Football: Tri Cities Week 6 previews

Western Sun

DeKalb (3-2, 2-1) at Geneva (5-0, 3-0) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Geneva 41, DeKalb 0

Last week: Glenbard South 49, DeKalb 14; Geneva 37, Sycamore 14

Players to watch: Geneva quarterback Mike Mayszak (43-of-90, 785 passing yards) has not thrown an interception this season. He'll look to continue that streak while adding on to his 8 touchdown passes. While he hasn't thrown any interceptions his defense has gotten him the ball on 8 occasions by picking off opponents. Look for Trevor Hyslop, Jake Conforti and Casey Emanuel (2 interceptions each) to try to make big plays by turning an aerial attack into turnover trouble for DeKalb. Brennan Quinn seems to be all over the field this fall and leads the Vikings with 60 tackles. Back on offense for the Vikings, Michael Ratay seems to be coming into his own. He's rushed for 10 touchdowns and 554 yards on 106 carries. He scored 3 touchdowns in last week's victory over Sycamore. Joe Augustine leads the Vikings in receptions (22), receiving yards (436) and touchdown receptions (3). Michael Faught (8 receptions, 129 yards, 2 TDs) also has been strong for Geneva.

Outlook: It's Homecoming weekend at Geneva and the Vikings have plenty to celebrate as they are tied with Rochelle atop the Western Sun Conference. The big question tonight concerns which DeKalb team is going to show up? Will it be the Barbs team that upset Sycamore and beat Yorkville and Chicago Kelly, or will it be the Barbs who were beaten handily last Friday by Glenbard South. "I watched some earlier tape and they really looked like they've improved a bit," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said. "They beat Yorkville, Sycamore and a Chicago team but Glenbard South blitzed them so we don't know what's going to show up at our doorstep; we're preparing for the team that's played well for them." One of the keys for the Vikings so far has been their ability to avoid turning the ball over. They've not only intercepted 8 passes but have a turnover ratio that's already in double digits. "I think we might be a plus-10 or plus-12," Wicinski said. "We're fortunate that our defense has given us some half fields. Last week we showed some signs of getting out of the (offensive) doldrums." It's pretty scary for a team to be undefeated and still not to fully clicking, but Wicinski believes Mayszak is now getting to where he needs to be. "Defense has been our strong suit and offensively we still have more that we're trying to do," Wicinski said. "With a new quarterback it takes about five or six games to get it. It happened with (Shaun) Ratay and it happened with (Alex) Pokorny. It takes several games and now hopefully Mayszak has got it." Things do look good in Geneva.

Bottom line: Geneva rushed for nearly 300 yards last week while DeKalb gave up 49 points to a Glenbard South offense, which has struggled all season. Geneva shouldn't have a problem scoring tonight and Homecoming festivities should include a victory.

Glenbard South (3-2, 1-2) at Kaneland (2-3, 1-2)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Kaneland 56, Glenbard South 13

Last week: Glenbard South 49, DeKalb 14; Kaneland 31, Batavia 28

Players to watch: Kaneland quarterback Jody Henningson's field vision was superb in last week's classic 31-28 victory over Batavia. He didn't throw any interceptions and he kept the Batavia defense from totally focusing on the Knights' passing game by utilizing his excellent athleticism and speed in rushing 10 times for 135 yards. He was equally as good, if not better, throwing the ball, completing 26-of-52 passes for 411 yards. How can you not be watching him tonight after accounting for 546 yards of total offense last Friday? Henningson threw 4 touchdown passes last week and 3 of them went to Jamie Snyder. Helping his cause these days is Korey Maple. "It felt great to be back," Maple said. Still not totally 100 percent, Maple caught 10 passes for 152 yards last week. Defensive end Robert Shollenberger forced a key fumble and had a sack last week as the Knights continue to look for defensive players to step up and ease the burden on the offense. Glenbard South's Mike Oratowski rushed for 4 touchdowns in last week's victory over DeKalb. He's become a key fixture in the Glenbard South offense. Raiders quarterback Kevin Marshall efficiently completed 11 of 17 passes last week for 141 yards. Last week proved to be a breakout game for the Raiders' offense that had struggled in the first four weeks. Chris Loos and Jon Holland can cause some troubles. So can the quick Will Hill, who made an impact with lengthy punt returns last week. Kaneland's special teams players need to be ready. Defensively, the Raiders have gotten excellent play from sophomore linebacker Austin Teistsma.

