advertisement

Scouting Week 3, Lake County

NORTH SUBURBAN LAKE

Warren (2-0) at Lake Zurich (2-0)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Warren def. New Trier, 42-6; Lake Zurich def. Cary-Grove, 25-0.

Skinny: Three unbeatens remain in the North Suburban Lake and Warren and Lake Zurich are two of them. They’ve gotten there in two different ways. Warren has won with offense. The Blue Devils have scored 84 points in two games, more points than any team in the Lake. Quarterback Andrew Nickell completed 15-of-20 passes last week against New Trier for 258 yards and 4 touchdowns. Receiver Caleb Reams caught 2 touchdowns and 3 passes overall for 68 yards. The Blue Devils showed balance and also ran for 177 of their 435 total yards. “They are very talented in the skill positions,” Lake Zurich coach Dave Proffitt said of Warren. “They are a spread team, very multifaceted and we haven’t really played a spread team yet. And we’ve always had issues defending the pass.”…On the surface, Lake Zurich’s issues on defense seem to be negligible. The Bears are essentially winning with defense, having outscored their opponents 49-0 over two games. Against Cary-Grove last week, they allowed just 6 first downs and 76 total yards. “Without question, this is going to be a very tough challenge for us. Lake Zurich has a very fast defense,” Warren coach Dave Mohapp said. “But they’re also good technicians on defense. They get off the blocks as well as any defense we’ve ever played.”…The Bears have suffered some injuries but have had multiple players step into new positions, including starting safety Sean Lynch, who doubles as a running back.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Mundelein (1-1) at Lake Forest (2-0)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Mundelein lost to Highland Park, 31-12; Lake Forest def. Grant, 39-19.

Skinny: Mundelein broke an 18-game losing streak with a season-opening win over Wheeling and then played competitively for a half at Highland Park, trailing by only a point at halftime. Mustangs running back Emanuel Jones followed up a 3-touchdown performance on Opening Night by scoring two more TDs, from 13 and 80 yards out. ... Lake Forest’s spread offense has put up 72 points in two weeks. RB Hub Cirame had TDs runs of 46, 1 and 35 yards against Grant last Friday night. He rushed 15 times for 181 yards.

— Joe Aguilar

Zion-Benton (0-2) at Stevenson (0-2)

When: 7:30 p.m., today

Last week: Zion-Benton lost to Waukegan, 14-6; Stevenson lost to Homewood-Flossmoor, 28-21.

Skinny: Stevenson gets a seemingly lesser opponent after opening with Kenosha Indian Trail (3-0) and Homewood-Flossmoor (2-0), but the Patriots won’t be taking the Zee-Bees lightly in light of their stunning 0-2 start. Stevenson needs to take better care of the football, as the Patriots have committed 10 turnovers (6 interceptions). Standout wide receivers Matt Morrissey and Cameron Green have been as good as advertised for the Patriots. The duo had a combined 8 receptions for 187 yards against Homewood-Flossmoor. ... Zion-Benton has been outscored 29-6 in its first two games.

— Joe Aguilar

NORTH SUBURBAN CROSSOVER

Grant (0-2) at Libertyville (1-1)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Grant lost to Lake Forest, 39-19; Libertyville defeated Chicago Westinghouse, 28-6.

Skinny: Grant has given up 68 points in two losses to teams that run the spread offense. Head coach Kurt Rous is hoping the third time is the charm for his defense, which will see Libertyville run a spread, too. “This is the third week in a row we’ll see the spread, so hopefully, by Week 3, we can stop it a little better,” Rous said. “We’ve seen (Libertyville) alternate quarterbacks. They’ve got really good receivers. They have some weapons on their offense.”…Libertyville running back Conor Simpson racked up 119 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries last week against Westinghouse while quarterback Anthony Monken completed 4-of-8 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. Riley Lees also got some reps at quarterback. “We’re going to have to fly around on defense against those guys,” Rous said. “Another good defense for us it to control the ball. We’ve got to be able to control the ball with the run when we’re on offense.”…Grant was able to run the ball with success last week. The Bulldogs tallied 351 yards as two players reached the 100-yard mark. Quarterback Jake Bychowski rolled up 156 yards.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

NORTH SUBURBAN PRAIRIE

Wauconda (2-0) at Vernon Hills (0-2)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Wauconda def. Chicago Orr, 47-0; Vernon Hills lost to Grayslake Central, 28-7.

Skinny: Wauconda coach Dave Mills doesn’t put much stock in the fact that his team and Vernon Hills finished the nonconference part of the season with opposite records. “We’re 2-0 and they’re 0-2 and I said to our kids, ‘You know what that means? The answer is nothing.’ It’s conference now. That changes (the intensity) for everyone.”…Wauconda is preparing for the same gritty defense that Vernon Hills is known for, and is also ready for a new look by the Vernon Hills offense. New Vernon Hills coach Bill Bellecomo has altered the Cougars’ traditional triple option to include more passing. “Vernon Hills has kind of gone to a pistol look,” Mills said … Jordan Freibrun, a strong runner who ran the option well, was starting at quarterback for Vernon Hills, but he broke his leg in Week 1. Sophomore Connor McNamara, who is more of a passer, is now behind center for the Cougars. “We feel we can throw it more now than we used to,” Bellecomo said. “We’re looking to spread the field.” McNamara completed 12-of-26 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown …. Wauconda also had some success through the air last week against Orr. Starting quarterback Kevin Malisheski played only the first half and had 71 passing yards, including a 62-yard pass to Alex Schwickrath. Both Malisheski and Schwickrath were banged up just before halftime and did not return, but could have had they been needed. The Bulldogs’ running game, behind Alex Payne and Joey Lovelle, dominated the second half, netting a total of 276 rushing yards. “I am really happy with the growth of our offense,” Mills said. “We’ve shown a lot of diversity on offense.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Round Lake (1-1) at Lakes (1-1)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Round Lake def. Chicago Prosser, 50-0; Lakes def. Woodstock North, 45-14.

