Week 2 high school football preview capsules
Updated: May 9, 2012 9:45AM
STREAMWOOD (1-0) AT DUNDEE-CROWN (0-1)
When: 7:15 tonight
Last year: Streamwood 27, D-C 12
Notes: The Sabres and Chargers collide in non-conference play for the fifth straight year tonight. They split the previous four meetings.
• Streamwood will try to put together consecutive wins for the first time since 2003, when it won three in a row in Weeks 2-4. The Sabres won their first season opener since 2002 last week when they knocked off Hoffman Estates 34-17. Senior RB Alex Morrow ran for 277 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in the triumph. He’ll be looking for another big effort tonight after racking up a career-high 300 yards on 41 carries against Dundee-Crown last year.
• The Chargers will take another crack at ending their 18-game losing streak after last week’s 34-19 loss at Elgin. Senior RB Ardian Asani ran for 69 yards and three touchdowns in the defeat. In addition to its long overall losing streak, D-C has also dropped 12 straight home games dating to Week 4 of the 2008 season.
Quote: “(Streamwood) is a team that’s thinking about making the playoffs. They’ve got a really good running back, a good quarterback and their defense is aggressive. This is a huge game for them and their playoff chances.”
— D-C coach Vito Andriola
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Streamwood
LARKIN (0-1) AT WEST CHICAGO (0-1)
When: 7:30 tonight
Last year: Did not play
Notes: Royals coach Mike Scianna wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance in last week’s 19-7 loss at McHenry, and he said he expects a better effort tonight. Larkin managed only 160 yards of offense in the defeat, 116 of which came through the air as senior QB Kyle Newquist completed 12-of-33 passes. The Royals will try to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2007.
• The Wildcats look to bounce back from a 42-0 loss to Addison Trail last week in tonight’s home opener. West Chicago trailed 35-0 at halftime in the defeat and managed only 63 yards of offense. The Wildcats are in the midst of an eight-year playoff drought and have won only once in their past 20 games dating to the end of the 2008 season.
• Tonight’s game marks the second of four road games for Larkin in the first five weeks of the season.
Quote: “West Chicago plays in the DVC, which is the toughest conference in the state. This is their super bowl. It’s a home game for them and I’m sure we’re going to see everything.”
— Larkin coach Mike Scianna
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Larkin
ST. EDWARD (1-0) AT IROQUOIS WEST (1-0)
When: 7 tonight
Radio: AM-1410 and wrmn1410.com
Last year: Did not play
Notes: Roughly 120 miles separate St. Edward and Iroquois West, which is located south of Kankakee in Gilman.
• The Green Wave looks to take another step forward after knocking off Genoa-Kingston 21-0. St. Edward’s defense allowed only 79 yards while posting its fourth shutout since Week 2 of last season. Senior RB/LB Luke Duffy ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns and also had seven tackles, one sack and one interception on defense. Cleaning things up on offense will be a focus for the Wave, which lost five fumbles last week.
• The Raiders opened their season with a 45-8 victory against Eureka. Keaton Zirkle helped lead the onslaught by running for 156 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Iroquois West, which competes in the Sangamon Valley, finished 2-7 last season and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Quote: (Iroquois West) doesn’t do anything too flashy. They’re going to line up and try to pound the ball. I think our defense will be up to the challenge, but this Friday is really about our offense starting to click and getting some confidence.”
— St. Edward coach Mike Rolando
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: St. Edward
SOUTH ELGIN (0-1) AT METAMORA (0-1)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Last year: South Elgin 49, Metamora 26
Notes: After hosting the Redbirds last year, the Storm will make the 122-mile trip to play at Metamora as the teams wrap up their two-year home-and-home series.
• South Elgin looks to bounce back after sustaining a 28-7 loss at Downers Grove South last week. Senior RB Adolpho Pacheco ran for 186 yards on 17 carries in the defeat. The Storm will again be without senior left tackle Christian Guerrero, who saw his streak of 21 straight varsity games played end last week after he sustained a broken ankle in practice prior to the opener. South Elgin coach Dale Schabert said there is a small chance Guerrero could return by the end of the season.
