Scouting Week 6 Lake County football games
Wauconda (4-1, 3-0) at Grayslake Central (3-2, 2-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Wauconda 19, Grayslake Central 8
Scouting Wauconda: Lake County Blue Plate Special of the Week! The Bulldogs become playoff eligible with a win Friday in Grayslake. When Wauconda wins this season, it scores big. In its 4 victories, Wauconda has scored 44, 57, 56 and 37 points. The Bulldogs’ defense has created 10 takeaways through 5 games, while on the other side of the ball Wauconda averages 312 rushing yards per game, led by Jackson Rudolph (560 yards, 14 TDs). Logan Olsen has thrown for 530 yards and 4 scores, while Luke Sickmeir has 215 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Brody Rudolph (41 tackles), Connor Coty (39 tackles) and Noah Kosiek (2 interceptions) lead the defense. Coach Chris Prostka also likes how Will Sickmeir has been playing. “Will is having a solid season, contributing in all three phases,” he said. “Last year, we used him only on offense, but this year we are asking him to do a lot more. He is always willing to play where he is needed and make an impact when he is on the field.” Prostka said the 4-1 start can be traced back to preparation. “A major key to our success so far has been our players’ commitment to our game plan each week and their willingness to spend extra time preparing through watching film,” he said. “Our players understand what we are trying to attack and take away from our opponents. We have savvy players who are able to communicate what is happening during the game and are able to make necessary adjustments.”
Scouting Grayslake Central: The Rams look to get back on track after a Week 5 loss to neighbor Grayslake North. One major positive for Central recently has been caused turnovers. Over the past 2 weeks, the Rams logged 5 interceptions. “Our defense is doing a great job of creating turnovers,” Central coach Brent Pearlman said. Eric Burm starts at corner and receiver and continues to progress, Pearlman noted. “Eric has played extremely well the whole season,” he added. “He gets better each week.” Defensive lineman David Feltner also has been notable. “David has made an impact on defense not only with his play, but his attitude,” Pearlman said. “He is the type of player who keeps the motor running.” Sophomore Jaden Musial starts at corner. “Jaden has done an incredible job,” Pearlman said. “He has a very bright future.” Central has won 3 of its last 4 and can equal it 2023 win total with a win here. “The thing that has me excited the most about the future is our ability to grow as a team,” Pearlman said. “We have many of the factors that make a good team, we have just not connected the dots yet. I am excited for that moment it all comes together and every member of our team gets it. In my opinion, football is one, if not the greatest, team sport, key word being team. I am excited for our guys to experience this and realize our full potential and enjoyment of playing this game.”
Grayslake North (4-1, 2-1) at Antioch (4-1, 3-0)
When: Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Last year: Antioch 50, Grayslake North 13
Scouting Grayslake North: A pivotal game for the Knights, who become playoff-eligible with a win and would keep pace in the upper tier of the Northern Lake County Conference. North has enjoyed offensive balance with 14 rushing TDs and 11 receiving TDs through 5 weeks. Mitch Hughes has thrown for 1,082 yards and 11 TDs to go with 4 rushing TDs. Landon Dovel has run for 642 yards on 86 carries and has 7 TDs, while not fumbling once. Cam Bates has 545 receiving yards and 7 total touchdowns. Ernesto Gonzalez has 67 tackles, while sophomore Beckett Dovel has 59 tackles. North averaged 8 yards per carry last week with junior Jacob Sweeney helping there, while also playing linebacker (stopped a drive last week with an INT). “Jacob has been playing more on defense,” coach Brian Johnson said. “Being a wrestler, he has only one speed and that is full go all the time. He has shown toughness by coming in at running back and getting some carries each week.” Junior linebacker-wideout Connor Vargo and senior defensive back Elijah Ayivi also have starred. Vargo was the team’s leading tackler on special teams last week. “Connor is becoming more confident in his play and that is leading to more opportunities to get on the field,” Johnson said. “Elijah has had some big plays, but his consistency the last few weeks has been instrumental to our defense performing.” North has won 2 games in a row. “The players have a shared purpose to make one another better each day and that leads to the ability to practice hard and the intensity necessary to improve each week,” Johnson said.
Scouting Antioch: Antioch sits atop the Northern Lake County Conference with Wauconda at 3-0, but both Grayslake schools are right there with 1 loss each. Since a Week 1 loss Schaumburg, Antioch has piled up 194 points in 4 victories.
Grant (2-3, 1-2) at Round Lake (0-5, 0-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: Grant 55, Round Lake 0
Scouting this game: A win keeps Grant squarely in the playoff picture. “We have yet to still play our best football,” Bulldogs coach Tim Norwood said. “Hopefully, we are able to right the ship and play more disciplined football moving forward.” Grant averages 159 rushing yards and 6.6 yards per carry, headlined by junior tailback Tyler Zdon (83 carries, 652 yards, 8 TD, 7.9 yards per carry). Junior quarterback Matthew Gipson has thrown for 1,073 yards and 12 scores to a bevy of targets, including junior Max Hembrey (24 catches, 479 yards, 6 TD), Zdon (14 catches, 267 yards, 2 TD), Cam Houghton (8 catches, 147 yards, 3 TD) and Ethan Willey (10 catches, 109 yards, 1 TD). “Matthew runs our offense and we put a lot on his plate,” Norwood said. “He is improving on a weekly basis. Max Hembrey really impacts a game with his explosive plays.” Junior linebacker Logan Myers leads the Grant defense with 56 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown).
