Scouting Week 5 in the Fox Valley

Genoa-Kingston (2-2, 2-0) at Burlington Central (2-2, 2-0)When/where: today at 7 p.m. on Rocket HillLast year: Genoa-Kingston 43, Burlington Central 0

Last week: Genoa-Kingston 40, Rockford Christian 0; Burlington Central 39, Harvard 20

Outlook: Winners of 2 in a row, Central returns to Rocket Hill for homecoming in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Northern East with Genoa-Kingston and Johnsburg. A key reason behind Central's recent success is an improving running game. Senior Trevor Davison and junior Jason Berango have both gained over 100 yards each of the last two weeks. Overall, Berango has carried 52 times for 339 yards (6.5-yard avg.) and 7 touchdowns, while Davison has rushed for 280 yards and scored 4 times in 47 attempts (6.0 avg.). "Our offense is clicking pretty well," Central coach Rich Crabel said. "We had over 500 total yards against Harvard. If we keep running the ball as well as we have the last two weeks, it really opens up some other things for us." Offensive coordinator Brett Porto's prostyle attack has been balanced thus far. The Rockets have rushed for 722 yards and thrown for 709. The Cogs are predominantly a running team behind seniors Jesse Bade and Joe Murray. The G-K defense did not allow Rockford Christian inside the red zone last week. Genoa-Kingston gave undefeated St. Edward a run for its money in the season opener before succumbing, 24-20. The Cogs shut out the Rockets last season, but both teams have changed quite a bit since. "I don't know if they're quite the same team or not, but I know we're a bit better," Crabel said.

Next week: Johnsburg (3-1) at Genoa-Kingston; Burlington Central at Marengo (3-1)

Hampshire (2-2) at Urbana (1-3)When/where: today at 7 p.m.

Last week: Huntley 56, Hampshire 15; Urbana 38, Bloomington 20

Outlook: Hampshire is treating Friday's 13-hour, round-trip to central Illinois like a business trip. The Whip-Purs will depart school at 1 p.m. on coach busses bound for Urbana, where the halftime will be extended to 20 minutes due to a special tribute to military personnel, coach Mike Brasile said. The Whips will arrive back in Hampshire at approximately 2 a.m. Brasile, who played at Augustana, and assistants Ed Haugens (North Central) and Alan Thompson (Wartburg College) have been telling their players all week that this is precisely how small college football teams operate: bus ride in; play the game; bus ride out; home same day. "It's going to be a fun experience," Brasile said. "Coach Thompson and I both told the guys some stories from college about what this will be like to take a ride and then get off the bus and play. It's going to be like the playoff atmosphere the way it used to be run when you'd play someone down by Edwardsville or Collinsville in the first round. But we're going down there to take care of business and move above .500." The Whips get a huge lift this week with the return of starting quarterback Nick Mohlman, who sat out last week's game due to injury. The quarterback for the Tigers is junior Alex Beckman (6-0, 195). His father is Fighting Illini football coach Tim Beckman. The Tigers throw the ball 75 percent of the time, Brasile said. Hampshire's goal is to take better care of the football. The Whip-Purs turned it over 6 times last week against Huntley, upping their season total to 12. "We have to stop the mistakes," Brasile said. "You can't win that way."

Next week: Woodstock North (1-3) at Hampshire; Champaign Centennial (4-0) at Urbana

Dundee-Crown (2-2, 0-0) at Jacobs (3-1, 0-0)When/where: today at 7:30 p.m. at Jacobs athletic field

