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Week 7: Scouting the Northern Lake

Antioch Sequoits (6-0, 4-0) at Lakes Eagles (6-0, 4-0)

When: 7:15 p.m., Friday

Last week: Antioch def. Round Lake, 28-0; Lakes def. Grayslake Central, 41-21.

Skinny: This is the marquee game of Week 7 in Lake County ... two undefeated teams, two sister schools. Antioch and Lakes, neighbors and members of the same school district, have had this game circled for weeks. That seems to be the case every season, but the stakes are higher than they ever have been. Antioch is going for its second straight conference championship and its second straight undefeated season while Lakes is going for its fifth conference championship in six years and its first undefeated season. Playoff seeding is also on the line ... Antioch is coming off an impressive defensive showing against Round Lake. The Sequoits pitched a shutout, their second of the year. They also held Round Lake to just 4 first downs and only 84 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, Antioch had a big rushing game as lead running back Hunter Price rolled up 152 yards and 3 touchdowns on 24 carries ... Lakes got off to a quick start last week against Grayslake Central, up 41-7 at halftime ... Quarterback Jake Johnson had a big passing game for the Eagles with more than 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 of which went to D'Lo Hardy ... Last year, Antioch defeated Lakes, 14-7.

Grant Bulldogs (0-6, 0-4) at Grayslake North Knights (4-2, 3-1)

When: 7:15 p.m., Friday

Last week: Grant lost to North Chicago, 27-17; Grayslake North def. Wauconda, 24-6.

Skinny: Grayslake North is riding a three-game winning streak and is playing tough defense in recent weeks. In two of the last three games, the Knights have allowed 7 points or less ... Grant is hungry for its first win of the season and can still finish with a better record than last year (2-7 in 2016) ... Grayslake North had only 8 first downs and 188 yards of total offense last week against Wauconda but also held Wauconda even more in check. Wauconda had just 8 first downs and only 69 total yards of offense. Grayslake North quarterback Austin Martineau completed 10-of-19 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown ... Grant, the second-lowest scoring offense in the Northern Lake County Conference (12.7 ppg), scored its second-most points of the season last week against North Chicago, a team that had pitched three shutouts over the first five weeks of the season. The Bulldogs saw quarterback Matt McGraw roll up 201 passing yards, completing 11-of-26 passes with 2 touchdowns, including a 64-yard flea-flicker to Jacob Lotz (2 catches, 94 yards). Klaus Kathrein had 5 catches for 76 yards ... Last year, Grayslake North defeated Grant, 35-7.

Grayslake Central Rams (2-4, 2-2) at North Chicago Warhawks (5-1, 3-1)

When: 7:15 p.m., Friday

Last week: Grayslake Central lost to Lakes, 41-21; North Chicago def. Grant, 27-17.

Skinny: After a Week 4 loss to Grayslake North (28-7), North Chicago has rebounded for two straight wins. Meanwhile, Grayslake Central has lost two straight games (Antioch and Lakes) after two straight wins (Grant and Round Lake) ... Grayslake Central had a tough time getting going last week against Lakes, down 41-7 at halftime. One bright spot for the Rams was the return of starting quarterback Sam Lennartz, who had been out since spraining the MCL in his left knee in the season opener. Lennartz came back to pass for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns ... North Chicago quarterback Dyshawn Gales was a handful for Grant last week. While eluding multiple tacklers, he completed 12-of-18 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns ... Last year, North Chicago defeated Grayslake Central, 28-12.

Wauconda Bulldogs (0-6, 0-4) at Round Lake Panthers (2-4, 0-4)

When: 7:15 p.m., Friday

Last week: Wauconda lost to Grayslake North, 24-6; Round Lake lost to Antioch, 28-0.

Skinny: Both of these teams could really use a win. Wauconda especially. The Bulldogs have yet to get a victory this season and are losing games by 19.3 points per game, second-most in the Northern Lake County Conference. Round Lake has lost four straight games after opening the season with two straight wins. The Panthers have lost those four games by an average of 22.3 points per game ... Wauconda managed just 8 first downs and 69 yards of offense last week against Grayslake North. The Bulldogs also lost 2 fumbles and threw 2 interceptions ... Round Lake had similar offensive troubles last week against Antioch. The Panthers finished with just 4 first downs and 84 total yards of offense ... Last year, Wauconda defeated Round Lake, 42-7.

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