Scouting Huntley at Jacobs

Huntley (4-4, 2-2) at Jacobs (5-3, 2-2)

When: today at 7:15 p.m. at Jacobs Athletic Field

Last year: Huntley 16, Jacobs 6

Last week: Huntley 40, Dundee-Crown 7; Jacobs 54, McHenry 35

Outlook: No game in the area has as much riding on it as this one. Huntley needs a win to become playoff eligible and possibly snag its third straight playoff berth. Jacobs is in good shape with 5 wins and 35 playoff points but the Golden Eagles need one more victory to guarantee their first playoff appearance since 2006. Reaching the postseason was the goal of coach Bill Mitz and his staff since last spring, when they accepted the challenge of building Jacobs into a winner. "We want to get that sixth win without a doubt," Mitz said. "I don't even want to talk about that other situation (playoff points). I don't want to sit around and wait. After that loss to (Crystal Lake) South, we said, 'OK, we've got three games left and we're going to try to get better each week.' Lo and behold, we've got two legs down and we need the third one." Huntley has won the last 2 meetings, but Jacobs still leads the series 3-2. The Red Raiders are in precarious shape with 32 playoff points but stand a chance of playing in a 10th game if they can win their ninth. "Playoffs, that's the goal, obviously," Huntley coach Matt Gehrig said. "We aren't sure points-wise if a win is going to get it done or not. Our goal for the week is to play our best. (Jacobs) played Crystal Lake South as well as anyone we've seen on film, so they're definitely one of the best teams in the conference. They have a lot of athletic ability, they are well coached and they do a lot of things well. It's a big game all the way around." Gehrig said a couple of key players may return from injury.