Scouting Week 6 in Fox Valley area football

Richmond (2-3, 0-1) at Burlington Cent. (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."

Hampshire (4-1, 1-0) at Harvard (4-1, 1-0)

When: 7 p.m. today at Dan Horne Stadium

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

Last year: Harvard 27, Hampshire 6

Outlook: The winner of this key Big Northern Conference Eastern Division game will not only become playoff eligible but will retain at least a share of first place with three games to play. Hampshire has scored 93 points in two weeks against teams far less physical than the squad they'll encounter Friday on Harvard's homecoming. The Hornets are reminiscent of hard-hitting Genoa-Kingston, whose defense held the Whip-Purs to 8 points in Week 3. "They run a 4-4 defense and they're just very quick to the ball," Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. "They lost quite a few defensive players from last year, but they just reload with the same type of quick, aggressive players that swarm to the ball." The Hornets are off to a great start despite graduating 17 starters from last season's Class 4A state quarterfinalist. "Our defense is solid," said Harvard coach Tim Haak, who returned five starters on that side of the ball. "It's a very typical Hornet team. We don't possess great size, but our defense does have some quickness. This team has played together since youth football and they've spent a lot of time in the weight room preparing." Offensively, Hampshire is led by double-threat quarterback Trace Teboda (372 yards rushing, 646 yards passing), junior fullback Joe Moore (481 yards, 9 TDs) and 6-foot-4, 205-pound tight end T.J. Burzak, who has 16 receptions for 364 yards and 7 touchdowns despite the fact he is double teamed regularly. "They can run and throw," Haak said of the Whips. "That concerns me. Their athleticism concerns me. (Burzak) is very good, (Teboda) is solid, fast and can throw and (Moore) is a fireplug fullback, strong and hard-nosed." Harvard was a passing team last season (Over 1,500 yards in the air) but the coaching staff tailored its offense this season to maximize the strengths of its personnel. Quarterbacks Dusty Binz, a junior, and senior Shane Haak take turns running the Hornets' pro-style, multiple-set offense. Up to five running backs handle the ball for Harvard, led by Jim Cradic (485 yards, 6 TDs) and James Matteson (521 yards, 4 TDs). The Hornets average 17.4 points per game. "They're starting to get their offense ramped up," Cavanaugh said. "They're still sound throwing the ball, but both running backs are going great. It should be a good one." The teams have played one common opponent: Winnebago. The Whips beat Winnebago 35-19 in Week 2 and Harvard beat the Indians 7-0 a week later.

Grayslake North (0-5, 0-1) at Prairie Ridge (5-0, 1-0)

When: 7:45 p.m. today at Prairie Ridge High School Stadium

Last week: Huntley 48, Grayslake North 21; Prairie Ridge 41, Crystal Lake Central 7

Last year: Prairie Ridge 42, Grayslake North 7

Outlook: The Wolves are enjoying a dream season, one unlikely to be derailed this week by Grayslake North, a program yet to win a varsity football game in two seasons of existence. Prairie Ridge has devastated most of its opponents this season, outscoring them 186-64 in five games. Conversely, the Knights have been outscored 219-85. "What we're preaching to the kids this week is just getting better individually, coming back and working hard on our fundamentals," Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp said. "This is still high school football. A couple of turnovers here or there go a long way in our games, so we have to make sure we're fundamentally sound. The things we've talked about in filmwork during the week are the areas we want to see progress in during the game." The Wolves are led by the area's leading scorer, running back Sam Campbell. The senior has scored 11 touchdowns (9 rushing, 2 receiving) and notched a 2-point conversion for 70 total points in five games. Campbell has accounted for 833 of Prairie Ridge's 1,894 yards from scrimmage this season (42.9 percent). He has rushed for 641 yards and has made 12 receptions for 193 yards. Quarterback Bryan Bradshaw is also a dangerous weapon. The junior has completed 42-of-75 passes for 634 yards and 6 touchdowns against 5 interceptions. Though they aren't facing the league's best team this week, the Wolves prepare for every opponent the same way. "We always want to play up to the best we can play every week," Schremp said. "We tell our seniors it won't not long before the season's over and some of you will never play football again. Don't look back and say I wish I'd played harder against Grayslake North."