Last year: Jacobs 34, Dundee-Crown 7

Last week: Jacobs 42, Grayslake Central 6; Prairie Ridge 41, Dundee-Crown 7

Outlook: All one has to do is look at Dundee-Crown vs. Jacobs through the years to see how the balance of power in a rivalry series can shift. D-C ruled this series in the early days, winning 14 of 15 meetings between 1984 and 1998. Jacobs has dominated since. The Golden Eagles have won 11 straight to pull within 16-15 of Dundee-Crown's all-time series lead. The Chargers have resembled a MASH unit of late. Though Caleb Parson returned from his ankle injury last week, Malik Dunner remained sidelined. He tried to practice this week and will again be a game-time decision due to a still-healing high-ankle sprain, D-C coach Mike Steinhaus said. Same goes for linebacker/running back Brandon Brooks (ankle). "We must have an ankle plague at this school or something," Steinhaus said. Jacobs' defense, which has allowed 1 touchdown in its last 8 quarters, will focus on stopping Parson, wide receiver Kiwuan Seals and Dunner, if he indeed plays. "There's no doubt you have to stop the three amigos. They're all very good athletes," Jacobs coach Bill Mitz said. "We hear Dunner might play, but we're focusing on ourselves. It's homecoming over here so we're trying to keep the distractions to a minimum." Two-way lineman Carson Shoemaker is questionable for this game after his car was t-boned this week, Mitz said. A player to watch is Jacobs freshman left tackle Jimmy Wormsley (6-foot-1, 257 pounds), who has started all 4 games. "He's done a heck of a job," Mitz said. "He had a few pancake blocks last week. When they're young, they can progress quickly. He reminds me of five or six guys I had over at the other place (Stevenson), including one that played in the NFL for 12 years (Matt O'Dwyer). He has some nastiness to him, which I understand is the same way his father was when he played for Dundee-Crown." The Chargers hope to end a 2-game losing streak and spoil their rival's homecoming in the Valley Division opener for both Fox Valley Conference teams. "They're the defending conference champs, and obviously you have to respect what they've done the last three or four years," Steinhaus said. "We have to keep them from running the ball successfully, keep the ball in our hands and move the chains and we have to make plays. There were plays to be made the last two weeks. We just have to make them."

Next week: Huntley (4-0) at Jacobs; Crystal Lake South (1-3) at Dundee-Crown

Huntley (4-0, 0-0) at Cary-Grove (4-0, 0-0)When/where: today at 7:15 p.m. at Al Bohrer Field

Last year: Cary-Grove 16, Huntley 13

Last week: Cary-Grove 42, Woodstock North 7; Huntley 56, Hampshire 15

Outlook: Cary-Grove, the No. 1 team in Class 7A, is battle tested with wins against two ranked teams (Wheaton North, Lake Zurich). Huntley has steamrollered 3 of its 4 opponents, but those opponents have a combined record of 4-13. The Trojans represent a quantum leap up in quality of opponent. "They are a great team," Huntley coach John Hart said. "A lot of people throw that word out there, but this team really has great players. Even the guys who maybe aren't as highly touted play the game great. It's a great program, a great staff and a really great football team. We have to come out and match their intensity and play at a high level. If we make a mistake, we have to get back up and keep answering" A Cary-Grove defense that has limited its last 3 opponents to 7 points apiece must contain a Huntley offense averaging 50 points per game. Huntley quarterback Anthony Binetti has completed 42 of 72 passes for 728 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has been intercepted twice. His top receivers are seniors Brandon Altergott (14 rec., 330 yards, 3 TD), Josh Esikiel (12 rec., 188 yards, 4 TD) and Kyle Kesul (7 rec. 111 yards, 2 TD). Junior Casey Haayer is the team's leading rusher with 257 yards and 4 touchdowns on 42 carries (6.1 avg.). "(Binetti) is very good," Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg said. "He's really good at throwing or running. He runs the offense and makes pretty good decisions. He has a lot of good receivers. The two who stand out are Altergott and Esikiel, but the others are good as well." Huntley's leading tacklers are junior Daniel Dennis (25), senior linebacker Mike Walker (20, sack) and senior safety Connor Boos (18). They'll try to control a Cary-Grove offense paced by sophomore fullback Tyler Pennington, who has rushed for 456 yards and 5 touchdowns on 80 carries (5.7 avg.). The Trojans average 324 rushing yards per game behind one of the most talented offensive lines in program history, 49 through the air. Huntley's defense holds opponents to 264 total yards per game, 95 via the rush. "They have four very good defensive linemen that cause a lot of trouble," Seaburg said. "Last week against Hampshire they controlled the line of scrimmage and caused a lot of havoc and the rest of their defense is solid as well. I think it's going to be a great atmosphere. Two 4-0 teams, first conference game. Our fans are excited and their fans are excited. And rightfully so. It should be a real good game. We just have to execute our game plan."

