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Football: Scouting Week 2, Lake County

Cary-Grove (0-1) at Lake Zurich (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Cary-Grove lost to Wheaton North, 42-18; Lake Zurich def. Fremd, 24-0.

Skinny: Cary-Grove and Lake Zurich come into Week 2 from opposite ends of the spectrum, a decisive loss and a decisive win. But don't think for a minute that Lake Zurich coach Dave Proffitt is letting his players read too much into those numbers. “Cary-Grove is not the team that that score (a 42-18 loss to Wheaton North) would indicate,” Proffitt said. “They happened to make a lot of crucial mistakes that really turned the momentum, which is kind of what happened to Fremd in our game. Cary-Grove has a lot of talent and they can move the ball. They just kept stubbing their toe last week. We can't go thinking that's going to happen again.”…The Lake Zurich defense not only got a shutout last week, it forced 3 turnovers, which included interceptions by Trevor Staley and Anthony Baca…Offensively, the Bears got 3 touchdowns from Ben Klett. He caught 2 touchdown passes from quarterback Noah Allgood (56 yards, 22 yards) and also ran in a score from 7 yards out.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Carmel (0-1) at Glenbard North (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Carmel lost to Lincoln-Way East, 17-7; Glenbard North lost to Batavia, 29-26.

Last year's result: Glenbard North def. Carmel, 31-16.

Skinny: Carmel began last season with losses to Lincoln-Way East and Glenbard North and never recovered, finishing 3-6 and out of the state playoffs for the first time since 1999. If the Corsairs are to avoid repeating last year's 0-2 start, they need to find a way to score more points and limit the Panthers' vaunted offense, which is led by the explosive Justin Jackson. The all-state running back, who is committed to Northwestern, got his senior season off to a roaring start, rushing for 231 yards on 23 carries in the Panthers' season-opening loss to Batavia. Glenbard North QB Brett Gasiorowski also had a big game (16-of-32 passing, 207 yards), but the defending Class 8A state runner-up allowed 22 third-quarter points and committed 13 penalties. ... Carmel got a spark from sophomore Darius Crump last Saturday night, as he busted off a 72-yard TD run to give the Corsairs an early lead, but the offense labored after that. Carmel finished with just 129 yards of total offense and 5 first downs.

— Joe Aguilar

Mundelein (1-0) at Highland Park (1-0)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Mundelein def. Wheeling, 29-22; Highland Park def. Lake Forest Academy, 32-20.

Skinny: Mundelein is out to build off its program-changing momentum from last week, where a win over Wheeling broke an 18-game losing streak dating back to 2010. “It was almost a spiritual feeling of satisfaction in the locker room after the game of a job well done,” Mundelein coach George Kaider said. “It validated 10 months of hard work and effort by the coaches and the players. It was a very important win.” But Kaider stresses there is still more work to be done. “We can't keep thinking about Wheeling,” he said. “We've got to keep improving. We've got to win the day, win the minute, win the rep.”…A highlight for the Mustangs during their historic win was the play of running back Emanuel Jones, who rolled up 255 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 carries. “(Wheeling) didn't have an answer for him because he ran so hard and so fast,” Kaider said of Jones, who will be tested by Highland Park's defense. “The strength of Highland Park is its defense,” Kaider said. “They really get to the ball fast. That's what impresses me most about them.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Prosser (0-1) at Round Lake (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Prosser lost to Noble Street Charter/Pritzker, 20-0; Round Lake lost to Gordon Tech, 27-16.

Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.

Skinny: This is a good opportunity for the Panthers to get a win, which would be the first for rookie head coach Jordan Eder. The Panthers were competitive in Eder's debut last Saturday at Lane Stadium. Second-year starting QB John Ridley threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jalen Young. Prosser did not win a game last season, but the Falcons had 3 victories in 2011.

— Joe Aguilar

Lakes (0-1) at Woodstock North (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Lakes lost to Grayslake North, 49-39; Woodstock North lost to Wauconda, 16-13.

Last year's result: Lakes def. Woodstock North, 21-7.

Skinny: Lakes discovered in its season opener that, despite graduating a ton of offensive talent, including all-state running back Direll Clark, it still can score plenty of points. Eagles sophomore RB Devyn Cedzidlo introduced himself to varsity football by rushing for 172 yards and 2 TDs on just 9 carries. Senior RB Cameron Johnson and senior QB T.J. Edwards added 80 and 79 rushing yards, respectively. ... Woodstock North led Wauconda 13-7 at halftime last Friday night but saw the hosts score the only 9 points of the second half. The Thunder is in just its fifth year as a varsity program but has been to the state playoffs each of the last two seasons.

— Joe Aguilar

Homewood-Flossmoor (1-0) at Stevenson (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Homewood-Flossmoor def. Chicago Simeon, 20-8; Stevenson lost to Kenosha (Wis.) Indian Trail, 15-14.

