Scouting Hampshire at Stillman Valley

Hampshire (0-2) at Stillman Valley (2-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last meeting: These teams last met in 2005. Hampshire won 14-7 in the regular season and 28-19 in the first round of the playoffs.

Last week: DeKalb 20, Hampshire 14; Stillman Valley 46, Wauconda 20.

Outlook: The Whip-Purs hope to break through for a victory after losing 2 close games to start the season. They'll face a stiff test against the Cardinals. The defending Class 3A state champions enter the game ranked No. 3 in Class 4A. They have outscored Evansville (Wis.) and Wauconda by a combined score of 92-32. "It's another step up," Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. "It's an opportunity for us to get better and see what we can do. We know we have a challenge ahead of us, but we're looking forward to it." The Whips lost senior running back/linebacker Lorenzo Brandon to a separated shoulder last week. He's expected to miss four to six weeks, his coach said. Hampshire's defense has played decently thus far, allowing an average of 20.5 points and 249.5 yards per game. Junior linebacker Cody Ackmann, who started several games as a sophomore, leads the defense with 30 tackles. The defense will be tasked with stopping Stillman Valley senior fullback Adam Cox (6-0, 210). Cox has carried 37 times for 275 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2 games after rushing for nearly 1,100 yards last season.