Next week: Huntley at Jacobs (3-1); McHenry (1-3) at Cary-Grove

Crystal Lake South (1-3, 0-0) at McHenry (2-2, 0-0)When/where: today at 7:15 p.m. at McCracken Field

Last year: Crystal Lake South 28; McHenry 21

Last week: Crystal Lake Central 7, Crystal Lake South 3; McHenry 56, Woodstock 43

Outlook: Mistakes have haunted the Gators in their last 2 games, both losses. While turnovers were the issue two weeks ago against Bloom, penalties and missed opportunities did them in against Crystal Lake Central. "For us it's a matter of not making mistakes and making plays when we need to make plays," CL South coach Chuck Ahsmann said. "Boy, we had some opportunities against Central and we didn't make the plays on that last drive. Sometimes we're lining up in the wrong formation or going in the wrong direction when we go in motion. Little things like that don't show up on the stat sheet, but they lead to the quarterback getting sacked or throwing an incompletion when a guy is wide open." The Warriors are averaging 36 points per game, but that stat is a bit misleading. They scored 117 of their 145 points against Larkin and Woodstock a pair of 0-4 teams. Against Marian Central (4-0) and DeKalb (3-1), they scored a total of 28 points. Still, the Gators can't afford to underestimate any team at this point. "They're fast, they're improving and coach (Dave) D'Angelo is turning that program around," Ahsmann said. "He has those kids believing. The way those kids play, it's going to be a battle. Every week in this conference is going to be a battle." The CL South offense has struggled to date. The Gators average 112.5 yards rushing per game and 94 yards passing. Defensively, Dylan Sambrano leads the team with 26.5 total tackles, followed by Joe Ahsmann (26) and Dan McSweeney (22). Jaron Lyon and Steve Anchor each have 2 sacks and Alex Reich has 2 interceptions.

Next week: Crystal Lake South at Dundee-Crown (2-2); McHenry at Cary-Grove (4-0)

St. Edward (4-0, 0-0) at Guerin (1-3, 0-0)When/where: today at 7:30 p.m.

Watch: Streaming broadcast via highschoolcube can be seen at football.dailyherald.com

Last meeting (2010): St. Edward 49, Guerin 14

Last week: St. Edward 35, IC Catholic Prep 28; Aurora Central Catholic 48, Guerin 18

Outlook: After passing two major tests in two weeks, the Green Wave find themselves tied for No. 10 in The Associated Press poll of Class 4A teams. It's the first ranking for St. Edward since 2010, when the program was ranked No. 10 for two weeks but fell out of the poll after losing to IC, which was ranked No. 7 at the time. Coach Mike Rolando said the intention this week is to stay the course in the inaugural Metro Suburban Conference East Division game for both teams. "We've made it through some of the games we thought were among the toughest on our schedule. Now we have to play well against our conference opponents," Rolando said. "We can't look past any one week. We have to continue to execute, improve our game and develop our playbook." The Gators like to throw the ball around. "They throw it a ton," Rolando added. "They'll go five wide. Whenever you have five receivers running around, there's always the possibility of one of them getting loose for a quick score and it's a touchdown. We have to be leery that we don't give up the big play. After watching film we're focusing on what we need to fix in our kitchen." Junior tailback Dwayne Allen leads the Wave with 570 yards and 8 touchdowns on 93 carries (6.1 avg.). Josh Von Rohr leads the defense with 4 sacks and Jake French has 3 sacks. Linebacker Jack Tierney leads the team with 33 tackles.

