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Week 8: Scouting the Upstate Eight River

Geneva (4-3, 3-2) at St. Charles North (6-1, 4-0)

Upstate Eight River

Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Last year: St. Charles North 30, Geneva 3

Last week: Geneva 28, Elgin 6; St. Charles North 41, Streamwood 0

Outlook: Both Upstate Eight River teams have a lot riding on the outcome. Geneva is fighting for a playoff berth while the North Stars need a win to set up a winner-take-all showdown for the division title next week against Batavia. It's unclear whether the Vikings will have their full complement of players available. Receivers Garret Sneed and Ian Hanson and tailback Lavonte Jones all missed last week's game against Elgin. None took part in Tuesday's practice "but we're hoping," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said Wednesday. In Geneva's 28-6 win last week at Elgin, 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior Reilly Waldoch ran 28 times for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, upping his season totals to 470 yards and 10 scores. "He's a load," St. Charles North coach Rob Pomazak said. "He's got great size. You never like going against a kid that big." The North Stars, ranked No. 6 in Class 7A, say their focus is Geneva, not next week's looming showdown with No. 5 Batavia (7-0, 6-0). "This week is really big for us," Pomazak said. "We need to get that seventh win because we feel our playoff picture improves dramatically with 7 wins and this is the first opportunity to do it. We're taking this game extremely seriously." Defensively, the North Stars have not allowed a point in 11 straight quarters. Offensively, they are paced by senior quarterback Michael Hohensee (66 of 114, 1,049 yards, 10 TD, 3 Int.), wideout Tyler Nubin (23 rec., 330 yards, 3 TD) and running back Lucas Segobiano, a double threat who leads the team in rushing (647 yards, 11 TD) and receiving (483 yards, 5 TD). "Each year they get better at doing what they do," Wicinski said of the St. Charles North coaching staff. "Then if you have some talent like that tailback, that wideout and the quarterback, now you've got something special. We're going to have our hands full. We're going to hope not to let that tailback loose, but that will be quite a chore for us. And if that quarterback is on fire, we'll be in a world of hurt. We're just going to go play and see what happens."

Next week: West Aurora (5-2) at Geneva; Batavia (7-0, 6-0) at St. Charles North

Batavia (7-0, 4-0) at Larkin (3-4, 1-3) Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Field

The quick hit: The Bulldogs have yielded only 25 points in 7 games. The Royals score 17.4 points per game, led by running back Kindrel Morris. The senior rushed for 603 yards over a 3-game stretch but was limited last week to 38 yards on 20 carries in a 35-0 loss to St. Charles East.

Elgin (2-5, 1-3) at St. Charles East (5-2, 2-2) Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Norris Stadium

The quick hit: The Saints can wrap up a playoff berth with an Upstate Eight River victory against Elgin, which was eliminated from playoff contention last week. Sophomore B.J. Crossen has started for St. Charles East at quarterback the last two weeks while starter Clayton Isbell recovers from an ankle sprain. Crossen rushed for 117 yards and 3 touchdowns in last week's 35-0 win over Larkin.

Streamwood (0-7) at East Aurora (0-7) Game time: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Roy E. Davis Field

The quick hit: One of these winless Upstate Eight Conference teams is going to celebrate like they won the Super Bowl after this crossover meeting. The other likely finishes the season winless since both face teams with winning records in Week 9.

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