Scouting Week 7 Lake County football games
Antioch (6-0, 4-0) at Grant (4-2, 3-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Antioch has an automatic berth with 6 wins and will head into first-round hosting territory with a win here, while Grant can become playoff eligible with a win.
Outlook: This week's Lake County blue plate schedule sees the NLCC leaders going up against an improved Grant squad. Antioch senior Nick Day and junior Martin Cohen hit Wauconda for a combined 338 rushing yards and 4 scores. Day ran for 205 and 3, while Cohen ran for 133 yards on 12 carries with a score. Cohen also had 2 interceptions. Cohen is approaching 1,000 rushing yards. He has 932 with 15 touchdowns and has 198 more receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Day is up to 728 yards and 13 touchdowns, while senior Chris Cook leads the Sequoits defense with 36 tackles. Coach Brian Glashagel also likes the recent performances of seniors Tyler Ingman and Ryan Swanson. Ingman has 6 catches for 113 yards and 1 TD, while Swanson is second on the team in tackles, has 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and a sack. "Tyler has put in a ton of strength training in the offseason and ran track in the spring and got faster," Glashagel said. Two other key guys for Antioch have been senior offensive lineman JT Gobeyn and senior quarterback James Sheehan. "JT is the vocal leader," Glashagel said. "He's a rah-rah guy and captain. James is steady and a silent leader by example. He's always calm." A win by Grant would put it into a tie for first place in the NLCC. "Antioch is the team to beat in the conference," Bulldogs coach Tim Norwood said. "We need to match how physical they are up front on both sides of the ball. On offense, we need to continue to take care of the ball and on defense we will have to tackle well because they have some dangerous running backs that can make you miss." Last week, sophomore Matthew Gipson completed 15 of 21 passes for 208 yards, while Tyler Zdon ran 18 times for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns. "Matthew has become more comfortable in the offense as the season has gone on," Norwood said. "He's doing a nice job taking care of the football and distributing the football." Max Hembrey caught 5 passes for 116 yards. Gibson has thrown for 793 yards and 5 touchdowns. Zdon is up to 629 rushing yards and 7 scores, while Hembrey has 10 catches for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns. Norwood also likes how senior linebacker Ryan Kowalski has played. "Ryan is one of our leaders on defense," he said. "He does a great job of setting the defense and getting everyone lined up right. He plays with great effort and attitude." Senior offensive tackle Mason Lancaster and senior free safety Rylan Art also are drawing rave reviews. "Mason shows up every day with a great attitude ready to work," Norwood said. "Rylan is one of our captains and is the vocal leader of the team. He works really hard to make sure both he and his teammates are working hard in the weight room and practice field."
Lake Forest (4-2, 3-1) at Lake Zurich (5-1, 3-1)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Lake Forest becomes playoff eligible with a win, while Lake Zurich already is eligible and can guarantee a spot with a win at home Friday.
Outlook: Winner of this one enhances their playoff position and moves into at least second place in the North Suburban. "Lake Forest is a team that will always play hard and physical," Lake Zurich coach Ron Planz said. "They are extremely well coached and disciplined. The keys to the game for us are making sure we win the turnover battle and limit our penalties. Penalties have taken some big plays away from us over the last few weeks." Free safety Copelan Oettinger, a junior, had 2 interceptions against Libertyville last week. "Copelan has been playing very well in the secondary," Planz said. "Junior kicker Jesus Vilchis has been recording touchbacks (3 last week) much more consistently of late," Planz said. "This has been a game-changer for us and the field position battle," he added. Senior center Bryce Sanders has been a consistent leader for the Bears on the offensive line, Planz said. "I'm very proud how he has kept that group going with all the injuries and shuffling we have had to do," he said. Chris Pirrone ran for 106 yards on 26 carries and scored 2 touchdowns last week, while Lucas Lappin had a rushing touchdown. Jackson Piggott caught 2 passes for 39 yards and a score. Charlie DiCanio had 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, while Logan Cunningham had 1 tackle for loss. Punter Matt Worthington booted 3 inside the 20 and enjoyed a long punt of 46 yards. Lake Zurich is a plus-4 in the turnover battle this year. Pirrone has run for 561 yards and 7 touchdowns and has fumbled once in 118 carries. Lincoln Adams has 71 tackles and 5 tackles for loss.
