Scouting Kaneland at Rochelle

Kaneland (4-0, 0-0) at Rochelle (3-1, 0-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today

Last year: Kaneland 33, Rochelle 12.

Last week: Kaneland 56, LaSalle-Peru 7; Rochelle 52, Dixon 15.

Outlook: For most of the first month Kaneland has been pummeling the competition. In this Northern Illinois Big 12 East division opener the Knights will encounter a team that almost assuredly will push back. Kaneland has won the last two meetings, but Rochelle evicted the Knights from first-round playoff games in 2003 and 2004. Rochelle, coached by 17-year man Kevin Crandall (161-87), has lost only to Geneseo, 14-6 in Week 2. Last week's knockout over Dixon was basically the same as Kaneland's in Week 3 (55-6). Crandall's offense is forever Wing-T. The Hubs ran the ball 36 times for 318 yards, with returnees C.J. Navarro, Will Metzger and three-year starter Josh Bernardin plus Roman Martinez each running for at least 46 yards and all scoring a touchdown. Quarterback Nick Moore attempted 1 pass. Facing a big deficit last year against Kaneland, Rochelle still threw the ball only 4 times, though when they complete a play-action pass it can go a ways against a defense sucked up against the run. Thus, the sack-happy Knights (Jimmy Boyle and yeoman Blake Serpa led 10 of them with 12 pressures against LaSalle-Peru) will play responsibility football in a stadium Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly called the nicest in the league. "All eleven guys need to do their job," Fedderly said. Kaneland's offense is as diverse as Rochelle's is one-sided. Fedderly's never seen it before - 196.8 yards rushing per game, led by quarterback Joe Camiliere at 70.3 yards; 196.0 yards passing on average with Quinn Buschbacher heading the cast at 10 catches for 187 yards. Scoring leader Serpa (7 touchdowns) heads 10 Knights who've reached the end zone. Is receiver Tyler Callaghan (6-5, 230) next? "We've got to get Callie some touchdowns here," Fedderly said.

Next week: DeKalb (2-2, 0-1) at Kaneland, Oct. 1; Rochelle at Yorkville (2-2, 0-0).