North Chicago (1-4, 0-3) at Lakes (2-3, 1-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year: North Chicago 23, Lakes 15
Scouting this game: The Eagles snapped a 2-game losing streak with a win last week against Round Lake and can get to .500 and keep the playoff-possibility train moving in a forward direction. “The guys have done a nice job showing discipline on the field and in the classroom,” Lakes coach Jason Ellerman said. Mason Crowley leads the team in rushing, while John Zutkis is Lakes’ leading receiver. Zack Raffone is the team’s leading tackler. Lakes has blocked 4 kicks this season. Colton Horstein moved from linebacker to defensive line and “is making an impact there,” Ellerman said. Gianni Munoz has been a good leader in the secondary. “Gianni is always helping younger guys out at practice,” Ellerman said. Sophomore Jayce Figueroa made his first start at guard against Round Lake “and did a really good job blocking,” Ellerman said.
Warren (3-2, 2-1) at Mundelein (3-2, 1-2)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Warren 54, Mundelein 7
Scouting Warren: Blue Devils coach Bryan McNulty likes what he’s seen the past few weeks. “We have really gotten better as the season has went on,” he said. “We hit a huge downswing in weeks 2 and 3, but the kids have been really persistent and coachable and are getting better.” Running back Aaron Stewart is already over the 1,000-yard barrier. He has run 110 times for 1,004 yards and has scored 15 TDs. Senior quarterback Jack Wolf has thrown for 492 yards and 4 TDs. McNulty labels senior defensive back Cory Burton as the team’s most consistent defensive player this fall. “Cory is playing at an all-conference level,” McNulty said. Junior offensive lineman Jordan Ellis (6-5, 275) also keeps improving, McNulty said. “Jordan will be a big recruit this off-season,” he added. Senior running back Eli Mathews “has been a consistent, pleasant surprise on the offensive side of the ball,” McNulty said.
Scouting Mundelein: The Mustangs have lost two in a row after starting 3-0. “I am very excited about the stretch run as we find our way on offense and continue to compete for a playoff spot,” Mustangs coach Johnny Cowhey said. “The team still believes we are in a good spot to compete with the teams left on our schedule. The key will be to eliminate mistakes on offense and defense and find a way to execute on both sides of the ball.” Jake Junia (33 tackles, 3 interceptions), Ian Murray (31 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception), Antionio Vaughn (27 tackles, 3 forced fumbles) and Maddux Hermestroff (24 tackles, 1 interception) lead the Mundelein offense. Logan Young has passed for 461 yards and 3 TDs and has 2 additional rushing TDs. Brody Paluch has scored 3 TDs, while Junia has 2 TDs to his credit. Trevor Carman has 148 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Cowhey also likes how Mundelein’s younger players have responded. “We have a lot of young players stepping up,” he said. Due to injuries, sophomores Will Pasquier and Cameron Earring are playing on the varsity, while Marco Toledano is playing on both lines. Cowhey said Drew Berek is doing a phenomenal job “of continuing to play both ways on the offensive line and defensive line and being our most consistent lineman,” he said.
Lake Forest (4-1, 2-1) at Stevenson (4-1, 2-1)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year: Stevenson 24, Lake Forest 13
Scouting this game: The winner of this game will not only become playoff eligible but will remain in the chase for the North Suburban Conference title with 1 loss. Stevenson won its last 2 games by a combined 71-6 count. “Our defense has been very strong the last couple weeks,” Stevenson coach Brent Becker said. Griffin Suren (defense) and Frank Costabile (offense) were cited for recent strong play. “We’re very excited for the month of October,” Becker said. “We have some great games coming up for our team to see where we stack up.” Stevenson forced 9 three-and-outs against Waukegan last week. Patriot special teams blocked two Waukegan punts and recovered a fumbled kickoff — setting up 3 offensive touchdowns. D’Angelo Washington has 14 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, while Suren had 10 tackles, including 4 for loss. Sunny Tsui had 8 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Aidan Crawley threw 2 TD passes to Thomas Simmons, while Costabile had 2 rushing touchdowns and Fatman Thorndyke had a rushing TD against Waukegan. Lake Forest won its first 4 games, but was tripped up by 3 points at home last week against Lake Zurich.
Zion-Benton (0-5, 0-3) at Lake Zurich (2-3, 2-1)
When: 7 p.m.
Last year: Lake Zurich 31, Zion 7
Scouting this game: The Bears recorded a huge road win last week against state-ranked Lake Forest to move to 2-1 in North Suburban action. “This season has been filled with a ton of adversity,” Bears coach Ron Planz said. “A lot of it is our own doing. We showed some signs of life in Week 4 against Libertyville, but I was very happy to see us put it all together against Lake Forest. We were finally able to string together a full game of playing with energy, toughness and enthusiasm. If we can keep that up, we can finish the season strong.” Reid Pfeifer played well in his first game as the LZ starting quarterback. “Reid was great,” Planz said. “He made good decisions and showed great leadership.” Alex Pirrone ran for 216 yards on 26 carries (8.3 yards per carry) against Lake Forest and scored 2 TDs. “Alex went off rushing the ball,” Planz said. “Overall, the offensive line stepped up and blocked a very good Lake Forest front seven. They played with some grit and nasty that allowed us to win the game.” Pirrone is up to 403 rushing yards and 4 TDs, while Jackson Piggott has 296 receiving yards and 3 scores. George DiCanio leads the team with 38 total tackles, while Arturo Zarinana has 5 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Lake Zurich is a plus-4 in the takeaway department this season.
Other Friday Week 6 Lake County Games
Waukegan (1-4, 0-3) at Libertyville (5-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.
Niles West (3-2, 1-0) at Vernon Hills (1-4, 1-0), 6 p.m.
Carmel (3-2, 0-1) at Montini (3-2, 0-1), 7:30 p.m.