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Scouting Week 3 Fox football games

Glenbard South (2-0, 2-0) at South Elgin (2-0, 1-0)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: South Elgin High School

Outlook: A little data dump on the Storm's first two games in which they have mowed through opponents to the tune of a combined 106-7 point total. South Elgin holds a 23-10 edge in first downs and a 426 to (minus) 16 rushing yardage advantage. South Elgin opponents have lost 95 yards rushing in the first two games. The Storm holds a 663-112 total yards advantage. Though South Elgin has run only 11 more plays from scrimmage (84-73), it holds a huge 7.89-1.53 edge in yards gained per play. South Elgin also is 10 of 12 in red zone scoring attempts, while its opponents have sniffed the red zone but once. The Storm defense has 9 quarterback sacks for 57 yards in losses. Jake Sullivan has thrown for 237 yards and 5 touchdowns on only 15 completions. Mason Montgomery has run 16 times for 175 yards and 3 scores, 65 yards of that coming on one scamper. Glenbard South has not allowed a point in 28-0 (Bartlett) and 56-0 (West Chicago) UEC wins so far. This one has the fixings to be a blue-plate special.

Marmion (2-0) at Montini (1-1)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Montini High School, Lombard

Outlook: Marmion opens the Chicago Catholic League portion of its slate with a doozy at perennial state power Montini. “To be successful against Montini we have to keep their offense off the field and have minimal turnovers,” Cadets coach Dan Thorpe said. “We must move the ball and punt and cover as they are so explosive on their special teams return game.” Defensive end Ivan Erickson has starred thus far for Marmion. “One guy doing the dirty work for us has been Ivan,” Thorpe said. “At defensive end, Ivan has played very well and will need to get to Montini's quarterback as much as possible and stop the run game.” Marmion has outscored its first two opponents 69-7.

Dundee-Crown (0-2, 0-2) at Burlington Central (1-1, 1-1)When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Burlington Central High School, Burlington

Outlook: Rockets coach Brian Melvin said his team simply is looking to bounce back after a Week 2 setback to Prairie Ridge. “Dundee-Crown is a very athletic football team,” he said. “We need to stay disciplined in order to be successful against them.” Sophomore defensive end Porter Mihelich is having a strong start to the season for Central. “He is big and strong and does a great job taking care of the offensive line to let the linebackers flow and make all the tackles,” Melvin said.

Wheaton North (2-0) at Batavia (2-0)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Batavia High School

Outlook: Looking back to the odd spring season, Wheaton North defeated Batavia at NIU 16-7 to close out the COVID-19-hijacked slate. This DuKane opener should be a good one as well. “Wheaton North is a very solid team that has great team dynamics right now and they will pounce on errors you make,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. “So, this week is more about us than them.” Piron noted AJ Sanders “continues to make huge game-changing plays,” and Tyler Sapit “has been devastating at defensive end.” Batavia held Oswego to 2 first downs in the second half and 49 yards of offense. Spait had 8 tackles and 3 tackles for loss.

Geneva (2-0) at Glenbard North (2-0)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Glenbard North High School, Carol Stream

Outlook: Another DuKane opener featuring both teams with unblemished nonconference records. Geneva is 2-0 for the first time since 2015 under new coach Boone Thorgesen. “Glenbard North is such a well-rounded team,” he said. “They are big and physical up front, but have speed on the outsides and skill positions for both sides of the ball. It will be a great test for our football team. To be successful we must be able to match their physicality on offense and defense.” Carter Powelson has rushed for more than 300 yards in the first two games for Geneva. “He is an old-school style of back that gets stronger as the game progresses,” Thorgesen said. North holds wins over Niles Notre Dame (19-14) and Naperville North (36-31) — those teams went a combined 1-3 over the first two weeks.

St. Charles East (1-1) at Lake Park (0-2)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where; Lake Park West Campus, Roselle

Outlook: Some highlights from East's 27-7 win over Waubonsie Valley in Week 2. The Saints ran the ball 30 times for 130 yards, while quarterback Nathan Hayes completed 14 passes for 253 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kelton McCaslin, Michael Weaver and Mason Tousignant each scored a touchdown.

St. Charles North (2-0) at Wheaton Warrenville South (1-1)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Wheaton Warrenville South High School

Outlook: Here is a stat that leaps off the page. St. Charles North's Lucas Sharkey has 7 quarterback sacks in 2 games. “Yes, seven,” North coach Rob Pomazak said. This figures to be another strong DuKane opening week matchup. “Wheaton South is a very talented program with a storied history,” Pomazak said. “Every time you travel to their field you have to be ready for a four-quarter-plus battle. In order for us to be successful, we have to continue to play solid defense, limit their big plays and protect the football on offense.”

McHenry (0-2, 0-2) at Jacobs (1-1, 1-1)When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: H.D. Jacobs School, Algonquin

Outlook: Let's talk a little Ben Ludlum. The Jacobs standout has rushed for almost 900 yards over the last 6 games dating back to the spring season. Nasir Canty has gone for more than 200 rushing yards over the last 2 games. Golden Eagles coach Brian Zimmerman lauded Nick True and Grant Stech for their strong outings last week. He added Max Benner is starting to feel more comfortable leading the offense from the quarterback position. McHenry defensive coordinator Mike Warren was on the Jacobs staff last year. “McHenry is a tough football team with a lot of athletes,” Zimmerman said. “In order to be successful, we need to get better at our pass defense.” Jacobs surrendered 16 rushing yards last week, but 282 through the air. “We need to clean that up,” Zimmerman said. Jacobs racked up 75 yards in yellow flags last week. “We also have to limit the penalties,” he said.

