Week 9, Fox Valley: Hampshire hungry for win No. 6
Hampshire (5-3, 3-2) at Woodstock (2-6, 1-4)
Fox Valley (Fox)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last week: Hampshire 28, Crystal Lake Central 9; Champaign Central 51, Woodstock 21
Last year: Hampshire 15, Woodstock 12
Outlook: Hampshire looks to take the guesswork out of its playoff push and guarantee itself a bid with a sixth win. The Whip-Purs will likely need another W to get into the tournament since their 30 playoff points would put them on the bubble as a 5-4 team. “This group wants to make some more memories by becoming a playoff qualifier and extending our season,” said Hampshire coach Mike Brasile, who played for Woodstock's 1997 state championship team and later served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for six seasons. “This is basically Round 3 of the playoffs for us. We have to win. We have no choice. The kids are up for it.” Hampshire has scored at least 18 points in every game this season while averaging 378 yards and 31.5 points. Junior quarterback Jake Vincent has thrown for 2,125 yards and 23 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in the spread offense. His leading receivers are junior Scott Hornbeck (32 rec., 644 yards, 5 TD) and seniors Xavier Bennett (45-600-6) and Jake Manning (51-570-8). Third-year safety Michael Kruse is playing like an all-state candidate, according to his coach. He picked off 2 passes last week, returning the first 18 yards for the game's first touchdown. Kruse leads the Fox Valley area with 7 interceptions.
Crystal Lake South (5-3, 2-2) at Cary-Grove (7-1, 3-1)
Fox Valley (Valley)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last week: Jacobs 35, Crystal Lake South 14; Cary-Grove 48, Dundee-Crown 6
Last year: Cary-Grove 47, Crystal Lake South 7
Outlook: Cary-Grove is in the playoffs for the 12th straight season. The question is, how high will the Trojans be seeded? They look to finish the regular season on a 4-game winning streak. Win or lose, Crystal Lake South is likely in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Gators enter this Fox Valley Conference Valley Division finale with 39 playoff points and could finish with 42-45. They look to end a 2-game slide in their third-straight road game. To do so, CL South must contain junior Tyler Pennington. Cary-Grove's fullback paces the triple-option offense with 163 carries for 837 yards and 13 touchdowns (5.1 avg.). His offensive linemen deserve some of the credit, according to CL South coach Chuck Ahsmann. “Their offensive line moves as a wall together,” he said. “It's impressive how well they block as a unit, not just as individuals.” Coach Brad Seaburg minimized the wear and tear on Pennington by not playing him on defense for the first half of the season. He returned to his customary linebacker spot two weeks ago in preparation for another playoff run, adding to an improving, junior-heavy unit predicated on speed. “It takes a while for players, regardless if they're juniors or seniors, to figure out the speed they need to practice at and know it equates to how they play defense during games,” Seaburg said.
McHenry (1-7, 0-4) at Jacobs (6-2, 2-2)Game time: 7:15 p.m. Friday
The quick hit: McHenry returned to action last week after being idle for nearly three weeks due to a strike. The Warriors were a step slow in a 62-19 loss to Huntley, a team that edged Jacobs 22-19. The Golden Eagles hope to improve their playoff seed. “We just want to get through without any injuries, keep improving and play good defense like last week,” Jacobs coach Bill Mitz said.
Huntley (8-0, 4-0) at Dundee-Crown (2-6, 1-3)Game time: 7:15 p.m. Friday
The quick hit: The Red Raiders can complete an undefeated regular season and win 9 games for the first time since a 9-2 finish in 2008. Sophomore Eric Mooney has scored 6 of his 12 touchdowns in the last three weeks. Dundee-Crown's defense allows 331 yards and 30.9 points per game.
Crystal Lake Central Tigers (3-5, 2-3) at Grayslake Central Rams (0-8, 0-5)When: 7:15 p.m., today
Last week: Crystal Lake Central lost to Hampshire, 28-9; Grayslake Central lost to Grayslake North, 54-21.
Skinny: Crystal Lake Central was once 3-2 but has dropped three in a row. The Tigers have scored just 16 points during their losing streak. Vinson May has rushed for 587 yards and 8 touchdowns. ... Grayslake Central spotted Grayslake North a 27-0 lead before scoring 21 points in the last three quarters. ... Quarterback Luke Shepherd, who started the game at fullback, threw for 200 yards, hooking up seven times with favorite-target Noah Comerford, who caught his sixth TD pass of the season.
Woodstock North Thunder (4-4, 2-3) at Grayslake North Knights (5-3, 4-1)When: 7:15 p.m., today
Last week: Woodstock North lost Prairie Ridge, 42-7; Grayslake North def. Grayslake Central, 54-21.
Skinny: For the second year in a row, these two teams meet in Week 9 with Woodstock North needing a win to become playoff eligible. It didn't work out for the Thunder last year, as visiting Grayslake North won 49-29. Woodstock North, which has lost four of its last five games, is led on the ground by Randall Kline (523 rushing yards, 10 TDs) and Travis Busch (395 rushing yards, 3 TDs). ... Grayslake North running back Dami Oladunmoye burned Grayslake Central for 185 yards on the ground and 4 TDs, all in the first half, last Friday. The Knights have 39 playoff points, so they should qualify for the postseason even with a loss. Quarterback Jake Wright passed for 215 yards and 2 scores against Grayslake Central and also rushed for a TD.