Scouting: Week 3 Tri-Cities football games

By Dave Oberhelman

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Kaneland (2-1, 0-0)

at Yorkville (3-0, 0-0)

Game time: 7:15 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Kaneland 41, Yorkville 0.

Last week: Rich Central 14, Kaneland 13; Yorkville 38, Rochelle 24.

Outlook: Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly was so distraught by Rich Central handing the Knights their first nonconference loss in the regular season since Week 2 of 2009 (Huntley, 17-14) that he didn't realize that. He had his mind on Yorkville, rightly so. Hall of Fame coach Karl Hoinkes' 17 returning starters are trying to keep pace after past fast starts disintegrated, though the Foxes made the 2013 playoffs for the first time since 2002. As at Oswego, Hoinkes runs a pounding ground game right in the wheelhouse of Kaneland defensive lineman Andrew Kray and linebacker Danny Hammermeister. What translates from last week's loss is the Knights forced minus-27 yards rushing but lost on touchdown passes of 86 and 57 yards. In their Northern Illinois Big XII East opener they've got to avoid getting sucked up by the run only to get burned by quarterback Nathan Scott's play-action passes to receiver Tynan Leachman. Good news for the Knights - along with quarterback Jake Marczuk's 158 yards rushing last week - is injured running back Isaac Swithers has been practicing. Be it run or pass, against Yorkville's blitzing package Fedderly said: "We can't be one-dimensional."

Next week: DeKalb (3-0, 0-0) at Kaneland, Sept. 26; Yorkville at Morris (2-1, 0-0), Sept. 26.

Marmion (3-0)

at Providence (3-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Did not play.

Last week: Marmion 17, St. Francis 13; Providence 33, Mt. Carmel 14.

Outlook: Since Providence's mid-1990s/early 2000s heyday of unbeaten records leading to nine state championships, it's often entered the playoffs at 5-4 or 6-3 and picked teams off. Not this year. The Celtics have beaten Joliet Catholic, Minooka (56-13) and 800-pound gorilla Mt. Carmel. Marmion's Chicago Catholic League crossover foe features 6-foot-5, 225-pound Iowa-bound receiver Nate Vejvoda and 6-4, 225-pound receiver Miles Boykin, a Notre Dame recruit; St. Francis coach Mike Fitzgerald said an official told him Boykin was the best prep receiver he'd ever seen. Quarterback Justin Hunniford, 5-10, merely needs to throw near these two; Boykin has 24 receptions, 8 touchdowns, Vejvoda 15 and 3 TDs. Providence has 825 yards passing to 312 rushing so Marmon safeties Jordan Glasgow and John Tate and cornerbacks Noel Abraham and Sean Campbell are on high alert. Against Providence's 3-5 defense, facets for Marmion include field position and mistake-free offense led by head grinder Lucas Warren, who punished St. Francis for 113 yards rushing and both touchdowns. Another plus is Rusty Joyce is advancing the passing game behind good line protection. "The key is staying away from the big play," Cadets coach Dan Thorpe said. "We want a chance in the fourth quarter."

Next week: St. Francis de Sales (0-3) at Marmion, Sept. 26; Providence at St. Rita (3-0), Sept. 26.

West Aurora (0-3, 0-1)

at Metea Valley (1-2, 0-1)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Did not play.

Last week: South Elgin 62, West Aurora 27; Bartlett 14, Metea Valley 3.

