Scouting Cook County Week 1 football games
Elk Grove at Maine West
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Last year: Did not play
Outlook: These two teams will be reacquainted in what used to be the traditional opener for both. Elk Grove’s Daniel Pasterski, who took over the quarterback reins in the latter part of last season, will be looking to improve of his 632 passing yards. Running back Darryl Hunt and tight end Dylan Berkowitz should also be formidable weapons. Maine West is coming off a dream season when the Warriors went 9-0 for the first time. Tely Litas takes over at quarterback for a team that returns three starters on offense and four on defense. Fortunately for Litas, those three retraining starters all are in the offensive line in Erik Zotoui, Brody Kroschel and Lucas Burkett. Keep an eye on Northern Illinois commit and speedster Dante Hicks.
Leyden at Highland Park
When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Last year: Highland Park 37, Leyden 0
Outlook: Highland Park has won the last two openers between these teams. Leyden, which is coming off a 2-7 season, are hoping to get its offense flying again after averaging just 13 points per game. Maddox Jasisinski takes over at quarterback while Isaiah Diblich returns to handle most of the running attack. Highland Park is coming off its best season in recent years with a 7-4 mark. But graduation has hit the Giants hard and they return just five starters.
St. Viator at Milwaukee (Riverside)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: St. Viator 53, Riverside 0
Outlook: St. Viator has never won two state playoff games in one season. The Lions feel that not only can they accomplish that, they can do even more. And with 16 starters back this season, the Lions can take a major step forward with another win over Riverside. Viator will be led by Cooper Kmet, a D-1 recruit, who is in his third year as a starter. Kmet threw for nearly 2,000 yards last season and 21 touchdowns. Dayvion Ellis, who is a four-year varsity player, is a high threat anytime he touches the ball. They will operate behind an offensive line that returns four starters including monster offensive tackle Ben Konopka, who is 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds. Riverside lost their opener last week 61-6.
Hersey at Warren
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Did not play
Outlook: Hersey has won 20 games in the last two seasons. But the Huskies have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs in each of those years. In attempt to change that dynamic, Hersey has upgraded its non conference schedule significantly, beginning with state power Warren. UCLA-commit Colton Gumino, who threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 35 touchdowns last year, will have to get used to a whole new group of wide receivers this season. Gumino will face a Warren secondary that could be one of the most athletic in the state. Hersey’s defense, led by returnees Thomas Mulder, Sebastian Debicki and Logan Clark, allowed just under 9 points per game last year.
Wheeling at North Chicago
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Wheeling 25, North Chicago 13
Outlook: Wheeling picked up its only win of the season last year vs. North Chicago. And with 12 starters back this year, the Wildcats are hoping they can jump start their 2024 campaign with a win over the Warhawks. Justin Ghibea, who threw for 915 yards last year, will operate behind a veteran offensive line that includes Angel Jimenez, Hunter Adams, Pablo Morales and Damian Maldonado. North Chicago has won just four games in the last four seasons and has not been to the playoffs since 2019.
Fremd at Lake Zurich
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Lake Zurich 28, Fremd 7
Outlook: This is the longest running opening matchup in the area with the teams meeting 16 times since 2007. Lake Zurich has dominated the contests winning 12. Fremd feels they are ready to change that. The Vikings have one of the most dynamic combinations in junior quarterback Johnny O’Brien, who has committed to Northwestern, and four-year starter Brennan Saxe. Lake Zurich, which lost in the 7A semifinals last year, will counter with quarterback Cole Kenyon, who has an offer to play baseball at Belmont, and three-year starter Jackson Piggott at wide receiver. Jacob Wilk, who is 6-foot-6, 295 pounds and is committed to Western Michigan, is a beast at offensive tackle.
Schaumburg at Antioch
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Antioch 42, Schaumburg 17
Outlook: Schaumburg has not had a winning season since 2017, so it is important for the Saxons to get off to a good start. Returning quarterback Lucas Wagener should help that. Schaumburg also has high hopes for sophomore running back Vince Heydecker, who will run behind an experienced offensive line of Kendall Johnson Jr., Jaden Buchanan, Jaiden Hernandez, Mathias Zubcek and Zach Lane. Antioch has qualified for the playoffs the last seven playoff seasons. The Sequoits will be leaning heavily on running back Martin Cohen, who was the Northern Lake County offensive player of the year last season.
