Week 4: Scouting the North Suburban
Warren Blue Devils (2-1, 1-0) at Lake Forest Scouts (2-1, 0-1)When: 7:30 p.m., today
Last week: Warren def. Libertyville, 26-10; Lake Forest lost to Stevenson, 23-0.
Skinny: Warren won its second straight game with an explosion by the passing game. Star wide receiver Micah Jones had perhaps the best game of his 3-year varsity career with 8 catches for 151 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown. Quarterback Ian Schilling was on point, rolling up 315 passing yards while completing 22 of 37 passes. He also connected with Jaden Quartey for a touchdown...Martin Walker, coming back from a shoulder injury, gave Warren a decent balance of running with 119 yards on 27 carries. And fullback Taylor Krause ran for 2 touchdowns...Lake Forest suffered its first loss after nonconference wins over Glenbard East and St. Viator...Lake Forest forced Stevenson into 2 turnovers and the offense got the ball in good field position. But in both cases, the Scouts fumbled the ball right back over to the Patriots. The Lake Forest offense did not get its first down until the first series of the second half and failed to get into the red zone as the Stevenson defense continually harassed Scouts quarterback Jack Mislinski...Last year, Warren defeated Lake Forest, 46-10.
Zion-Benton Zee-Bees (2-1, 1-0) at Lake Zurich Bears (3-0, 1-0)When: 7:30 p.m., today
Last week: Zion-Benton def. Mundelein, 33-0; Lake Zurich def. Waukegan, 44-0.
Skinny: Lake Zurich flexed its defensive muscle in a big shutout victory over Waukegan last week. The Bears held Waukegan to just 5 first downs and 79 total yards of offense. They also forced a fumble and made an interception, both of which yielded touchdowns. Sophomore Anthony Mangano returned the interception for a touchdown and senior Joey Stutzman ran in a fumble recovery 61 yards. The defense got 2 more points when Lucas Dwyer recorded a sack in the endzone for a safety...Offensively, Lake Zurich was fairly balanced, 139 rushing yards and 178 passing yards. Quarterback Evan Lewandowski led a balanced rushing attack with 46 yards on 4 carries. He also completed 8-of-10 passes for 147 yards...After getting shutout in its season opener by Hersey, 41-0, Zion-Benton has rebounded by posting two straight shutouts of its own. In Week 2, the Zee-Bees blanked Vernon Hills, 49-0...Last year, Lake Zurich defeated Zion-Benton, 43-26.
Libertyville Wildcats (1-2, 0-1) at Waukegan Bulldogs (0-3, 0-1)When: 1:30 p.m., Saturday
Last week: Libertyville lost to Warren, 26-10; Waukegan lost to Lake Zurich, 44-0.
Skinny: Libertyville is on a two-game skid and has scored only 10 points in each of the last two games. Against Warren, the Wildcats managed only 8 first downs,78 rushing yards and 205 total yards. Libertyville coach Mike Jones says his team is lacking consistency from series to series. The Wildcats lost a fumble, had 2 interceptions and had 8 penalties, all of which prevented the offense from generating momentum...Running back Brendan Bazar was a bright spot for Libertyville. He gained 115 yards on 12 carries and caught 4 passes for 72 yards...Waukegan has not scored a single point this season after being shut out in three consecutive weeks by North Chicago, West Aurora and Lake Zurich. Against Lake Zurich, Waukegan managed just 5 first downs and 79 total yards of offense. The Bulldogs also had 2 turnovers, a fumble and an interception...Last year, Libertyville defeated Waukegan, 40-7.
Mundelein Mustangs (1-2, 0-1) at Stevenson Patriots (2-1, 1-0)When: 7:30 p.m., today
Last week: Mundelein lost to Zion-Benton, 33-0; Stevenson def. Lake Forest, 23-0.
Skinny: Both of these teams are coming off of shutouts. But Stevenson probably feels much better about its version. The Patriots kept Lake Forest off the board, and out of the red zone for the entire game. They also forced the Scouts into multiple turnovers. Mundelein, on the other hand, suffered its first shutout of the season after posting a huge shutout of its own in Week 2, a 40-0 win over Streamwood...Against Lake Forest, Stevenson got two huge touchdown passes from quarterback Grayson Kubow, who had missed time earlier in the season with an ankle injury. He had an 86-yard connection with Tyler Porzycki and a 51-yarder with Sam Farber...Mundelein wants to get back to what worked two weeks ago against Streamwood. The Mustangs were effective on the ground, rolling up 269 rushing yards. Quarterback Anthony Norris and Isaiah Wellman each rushed for 2 touchdowns apiece in that game...Last year, Stevenson defeated Mundelein, 48-6.