Scouting Northwest, Week 2
Week 2 brings us Mid-Suburban League divisional crossover week. This used to be a three-week event, but the MSL switched away from the format a few ago because of the huge disparity in wins by the West. That change has helped the East teams grow in numbers, and in overall ability. That should be on display this week, as the East could erase that West dominance. I will be at Buffalo Grove on Friday, and at Palatine to see Hersey and Fremd on Saturday afternoon. Read all about these games and all our other teams online at football.dailyherald.com and in Saturday's print edition.
Maine West (1-0) at Fenton (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: Maine West got off to the start that it wanted last week when the Warriors rolled over Mundelein 42-0. Maine West got a solid game from RB/LB Jake Bellizzi, who rushed for 72 yards and was credited with 6 tackles. Junior quarterback Danny Kentgen was solid in his first game, completing 16 of 32 passes for 155 and 3 TDs. Fenton blew out Maine East 42-7 last week. The Warriors will need to contain Bison running back Ethan Doliente, who is coming off a 3-touchdown, 166-yard rushing performance.
St. Viator (0-1) at Lodi, Wis. (2-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: St. Viator will need to make sure it has gas in the tank. The Lions make the three-hour trip to Lodi, which is north of Madison, for a nonconference game. St. Viator seemed to have a firm foot on the throttle last week against Prospect before running out of fuel in the final quarter. Elijah Black was impressive in the backfield for the Lions, gaining 148 yards on 13 carries with 2 touchdowns. Lodi is coming off a 40-0 win over Delevan Darien. The Blue Devils have allowed just 7 points in their first 2 games.
Conant (1-0) at Elk Grove (0-1)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: It is the crosstown classic for these teams as they compete for the Elk Grove Mayor's Cup. Time was finally on the side of Conant in Week 1 as the Cougars, who lost 5 games last season, including 3 in the waning moments, turned the tables on Addison Trail. Conant scored on a short run by Malik Frederick with under 30 seconds left as Conant matched its win total from last season. Elk Grove, which has not won in over two seasons, went to overtime last week before falling to Hoffman Estates. The Grens would love to have their fortunes change against their rivals, who they have not played since 2012.
Prospect (1-0) at Hoffman Estates (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: It will be a speed trap for one of these teams. Prospect, which is looking for its first playoff appearance since 2012, took a huge step torward to that goal last week in the Knights' victory over St. Viator. The Knights did it by speeding up the tempo thanks to the play of an athletic offensive line of Andrew Tertel, Armen Surenian, Caleb Smith, Mitchell Kamp and Eric Malinowski. Hoffman Estates, which was coming off its most successful season in school history, went to overtime to hold off Elk Grove. Hoffman will use its athleticism and speed with quarterback Kyle Krogstad and Malik Whitehead leading the way.
Barrington (1-0) at Buffalo Grove (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: This is a huge game between a pair of teams that are considered favorites in their respective divisions. Barrington was very impressive in its win at Warren. The Broncos got solid play, as expected, from running back Michael Curran, who rushed for 3 touchdowns, and from quarterback Tommy Fitzgerald, who threw for 125 yards and a touchdown. Barrington will need to stop Buffalo Grove's 1-2 punch in running back Tom Trieb and quarterback Connor Adams. Buffalo Grove was equally impressive as the Bison completely dominated Downers Grove North behind that duo. Trieb, who is headed to NIU next season, was as advertised, rushing for 5 TD's and 152 yards. Adams, who is a senior and a three-year starter, became the all-time passing leader for the Bison, surpassing the 4,000 yard mark in his career.
Rolling Meadows (1-0) at Palatine (0-1)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: Rolling Meadows is coming off an impressive win last week against Glenbrook South. The Mustangs dominated play of both sides of the ball, racking up nearly 300 yards on the ground behind Jace O'Hara and Tim Szylak. Defensively Meadows was also stout, allowing just 11 yards passing. Palatine had some struggles in their opening loss to Stevenson and are looking to turn things around in their home opener. The Pirates had trouble running the ball, gaining just 56 yards on the ground. Zach Garnmeister had a good first start at quarterback, completing 17 of 27 passes for 172 yards.
Schaumburg (0-1) at Wheeling (0-1)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: Despite a loss, Schaumburg came away with a solid performance against St. Charles North, pushing one of the area's top teams. The Saxons were as athletic as advertised, rushing for nearly 200 yards behind the trio of quarterback Marcus Ross and running backs Mike DiGioia and Heze Trotter. Wheeling also played well in its opening loss to Glenbrook North but is looking to get some much-needed depth for a team that has many players going both ways. The Wildcats got a solid performance from quarterback Michael Best, who had 14 completions for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Downers Grove North (0-1) at Leyden (0-1)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last year's result: Downers Grove North 35, Leyden 7
Outlook: Leyden came up a bit short, losing in the final minute to Shepard in the season opener last week. The Eagles did have a huge highlight in the play of running back Gabe Guarderas. The senior rushed the ball 33 times for a career-high 173 yards and a touchdown. Leyden quarterback Kyler Britten also looked poised, completing 12-of-19 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Downers North was gouged for 217 yards on the ground last week in a 49-19 loss to Buffalo Grove.
Hersey (1-0) vs. Fremd (0-1) at Palatine
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Last year's result: Did not play
Outlook: This game will be played at Palatine because the Fremd football stadium work, to replace the field turf and install a new track, is not yet completed. It was also supposed to be a homecoming of sorts for Hersey defensive coordinator Mike Donatucci, who was the Fremd head coach from 1993-2007. Hersey was impressive last week in the Huskies' win over a very athletic Zion-Benton squad. Ryan Justice's quarterback debut was impressive, with the junior throwing a pair of touchdown passes. Fremd gave Lake Zurich everything it could handle last week. The Vikings, who have lost 10 of their last 11 games going back to 2016, turned the ball over four times against the Bears. Fans may want to arrive early because parking may be limited thanks to a youth soccer tournament that will be going on at Palatine.