Scouting East Aurora at West Aurora

East Aurora at West Aurora

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: West Aurora 46, East Aurora 13.

Outlook: For both teams' sake let's hope this long-standing rivalry game is closer than last year's outing, in which West Aurora led 26-0 after a quarter and 40-6 by halftime. East Aurora hasn't enjoyed a 5-win season since the 2000 campaign under coach Al Tamberelli, and last year's squad under current (and committed) Tomcats coach Bill Bryant went 0-9 overall and 0-6 in the Upstate Eight last season. East Aurora usually fields one or two highly athletic skilled players such as returning quarterback Bryan Robinson, who scored the Tomcats' first touchdown against West last year on a 12-yard run. (Totaling 114 yards of offense all on the ground, East's second score came on a fourth-quarter fumble recovery and return.) It's developing fundamentally sound units on the offensive and defensive lines that has proved difficult. That also will be the challenge for West Aurora coach Buck Drach, who graduated all but left tackle Cal Wagner (6-2, 210) from last year's very big starting offensive line. Retooling is also exciting, and that should be the case at running back for the Blackhawks, where Drach graduated honorable-mention all-stater Leon Spears - who ran for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 5 carries in the 2009 East-West game - but succeeds him with a community. One of them, Marcus Waller, ran for a 1-yard touchdown last year against the Tomcats. The wry Drach sounded like he was joking but has stated there will actually be a "paper-rock-scissors" deal for order of quarterback duties between the junior trio of Josh Campbell, Richie Renner and Curtis Townsend, and the goal is equal snaps for each. Inside linebacker Brandon Warren returns after leading West in tackles - and intercepting an East pass last season. Should West Aurora indeed get ahead and Warren, returning linebacker D.J. Nelson, nose tackle Javonta Black and Co. stop the run, that only forces East Aurora to throw into the Blackhawks' greatest strength - returning defensive backs Matt Souvannasing and Nate Zinzer.

Next week: East Aurora at Yorkville, Sept. 3; West Aurora at Elgin, Sept. 3.