Outlook: Kaneland got a huge must-win last Friday over Batavia and will look to extend that streak when it hosts the Raiders tonight. "It was a real good win for us," Maple said. "Hopefully it's the beginning of a nice streak." The win was nice but it was one that nearly got away from the Knights who led 21-0 at one point as their defense still is giving up too many points. The Knights have yielded 171 points (34.2 per game), which is 57 more points than any other team in the Western Sun Conference. One positive for tonight is that Glenbard South was only averaging 13 points a game prior to last week's explosion for 49 against DeKalb. So tonight it'll be interesting to see if the Knights can step up and hold a team or if they'll need a high-scoring affair to win their second consecutive game. With Maple back, options of using Snyder in the backfield and as a wideout and with Henningson becoming more of a weapon in recent weeks with the running game, the Knights should feel optimistic that they can score against a good Raiders defense. "(Jody's) stepped up and is a big leader now," Maple said. "He's quick, finds holes in the field and is getting good reads on offense. It's going to be fun to keep going the rest of the season."

Bottom line: After five weeks it's safe to assume that the Knights are likely to give up some points tonight. That might be OK though as long as Henningson can avoid the interception and Maple, Snyder and Co. can continue helping put crooked digits on the scoreboard.

Yorkville (2-3, 0-3) at Batavia (2-3, 1-2)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Batavia 66, Yorkville 14

Last week: Rochelle 42, Yorkville 0; Kaneland 31, Batavia 28

Players to watch: What do the numbers 67 and 918 have to do with Batavia? That's how many points they've given up (67) and total yards of offense (918) they've yielded in the past two games. Look for leaders on the defense, especially seniors like linebacker Shane Holl and defensive end Sean O'Brien, to get the Bulldogs back on track playing the kind of defense they played in Weeks 2 and 3. They also might get an inspirational boost if safety Pat Brooke returns from an injury tonight. They'll look to stop Foxes' running back David Swope and quarterback Andrew Rosati. Last week Rosati struggled against Rochelle, completing only 13-of-31 passes for 87 yards as the team was shut out. While the Batavia defense looks to regroup, its offense is starting to come together. Quarterback Jordan Coffey threw 3 touchdown passes last week and has thrown for just under 600 yards in the past two games. Brian Krolikowski (45 carries, 294 yards) leads the Bulldogs on offense but the speedy JR Kabba has come on strong, as the junior rushed 19 times for 114 yards against Kaneland. Look for the Bulldogs to look for more ways to utilize tight end Jordan Church tonight as well as get the ball to juniors Eric Zeddies and Ryan Webb.

Outlook: The last time Batavia lost two straight games was in 2004 when they dropped games in Weeks 4 and 5 before winning three straight. They haven't lost three straight since 2001 so history is on the Bulldogs' side tonight. "They're not going to quit. They're champions for a reason," Yorkville coach Jim Still said. "I know we're in for more than we can handle, an incredibly hard challenge, and I know (Batavia coach) Mike (Gaspari) will have the those kids ready to play." Yorkville has dropped three straight after opening the season 2-0. The Foxes granted the Hubs 509 rushing yards last week but were only down 14-0 at halftime. Outside of the Rochelle loss, Still thinks the team could easily be 4-1 instead of 2-3 right now. "Things unraveled last week but we're looking at the first four games and convincing the kids to focus on them," he said. "We had every opportunity in the Geneva game and the DeKalb game slipped through our fingers. All I can ask these boys is to compete and when you look at the conference week in and week out, anybody can beat anybody." Batavia will try to be an anybody on the winning end tonight. "We just have to play better earlier in the game," Gaspari said. "(Yorkville's) been very competitive. We saw the tape on Geneva and (Yorkville) could've won if not for a couple of mistakes and whenever you win a contest it's a confidence builder for the next week." Batavia's offense has made strides in the past couple weeks and is starting to gel but they expect a challenge from the Foxes. "They've been very solid with good team speed," Gaspari said. "They fly to the ball, are very aggressive and are a solid team defensively." While two losses probably will keep the Bulldogs from winning a conference title, they have plenty still to play for. "We have every other opportunity to accomplish goals from the beginning of the season," Gaspari said. "We're looking forward to working hard, maintaining focus and getting better."

Bottom line: The Bulldogs need to get off to a good start in this contest and let it be the start of a nice winning streak if they want to make the playoffs.

