Football: Scouting Week 1, Lake County
LAKE COUNTY GAME OF THE WEEK
Grayslake North (0-0) at Lakes (0-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Lakes def. Grayslake North, 37-14.
Skinny: What should have been a dream matchup between two rival schools, two exciting, up-tempo offenses and two of the best quarterbacks in the area lost some of its luster in the last week. Grayslake North senior quarterback Merrick Gentile went down with a season-ending knee injury in the Knights' recent preseason scrimmage. Last season, Gentile passed for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for 635 yards and 10 touchdowns. It will likely take some time for Grayslake North coach Steve Wood to settle on a permanent replacement for Gentile. Wood said Thursday he plans to rotate quarterbacks against Lakes, but he did not reveal who those players will be. "It is always a battle when we play (Lakes), and over the years the scores have been pretty close," Wood said. "I expect the same thing this year." Meanwhile, Lakes is fully set on its starter. Senior quarterback Jordan Mercure passed for 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. He also ran for 660 yards and 6 touchdowns…Last year in this game, which featured a 1-hour, 15-minute rain and lightning delay, Lakes ran away with a 37-14 victory at Grayslake North. Mercure completed 16-of-20 passes for 195 yards. He threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for another. ... Lakes and Grayslake North, which draw from a common junior high, have played for nearly 10 years in football. "It's always a great game, a rivalry game," Lakes coach Luke Mertens said. "There's a lot of pride involved in this game. This is exactly the way you want to start the football season."
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Antioch (0-0) at Kenosha (Wis.) Tremper (0-1)When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last year: Tremper def. Antioch, 14-12.
Skinny: Antioch is 0-2 against Tremper over the last two years, but each game between the teams has been close to the end. "They are hard-nosed, they will hit you and they have a great history in Wisconsin," Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said of Tremper. "They would do really well in our division (North Suburban Prairie)."
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Crystal Lake Central (0-0) at Grant (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Crystal Lake Central def. Grant, 42-6.
Skinny: Grant began the 2014 season against Crystal Lake Central with a 22-play, eight-minute drive the resulted in a touchdown. Grant coach Vito Andriola said it was his team's best drive of the season.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Woodstock (0-0) at Round Lake (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Did not play.
Skinny: These two teams share a similar perspective. Woodstock finished 1-8 last year while Round Lake was 2-7. Both teams also have first-year head coaches.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Grayslake Central (0-0) at Vernon Hills (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Did not play.
Skinny: No-huddle meets no-huddle. Grayslake Central has put in an up-tempo offense similar to that of Vernon Hills. Quarterbacks Luke Shepherd (Grayslake Central) and Connor McNamara (Vernon Hills) should shine.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Richmond-Burton (0-0) at Wauconda (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Did not play.
Skinny: Richmond-Burton is coming off a playoff appearance in 2014 while Wauconda missed at 4-5. Wauconda coach Dave Mills likes this matchup as a possible rivalry game.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Carmel (0-0) at Waukesha (Wisc.) West (1-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year: Did not play
Skinny: Carmel coach Andy Bitto says "we'll know real fast where we are as a team." Waukesha West was the Division 2 state runner-up in Wisconsin last year. Week 2 opponent Chicago Phillips was the Class 4A state runner-up, and Week 3 opponent Joliet Catholic is, well, Joliet Catholic.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Lake Zurich (0-0) at Fremd (0-0)When: 7 p.m. Friday
Last year's result: Lake Zurich def. Fremd, 10-7.
Skinny: Jacob Kubin's last-second field goal lifted host Lake Zurich in last year's season opener. Lake Zurich opens the season with three road games. The Bears boast three-year varsity RB Ben Klett, who's a Division-I prospect. Lake Zurich leads the series 6-2 and has won the last five meetings. Fremd has a trio of D-1 prospects of its own to counter with in DB Kenny Lyke (Michigan State), DE Matt McCabe (Yale) and WR Cordell Finley. Fremd quarterback Tommy Josten, who is a junior, will be a huge key to the Vikings offense and his passing and running can be a difference maker.
- Joe Aguilar
Elk Grove (0-0) at Libertyville (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.
Skinny: Libertyville has high expectations after reaching the Class 7A state semifinals last year. The Wildcats enter the season with a pair of Division-I recruits in QB Riley Lees (Northwestern)and DE Ben Kimpler (Miami Ohio). Lees rushed for 35 TDs and threw for 10 last season. They also have a veteran offensive line that includes a pair of 2014 all-conference selections in Sean O'Malley and Walker Hare. Elk Grove is under the direction of first-year coach John Sigmund.
- Joe Aguilar
Larkin (0-0) at Mundelein (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.
Skinny: Both teams are looking for their first win since 2013. The Larry Calhoun era starts at Mundelein. The former Elk Grove coach inherits several three-year varsity starters, including QB Colten Fisher, MLB/FB Jake Gokan and WR/CB Antoine Hicks. Former Hersey coach Dragan Teonic fielded a young squad in his first season at Larkin last year. The Royals return QB David Hibbler and play-making WR A.J. Hunter.
- Joe Aguilar
Stevenson (0-0) at Palatine (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.
Skinny: Stevenson went 14-0 in winning its first state championship last year, and while the Patriots graduated several three-year varsity starters, there is talent back. Miami Ohio-recruit Jack Sorenson moves from WR to QB and will get protection from four returning offensive linemen. Palatine, which won the Mid-Suburban West last year, returns a veteran defense, which includes a strong linebacker group. Pirates junior QB Zach Oles will look to air it out to receivers Joey Roy, Javone Stricker, Dan Garcia and Matt Lamm.
- Joe Aguilar
Warren (0-0) at Lyons (0-0)When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last year's result: Warren def. Lyons, 17-14.
Skinny: Warren has knocked off Lyons to open the season in each of the last two years, including 42-35 in triple overtime two years ago. The Blue Devils return dynamuc RB Darrius Crump (1,670 rushing yards last season) and promising new sophomore WR Micah Jones (6-5), who already has three D-I offers. Warren also has FB Wes Weinberg, whose dad, Kurt, is Lyons' coach. The Lions have made the state playoffs in each of Weinberg's six seasons. Lyons does not return any starters on defense, and its offense will be under the direction of sophomore QB Ben Bryant.
- Joe Aguilar