Huntley (2-3, 1-0) at Johnsburg (2-3, 1-0)

When: 7:45 p.m. today at Johnsburg Athletic Field

Last week: Huntley 48, Grayslake North 21; Johnsburg 33, Grayslake Central 6

Last year: Johnsburg 34, Huntley 7

Outlook: Fantasy football players love matchups like this. On one hand there's the Huntley defensive secondary, which has had difficulty stopping the pass all season. They'll be up against Johnsburg tight end phenom C.J. Fiedorowicz, who has 28 receptions for 440 yards and 6 touchdowns in five games. "If we had an answer as to how to stop teams from passing against us, we would have shown it by now," said Huntley coach Steve Graves. "We're playing with what we have and have to hope it's enough to get the job done." All but one opponent this season chose to double team the 6-foot-6 Fiedorowicz. "He's a monster. If you don't double team him, he'll beat you," said Johnsburg coach Todd Winter, who called his tight end a legitimate NFL prospect. "I don't know what Huntley will do with our two-by-two package (two receivers spread to either side of the field). It will be difficult for them to stop that and stop our run at the same time." Johnsburg running back Justin Peete has 371 yards rushing and 1 touchdown, and the Skyhawks' overall team speed will be another point of emphasis for Huntley, according to Graves. After scoring 53 points in its first four games, Huntley's offense enjoyed a breakout game last week against winless Grayslake North, racking up 48 points and 422 total yards. Huntley tailback Austin Drougas (296 yards, 4 TDs) and fullback Jordan Neukirch (299 yards, 4 TDs) are both adept ballcarriers and quarterback Casey Popenfoose leads the team with 64 rushing attempts for 305 yards and 4 TDs in Huntley's veer offense, which is still a work in progress. "We've been having a lot of problems with assignments," Graves said. "I don't think our schemes are overly complicated, but we seem to be settling down a little in that category." The winner stays in first place in the Fox Division of the Fox Valley Conference with three games to play. The loser will be pushed to the brink of playoff elimination, a scenario the Red Raiders must avoid with powerhouse Prairie Ridge (5-0) looming next week.

Crystal Lake S. (5-0, 1-0) at Jacobs (2-3, 0-1)

When: 7:45 p.m. today at Jacobs Athletic Field

Last week: Crystal Lake South 27, Woodstock 10; Cary-Grove 21, Jacobs 14

Last year: Jacobs 21, Crystal Lake South 13

Outlook: Will it be déjà vu all over again? Crystal Lake South enters the Jacobs game 5-0 following a good win against Woodstock. The exact same scenario played out last season and the Golden Eagles tagged the Gators with their first loss. Jacobs needs to earn a victory this week or it will be forced to run the table against Woodstock, McHenry and rival Dundee-Crown to become playoff eligible. The Golden Eagles have been up and down, alternating wins and losses since a Week 1 loss to Prairie Ridge. "They're a good team this year but a hard team to figure out," Gators coach Jim Stuglis said of Jacobs. "They go to Johnsburg and play Prairie Ridge and don't look that great against either, then they play well against Cary-Grove and probably should have beaten them. They're kind of a Jekyll and Hyde team. We have to prepare to play them at their best or we'll get slapped." The Golden Eagles' big-play capability was on display against Cary-Grove. Fullback Bobby Molinaro broke free for a 74-yard run and a reverse pass from Nate Mohlman to quarterback Kyle Magnuson covered 53 yards and set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Darius Bowers, who leads all area rushers in yardage (710) and touchdowns (10). "They have the ability to mix it up some, more than usual," Stuglis said. "Obviously, Bowers is the main threat but you have to do more than just stop him. (Magnuson's) biggest threat is his running ability. We have to keep him contained." Magnuson ran for 54 yards on 10 carries last week and has 276 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns this season. Both teams have large, athletic linemen, so this promises to be one of the season's best battles in the trenches The winner will be the team that controls the line of scrimmage. "It's going to be a really good football game," Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter said. "They have some good talent on their team on both sides of the ball. They have size, speed and a lot of weapons on offense they've used all year. And their defense is always tough." Crystal Lake South's defense averages 10.4 points allowed per game, thanks in part to middle linebacker Casey Macko. The senior had 3 solo tackles and assisted on 8 more in the Woodstock victory.

St. Edward (0-5, 0-3) at Driscoll (5-0, 3-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. today at Robert A. Barth Field

Last week: Marian Central 30, St. Edward 0; Driscoll 37, Immaculate Conception 21.