Skinny: Stevenson lost by only a point last week to Kenosha Indian Trail, but it felt like more, thanks to nine excruciating turnovers. “It was frustrating to watch, and certainly not expected,” Stevenson coach Bill McNamara said. “We need to regain our focus and pay attention to the fundamental details.” McNamara says he's also keeping a close eye on his team's mental frame of mind after a jolting loss to a program that is playing just its second season of varsity football. “One of the biggest concerns is simply the morale of the team,” he said. The Patriots struggled with their snaps after center Henry Sise was carted off with a leg injury. “It was a debacle out there,” McNamara said after the game…On the bright side, Stevenson's defense kept the game close by forcing Indian Trail into turnovers of its own. The special teams unit also recovered a fumble. “The opportunities were there,” McNamara said…Homewood-Flossmoor handed Stevenson one of its two losses during the regular season last year. “Very skilled, overall great team speed and very aggressive offensively and defensively,” McNamara said of Homewood-Flossmoor.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Glenbard South (1-0) at Antioch (0-1)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Glenbard South def. Addison Trail, 39-21; Antioch lost to Kenosha Tremper, 29-26.

Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.

Skinny: Antioch's defense will be tested against a Raiders offense that piled up 518 yards against visiting Addison Trail in Glen Ellyn last Saturday. Senior running back Zach Smith had a monster game for Glenbard South, piling up 130 rushing yards and 118 receiving yards, while scoring 5 touchdowns. “They are an excellent team in every phase, especially their offense,” Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said. “The entire (offensive line) is seniors. (Alex) Jeske is as good of a QB as we've seen and he is surrounded by playmakers. Smith is a load and is a potential to score every time he touches the ball. Our defense understands the task they have this week, but really it's all phases of the game. Our offense needs to take care of the ball.” Against Kenosha Tremper, Antioch got 197 yards from Cam Corey, who rushed 29 times, but the Sequoits committed 4 turnovers. “We put our defense in a couple of pretty bad situations last week,” Glashagel said. “We were lucky to be in the game. If that happens this week, it won't be as close.”

— Joe Aguilar

Milwaukee Hamilton (0-2) at Grayslake North (1-0)

When: 7:15 p.m., today

Last week: Milwaukee Hamilton lost to Milwaukee Bradley, 22-14; Grayslake North def. Lakes, 49-39.

Skinny: Grayslake North found out rather late in the game that Round Lake, its Week 2 opponent last year, would not be renewing the nonconference series between the two schools. So the Knights were left to scramble a bit to find a replacement. Like many teams in Lake County, Grayslake North considered options north of the border. “We looked around and this game (with Hamilton) came up and we thought it might be cool to play a team that we don't usually see and wouldn't see again in the playoffs,” Grayslake North coach Steve Wood said. Of course, the novelty of this week certainly is a departure from the familiarity of last week's opponent, Lakes. Grayslake North defeated Lakes for the first time in its six-year series. The Knights broke the drought by getting an explosive performance out of running back Titus Booker, who rolled up 268 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. The passing game was also in good shape with sophomore quarterback Merrick Gentile at the controls. Gentile passed for 2 touchdowns. “We knew we would be OK offensively with Titus back, and our offensive line has gotten better,” Wood said. “We were just wondering how fast Merrick would get acclimated and he got acclimated faster than we thought he would.”...Hamilton, which finished 3-6 last season, was 8-1 two years ago and features some big linemen and fast skill players.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

New Trier (0-1) at Warren (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: New Trier lost to Schaumburg, 34-20; Warren def. Lyons 42-35 (3OT).

Skinny: You'd think Warren and New Trier were in the same conference by now. It's been more than a decade since these two teams began their annual series. And most years, the game has had the feel of a conference rivalry game. “Our games with New Trier are always close and very competitive. It seems like they come down to the wire a lot,” said Warren coach Dave Mohapp, whose team won last year's contest 21-6. “On paper and on video, this game looks like it could be the same way.” The Blue Devils should certainly be prepared to battle until the very last moment. They're coming off a triple overtime victory over Lyons in which they rallied from a 21-0 deficit going into the fourth quarter. Led by quarterback Andrew Nickell and a stable of running backs, Warren's offense was balanced during the rally. The Blue Devils will see the same in New Trier. “That's a very multi-dimensional offense at New Trier,” Mohapp said. “They've got an excellent athlete at quarterback, big running backs and big targets at wide receiver and tight end.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Grant (0-1) at Lake Forest (1-0)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Grant lost to Crystal Lake Central, 29-15; Lake Forest def. Racine St. Catherine, 33-14.

Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.