Wauconda (4-2, 3-1) at Lakes (1-5, 1-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Wauconda needs a win to become playoff eligible. Lakes has been eliminated from postseason consideration.
Outlook: "Wauconda is a good football team that runs the ball well on offense and plays stout defense," Lakes coach Jason Ellerman said. "They are strong on the offensive and defensive line. In order to have success, we are going to have to move the line of scrimmage." Sophomores Dom Lostroscio and Ean Ankney have been splitting time at quarterback for the Eagles. "They do a great job supporting each other," Ellerman said. "Dave Mills (former Wauconda head coach) has done a good job of developing these guys all year. We asked Dom to move to a couple different spots on O and D last week to help the team. As the great teammate that he is, he embraced the task with a positive attitude. He had a big third-down reception last week against Grayslake North." Wauconda looks to shake off last week's 33-12 home loss to Antioch. "We need to be prepared for a Lakes offense that is balanced," Wauconda coach Chris Prostka said. "Their defense will give us a variety of looks that we have to prepare for. We are looking to get into a more consistent rhythm offensively and defensively so that we can play physically and dictate the pace of the game." Cole Porten ran for 110 yards and 1 score last week against Antioch, while Zac Johnson had 17 tackles on defense and Conlan Rath had 11 tackles. "Cole stepped up big last week at running back," Prostka said. "He plays linebacker on defense and is on every special team. We appreciate all the jobs he does for us and the way he plays the game." Logan Olsen has passed for 500 yards with 5 touchdowns, while Connor Vanselow has 850 all-purpose yards with 8 touchdowns. Zac Johnson has 46 tackles and has made both his field goal attempts. Prostka said Sajjad Hussain is playing solid defensively, as evidenced by his 2 pass deflections against Antioch.
Mundelein (4-2, 2-2) at Libertyville (3-3, 1-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Mundelein needs one more win to become playoff eligible and two to automatically qualify. Libertyville has to win two of its final three to become eligible and win out to earn an automatic bid (Zion and Stevenson after Mundelein for the Cats).
Outlook: Mundelein, which started 4-0, looks to break a two-game losing streak. "Libertyville is an explosive football team," Mustangs coach Vince DeFrancesco said. "They are aggressive on both sides of the ball. For us to be successful against them, we must limit their big plays. Their quarterback does a nice job extending plays while keeping his eyes downfield. Offensively, we must take care of the football and play Mustang football." Quarterback Danny McNelly has 8 rushing touchdowns and 5 passing touchdowns. Brody Paluch and Adam Alkhatib lead the way in the rushing department for the Mustangs. DeFrancesco said defensively, Trey Thompson has been a huge asset in the secondary. "Trey continues to improve week to week," he said. Braden Carmen also has been a key cog on both sides of the ball. "Braden is playing week at corner and doing a nice job at receiver," DeFrancesco said. Carmen caught a touchdown against Warren. DeFrancesco also likes the way Brandon Hansen plays the game. "He continues to do a great job leading our team," he said. "He doesn't get flustered. He is the same whether we are up by seven or down by seven. He does a great job and sets the tone up front for us." Jake Junia continues to provide a big spark on defense. "He plays with a great motor and nose for the football," DeFrancesco said. Junia leads Mundelein in tackles, tackles for loss, fumbles recovered and forced fumbles.
Zion-Benton (1-5, 1-3) at Stevenson (4-2, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Stevenson needs a win to become playoff eligible and two to earn an automatic bid. Zion has been eliminated.
Outlook: Stevenson has come up big in each of the last two weeks with NSC wins over Mundelein and Lake Forest. "Zion has some weapons and has scored points," Stevenson coach Brent Becker said. "Their defense is very aggressive." In the Lake Forest win, Aidan Crawley threw for 121 yards and scored 2 rushing touchdowns. Armand Burris had 6 catches for 73 yards and now has 33 catches for 518 yards and 6 touchdowns. Luke Nelson had 8 tackles, 1 sack and 2 quarterback hits in the Lake Forest win. Caden Schultz had 9 tackles, while DeAngelo Washington had 10 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Anthony Adams had 6 tackles and one key sack, while Abai Antebekov had 9 tackles and a touchdown-saving tackle. Sophomore Frank Costabile leads the Patriots in rushing with 639 yards and 5 TDs, while Christopher Thorndyke has 317 rushing yards and 4 scores.
