Scouting: Jacobs @ Grayslake Central

Posted September 15, 2009 11:00 pm

By Jerry Fitzpatrick

Jacobs (1-2) at Grayslake Central (1-2)

When Today at 7:15 p.m.

Last meeting 2007 - Jacobs 35, Grayslake Central 0

Last week Prairie Ridge 27, Jacobs 10; Crystal Lake South 35, Grayslake Central 0

Outlook Each Fox Valley Conference team aims for the .500 plateau in this crossover matchup. Jacobs owns a 7-4 lead in this series since 1997 and has won four straight meetings. The Rams and Golden Eagles have played a common opponent: Johnsburg. The Rams played the Skyhawks to a near draw in their turnover-filled season opener, but Johnsburg escaped with a 12-7 win. On a dry field a week later, Johnsburg threw for 224 yards and outscored Jacobs 20-0 in the second half to prevail 42-28. Offensively, the Golden Eagles have shown signs of a breakout, but consistent execution for four quarters remains an unattained goal, particularly in the second half. Jacobs has lost two consecutive games that were tight at halftime, outscored by a combined 41-3 after the break by Johnsburg and Prairie Ridge. While commending Prairie Ridge's execution last week, Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter said he anticipates better consistency in execution on both sides of the ball against a stout Grayslake team. "They've played everybody tough," he said. "Even last week's game (vs. CL South) I don't think the score was an indicator of the kind of ballgame it was and how tough they played. They're a good team. They had opportunities to make it a different game and it didn't happen for them. Turnovers hurt them." Jacobs sophomore quarterback Jason Judson completed 11-of-18 passes for 142 yards last week, when the Golden Eagles were forced to play catch-up midway through the third quarter. Senior Zach Bates made 6 receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown, the Eagles' first passing touchdown of the season. "In the type of offense we run we want to be able to hurt you with the pass," Schlueter said. "Our running game sets up our passing game without a doubt. We're going to throw when we can to hurt you. We just have to execute."

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.