Scouting West Aurora at Glenbard East

West Aurora (3-4, 1-4)

at Glenbard East (3-4, 1-4)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today

Last year: Glenbard East 35, West Aurora 33.

Last week: Glenbard North 34, West Aurora 21; Naperville North 49, Glenbard East 21.

Outlook: This actually is one of the week's top games two DuPage Valley Conference teams fighting for a playoff spot with elimination a loss away. West Aurora coach Buck Drach is happy to be playing Glenbard East without former quarterback Jack Merrithey, a scrappy pain in the Blackhawks' neck over three years. He's not pleased to see the double-wing option/misdirection stuff Glenbard East coach Dennis Lueck runs. "We're spending a lot of time in practice on recognition," Drach said. "It's tempting to tackle the first guy, but the second guy has the ball and sometimes the third guy." Quarterback Steven Kinney's 478 yards rushing are more than half of Glenbard East's 882 yards on the ground; he's also targeted Kevin Priebe for 22 of the team's 42 receptions. An injury to Kinney forced sophomore Joe Kotch into action, and containing either falls to West Aurora's linebacker corps of Booker Ross, Brandon Warren, Manny Escobedo, D.J. Nelson and Kendall Williams. Cornerback Nate Zinzer will be there, too, if an Achilles problem that flared up last week allows him to play. Despite last week's loss, Marcus Waller returned a kickoff a program record-tying 95 yards for touchdown and the Blackhawks achieved a rarity no penalties or turnovers. Junior quarterback Josh Campbell continued his progression with another decent passing game, 2 rushing touchdowns and second to running back Tyson Lassiter in rushing yardage. A good start is important against this foe; "getting a couple up on them pretty quick and taking them out of the game," Drach said. "If they get up on us they can kill the clock."

Next week: Wheaton Warrenville South (7-0, 5-0) at West Aurora, Oct. 22; Wheaton North (5-2, 3-2) at Glenbard East, Oct. 22.