Next week: St. Edward at Walther Christian (0-4); Guerin at Elmwood Park (1-3)

Elgin (0-4, 0-0) at Geneva (4-0, 2-0)When/where: today at 7 p.m. at Burgess Field

Watch: Streaming broadcast via highschoolcube can be seen at football.dailyherald.com

Last year: Geneva 42, Elgin 20

Last week: Geneva 31, St. Charles North; West Chicago 32, Elgin 12

Outlook: The Elgin coaching staff has spent the bulk of the last two weeks reshaping the offensive line. "I think we'll play this weekend with our best offensive line yet," Elgin coach Kyle Rohde said. "We've changed it up a little bit and I think we've got the right mix. We're looking a lot better in practice." The Maroons will make another significant personnel change this week, moving senior receiver Dontrell Gaddy back to quarterback, a position he has played off and on for the last two seasons. The revamped offense will face a Geneva defense that has limits opponents to 17 points per game. The Vikings enter this UEC River contest ranked No. 5 in The Associated Press Class 7A poll. Behind the scenes there is good news for the Elgin program: players are participating in numbers not seen in several years. Almost all of the 130 lockers in Elgin's Memorial Stadium are currently in use, thanks to 41 varsity players and a bevy of underclassmen, including a large freshman class.

Next week: Geneva at St. Charles East (1-3); Streamwood (1-3) at Elgin

West Chicago (2-2, 1-1) at Larkin (0-4, 0-2)

When/where: today at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Field

Last week: West Chicago 32, Elgin 12; Streamwood 27, Larkin 21

Outlook: The Royals lost last week, but they outscored Streamwood 21-0 in the second half and nearly pulled off the comeback from a 27-point deficit. They hope to carry over the momentum of that comeback and parlay it into their first victory of the season. "That's the challenge," Larkin coach Dragan Teonic said. "Now that we've seen them do it and we know they're capable, there's no more pretending and no more hiding. It's time to get out there and play. I hope we take it from the point we left off last week and move on. This group has come so far from where we started." Offensively, the Royals will be quarterbacked by David Hibbler, who gave the offense a second-half spark last week. He entered the game at halftime in place of injured starter Elijah Hernandez and completed 8 of 13 attempts for 75 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown pass. "He did a great job coming in last week," Teonic said. "He did a lot of good things for us. I like him. He brought some moxie, some poise and control to the game." Defensively, junior AJ Hunter picked off 2 passes last week, including one he returned 65 yards for a touchdown. Also the area's fourth leading receiver with 23 catches for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns, Hunter leads the area with 3 interceptions.

Next week: Batavia (3-1) at West Chicago; Larkin at St. Charles North (3-1)

St. Charles East (1-3, 1-1) at Streamwood (1-3, 1-1)When/where: today at 7:30 p.m. at Millennium Field

Last year: St. Charles East 42, Streamwood 27

Last week: Batavia 40, St. Charles East 7; Streamwood 27, Larkin 21

Outlook: The Sabres broke into the win column for the first time last week and aim to make it 2 straight victories with a win over the Saints, who have been outscored 138-81 this season. "They're a tough team even if their record doesn't show it," Streamwood coach Mark Orszula said "I think every one of their games has been close at halftime. In our case, we just have to put together two halves." The Sabres outscored Larkin 27-0 in the first half last week only to get outscored 21-0 in the second half. Part of the reason for that instability was the absence of leading rusher Tae Reetz, who sat out the Larkin game due to a violation of team rules. Orszula said Reetz will play this weekend. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior in 3 games has rushed for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns in 34 attempts (8.5 avg.). The Sabres will try to contain St. Charles East senior running back Ramon Lopez. He rushed for 73 yards last week against Batavia and, 65 yards against Elgin, 158 yards against Jacobs and 57 yards against South Elgin. "He runs it very hard and makes guys miss," Orszula said. "We have to make sure to get all 11 guys to the ball on defense. They know their strengths, so they run play action off him."

Next week: Geneva (4-0) at St. Charles East; Streamwood at Elgin (0-4)

Bartlett (2-2, 1-1) at West Aurora (0-4, 0-2)When/where: today at 7:30 p.m.

