Week 9: Scouting the North Suburban
Warren Blue Devils (5-3, 4-2) at Stevenson Patriots (6-2, 5-1)
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday
Last week: Warren lost to Zion-Benton, 21-14; Stevenson def. Waukegan, 42-0.
Skinny: Stevenson's in (the playoffs). And Warren is probably in, on points. But the Blue Devils certainly would love to leave nothing to chance in the playoff picture. They can do that by getting a win over Stevenson. That would also get Warren back on the right side of the tracks. The Blue Devils were upset last week by Zion-Benton, a team that might not make the playoffs ... Against Zion-Benton, Warren was burned by some big plays, an interception return for a touchdown, a 93-yard touchdown pass and an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Warren quarterback Ian Schilling, who has been on fire all season, had a rough outing with 4 interceptions. He completed 11-of-26 passes for 105 yards. Martin Walker Jr. led the Blue Devils in rushing with 88 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries ... Stevenson has qualified for its 29th consecutive state playoffs. The Patriots clinched with last week's shutout victory over Waukegan, which was played on Sunday due to inclement weather on Saturday. It was Stevenson's second shutout of the season. The Patriots also shut out Lake Forest in Week 3, 23-0. Stevenson is the second-stingiest defense in the North Suburban Conference, allowing 10.9 points per game. Lake Zurich is the stingiest (8.1 ppg) ... Last year, Stevenson defeated Warren, 47-6.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Lake Zurich Bears (8-0, 6-0) at Mundelein Mustangs (2-6, 1-5)
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday
Last week: Lake Zurich def. Libertyville, 40-14; Mundelein lost to Lake Forest, 35-28.
Skinny: Lake Zurich is looking to run the table and win its first North Suburban Conference title since 2012. Meanwhile, Mundelein is out of the playoff picture but could better its win total from last year (2) with a win ... It will be a tall order for the Mustangs. Lake Zurich is not only undefeated but has been rolling lately. The Bears' average margin of victory over the last 3 games is 27 points per game. On top of that, Lake Zurich leads the North Suburban Conference in points per game (33.1 ppg) and in fewest points allowed (8.1 ppg) ... Quarterback Evan Lewandowski had another big game for Lake Zurich last week against Libertyville. He rushed for 2 touchdowns and passed for another. He completed 13-of-22 passes for 208 yards and spread the passes among seven receivers, including Joey Stutzman, who caught the touchdown pass ... Mundelein has lost three straight games and is allowing 41.7 points per game over that stretch. Against Lake Forest last week, the Mustangs showed some fight by scoring 22 of their 28 points in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Anthony Norris passed for 2 touchdowns during that rally ... Last year, Lake Zurich defeated Mundelein, 56-13.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Zion-Benton Zee-Bees (4-4, 3-3) at Libertyville Wildcats (4-4, 3-3)
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday
Last week: Zion-Benton def. Warren 21-14; Libertyville lost to Lake Zurich, 40-14.
Skinny: A win, and in. A loss, and out. That's the case for both teams when it comes to their playoff realities. This should be a fun and inspired game as both teams are fighting for their playoff lives ... Zion-Benton is in this position after a big-time win against Warren last week. The Zee-Bees upset Warren with a series of big plays, an interception return for a touchdown, a 93-yard touchdown pass and an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Tyrese Crump had the kickoff return and the 93-yard touchdown catch for Zion-Benton ... Libertyville fell victim to undefeated and North Suburban-leading Lake Zurich last week. The Wildcats managed just 9 first downs and 132 yards of offense against the best defense in the league. Quarterback Alex Stanulis had a hand in both of Libertyville's touchdowns. He ran for a touchdown and passed for one as well. He completed 11-of-25 passes for 112 yards. But he had 3 interceptions ... Last year, Libertyville defeated Zion-Benton, 17-7.