Upstate Eight

Neuqua Valley (2-3, 2-1) at St. Charles East (4-1, 3-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Neuqua Valley 34, St. Charles East 7

Last week: Neuqua Valley 56, Larkin 39; St. Charles East 30, Lake Park 0

Players to watch: Both sides of the ball have been playing extremely well for St. Charles East, especially lately. You can also throw in special teams player Eian O'Brien into that same conversation as he had a 68-yard punt return last week. The Saints have outscored opponents 76-0 in the past two weeks so obviously the defense continues to step up. Whether they're forcing turnovers or making teams punt, the Saints defense is getting the offense back on the field. Wes Allen rushed for 219 yards last Friday and now has 626 rushing yards and 8 TDs. Quarterback Sam Gunther has completed 64-of-111 passes for 573 yards and 5 TDs with Matt Hammer (31 catches, 303 yards) and Jake Krzeczowski (17 catches, 156 yards) continuing to give opponents problems. Neuqua Valley has a special talent in running back Anton Wilkins who rushed last week for 345 yards, a school-record, on 33 carries. Think about this -- when's the last time you heard about a matchup which paired two guys in the backfield (Allen and Wilkins) who combined for 564 rushing yards in the previous week? Plenty of eyes will be on them tonight.

Outlook: St. Charles East hasn't beaten Neuqua Valley during coach Ted Monken's tenure leading the Saints. Their last win over the Wildcats came in 2000, a 36-19 victory. "Having them at home always helps," Monken said. "They've played a tough schedule with some tough teams so people should never underestimate them. Hopefully homecoming will give us a charge." Could now be the time? The Wildcats have yet to win consecutive games this season and are 0-2 on the road. "We're going to be faced with a big challenge with their defense," Wildcats coach Bryan Wells said. "They're good, they run to the ball very well, they attack and are aggressive. No doubt, it'll be a battle for our offense." That's where Wilkins comes in. "We'll look at film of that game and others to make a true assessment," Monken said. "Stopping the run and keeping teams out of the end zone has been an area of success, but they've got a good running back, a big offensive line and we'll need to do a good job up front to keep them down." The defense has simply been superb for the Saints this season. "Their ability to run to the football with speed and quickness is as good as we've had here," Monken said. "When people get loose it seems like five or six guys are right there keeping it to small gain and the ability to swarm the football makes a big difference." Offensively, the Saints face a team that has had its moments defensively this season but is giving up more than 22 points per contest. "We can certainly get better," Wells said. "We've played OK at times but we've given up more points than we would've liked to have. It's going to be a huge challenge for the whole team."

Bottom line: A victory tonight keeps the Saints in the driver's seat for a conference title with only two Upstate Eight games remaining. The Saints are playing with a lot of confidence and would love to beat the Wildcats in front of a big homecoming crowd.

South Elgin (2-3, 2-0) at St. Charles North (2-3, 1-1) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: St. Charles North 56, South Elgin 26

Last week: T.F. South 21, South Elgin 7; Bartlett 37, St. Charles North 6

Players to watch: Storm quarterback Pete Scaffidi has shown the ability to move the ball this season but he's learning that it takes two to tango as dropped passes plagued the team in a loss last Friday. "I don't know what it was," Storm coach Dale Schabert said. "I couldn't count how many dropped passes we had on my fingers and toes alone." It'll be interesting to see how the Storm's wide receivers respond this week and if they can catch the ball consistently to allow the team a chance to keep its perfect conference record in tact. After rushing for more than 100 yards in consecutive games, St. Charles North's Kyle Harmon was shut down by Bartlett, limited to only 4 carries and 3 yards. Of course, Bartlett jumped ahead early so the North Stars were forced to pass the ball. Colton Hinrichs (29 rushes, 130 yards) and Nic Higgins (25 carries, 136 yards) will look to get the ground game going tonight as well. Quarterback Nic Neari rushed 6 times for 52 yards last week while completing 10 of 29 passes for 108 yards.

Outlook: St. Charles North had its Homecoming festivities tainted last week when it ran into a buzzsaw known as the Bartlett football team. The North Stars victimized themselves with untimely penalties on offense and an inability to stop Bartlett's rushing game as they yielded 349 yards on the ground. They fell behind early, were forced to pass and their modest two-game winning streak came to a halt. So, tonight, they'll look to get back on track against a much-improved South Elgin team. "We made too many mistakes (against Bartlett) but you have to give them credit, they're a good team," North Stars coach Mark Gould said. "(South Elgin) has gotten a lot better. They have a good quarterback, some nice receivers and defensively, even in the games they lost, it was just a couple big plays against them so they've improved greatly defensively." The North Stars will need to get their offense in gear after being held scoreless for the opening three quarters last week before settling for Higgins' touchdown reception. "It's just a matter of consistency," Gould said. "In practice you keep plugging away. You practice hard and practice smart and eventually things will click for a team but you've got to keep working at it." Unfortunately for the North Stars, they could be without a couple key players who Gould said would be out with injuries.

