Wauconda hoping for big upset

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:30PM

An interception in Wauconda High's football game last Friday against Grant game may go a long way toward helping the undefeated Vernon Hills Cougars keep their incredible shutout streak - now at five games - alive this Saturday.

The pick, which happened in the third quarter, ended with Wauconda's star quarterback, Brian Kent, making the ensuing tackle and spraining his left knee in the process.

Kent, who Wauconda coach Dave Mills calls "the best-kept secret in northern Illinois football," has spent the days since the injury wearing a brace and has not practiced. He was limping slightly on Wednesday whenever he walked and is a coin toss as far as playing against the Cougars on Saturday.

A two-year starter, the Bulldog signal-caller is the offensive leader of Wauconda's football team, which runs the spread and throws about 65 percent of the time.

In five games this season, he's already thrown for 1,100 yards and 9 touchdowns while running for more than 400 yards. Kent's performance is one of the few bright spots in a disappointing 1-4 season.

"It will kill me if I have to sit out my Homecoming game my senior year," said Kent, who said that the verdict on whether he plays may end up being a game-day decision.

"The one good thing is that this is our only Saturday game of the year," observed Mills, "meaning he'll have an extra day to recover."

If he cannot play on Saturday, Kent will be replaced by junior Eric Dragon. With Kent at the helm in the Grant game, Wauconda held a 23-20 lead. Once replaced by Dragon, Wauconda collapsed and lost 48-23.

"We've modified our offensive game plan since then," said Mills. "If Eric has to play, we will use plays that take advantage of his talents. We've expanded the running game with him in there. He's a good runner."

Vernon Hills is 5-0 and has outscored its opponents 242-0. Its second-string defense preserved the shutout against previously unbeaten Antioch last Friday with a goal-line stand in the final minute of a 34-0 win.

Whether Kent plays or not, no one on the Wauconda side of things is totally ruling out a Bulldogs win, let alone having the team cross the goal line or put one through the uprights.

"Scoring is one thing," said Kent, who got in some work on the Stairmaster on Wednesday. "But we want to achieve more than that. We need a win in this game in order to keep our playoff hopes alive."

And looking at the rest of the Bulldogs schedule, it's not unreasonable to think they could run the table to get to the five-win, playoff-eligible mark. After Vernon Hills, Wauconda has games remaining against Round Lake (1-4), North Chicago (1-4) and Lakes (4-1).

"We've had a number of good battles against Vernon Hills over the years," said Mills. "They have a tremendous team this year, no doubt. But we expect to score against them."

The chances that the shutout streak will come to an end will increase exponentially the healthier Kent is on Saturday.

"He's got a John Elway-type arm," said Mills of his star. "And he runs between tackles like a fullback, but with tremendous speed."

Kent is currently being recruited by Division I-AA, Division II and Division III teams.

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