• The Redbirds haven’t started 0-2 at any point during their streak of 17 straight playoff appearances, but that’s the possibility they face this weekend after losing 24-20 at Bloomington Central Catholic. Five turnovers proved costly in the defeat for Metamora, which lost QB Ross Hoover to a sprained ankle in the third quarter. The reigning Mid-Illini Conference champion Redbirds finished 11-2 last season and advanced to the state semifinals for the fifth straight year before losing to eventual Class 4A state champion Rochester. Metamora has won two state titles and finished second five times under longtime coach Pat Ryan.
Quote: “We’re telling the kids this will be kind of like a small college experience with the long road trip. We’re going down to a great town with great tradition. It’s a great facility and I’m sure they’ll be outstanding hosts.”
— South Elgin coach Dale Schabert
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: South Elgin
SYCAMORE (1-0) AT BURLINGTON CENTRAL (1-0)
When: 7 tonight
Last year: Sycamore 42, Burlington Central 16
Notes: This is the sixth straight year the Spartans and Rockets will collide. Sycamore has won the past three matchups.
• Sycamore looked sharp in its opener, rolling to a 47-12 victory against North Lawndale. RB Trent Greer had four first-half touchdowns and finished with 75 yards on 13 carries. The Spartans, who are members of the Northern Illinois Big 12 East, finished 9-2 last season and have reached the playoffs three of the past four years.
• Burlington Central claimed its first victory in a season opener since 2004 when it beat rival Hampshire 36-22 last week. Senior RB Joel Bouagnon enjoyed a solid varsity debut in the contest, running for 132 yards and two touchdowns. The Rockets will be without junior OL Jake Souza for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken leg in last week’s game.
Quote: “We believe that our preparation will be an equalizer basically every week. (Sycamore) took it to us pretty good last year, and our goal is to close that gap and see what we can do to come away with a win.”
— Burlington Central coach Rich Crabel
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Sycamore
DEKALB (1-0) AT HAMPSHIRE (0-1)
When: 7:15 tonight
Last year: DeKalb 20, Hampshire 14
Notes: The Barbs opened the season with a 31-23 comeback win against Ottawa last week. Senior QB Brian Sisler completed 8-of-11 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the triumph. DeKalb, which competes in the Northern Illinois Big 12 East, finished 5-5 last year and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1989.
• The Whip-Purs look to get back on track after losing to rival Burlington Central 36-22 last week. Hampshire trailed 20-0 in the first half of that contest and will look for a better start this week. Senior RB Chase Lundry ran for 87 yards and a touchdown in the defeat for the Whips.
• Tonight’s game marks Hampshire’s second of three straight home games to start the season. The Whips have lost five straight at home dating to the 2009 season.
Quote: “(DeKalb) was a playoff team last year and they lost very few people. They’re big, athletic and just a good football team.”
— Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: DeKalb
PLAINFIELD CENTRAL (1-0) AT ST. CHARLES NORTH (0-1)
When: 7:30 tonight
Last year: Did not play
Notes: Tonight’s game marks the first-ever meeting between the Wildcats and North Stars.
• Plainfield Central rolled to a 41-15 victory against Amundsen in last week’s opener. Jordan Ellingwood ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns in the triumph. Plainfield Central, which competes in the Southwest Prairie, finished 2-7 last year and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
• A failed two-point conversion in overtime left St. Charles North with a heartbreaking 27-26 loss against Hinsdale Central last week. The North Stars went for two because senior DB/K Michael Schroeder suffered an injury earlier in the game, but Schroeder practiced this week and is expected to play tonight. Senior QB Collin Peterson completed 17-of-31 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat.
Quote: “Offensively (Plainfield Central is) very similar to us. Defensively they’ve got good number of returners back, so you can see they play with a lot of confidence. They’ve been a little bit up and down lately, and this looks like it might be one of their up years.”
— St. Charles North coach Mark Gould
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: St. Charles North
ST. CHARLES EAST (0-1) AT WEST AURORA (1-0)
When: 7:30 tonight
Last year: Did not play
Notes: Tonight’s game marks the first meeting between the Saints and Blackhawks since 1996, which was West Aurora’s last season in the Upstate Eight before moving to the DuPage Valley.
