Scouting Week 2 Cook County football games
Round Lake (0-1) at Maine East (0-1)
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Last Week: Round Lake lost to Wheeling 58-7; Maine East lost to Addison Trail 48-6
Outlook: Both teams are desperately looking for win here to hopefully get things going for this season. Round Lake had tons of trouble handling Wheeling last week, falling behind 51-0 at the half. Maine East also had its difficulties last week in losing its 42nd game in a row. But the Demons did keep it close through three quarter. Yusef Awad, Lucia Roa and Adam Awad look to get Maine East's offense in gear this week.
Waukegan (0-1) at Maine West (0-1)
When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Last Week: Maine West lost to Elk Grove 42-7; Waukegan lost to North Chicago 14-0
Outlook: Waukegan was able to keep things close with North Chicago last week. That may give the Bulldogs sone confidence heading into their tilt with Maine West. The Warriors had a rough time with Elk Grove, allowing the Grens to control the clock and pile up 349 yards of offense. Maine West will look to lean on Isaac Pittman. The senior is coming off a 117-yard performance that included a 77-yard touchdown run.
Warren (1-0) at Maine South (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Warren 41, Barrington 7; Maine South beat Stevenson 42-3
Outlook: Two of the top class 8A programs clash in what should be another classic. Maine South won last year 10-2 and is looking to make it five in a row over the Blue Devils since 2011. Warren is coming off its third impressive win over Barrington. The Blue Devils showed off a new offensive philosophy that piled up 41 points. After losing in the state title game last year, Maine South has reloaded just fine. The Ryan Leyden era began with a boom with the senior quarterback throwing four touchdowns. The best matchup should be Maine South's wide receivers of Ryan Pothast, Maurice Densmore and Evan Agosto against the Warren secondary.
Barrington (0-1) at Prospect (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Barrington lost to Warren 41-7; Prospect beat Sandburg 56-20
Outlook: This is a rematch of the classic 2021 spring MSL title game which was won by Barrington. In that game, Barrington scored 52 points. The Broncos struggled mightily on offense last week gaining just 97 yards against a solid Warren defense. Prospect got off to a tremendous start. The Knights put up 50 points at halftime on their way to an easy win. Brad Vierniesel set a school record with 452 passing yards while Frank Covey bounced back to wide receiver and had 222 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Fremd (0-1) at Hersey (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Fremd lost to Lake 21-7; Hersey beat New Trier 31-0
Outlook: Fremd came closer than many realized to winning its game last week. Three big plays, two long touchdown passes and a Fremd fumble at the one-yard line could have swung that game. Hopefully the Vikings, who have just 12 seniors on the team, can learn from this and turn things around. Hersey will be playing career game No. 501 as the Huskies open their home season. Carson Grove stepped up big for the Huskies with three touchdowns. Carter Hansen also played well in his first start at quarterback. Another thing to keep an eye on: Hersey defensive coordinator Mike Donatucci was the Fremd head coach from 1993-2011.
Palatine (1-0) at Buffalo Grove (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Palatine beat St. Charles North 26-14; Buffalo Grove lost to Lyons 38-35
Outlook: Palatine and quarterback Grant Dersnah got off to a solid start last week. Dersnah, who has played since his sophomore year, has grown into his role quite nicely, going 12-of-16 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for another. That ability to throw could give Buffalo Grove some trouble. The Bison surrendered 229 yards through the air last week. Fortunately, Bison quarterback Payton Diaz was able to keep his team in the game by throwing for 345 yards. If both teams spend too much time focusing on stopping the pass, each team has a running back that is dangerous. Dominick Ball from Palatine and Michael Cervantes from Buffalo Grove are both speedy and tough.
Rolling Meadows (0-1) at Schaumburg (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Rolling Meadows lost to Glenbrook South 51-21; Schaumburg lost to York 49-6
Outlook: Neither team can afford to drop to 0-2. And both teams are looking to shore up their defenses. Meadows will look to regroup behind quarterback Evan Grace and Ben Petermann. The duo hooked up for a pair of touchdowns. Schaumburg's Joey Macoluso and Daniel Uczarczyk connected on a long touchdown passing play of their own. The Saxons are expecting to turn things around offensively after gaining 135 yards of offense last week.
Wheeling (1-0) at Conant (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Wheeling beat Round Lake 58- 7; Conant beat Lake Park 26- 13
Outlook: Wheeling is coming off their highest scoring game in school history. The Wildcats tallied 51 points in their first half. Meanwhile, Simon Mikula set a school record with five touchdowns. That scoring output would have been a problem for Conant last season when the Cougars allowed 36 points per game. Conant showed last week that they have taken steps to shore up that defense, limiting the Lancers to just two touchdowns. Conant also got its vaunted running game in full gear, piling up 259 rushing yards on 43 attempts. They were led by sophomore Grant Kurt, who had 129 yards, and Dominic Mininni, who had 87 yards.
Elk Grove (1-0) at Hoffman Estates (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Last Week: Elk Grove 42, Maine West 7; Downers Grove North 36, Hoffman Estates 13
Outlook: Elk Grove got off to the fast start that the Grens needed. They were impressive last week, balancing their offense. They rushed for 176 yards while quarterback Mitch Jansczak threw for 173 yards and a touchdown. Hoffman Estates is hoping to regain some power after the lights and the Hawks failed last week. The Hawks got a very good performance from Aiden Cyr, who completed 75% of his passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. But the Hawks will need to get their rushing game going after only accounting for 28 yards on he ground.
Clark Co-op (1-0) vs. St. Viator (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m. at Forest View
Last Week: Clark beat King 42-0; St. Viator beat De La Salle 35-7
Outlook: The Lions will be hosting Clark, one of the better CPS programs. The Lions will need to stop Clark running back Willie Taylor who rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries last week - all in just under two quarters. St. Viator showed last week that it is ready for prime time. Junior quarterback Charlie Dolson showed that after a season of learning a year ago, he is more than ready to take the next step. Dolson threw for 202 yards and five touchdowns. Dolson has a ton of quality receivers in Michael Nix, Patrick Bauer and Jake VanBooven. Running back Dayvion Ellis showed his versatility when he caught a 30-yard touchdown pass.