Crystal Lake South (0-2, 0-2) at Hampshire (1-1, 1-1)When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Hampshire High School

Outlook: South coach Rob Fontana emphasized his team must limit penalties going forward. “We can't get double-digit penalties and win a football game in the FVC,” he said. “We have been playing behind the sticks in each of our last two games and it has cost us points in each game.” Shane Moran has excelled for the Gators at linebacker. “He gets 8-plus tackles each game and helps keep our defense together,” Fontana said. Hampshire won the spring meeting 41-20. “Hampshire is a solid football team that was able to score at will on us the last time we played,” Fontana said. “Their quarterback can beat you with his legs and arms, and they run two different offenses, so you have to plan to defend both.”

Aurora Christian (2-0) at Westmont (0-2)When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Westmont High School

Outlook: Eagles coach David Beebe is upbeat about his squad's progress two games in. “We are playing well so far,” he said. “We have had some young kids really step up quickly and perform well. Our seniors are also leading strong and doing what is expected.” Westmont, out of the Metro Suburban Red in this MSC crossover matchup, has been outscored 66-8 in setbacks to Walther Christian and Lisle. “As always, we have to be able to stop the run and stay balanced on offense,” Beebe said. “Ball security is always key.”

Plainfield Central (2-0) at West Aurora (1-1)When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: West Aurora High School, Aurora

Outlook: Blackhawks coach Nate Eimer said taking care of the football and on the flip side causing some turnovers will be key against Plainfield Central in this Southwest Prairie crossover game. Jeremiah Johnson has been huge for West Aurora, leading the team in both rushing and receiving. Eimer also is big on center Frank Chavez. “Frank has great snaps and dominates each week,” he said.

Kaneland (1-1) at Sycamore (1-1)When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Sycamore High School

Outlook: This is the Kishwaukee River-Interstate 8 White opener for both teams. “Sycamore is very good,” Knights coach Pat Ryan said. “They have a strong running attack and their defensive line is the strength of their team. We need to be able to tackle well. We made improvements in this area from Week 1 to Week 2, but still need to get better. We have to be able to run the ball effectively so we can allow our passing attack to be productive.” Two prime-time players for Kaneland have been junior center AJ Macaluso and Corey Phillips. “AJ is undersized, but plays tough and physical and is doing a very nice job for us. He is showing a lot of leadership, too,” Ryan said. “Corey continues to make big plays for us on offense and on special teams as a kickoff returner.” Ryan said Kaneland gets three players back from COVID-19 protocol who missed last week. “Despite our loss (to Geneva), we are improving as we head into conference play,” he said.

Elgin (0-2, 0-2) at Bartlett (1-1, 1-1)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Bartlett High School

Outlook: Hawks coach Matt Erlenbaugh loved his team's grit in its Week 2 Wild West shootout win against Streamwood, a 59-58 win. “There is obviously a lot to continue to improve on, but I was very proud of our team fighting back from being down two scores in the fourth quarter to come away with the win,” he said. “It shows that our team doesn't give up and doesn't back down when faced with adversity. They play with pride.” Elgin's 0-2 record is not the vibe Erlenbaugh gets when assessing the Hawks' Week 3 foe. “Elgin has a lot of talent all over the field,” he pointed out. “In order for us to be successful, we need to have all 11 on the field, in all phases of the game, do our assignments while playing fast and physical.”

Glenbard East (2-0, 2-0) at Streamwood (1-1, 1-1)When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Millennium Field, Streamwood High School

Outlook: Sabres coach Keith McMaster had this to say about last week's 59-58 loss to Bartlett. “Last week's game, even in a loss, was great for the high school community,” he said. “The fans for both sides were energetic, loud and supportive. It was fun. We look forward to playing our first home game in front of our fans with Sabre Nation as our 12th man.” McMaster said Streamwood must be ready for an always tough Glenbard East team with many returning starters. “They put points on the board and are stingy about giving them up,” he said. “As a team, we need to clean up mistakes that we are making in all three phases of our game. Mistakes cost us the last game and hopefully that's a lesson learned for the remainder of the season.” Through two weeks, McMaster noted, Mikey Estrada already has surpassed his stats from last season for yards and touchdowns. Estrada is sitting at 357 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns heading into the matchup against Glenbard East. Streamwood has 16 rushing touchdowns through the first two games (5 players with 2 or more scores).

Other Friday gamesCrystal Lake Central (2-0, 2-0) at Cary-Grove (2-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.

Prairie Ridge (1-1, 1-1) at Huntley (1-1, 1-1), 7 p.m.

Wheaton Academy (1-1) at Aurora Central Catholic (0-2), 6 p.m.

West Chicago (0-2, 0-2) at Larkin (1-1, 1-1), 7:30 p.m.

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