Outlook: West Aurora coach Nate Eimer was not enthused at all by his first game in the Upstate Eight Valley, 633 yards allowed and the most points since Wheaton Warrenville South's 69 in 2006. West has too much experience, too much skill. There were positives. Quarterback Johnathon Doyle had his best passing game of the year, 7 of 13 for 73 yards and a touchdown to receiver David Williams. The Blackhawks surpassed 230 yards rushing a third straight game, led by T.J. Jackson with 59. If there's been a main bugaboo at Metea Valley it's stopping the run and defense in general. Last week was an aberration for Metea, which usually can score with anyone but has trouble defending. Eimer likes all-conference defensive tackle Erin Morgan and linebacker Ben Belskis, and Mustangs coach Ben Kleinhans said one of his keys here is first-down defense. The experience of Blackhawks linemen such as Hayden Sak and Karl Fowler should come in handy. On the other side, Metea's short, sturdy and fun-to-watch Bryson Oliver already has run for 534 yards. Eimer's bottom line: "We've got to be competitive."

Next week: West Aurora at Bartlett (2-1, 1-0), Sept. 26; Metea Valley at South Elgin (2-1, 1-0), Sept. 27.

Batavia (2-1, 1-0)

at St. Charles East (1-2, 1-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Batavia 47, St. Charles East 14.

Last week: Batavia 49, Larkin 6; St. Charles East 40, Elgin 0.

Outlook: Congrats to St. Charles East coach Bryce Farquhar on his first varsity victory and now he has Batavia. The Bulldogs, two-time Upstate Eight River defending champions with 20 straight River wins, attack like someone's stealing their steak. Linebacker Jake Hlava is contending for River defensive player of the year, in against Larkin long enough to make 4 tackles, all sacks with a forced fumble Noah Frazier returned for a touchdown. Batavia is getting healthier, Blake Crowder running for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 4 carries, and offensive lineman Mitch Krusz, injured late last year, is making strides. Plus, in spots they went to a Wildcat scheme headed by junior running back Kamontez Thomas to give foes something else to think about and because they can. The Bulldogs gained 23 first downs to Larkin's 3 last week and for St. Charles East to compete numbers like that just can't happen. Farquhar preaches patience against this opponent, ball-control drives and a calmness to roll with the game's ebbs and floes. Batavia coach Dennis Piron likes the Saints ground game featuring Ramon Lopez, who ran for 150 yards two weeks ago and added 54 yards in the Elgin win. Offensive highlights were multifold, from Jake Asquini receiving to Anthony Rubino spelling Lopez to Nick Candre, whose touchdown reception, extra point and field goals of 43 and 33 yards accounted for the Saints' first 13 points - and he boomed 4 of 6 kickoffs for touchbacks. Getting his first varsity start in terrible weather, quarterback, Aiden Wright led his team to victory. Friday he'll be asked to move the sticks. Farquhar called three-and-outs "daggers" against Batavia, which enters with respect. "His X's and O's are sound," Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron said.

Next week: St. Charles North (3-0, 1-0) at Batavia, Sept. 26; St. Charles East at Streamwood (0-3, 0-1), Sept. 26.

Geneva (3-0, 1-0)

at St. Charles North (3-0, 1-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Geneva 35, St. Charles North 28.

Last week: Geneva 46, Streamwood 12; St. Charles North 27, West Chicago 6.

Outlook: This battle of Upstate Eight River unbeatens is as tasty as a seafood buffet. It starts up front. Geneva's Matt Loberg and Stephen Kemp are a dynamite 1-2 on the Vikings' defensive line, a unit made stronger by the return from injury of 6-foot-4 Jack McCloughan. Kemp's alarming 33 tackles at nose tackle are 12 more than linebacker Nick Donati. In a game where St. Charles North running back Dom Sidari remains questionable due to a nagging injury, North Stars junior quarterback Kyle Novotney's ability to swing the ball to running back Billy Duhownik on bubble screens to the perimeter can relieve the pressure up front and get those linemen moving. Last week Novotney completed a cool 13 of 19 passes and the offense received a boost when Brendan Joyce returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. Defensively, St. Charles North's stunting linemen Brendan McCarthy and Dalton Young are putting up big numbers, while defensive end Jordan Bergren, with 37 tackles and 5 sacks, is "having an all-state year," coach Rob Pomazak said. Between those three the linebackers haven't had much to clean up, but imposing Carson Schmitt is back there nonetheless. He and linebackers Jack Callaghan and Ben Thiele will most likely be crucial because Geneva's offensive line has size, mobility, and is coming along. Geneva coach Rob Wicinski would appreciate greater strides in the passing game where the tools are plenty - receivers Pace Temple, Mike Landi, fullback Max Woodworth and Northern Illinois-bound quarterback Daniel Santacaterina, who has completed 64 percent of his passes. A big positive was Justin Taormina's 128 yards rushing last week. "They set you up with the run and work you over with the pass," Pomazak said. Wicinski's bottom line is simple: "Protect the ball, get the ball." One more set of numbers: Geneva's 109 points are second to Batavia's 110 in the River; St. Charles North has allowed 17. Who prevails?