Round Lake (0-6, 0-4) at Grayslake Central (2-4, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Central must win out against Round Lake, Antioch and Lakes to become playoff eligible with 5 wins. Round Lake has been eliminated.
Outlook: Romeo Reyes continues to lead Grayslake Central in rushing "and is playing extremely hard," Central coach Brent Pearlman said. Matty Jens and Sean Mullen continue to lead the Rams' defense. Pearlman said Alex Carter and Sean Mullen "have both stepped up the last couple weeks playing both ways and doing some good things on both offense and defense," he said. Central's offensive line continues to improve as well. "Our offensive line has been playing much more physical and shown a passion I hadn't previously seen," Pearlman said. "In order for us to have success in this game or any other game, we need to pay attention to all the details, fly around the field and play with great passion, and trust our teammates and the system at 100 percent."
Warren (4-2, 4-0) at Waukegan (1-5, 0-4)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Warren needs a win to become playoff eligible and to remain in first place in the North Suburban. Waukegan has been eliminated.
Outlook: "Although Waukegan has been struggling this year, they are very worthy of our preparation and best efforts," Blue Devils coach Bryan McNulty said. "They are big up front and have some speed at the skill spots. Their field is also grass, which is not something our kids are used to playing on anymore. To be successful, we will have to play a clean and sound game on both sides of the ball, including the kicking game." Sophomore running back Aaron Stewart ran the ball 18 times for 168 yards and 2 TDs in last week's 54-7 win against Mundelein. He's up to 918 yards rushing on 133 rushes with 8 touchdowns. Donovan McNeal has run 68 times for 532 yards and 14 touchdowns. "Donovan has been a force on both sides of the ball," McNulty said. "He leads our team in tackles and touchdowns." McNulty added Jack Wolf has transitioned smoothly from wideout to quarterback while Nate Foster has been out. Sophomore linebacker Royce Lopez, junior defensive lineman Anthony Soto and junior defensive lineman-fullback Nate Brock also were cited for their excellence. "Royce, Anthony and Nate are all tough guys who buy into the weight room and all things tough in our culture," McNulty said.
Grayslake North (2-4, 1-3) at North Chicago (2-4, 2-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Playoff checkup: Both teams need to win out in order to become playoff eligible. The Knights finish up with North Chicago here, Round Lake and Wauconda.
Outlook: North Chicago has won its last two games against Round Lake and Lakes, scoring a combined 80 points. "North Chicago is on a roll. They have scored a ton of points lately," North coach Brian Johnson said. "They have a multifaceted run game that can be dangerous. We are really going to need to find some ways to bring pressure and find the football on every snap. We have expanded our coverage variations the last few weeks on defense, and if we can get to the ball carrier with more than one player, we can be successful." Last week, junior Cameron Bates caught 2 passes for 100 yards, including a 60-yard scoring strike. He also caught a 2-point conversion. Junior Dominique Pulliam (RB-LB) scored 2 touchdowns last week, including 1 rushing, and also took a pick 50 yards for a score. He finished with 7 tackles. "Dominque really flexed last week, scoring on offense and defense," Johnson noted. "He is starting to really understand the big picture, and the game is getting slower for him." Junior linebacker Tyler McBride has 54 tackles this season, while junior quarterback Mitch Hughes has thrown for 919 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bates has 29 catches for 484 yards and 1 touchdown, while junior Chris Filas has 15 catches for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns. Johnson also took time to laud the character of Landon Dovel. "I'm really happy with how Landon has responded this year," the coach said. "He is a cerebral player who really likes to bring it. His teammates feel his energy. On Dom's interception touchdown return, the referee got knocked down and Landon was the first person to go see if he was OK and helped the referee up."
Other Lake County Week 7 Games
Maine West (6-0, 2-0) at Vernon Hills (2-4, 1-1): Friday, 6 p.m. (Vernon Hills must win out to become playoff eligible).
Carmel (5-1) at Providence Catholic (4-2): Friday, 7:30 p.m. (Carmel clinches a guaranteed playoff spot with a win in New Lenox Friday)