Last year: Driscoll 57, St. Edward 12

Outlook: No one ever said life in the Suburban Catholic Conference was easy. A week after facing Marian Central, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, the Green Wave play the Highlanders, the No. 1 team in Class 4A. As has been the case most of the season, St. Edward was competitive last week. The Wave stayed within 10-0 at halftime and trailed 23-0 late in the game against a state runner up from last season. That's not bad considering the Wave has lost 25 straight games overall and 19 in a row in the SCC. "We'd like to keep the score with Driscoll close the way we did last week," said Green Wave coach Mike Rolando. "We have to hope to limit our mistakes and make big plays. Who knows? Maybe we catch Driscoll on a day when they make a couple turnovers early. Then anything can happen. We've been very close to beating some very good teams this season and our guys aren't about to back down to anybody. That's a lot different from last fall when, internally, I think a few of them didn't even want to go out on the field against a team like Driscoll. Now they see it as an opportunity." St. Edward is the best 0-5 team around. The Wave lost by 2 points to Aurora Christian (5-0) by 5 points to Hampshire (4-1) and by a point to Immaculate Conception (2-3) when the possible game-winning 2-point conversion came up short. "Any one of those close games we could have won," Rolando said. "It's a shame these seniors couldn't have gotten that feeling of winning already. Their goal is to not end this season without a win. They feel they've worked too hard not to get it." The Driscoll offense is led by running back Tim Franken, who has rushed for 646 yards and 8 scores, and senior quarterback David Schwabe. You wouldn't know this is the first season at quarterback for Schwabe, who has completed 67-of-94 passes for 11 touchdowns and 1 interception. Schwabe had previously been a defensive player whose 22 career interceptions are 6 shy of the state record. Still, no one in Addison will take their guests from Elgin lightly. "They are definitely an improved football team," Driscoll head coach Mike Burzawa said.

Bartlett (3-2, 2-1) at Elgin (2-3, 0-2)

When: 7:30 p.m. today at Memorial Field

Last week: Bartlett 37, St. Charles North 6; Waubonsie Valley 38, Elgin 15

Last year: Bartlett 48, Elgin 0

Outlook: Bartlett comes into this game hot. The Hawks have won two straight over Lake Park and St. Charles North to forge a 3-2 record after losing two of their first three ballgames. "We thought they could do it," said Bartlett coach Tom Meaney of the early season turnaround. "I think it was just a matter of putting it all together and having everyone trust each other. There are five seniors on offense and four on defense and they had to learn to trust the juniors. Now they do and they're playing well together." A key component of the Hawks' recent success has been the rapid development of a young defensive unit that returned just two starters from last season. After allowing 99 combined points through the first three games of the season, the Bartlett defense began to jell. It shut out Lake Park two weeks ago and held St. Charles North to 6 points last Friday. The defense is led by senior linebacker Ryan Javan and junior linebacker Kyle Zelinsky, each of whom has a knack for blowing up offensive plays in the backfield. Zelinsky led the team with 7 tackles last week in the win against St. Charles North, a game in which defensive back Dan Boyke intercepted 2 passes. Offensively, the Hawks have a diversified attack. They first like to establish the run behind senior running back Vinnie Libreri, whose statistics have made an upward climb since the return of blocking fullback Myles Griffin two weeks ago. Libreri posted 214 yards and 3 touchdowns last week to spearhead the 34-6 victory over the North Stars. If Libreri, Griffin and the running game stall, the Hawks can throw the ball effectively with junior quarterback Josh Hasenberg, who has thrown for nearly 900 yards in five games. Last week Elgin played one of the Upstate Eight's best teams -- Waubonsie Valley -- to a near draw through one half before the deeper Warriors pulled away late. This week Elgin looks to rebound from two straight losses and even its record at 3-3 with three games to play. A loss would press the Maroons' backs firmly against the wall of playoff elimination. Elgin's strength is its speed at the skill positions. Look for the Maroons to find ways to get their best players, like running backs Kenny Williams, Terrell Walker and Robert Hayes, into open space so they can make plays. "This week we're really concentrating on trying to get the ball in everybody's hands a little bit to keep Bartlett honest," Elgin coach Tom Kim said. "Once they bring that 4-4 defense with eight men in the box, it's tough to get anything going. We need a balanced offensive attack where we can hopefully get some guys out in the open and running." Bartlett aims to stop the Maroons' top guns before they can fire. "They have a lot of speed and a lot of weapons," Meaney said. "We'll have to try to tackle them before they get going with team tackling and wrapping up." Bartlett defensive lineman Jon DeCoste is lost for the season after he suffered his second concussion of the year last week at St. Charles North.