Next week: Elgin (0-3, 0-1) at Geneva, Sept. 26; St. Charles North at Batavia (2-1, 1-0), Sept. 26.

Guerin (1-2)

at Aurora Central Catholic (3-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Aurora Central Catholic 45, Guerin 14.

Last week: Wheaton Academy 36, Guerin 0; Aurora Central Catholic 21, Chicago Christian 7.

Outlook: Aurora Central Catholic, celebrating homecoming and its 1994 state semifinal team, gets a final tuneup before entering Metro Suburban Conference West play; this is a crossover against the Chargers' former Suburban Christian Conference foe. Guerin has been outscored 86-14 in the last two weeks since it opened with a 36-8 win over a Chicago charter school, Ellison. ACC coach Brian Casey, scouting Guerin, said its top player, 6-foot-4 receiver Keith Franklin, did not play against Wheaton Academy. Quarterback Tyler Flynn can make plays with his feet and arm, and keeping him penned in is a Chargers defensive goal. Casey believes Guerin is improved, and said the same about Chicago Christian, tied 7-7 at halftime. Casey was thus pleased when quarterback Matt Rahn ran for a touchdown and threw another on fourth-down to Colin Baillie. Roman Padilla, back healthy, put the game away on the ground. Rahn already has completed 19 of 33 passes for 244 yards, 3 TDs, which for past ACC quarterbacks might be a season. Two-way star Brandon Babler suffered an upper-body injury but will play, Casey said.

Next week: St. Edward (3-0) at Guerin, Sept. 26; IC Catholic (1-2) at Aurora Central Catholic, Sept. 26.

Aurora Christian (3-0, 0-0)

at St. Ignatius (1-2, 0-1)

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday.

Last year: Did not play.

Last week: Aurora Christian 35, Lake Forest Academy 33, St. Laurence 15, St. Ignatius 14.

Outlook: Aurora Christian kicks off its Chicago Catholic League White Division schedule on St. Ignatius' once-used turf, at its homecoming in downtown Chicago. "It's going to be an electric evening," Eagles coach David Beebe said. Last weekend also was electric. Aurora Christian needed Levi Olson's interception with 10 seconds left to finally stop Lake Forest Academy. St. Ignatius lost its CCL White opener in the last 30 seconds. Wolfpack quarterback Tyler Coolidge heads the triple option, nowadays a fairly uncommon scheme that will test the discipline of Aurora Christian defensive linemen Sean Kuhn, Collin Treest, Brock Whalen and Dustin Barrett and linebacker Zach Bosek, who made 12 tackles last week. "Basically they're looking for an undisciplined player and when they find it they'll exploit it," Beebe said. St. Ignatius best find Eagles tailback Nick Edlund and receiver Jacolby Maxwell. Each surpassed 100 yards rushing and receiving, respectively, in Lake Forest. Quarterback Austin Bray didn't have his smoothest passing day but still threw 4 touchdowns and, as Beebe said, "I've never seen him lead like that."

Next week: Bishop McNamara (2-1, 1-0) at Aurora Christian, Sept. 26; Loyola (2-1) at St. Ignatius, Sept. 26.