Charles East holds a slim 5-4 series lead over its District 303 neighbor, outscoring the North Stars 202-197 and winning twice in 2005 - 40-35 in the regular season, 35-23 the next week in the playoffs. St. Charles North is 1-4 in the last five games against the Saints. St. Charles East is also shooting for its first outright Upstate Eight Conference title since 1998, before the split. With a forfeit loss - which would have happened had this game not been played - and a Lake Park win over Bartlett on Friday, it would have meant co-titlists. On the Saints' behalf, there's a positive to rains that once again may plague the area. In addition to providing ample opportunities for the four daily hand-washings suggested to reduce the threat of contagious diseases, the Saints have become a successful team of mudders, at least if consecutive 7-3 victories and a Week 6 21-14 win over Waubonsie Valley in the slop count. "It's going to be Waubonsie all over again," Saints coach Mike Fields said. "And I'm fine with that." He's fine with that overtime victory but was probably close to blowing a gasket over 8 fumbles. Despite the weather, the Saints have won their last three games on passes by quarterback Nolan Possley, a gamer if there ever was one. Possley hit tight end Jess Striedl in overtime against Waubonsie and again in the 7-3 win over Bartlett, and last week Possley found Tyler Nutting on a 27-yarder for the sole touchdown. Fields would like to get back to running the ball again behind big linemen Rafael Flores, Andrew Bradburn, Mark Lindholm and Eric Olstad. "They're like road graders in there. No line splits, and they just come at you," said St. Charles North coach Mark Gould, who counters with tough defenders like J.J. Weaver and Connor Mohs. Matt Payne, a staple of the St. Charles East's secondary along with Bryce Barry, may be used in the backfield for the first time in weeks to support the ground game of Zach Zajicek and Possley. St. Charles North will also return a running back, senior Jordan Huxtable. Between a sprained ankle and a disciplinary suspension Huxtable has been limited to 4 carries in two games after rushing for nearly 900 yards last year. North Stars coach Mark Gould said Huxtable will fit into a rotation with the backfield's usual suspects, quarterback Jake Bergren, versatile Ben Hodges and fast Dirk Schmitt, who ran for 127 yards with a 4-yard touchdown run against South Elgin. In a game pitting the UEC's top two defenses - St. Charles East has allowed 82 points, North 102 - scoring may be hard to come by. "They do a lot of blitzing from all angles," Gould said. Perhaps it'll be time for another highlight-reel grab or kickoff return from St. Charles North 6-4 receiver Jeff Stolzenburg. Or it could come down to the kicking game, and both East's Dan Keller and North's Cory Harmon are solid even in mud. Who knows, after such an adventurous week it may come down to the real little things. "Whoever's got better cleats," Fields suggested.