Bottom line: Like most football teams, the North Stars struggle when they fall behind early and have to rely on the pass. They'll look to get their running game going early, for the defense to do a better job and to ultimately respond from last week's ugly loss. "They were upset (with the Bartlett game) and have a lot of pride," Gould said. "They came back to practice and are ready to go." We'll see how ready they are tonight.

DuPage Valley

West Aurora (3-2, 1-2) at WW South (5-0, 3-0)

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: WW South 69, West Aurora 13.

Last week: Wheaton North 28, West Aurora 15; WW South 26, Naperville Central 7.

Players to watch: The Blackhawks are under the .500 mark in the DVC, but they're still in the midst of one of their most competitive conference seasons. Quarterback John Nunnally is a playmaker who helped account for the team's season-high 230 rushing yards last week.

Outlook: The Tigers defense roared last week led by Phil Traynor's 7 tackles and 2 sacks, and Paul Riss' blocked punt and forced fumble. Keep an eye on wide receiver Kendrick Perry. The game-breaking 6-foot-6 senior emerged last week to catch 2 passes for 69 yards and a 40-yard touchdown.

Bottom line: Every week in the DuPage Valley Conference is hard, but tonight begins a gruesome two-week grind against the DVC's two best -- the Tigers and then Naperville North, a combined 10-0 and ranked No. 4 and No. 3, respectively, in the Class 8A state rankings.

Private School

Luther South (0-5, 0-2) at Aurora Christian (5-0, 2-0) Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday.

Last year: Aurora Christian 41, Luther South 14.

Last week: Lake Forest Academy 37, Luther South 26; Aurora Christian 34, Chicago Christian 7.

Players to watch: The Eagles' running game came through in a big way in last week's key Private School League win at Chicago Christian. Sean O'Boyle ran for a career-high 195 yards and 3 touchdowns while John Smith added 120 yards on only 9 carries. The key on both sides of the ball was the physical play, according to Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe. "Absolutely, no question about it," Beebe said. "We've never played this physical. We know we can run the football if we want to, we have two great wide receivers, we can run the ball, we have the best offensive line we've ever had."

Outlook: The Private School League is boom or bust. You either get a really challenging game like last week against Chicago Christian (which didn't turn out to be as challenging as everyone expected) or a one-sided matchup like this Saturday. There's not much middle ground in the PSL. Luther South lost last week to a Lake Forest Academy team that Aurora Christian beat 77-6.

Bottom line: The Eagles should rack up an easy win, hopefully keep everyone healthy and improving heading into next week's game against 5-0 Walther Lutheran that will decide the 2007 Private School League champion.

Wheaton Academy (2-3, 1-2) at Rockford Christian Life (2-3, 1-2)

Game time: 7 p.m., today.

Last year: Did not play.

Last week: Walther Lutheran 35, Wheaton Academy 14; Rockford Christian Life 34, Luther North 0.

Outlook: Luther North is a common foe -- Wheaton Academy lost 10-6 -- but so is Walther, which beat RCL 28-0. Wheaton Academy coach Ben Wilson said it's no secret the Warriors must stop 5-7, 195-pound fullback Zander Pineschi. Offensively, Wilson wants to establish the run after last week's minus-8 yard effort. But if quarterback Brian Pell gets protection, receivers Anthony Ritchie, Jake Jones and Josh Kuell -- the just-eligible transfer had a touchdown grab and returned a kick for a touchdown -- are deadly.