Maine East at East Aurora
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Did not play
Outlook: New head coach Jerald Bibb looks to get Maine East headed in an upward direction. The Blue Demons return just four starters from a one-win team from last season. Trayvon Giolas, who saw some time at QB last year, looks to get the Demons moving offensively. Senior defensive back M.J. Jean-Charles, who transferred from Loyola, should be one of the leaders defensively. East Aurora is coming off its first playoff appearance since 1982. The Tomcats will be led by WR/DB Kevion Wills.
Maine South at Lincoln-Way East
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Did not play
Outlook: This may be the best Week 1 game in the state. Maine South returns a massive offensive line anchored by Zac Stoilov, who is committed to West Point. That group will be looking to protect returning quarterback Constantine Coines and running back Michael Dellumo. Eastern Illinois commit DT Tyler Fortis will key the defense. Lincoln-Way East, which has lost in the 8A state title game the last two years, picked up Jonas Williams at quarterback. The Bolingbrook transfer, who is a junior, has committed to Oregon. Running back Zion Gist is committed to Western Michigan.
Buffalo Grove at Hoffman Estates
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Buffalo Grove 29, Hoffman Estates 28
Outlook: After last year’s exciting opener between the teams, they both went on to qualify for the playoffs for the last three consecutive years. Buffalo Grove will be revamped this season after graduating 40 seniors. Fremd transfer Dylan Spedale will start at quarterback for the Bison. Linebacker Alex Branas leads the defense. Hoffman Estates will lean heavily on Nate Cleveland. The Minnesota recruit, who plays both QB/LB, may be one the most athletic players in the area. The Hawks return 11 starters, including four from the offensive line in Anthony Elena Christian DeLaGarza, Zander Vanna-Teske and Logan Fitch.
Prospect at Lyons
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Prospect 24, Lyons 10
Outlook: Prospect will be looking for its third consecutive opening game win over Lyons. Prospect should be exciting on offense again this year. The Knights, who averaged 54 points per game last year, return their four top skill players in quarterback Jake Skoog, running back Noah Easter and wide receivers Nick Carlucci and Nate Cichy. Lyons has 14 starters back including wide receiver and three-year starter Travis Stamm and running back Danny Carroll.
Rolling Meadows at Pekin
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Pekin 19, Rolling Meadows 7
Outlook: Robbie Gould takes his Mustangs down to the land of the Dragons for his head coaching debut. Meadows, which won just two games last season, returns 10 starters including quarterback Joe Brigham, who threw 10 TD passes in a part-time role. Pekin missed the playoffs last season and is picked this year near the bottom of the 8-team Mid-Illini Conference. A Mustang victory here could be key to their playoff hopes.
Barrington at South Elgin
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Did not play
Outlook: Barrington is coming off its best season since 1998. And although graduation hit the Broncos hard, they still return quarterback Nick Piepert. The senior, who has committed to St. Thomas, threw for 35 touchdowns and 2,905 yards. Jack Burzynski, who has a trio of D-1 offers, leads the defense. Barrington changed contracts this season and matched up with South Elgin. The Storm will now have as the ability to schedule non-conference opponents, thanks to a revamped Upstate Eight Conference. South Elgin is led by WR Ishmael George and quarterback John Ginnan, who threw for 20 touchdowns last year.
Lake Park at Conant
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Lake Park 28, Conant 7
Outlook: This neighborhood rivalry continues for the fourth consecutive year. Lake Park, which broke through on the winning side last year, is led by junior quarterback George Tzamouranis and running back Robert Munaco. Conant, which missed the playoffs last year, is looking to get things back on track. The Cougars return seven starters and should be solid at wide receiver with Bradley Biedke, Chase Garcia, Andrew Elder and Grant Kurt.
St. Charles North at Palatine
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: St. Charles North 37, Palatine 34
Outlook: With a loss in this game last year, it sent Palatine into a spin that had a promising season end with not as much success as initially hoped. The Pirates find themselves with very similar promises this season, so a positive outcome would set them on a better path. With D-1 players DE Jaylen Williams (Michigan) and OL Parker Brault (Marshall) along with WR Ryan Donnelly, who has an offer from Tennessee State, Palatine has weapons on both sides of the ball. The Pirates also return their entire secondary, which will look to have success against St. Charles North QB Ethan Plumb.