Watch: Streaming broadcast via highschoolcube can be seen at football.dailyherald.com

Last week: Waubonsie Valley 49, Bartlett 7; Metea Valley 42, West Aurora 13

Outlook: Both sides need a win in the first meeting between these programs. West Aurora is on the brink of playoff elimination, and a loss would put a serious dent in Bartlett's playoff push. Defensively, the Hawks spent the week correcting assignment issues they experienced against Waubonsie Valley's option attack last week. They allowed 283 rushing yards. Bartlett faces a similar attack this week, though the Blackhawks run their option out of a wing-t look, Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. "I think we've made the corrections and we'll be much better," Meaney said. The Bartlett defense has limited opponents to 69 total points, but the offense has managed to score only 31 points. Offensively, the Hawks have yet to put it all together in one game. The offense has rushed for 605 yards (led by Nolan Bernat's 512 yards and 1 touchdown), and quarterback Jordan Flint has completed 39 of 72 attempts for 462 yards. "We're struggling a bit on the offensive side," Meaney said, "but I hope that will come together and jell." The Hawks lost two players for the season last week due to injuries. Junior defensive lineman Austin Odisho (shoulder) and special teams contributor Austin Montbriand (dislocated elbow).

Next week: Glenbard East (3-1) at Bartlett; Neuqua Valley (2-2) at West Aurora

Alden-Hebron (2-2, 2-2) at Westminster Christian (2-2, 2-2)When/where: today at 7 p.m. at Warrior Field

Last year: Alden-Hebron Westminster Christian

Last week: Rockford Christian Life 34, Alden-Hebron 0; Westminster Christian 24, Kirkland Hiawatha 14

Outlook: Westminster Christian's homecoming game under temporary lights is guaranteed to be an explosive evening. Coach John Davis said the school will end the evening with a "huge" fireworks show by Five Alarm Fireworks Co., which will conclude with "one of the biggest finales Elgin has ever seen." The Warriors hope to be just as volatile on the field. The coaching staff made a few moves last week that worked in Westminster's favor. After a season and a half in a three-point stance, they moved 6-foot-6 sophomore Isaac Hawn from the defensive line to middle linebacker, where he notched double-digit tackles in the win over Hiawatha last week. Coach John Davis and staff also moved junior offensive lineman Zach Galante to right tackle. They moved the team's fastest player, sophomore Xavier Brown, to safety in order to keep breakaway running backs from going the distance. The moves paid dividends last week, particularly on defense. "It's amazing how having a defense that can stop people makes the game a little more normal," said Davis. "We want to be able to control the clock for 23, 24 minutes. If we do that we can keep guys fresh." Davis said wide receiver Connor Albrecht will play this week after missing time due to injury.

Next week: Mooseheart (1-3) at Alden-Hebron; Westminster Christian at Rockford Christian Life (3-1)

Metea Valley (2-2, 1-1) at South Elgin (2-2, 1-1)When/where: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at South Elgin Stadium

Last year: Metea Valley 24, South Elgin 21

Last week: Metea Valley 42, West Aurora 13; Neuqua Valley 50, South Elgin 28

Outlook: The goal for South Elgin's defense this week is to limit Metea Valley senior running back Bryson Oliver, which won't be easy. He ran for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns in a Week 1 win against Plainfield North, 108 yards and 2 touchdowns in a Week 2 loss at Glenbrook North, 129 yards in a loss to Bartlett and 109 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over West Aurora. He also has a receiving touchdown and punt return touchdown to his credit this season. "We have to keep it out of Bryson Oliver's hands," South Elgin coach Pat Pistorio said. "He is dynamic and extremely fast. He's someone that can change a game quickly." The Storm have players like that, too. Several of them, in fact. However, last week the running game was overpowered by Neuqua Valley's superior physicality and confusing blitzes. South Elgin was held to a season-low 83 yards rushing. The idea is to restore balance to an offense that has scored 168 points (43 ppg), led by junior running back Shawn Griffin who has 398 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 42 carries to go with 13 receptions for 190 yards and 2 scores. Senior running back Kyle Ware has rushed for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns in 45 attempts (6.7 avg.). However, that duo was limited last week to 56 combined rushing yards. "Their overall team speed is something we're worried about, but we've seen some things on film we hope to take advantage of and restore the running game," Pistorio said. "It's a better matchup up front this week as far as size and strength, but they are still active and athletic."

Next week: Metea Valley at Waubonsie Valley (4-0); South Elgin at East Aurora (0-4)