Skinny: Grant's defense barely had time to catch its breath last Saturday night facing a Crystal Lake Central offense that played at a rapid pace. The Bulldogs eventually ran out of gas, as the Tigers took control of the game in the fourth quarter. Now Grant faces a Lake Forest squad that's also pretty good on the offensive side of the ball. The Scouts, who advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals last year, play a spread and boast returning all-conference RB Hub Cirame. Cirame rushed for 119 yards and 2 TDs and caught 4 passes against Racine St. Catherine last Friday night. Grant knows it needs to play better football than it did in its season opener. “We did not play our best football last week on both sides of the ball,” Grant coach Kurt Rous said. “Our defense played tired and uninspired, and our offense was unable to run the ball. For the first time that I can remember, we passed for more yards (114) than we rushed (85). We are not going to win games if that continues to happen. Lake Forest is good team and we're going to have our hands full trying to contain their spread offense and stop their aggressive defense.” ... Grant won 8 games last season, despite losing players seemingly every week to injury. This season has started similarly. Linebacker Tim Hollins injured his shoulder against Crystal Lake Central and is out “most likely for the season,” Rous said. Safety Joe Sadausakas (shoulder) will be a game-day decision, Rous said.

— Joe Aguilar

Libertyville (0-1) at Chicago Westinghouse (0-1)

When: 3 p.m., Saturday

Last week: Libertyville lost to Palatine, 25-7; Westinghouse lost to Plainfield North, 56-0.

Skinny: After rolling over Chicago Urban Prep 62-14 last season, Libertyville was looking to upgrade its opponent for Week 2 this season. But for the longest time, the only options seemed to be too much of an upgrade. “We were getting responses from teams like Joliet Catholic and Montini,” Libertyville coach Mike Jones said of the perennial powerhouses. “As much as you always want to play the best competition, part of it is that our conference (North Suburban) is already so tough and we had a tough opener with Palatine, so we decided to keep looking.” That's how Westinghouse, which went 7-3 last season and plays its games on an artificial turf near the United Center, ended up on the schedule. “Scheduling (nonconference) is getting tougher, which is why you see a lot of teams around here going into Wisconsin,” Jones said. “A big part of it is driven by the playoffs and knowing that you need so many wins to get in and when you're scheduling you're looking for very specific things in an opponent.”…Jones will also be looking for improvement in efficiency from his team. The Wildcats forced 5 Palatine turnovers last week and failed to turn any of them into points. Meanwhile, Palatine scored on both of Libertyville's turnovers. “You won't win many games doing that,” Jones said. “We've got to find a way to capitalize more on the other team's mistakes.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Vernon Hills (0-1) at Grayslake Central (1-0)

When: 7:15 p.m., today

Last week: Vernon Hills lost to DeKalb, 25-10; Grayslake Central def. Fenton, 29-8.

Last year's result: Teams did not play each other.

Skinny: Due to the Opening Night storms, which postponed Grayslake Central's game to Saturday, Vernon Hills was able to scout its Week 2 opponent. Cougars coach Bill Bellecomo came away impressed with the Rams, who, like his squad, were only 2-7 last year. Grayslake Central QB Alex Lennartz threw for 149 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a pair of TDs running the triple-option. “He's got a nice arm,” Bellecomo said. “Defensively, they're a mirror image of us.” Rams defensive coordinator Dan Catanzaro is a former Vernon Hills player, so he knows exactly what the Cougars are all about. “Dan does a real nice job with their defense,” Bellecomo said. “They pressure you.” Vernon Hills will start sophomore Connor McNamara at QB after senior Jordan Freibrun suffered a broken leg against DeKalb. The Cougars did not score an offensive touchdown. They'll face a Catanzaro-coached, veteran defense that got its season off to a solid start. “The big goal for this week is to improve on our performance from last week,” Grayslake Central coach Ben Ault said. “We played well defensively and played fairly well offensively, but there is always room for improvement. Vernon Hills has a veteran coaching staff that will have their kids ready to play.”

— Joe Aguilar

Orr (0-1) at Wauconda (1-0)

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Last week: Orr lost to Chicago Taft, 33-6; Wauconda def. Woodstock North, 16-13.

Skinny: Football coaches love routines, which is why Wauconda coach Dave Mills is a bit anxious this week. He's wondering how his team is going to respond to another irregularity in its schedule. Last week, the Bulldogs had to deal with on-going lightning delays that pushed back the start time of their game against Woodstock North by 90 minutes. Now, Wauconda hosts a 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon game, a sharp departure from its usual 7:30 p.m. kickoff time on Friday nights. “It's a lot about routines with high school kids,” Wauconda coach Dave Mills said. “We've had two odd weeks to start the season. Our kids are being mentally tested right now.”…The Bulldogs survived a test of will last week by coming back from a quick deficit. Woodstock North scored on its first possession, about two minutes into the game. But Wauconda answered right back with a score of its own. “We've got a very young offense, so it was a good sign for us to be able to come right back from that,” said Mills, who watched sophomore quarterback Kevin Malisheski and receiver Josh Anderson connect for the game-winning score on a 68-yard touchdown pass…This is the third time in the last four years that Orr and Wauconda have played and Mills says the constant with Orr is physical football. “They smashed us last year,” Mills said. “We were lucky to get away with a win.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

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