Skinny: Round Lake had a big day last weekend, not only lighting up the scoreboard for 50 points against Prosser, but also winning its first game since the third week of the 2011 season. “That was exactly what we needed,” first-year Round Lake coach Jordan Eder said. “It was a packed house and the kids were all into it. We had a good mix between pass and run, our defense played well, and everyone got to play. Last week went perfect.” Running back Chris Perry had a near-perfect day. He scored 6 touchdowns, 5 rushing and one on defense. Quarterback John Ridley also had a 45-yard touchdown pass. “They’ve got a pretty explosive offense,” Lakes coach Luke Mertens said. “They’ve shown that they can consistently move the ball. Our defense hasn’t proven to be as stout as we’d like. This type of offense will be a good test for us.”…The Lakes offense passed plenty of tests last week in putting up 45 points and 383 yards on Woodstock North. Quarterback TJ Edwards completed 9-of-13 passes for 140 yards and Devyn Cedzidlo caught 4 passes for 78 yards. He also ran for 63 yards and a touchdown. “Lakes always has good skill players and a lot of speed and they just fly around and make plays,” Eder said. “This will be, by far, our toughest game to date and we’ll have to play a perfect game, but we are coming to win.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

North Chicago (2-0) at Antioch (0-2)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: North Chicago def. Chicago Robeson, 45-8; Antioch lost to Glenbard South, 23-22.

Skinny: Antioch’s offense has been productive with FB Cam Corey, RB Alan Taylor and QB Zach Andre, but the Sequoits need to clean up their mistakes against a North Chicago squad whose first-team defense has not allowed a point. Antioch had 8 penalties and 6 fumbles against Glenbard South last Friday night, and Sequoits receivers 2 dropped two passes that could have netted big yards. North Chicago’s defense boasts LBs Richard Cunningham and Kahlil Rogers and DB Arnold Shead, who’s one of the conference’s most dynamic playmakers on either side of the ball.

— Joe Aguilar

FOX VALLEY FOX

Johnsburg (0-2) at Grayslake Central (2-0)

When: 7 p.m., today

Last week: Johnsburg lost to Sterling, 35-16; Grayslake Central def. Vernon Hills, 28-7.

Skinny: After winning just two games last year, the Rams have done a 180, getting two wins in two weeks in 2013. “The kids feel really good about that,” Grayslake Central coach Ben Ault said. “But we can’t just say, ‘Johnsburg is 0-2,’ and look right past them. We have to look at the athletes they have and they are athletic and they have size. Last week, they threw the ball 47 times. In week 1, they ran the ball more. I expect to see a more balanced attack against us, but they can do a little bit of everything.”…Grayslake Central had a nice mix going against Vernon Hills last week. The Rams rolled up 308 yards that were divided almost perfectly between the rush (162) and the pass (146). Quarterback Alex Lennartz is back healthy after a knee injury kept him out for most of last season. Against Vernon Hills, he connected with Matt Loeffl for 2 passing touchdowns and he also ran in 2 touchdowns himself. “I’m surprised we were as balanced as we were,” Ault said. “I thought we’d be more run-heavy. But Alex has done a great job throwing the ball.”

— Patricia Babcock McGraw

Woodstock (0-2) at Grayslake North (2-0)

When: 7:15 p.m., today

Last week: Woodstock lost to Prairie Ridge, 35-17; Grayslake North def. Milwaukee Hamilton, 52-6.

Skinny: Grayslake North coach Steve Wood said Wednesday he is uncertain whether all-conference RB Titus Booker will play in the FVC Fox opener. Booker rushed for 268 yards and 3 TDs on 33 carries in a season-opening win against Lakes but sat out last week with an ankle injury. Sophomore QB Merrick Gentile picked up the slack, rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries, while completing 13 of 16 passes for 198 yards and 4 TDs. Andrew Martineau caught 2 TD passes, while Brad Baker and Easton Hochstein each had one. Baker had 4 receptions, while Sam Cremin and Martineau each had three. Defensively for the Knights, Jesse Davis had 7 tackles, including 2 for loss. Alex Cordova’s team-high 8 tackles included a sack, as the Knights limited Milwaukee Hamilton to 61 total yards of offense. A Grayslake North offense that has put up 101 points now faces a Woodstock defense that has surrendered 78. The Blue Streaks have scored 52 points. They started senior Alan Hafer at QB in their season opener and then junior Jace Pohlman against Prairie Ridge. Pohlman was 14-of-23 passing for 180 yards and 1 TD.

— Joe Aguilar

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Carmel (0-2) at Marian Catholic (2-0)

When: 7:30 p.m., Friday

Last week: Carmellost to Glenbard North, 35-14; Marian Catholic def. Shepard, 49-3.

Skinny: It doesn’t get any easier for Carmel, which opened the season by losing last year’s Class 7A state runner-up and then suffered a loss on the road last Friday night to 2012 Class 8A state runner-up Glenbard North. Carmel watched Northwestern-bound RB Justin Jackson pile up 5 TDs in staking the Panthers to a 35-0 lead in the third quarter. Carmel got a 41-yard TD pass from Nick Grandolfo to Christian Heinz and a 1-yard scoring run from Tim Nolan. ... Marian Catholic and new coach Jerry Verde have opened the season with a pair of routes against winless opponents, outscoring Hyde Park and Shepard by a combined margin of 91-6. The Spartans were only 1-8 a year ago, losing 34-10 at Carmel in Week 3.

— Joe Aguilar

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.