Week 6: Scouting the Northern Lake
Round Lake Panthers (2-3, 0-3) at Antioch Sequoits (5-0, 3-0)When: 7:15 p.m., Thursday
Last week: Round Lake lost to Grayslake North, 42-23; Antioch def. Grayslake Central, 55-13.
Skinny: Antioch is looking to keep its winning streak going. And going and going. After a 9-0 regular season last year, the Sequoits have now won 14 straight regular season games and are going for back-to-back undefeated regular seasons ... Antioch cruised offensively last week behind senior quarterback Branden Gallimore ... Round Lake already has more wins this year than last year (1-8). But the Panthers have been on a slide since starting the season 2-0 for the first time since 2006. They have lost three straight games and are one of three winless teams in Northern Lake County Conference action (Wauconda and Grant are the others) ... The Panthers put up a strong rushing effort against Grayslake North last week, rolling up 250 of their 330 total yards on the ground. Shamier Austin finished with 116 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while Anthony Tellez added 105 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries ... Last year, Antioch defeated Round Lake, 36-0.
North Chicago Warhawks (4-1, 2-1) at Grant Bulldogs (0-5, 0-3)When: 7:15 p.m., Thursday
Last week: North Chicago def. Wauconda 21-7; Grant lost to Lakes, 43-14.
Skinny: North Chicago lived on big plays last week against Wauconda, and Grant, which desperately needs a win, has been known to give up some big plays this season ... North Chicago scored 3 touchdowns last week and all three went for 40 or more yards: a 40-yard pass, a 55-yard run and a 60-yard pass ... North Chicago quarterback Dyshawn Gales can be a big playmaker all by himself. He is a threat to run and pass and has nice speed ... With multiple sophomores starting on defense, Grant is vulnerable to the big play. The Bulldogs are allowing the most points per game in the Northern Lake County Conference (35.8 ppg) ... Meanwhile, the Grant offense has scored the fewest points per game in the league (11.8 ppg). The Bulldogs did find some momentum at the end of last week's Lakes game as quarterback Matt McGraw (8-for-18, 141 yards, 1 touchdown) found wide receiver Jacob Lotz for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Lotz, a first-year senior in the program, had his best game of the season with 4 catches for 103 yards ... Last year, Grant defeated North Chicago, 21-14.
Lakes Eagles (5-0, 3-0) at Grayslake Central Rams (2-3, 2-1)When: 7:15 p.m., Thursday
Last week: Lakes def. Grant, 43-14; Grayslake Central lost to Antioch, 55-13.
Skinny: Lakes keeps rolling under new head coach Jordan Eder and first-year running back Ethan Greenfield. Greenfield, almost exclusively a defensive player for most of his career, got very limited reps at running back last year. In becoming a full-time running back for the first time in his career, Greenfield has flourished. He scored 3 touchdowns against Grant last week, one week after scoring 5 touchdowns against Wauconda. He now has 13 touchdowns on the season ... But Greenfield isn't the only threat for Lakes. D'Lo Hardy and Robert King are also big threats out of the backfield ... Grayslake Central is coming off a big loss to Antioch, but is still in the midst of one of its best seasons in recent years. The Rams, who went 1-8 in 2016 and 0-9 in 2015, won back-to-back games in Weeks 3 and 4 ... Quarterback Nick Paul is a dangerous running quarterback for Grayslake Central.
Grayslake North Knights (3-2, 2-1) at Wauconda Bulldogs (0-5, 0-3)When: 7:15 p.m., Thursday
Last week: Grayslake North def. Round Lake, 42-23; Wauconda lost to North Chicago, 21-7.
Skinny: Grayslake North got its aerial assault going early last week against Round Lake, and kept it going, to the tune of a 42-0 lead. Quarterback Austin Martineau threw a touchdown on the Knights' first play from scrimmage, hitting Elliott Hochstein for a 37-yard score. Martineau completed 11-of-19 passes for 210 yards and 4 touchdowns. Hochstein had 2 touchdown catches ... Wauconda, fighting the emotions of losing their assistant coach Joe Ryback, let up multiple big plays against North Chicago. The Warhawks scored 3 touchdowns of 40 or more yards against Wauconda. The Bulldogs had attended visitation for Ryback just hours before the game ... Last year, Grayslake North defeated Wauconda, 21-14.