Scouting Lakes @ Senn
No. 15 Lakes (5-4) at No. 2 Senn (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, at Lane Stadium
Last week: Lakes lost to Wauconda, 41-12; Senn lost to Dyett, 14-6.
Playoff experience: Lakes is making its second playoff appearance in its five-year history and is seeking its first postseason victory. In 2006, the Eagles lost to Robeson in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs, 41-30. Likewise, Senn has never won a state-playoff game. The Bulldogs have made the playoffs just four times, the last being in 1992, when they fell to Niles North, 29-8, in Class 6A.
Skinny: Senn saw its perfect season and conference-title hopes end with a 14-6 loss last week to Dyett. That outcome meant Senn finished second to Dyett in the Chicago Public, Chicago (Great Lake). ... Senn's Bulldogs have scored 344 points (38.3 per game) and have allowed only 56. "Their points for and against are definitely an area of concern for us," Lakes coach Luke Mertens said. "They are extremely explosive on offense and dominating on defense. The QB (Terrance Brand) has a great arm and mobility. They rotate two backs who are both very talented. The (offensive line) is big and mobile. Defensively, they are very aggressive. Their (middle linebacker) is especially impressive. He has great range and when he get the ball carrier, he knows how to finish the play." ... Lakes has been working on its "mental focus," Mertens said, after it got pounded 41-12 by an improved Wauconda team last week. While Eagles QB Nick Hibbing passed for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns, running back Andrew Tubek, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season the previous week, was held to 15 yards on 11 carries on Wauconda's muddy track. The Eagles fumbled eight times, losing three of the fumbles. "In addition to Wauconda's talent, I truly believe we lacked focus in that game," Mertens said. "I'm not sure if we were too concerned with the mud, rain, cold, or were looking ahead into playoffs. The bottom line is that we were handled that night, which is not a good thing. As I told our players, Wauconda did not seem too bothered by the conditions." ... Coming off back-to-back 3-6 seasons, Lakes was a bit of an unknown quantity at the beginning of the season. But the Eagles opened with a 55-0 rout of Chicago Perspectives Charter-Calumet, which wound up going 7-2. Lakes lost to a good Harvard team (7-2) before rallying to stun Grant. After a 20-17 loss to Vernon Hills in Week 4, Lakes bounced back with a convincing win over North Chicago. The Eagles' other victories were against Round Lake and Antioch. "I am very proud of our program," Mertens said. "Very few people know the difficulties of creating a program from scratch. Although we have a five-year history, we only have had a true varsity team for four years (first year no seniors), and to qualify for the playoffs in two of those four years is an accomplishment all involved with our program should take pride in. ... I have always contended that football is the Prairie Division's best sport. Week in and week out, the teams in the Prairie battled it out. There is a lot of talent among all the teams, so to be able to qualify for the playoffs and represent our conference is quite an honor."