Big Northern

Richmond-Burton (2-3, 0-1) at Burlington Central (3-2, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. today at Rocket Hill

Last week: Hampshire 35, North Boone 7; Harvard 30, Richmond-Burton 0

Last year: Harvard 27, Hampshire 6

Outlook: The two Rockets meet on Burlington Central's Senior Night in a key Big Northern East game. BC, the defending league champion, hits the road (North Boone, Hampshire, Harvard) for the final three weeks of the season and would like nothing better than to close out its home schedule with a win. "We've talked to the kids about this being a big game for a lot of different reasons," said BC coach Aaron Wichman. "We want to get into the playoffs with a decent record and hopefully get a home game, we want to defend our conference championship and it's our last home game, so we want to send the seniors off on a good note." BC is coming off a big homecoming win over Marengo while Richmond was shut out at Harvard last week. Wichman lauded the play of his five senior captains -- Jason Wagner, Greg Dickson, Curt Mastio, Matt VanAcker and Bryan Bell -- as being a key to BC's success this season. "They've all been consistent and they all know what it takes to win," Wichman said. Wagner (382 yards) and Dickson (346) have carried the rushing load for the Rockets this season but senior QB Dan Hagberg has shown the ability to break the big play as well. The three have combined for over 1,000 yards rushing through five weeks. "They look awfully similar to last year," said Richmond coach Pat Elder of BC. "They're very good up front defensively, they have great speed and they have a game-breaking quarterback. They can pound away and they can move the football." Richmond has been decimated by injuries. In addition to losing standout RB/DB Travis Gunderson to an ankle injury on the first day of contact practice, the Rockets will likely be without leading rusher Harrison Wancket, who is out with a leg injury. Junior Mike Anderson stepped into the lead role against Harvard last week and had 74 yards in 21 carries. Richmond, like Central, is primarily a running team behind senior QB David Jewell, who has attempted only 34 passes this season. "They're a running team and they have some good athletes," said Wichman of Richmond, which has lost 3 straight after opening the season with 2 wins. "The goal for both teams will be the same -- to control the line. We want to get our running game going and I'm sure they will too."

Suburban Catholic Conference

Marian (5-0, 3-0) at Aurora Central (1-4, 1-2) Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year: Marian 49, Aurora Central 14.

Last week: Marian 30, St. Edward 0; St. Francis 51, Aurora Central 28.

Players to watch: Senior wide receiver Mark Adams is second in the area with 446 receiving yards and first with 7 touchdown catches. Quarterback Mike Adams is tied for second with 12 touchdown passes -- but both will have a hard time adding to those totals tonight against a Marian team that has shut out its last three opponents.

Outlook: Even though Aurora Central is 1-4, the Chargers can't blame their offense. They have scored at least 14 points in every game. They are averaging 28 points a game and nearly have as many this year -- 140 -- as does Marian (148). The difference, obviously, is defense. The Hurricanes have allowed only 32 points all year, while Aurora Central has given up more than 32 points in every game, a total of 218. The Hurricanes haven't allowed a point in the Suburban Catholic this season, shutting out Immaculate Conception, Marmion and St. Edward. and Marian comes into the game ranked No. 1 in Class 5A.

Bottom line: It should be a challenge for Aurora Central's explosive offense to keep its high-scoring ways going against Marian's stingy defense. Getting into the end zone a couple times would be a pretty impressive accomplishment.

St. Francis (2-3, 1-2) at Marmion (2-3, 0-3)

Game time: 1 p.m., Saturday.

Last year: Marmion 16, St. Francis 10.

Last week: St. Francis 51, Aurora Central 28; Montini 35, Marmion 0.

Players to watch: Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said quarterback Ricky Bird and defensive back/wide receiver Manny Juarez are both questionable. Bird will try to play with a knee brace while Juarez met with his doctor Wednesday.

Outlook: Thank goodness the Cadets have someone not named Driscoll, Marian or Montini on the schedule. After averaging over 40 points a game the first two weeks, the Cadets didn't score a single point the past three against those heavyweights, with a 15-0 combined record and state rankings of No. 1 in Class 4A and No. 1 and No. 2 in Class 5A, respectively. While the quality of opposition was top notch, coach Dan Thorpe was disappointed in some of Marmion's execution. "It's a difficult schedule but you have to play them anyway," Thorpe said. "I am very frustrated with the lack of offense and the turnovers." Thorpe said there are actually two SCC championships to play for, the main one that Driscoll, Marian and Montini are battling for, then one more. "St. Francis has turned into our rival as they and us contend for the 'middle of the pack, championship' (and compete for) kids from St. Charles/Geneva/Batavia who want a Catholic education. They are extremely well coached, run their offense, and will be very difficult for us."

Bottom line: Spartans coach Greg Purnell likes quarterback Jeff Reckards' development and has to love last week's combined 332 yards rushing by Stan Bobowski and Mark Kachmer. At issue Saturday is the ability of nose tackle Danny Sufranski and Co. to counter Marmion's veteran offensive line and five-wide set. This should be another hotly contested battle just like last year.