Larkin (2-3, 2-1) at Streamwood (1-4, 1-2)

When: 7:30 p.m. today at Millennium Field

Last week: Neuqua Valley 56, Larkin 39; Streamwood 19, East Aurora 14

Last year: Larkin 28, Streamwood 14

Outlook: The players and coaches from Streamwood were able to exhale a bit after notching their first victory of the season last week against East Aurora. "It was definitely a much more lively attitude in practice this week," said second-year Sabres coach Cal Cummins, who is attempting to rebuild the program from the ground up. "It feels good to get the win, especially with some of the things we did in the fourth quarter. Our defense held them off at the end, so there were a lot of positives." The Sabres were able to stop East Aurora's potential game-winning drive despite the absence of linebacker Steve Graber, who sprained an ankle at the start of the final series. Graber is probable for tonight's game. The Sabres also won without running back Kevin Wohlhart, who didn't finish the contest due to a groin strain. He was back practicing by midweek and is expected to play tonight. Streamwood faces the area's most prolific passing attack in Larkin. Prolific Royals quarterback Cam Kinley threw for 411 yards and 5 touchdowns last week in a 56-39 loss to Neuqua Valley, giving him a total of 1,600 yards passing and 21 touchdowns through five games. "He's a good quarterback and they've gone almost exclusively to the throw," Cummins said. "They've got some kids who can really do some things after the catch. We have to make them earn everything they get." Larkin's top three receivers all specialize in yards after the catch. Nick Bee has 29 catches for 615 yards and 6 touchdowns, Ryan Shriver has 422 yards on 28 catches and 6 TDs and Jake Kane has made 22 grabs for 438 yards and 7 scores. Despite their penchant for throwing the ball in the spread offense, look for Larkin to establish its running game tonight behind senior Dillon Smith, who has rushed for 455 yards and 6 touchdowns in 66 attempts.

South Elgin (2-3, 2-0) at St. Charles North (2-3, 1-1)

When: 7:30 p.m. today at St. Charles North Athletic Stadium

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

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

Outlook: St. Charles North is coming off a physical game against Bartlett, a contest in which the North Stars gave up 349 yards rushing to a Bartlett team that attempted only 9 passes. South Elgin presents the polar opposite approach. The Storm passed the ball 33 times last week. However, South Elgin completed just 15 of those passes for 80 yards. 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 nonconference 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." 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. However, Bartlett's early lead forced the North Stars to abandon the run and 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. Quarterback Nic Neari rushed 6 times for 52 yards last week while completing 10-of-29 passes for 108 yards. The North Stars victimized themselves last week with untimely penalties on offense and their inability to stop Bartlett's rushing game. North 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. 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.

Dundee-Crown (1-4, 0-1) at Cary-Grove (4-1, 1-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday at Al Bohrer Field

Last week: Cary-Grove 21, Jacobs 14; McHenry 48, Dundee-Crown 12

Last year: Cary-Grove 56, Dundee-Crown 7

Outlook: Don't think for a minute Cary-Grove isn't taking Dundee-Crown seriously just because of the teams' respective records. In 2005, Cary-Grove went undefeated in the regular season and finished 11-1, but the Trojans nearly lost in Week 3 of that year to the Chargers, who eventually dropped a 7-0 decision in a game they could have won if not for key turnovers near the goal line. "Anytime you play a kid from Dundee-Crown, you'd better be ready to play a kid who will fight no matter what sport you're talking about," said Cary-Grove coach and athletic director Bruce Kay. "They have always been tough kids, competitive kids, good kids, even going back to when I coached girls basketball against them many years ago. And I'll tell you what, you don't want to step on a wrestling mat with several of the guys they have this year. But in wrestling you're not quite as dependent on the team. Football is a team game and a numbers game." And those numbers definitely favor the Trojans, who rarely substitute a player two ways let alone start them on both sides of the ball. Dundee-Crown coach Mike Davis is forced to start six players both ways out of necessity. Cary-Grove, which celebrates homecoming this weekend, is again one of the top teams in the Fox Valley Conference. The three-time defending league champions would be riding a 33-game regular-season winning streak right now had Cullen Fahey's 41-yard field goal at the buzzer not lifted Prairie Ridge over the Trojans in Week 2. Davis knows this Cary-Grove team is dangerous. "Cary is a very, very good team," Davis said. "Maybe they're not as good as they were last year, but last year they had one of the best high school football teams I'd ever seen. We're going to have to play well and eliminate the mistakes we've been making to stay competitive." Last week the Cary-Grove running duo of Kyle Gray and Andrew Schuh combined for 156 yards. Dundee-Crown is led offensively by senior Matt Cutinello, who has rushed for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns on 66 carries.