• St. Charles East suffered a 28-0 defeat against Cary-Grove in last week’s opener. The Saints managed only 65 yards of offense in the defeat and had a mere 24 rushing yards on 22 carries. St. Charles East will be trying to avoid an 0-2 start for the third straight season.
• The Blackhawks cruised to a 48-6 victory against rival East Aurora last week to make a winner of Nate Eimer in his debut as head coach. West Aurora scored on its first six possessions of the contest and rotated in four different quarterbacks throughout the game. The Blackhawks are coming off a 4-5 finish in 2010 and seek their first playoff appearance since 1994.
Quote: “(West Aurora has) a lot of team speed and they’re going to be a handful for us. We’re looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to the next step of getting better.”
— St. Charles East coach Mike Fields
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: West Aurora
JACOBS (1-0) AT JOHNSBURG (0-1)
When: 7:15 tonight
Last year: Jacobs 37, Johnsburg 17
Notes: The Golden Eagles own a 3-1 lead in the all-time series against the Skyhawks going into tonight’s Fox Valley crossover matchup.
• Jacobs opened the 2011 campaign with a 21-6 victory against Joliet West last week. Senior RB Caz Zyks had a huge game, running for 216 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Jacobs looks to take better care of the ball this week after fumbling four times in the opener, two of which resulted in a turnover.
• Johnsburg suffered a 42-0 whipping at the hands of Grant last week. QB Jon Torgerson completed 13-of-25 passes for 102 yards in the defeat for the Skyhawks, who surrendered 412 rushing yards. Johnsburg is coming off a 4-5 finish in 2010 in which it missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.
Quote: “(Johnsburg) had a tough first game, but they’ll be at home and I’m sure their kids will be fired up. We’ve got to go up there and do the things we can do and hopefully we’ll be all right.”
— Jacobs coach Bill Mitz
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Jacobs
HUNTLEY (0-1) AT KANELAND (1-0)
When: 7:30 tonight
Last year: Kaneland 40, Huntley 12
Notes: This is the third straight year the Red Raiders and Knights will meet in Week 2. The teams split the previous two games.
• Huntley went back to the drawing board this week after losing to Crystal Lake Central 28-6 in its season opener. The schedule gets no easier for the Red Raiders, who face three straight opponents that won at least 11 games last year in the next three weeks. Huntley managed only 160 yards of offense in last week’s defeat.
• Kaneland rolled to a 44-0 win against Brooks last week. Sophomore QB Drew David completed his first eight passes and finished 14-of-20 for 201 yards in the victory. The Knights are coming off a 2010 season in which they finished 12-1, won the Northern Illinois Big 12 East and advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals.
Quote: “Defensively we’ve had to switch gears because we’re going to face a different style of offense this week. Crystal Lake Central was mainly in power formations, and we expect Kaneland will probably spread us out quite a bit.”
— Huntley coach Matt Gehrig
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Kaneland
GENOA-KINGSTON (0-1) AT PEORIA MANUAL (1-0)
When: 7 tonight
Last year: Did not play
Notes: The Cogs are 0-1 for the first time since 2001 after losing 21-0 at St. Edward last week. G-K will be looking for improvement on offense after managing only 79 total yards in the opener. Senior RB/DL Luke Schumacher is dealing with a sore shoulder and is day-to-day.
• The Rams looked sharp in a 48-12 rout of Stanford Olympia last week. Anthony Holloway ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown and finished with 145 rushing yards on 11 carries as Peoria Manual tallied 400 yards of offense. The Rams, who compete in the Mid-State 6, snapped a 10-year playoff drought last year when they finished 6-4.
• The Cogs face a 135-mile drive to Peoria Stadium as they begin a new non-conference series with the Rams.
Quote: (Peoria Manual) is bringing a lot of kids back, and they’re fast and big. Our focus will be trying to do everything right and just trying to control the ball.”
— G-K coach Travis Frederick
Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Peoria Manual
ERIK JACOBSEN’S RECORD
Last week: 10-1
Season: 10-1
© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.











Comments Click here to view or make a comment