Week 5: Scouting the Fox Valley Conference

Cary-Grove (3-1, 3-1) at Huntley (3-1, 3-1)

Fox Valley Conference

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

Last year: Cary-Grove 33, Huntley 7

Last week: Cary-Grove 52, Jacobs 26; Huntley 56, Hampshire 14

Outlook: The Huntley defense faces a triple-option offense for the second time in four weeks. The first time didn't go so well; Defending Class 6A state champion Prairie Ridge gained 480 total yards and scored 51 points to saddle the Red Raiders with their lone loss. Iowa-bound quarterback Samson Evans rushed for 5 touchdowns and threw for another against Huntley, but few players run like Evans. "I respect Cary-Grove's quarterback (Quinn Priester), but he's not Samson Evans, who is a threat touching the ball every play," Huntley coach Matt Zimolzak said. "I think we're a lot more disciplined at this part of the year than we were. At the beginning of the year, kids were flying around wanting to make plays and that burns you against teams like PR. It has to become assignment football. We trimmed the fat a lot this week, slimmed down assignments to keep it simpler for them to execute." The Huntley defense should get a lift from the return of defensive back Tyler Koss. The 5-foot-10 senior makes his season debut after rehabbing from a preseason shoulder dislocation. Cary-Grove's defense is tasked with slowing Huntley quarterback Eric Mooney, who has thrown for 659 yards and 7 touchdowns and rushed for 429 yards and 6 scores. Senior running back Melvin Aninagyei-Bonsu has rushed for 526 yards and 9 touchdowns in 62 attempts (8.5 avg.). "I think PR really had the blueprint on how to beat Huntley, which is you have to sustain drives," Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg said. "You have to convert on third downs and have some explosive plays. PR had three of them against Huntley. That's how you go about it against any team as physical and aggressive as Huntley is."

Next week: Dundee-Crown (1-3) at Cary-Grove; Huntley at West Aurora (4-0)

Bartlett (1-3) at Prairie Ridge (4-0) Game time: 7 p.m. Friday

The quick hit: The junior-heavy Hawks will have their hands full against the senior-laden Wolves. The defending Class 6A state champs are led by Iowa-bound quarterback Samson Evans and Iowa-committed lineman Jeff Jenkins (6-4, 280). Evans has rushed for 680 yards and 12 touchdowns on 77 carries (8.8 avg.) and thrown for 196 yards and 3 scores.

McHenry (2-2, 1-2) at Jacobs (2-2, 2-2) Game time: 7 p.m. Friday