Week 6: Scouting the North Suburban
Warren Blue Devils (3-2, 2-1) at Mundelein Mustangs (2-3, 1-2)When: 7 p.m., Thursday
Last week: Warren lost to Lake Zurich, 41-35 (2OT); Mundelein def. Waukegan, 31-6.
Skinny: Warren is coming into this game a little battered. The Blue Devils' heart took a beating in a heartbreaking double overtime loss to Lake Zurich last week. Both Warren and Lake Zurich were unbeaten in North Suburban Conference play prior to that game ... Warren, which had a three-game winning streak snapped with the loss, put up some fabulous numbers in that shootout game. Quarterback Ian Schilling completed 20-of-42 passes for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, he also had 3 interceptions. Notre Dame-bound receiver Micah Jones was Schilling's main target. He caught 8 passes for 143 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown. Overall, Warren rolled up 473 yards of offense. Martin Walker Jr. took care of the ground game. He had 98 rushing yards and a touchdown ... Mundelein is seeking its third win, which would mean a better record than last year's 2-7 campaign. The decisive win over Waukegan last week broke up a two-game losing streak. The Mustangs blew open that game with 2 fourth-quarter touchdowns ... Quarterback Anthony Norris ran for 3 touchdowns and completed 12-of-17 passes for 125 yards ... Last year, Warren defeated Mundelein, 21-16.
Lake Zurich Bears (5-0, 3-0) at Lake Forest Scouts (2-3, 0-3)When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Last week: Lake Zurich def. Warren, 41-35 (2OT); Lake Forest lost to Libertyville, 26-10.
Skinny: These two teams are headed in opposite directions and Lake Zurich is feeling extra good after a dramatic double-overtime victory over Warren last week ... Lake Zurich had a big day through the air against Warren as quarterback Evan Lewandowski completed 13-of-21 passes for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns. Running back Joey Stutzman (17 rushes, 45 yards) ran in 2 touchdowns, including the winning score in the second overtime ... Lake Zurich is now the only undefeated team remaining in North Suburban Conference play. The Bears also lead the league in scoring at 34 points per game. And their defense is the second-stingiest, allowing just 10.2 points per game ... Lake Forest struggled offensively against Libertyville last week and has had trouble scoring all season. The Scouts are averaging just 15 points per game, second-lowest in the North Suburban Conference ... Last year, Lake Zurich defeated Lake Forest, 24-6.
Stevenson Patriots (4-1, 3-0) at Libertyville Wildcats (3-2, 2-1) When: 7 p.m., Thursday
Last week: Stevenson def. Zion-Benton, 41-7; Libertvyille def. Lake Forest, 26-10.
Skinny: This is one of the biggest games in the North Suburban Conference every season. These two fierce and longtime rivals always play each other tough. Last year, Stevenson got the best of Libertyville, winning 27-14 in Lincolnshire ... Stevenson is coming off a big offensive game against Zion-Benton. The Patriots scored all 41 of their points in the first half, and rolled up more than 400 yards of offense for the game. Quarterback Grayson Kubow passed for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns, both of which went to Tyler Porzycki. Kubow also ran for 2 touchdowns, as did junior running back Jean-Marc Etienne ... Meanwhile, the Stevenson defense harassed Zion-Benton into multiple turnovers while allowing only 7 points. The Patriots boast the stingiest defense in the North Suburban Conference, allowing only 9.8 points per game ... Libertyville had been having trouble scoring points earlier this season, with back-to-back games of 10 points apiece in Weeks 2 and 3, both losses. But the Wildcats have done of better job of getting into the end zone the last two games. Running back Brendan Bazar scored 2 touchdowns, including an 83-yard run, for the Wildcats against Lake Forest. He rolled up 228 rushing yards on the game ... Libertyville also scored a defensive touchdown last week when Jon Palmieri scooped up a Lake Forest fumble and ran it in for a score.