Football capsules
Last year: Larkin 22, Streamwood 21
Notes: The Royals have won six straight against the Sabres and 14 of the past 15 meetings between the schools.
• Streamwood is assured of its 10th straight season without a winning record following last week's 35-13 loss against St. Charles North. The Sabres trailed 14-7 at halftime before fading down the stretch in what has become a familiar trend, according to coach Cal Cummins, who said his team hasn't been able to keep up with bigger, stronger opponents. Senior RBs Wayne Holloway and Derrick King have both run for over 230 yards this year.
• Larkin looks to bounce back from last week's 28-21 loss against rival Elgin. The Royals allowed only 124 yards in the defeat. Larkin is still in search of its first Upstate Eight Conference victory and has lost three of its past four games. Senior RB Jalen Williams leads the area with 973 rushing yards and 12 TDs. Senior DB/WR Reid Ellis is out for the year with a fractured right tibia. Senior LB Leandre Lee will also miss his second straight game with an injury. Tonight's contest is the first of three straight home games for the Royals, who need to win two of their final three games to become playoff eligible for the first time since 2006.
Quote: "We're looking to refocus and regroup and get back to the kind of football we were playing early in the season."
-- Larkin coach Matt Gehrig
Erik Jacobsen's pick: Larkin
Last year: Did not play
Notes: Tonight's game marks the first meeting between the Saints and Hawks since 2004. Bartlett leads the all-time series 3-1.
• East picked up its fourth straight win and remained undefeated in the UEC with last week's 21-14 overtime win at Waubonsie Valley. Senior QB Nolan Possley ran for 149 yards and a TD on 22 carries to lead the Saints. East coach Mike Fields said senior RB Cory Campbell will miss his second straight game with a separated shoulder. The Saints can become playoff eligible for the fifth straight year with a win.
• The Hawks must win their final three games to have a chance at reaching the postseason for the 10th straight year. Bartlett has lost four of its past five games, including a 17-14 setback against South Elgin last week. The Hawks have committed at least three turnovers in all four of their losses. Senior RB Aaron Thabuteau leads the team with 394 rushing yards on 83 carries.
Quote: "We have a tough route here. Our backs are against the wall and we have to win out."
-- Bartlett coach Tom Meaney
Erik Jacobsen's pick: East
Last year: Did not play
Notes: The Storm is playoff eligible for the first time in program history following last week's 17-14 victory against Bartlett. The triumph marked the third time this year that South Elgin has rallied to win after trailing 14-0. Senior WR Jake Kumerow leads the area with 23 catches for 495 yards and four TDs. The Storm defense allowed a season-low 230 yards in last week's win and is holding opponents to 15.2 points per game.
• The Lancers are 4-0 in the UEC following last week's 28-0 win against East Aurora. Lake Park is tied with St. Charles East for the conference lead and holds a one-game advantage over four teams, including South Elgin. Senior RB Artie Monaco is the team's top offensive threat and ran for 111 yards and two TDs last week. The Lancers defense leads the UEC with 12.2 points per game allowed.
• Lake Park won the only previous meeting between the schools 30-0 in 2006, South Elgin's first varsity season.
Quote: "We believe we're playoff qualifiers with the playoff points we have. If we can get three more conference wins here we'll see if we can get ourselves in position to maybe be right in the conference race."
-- South Elgin coach Dale Schabert
Erik Jacobsen's pick: South Elgin
Last year: Waubonsie Valley 46, Elgin 21
Notes: The Maroons have lost 10 straight against the Warriors dating to 1994. Waubonsie Valley leads the all-time series 12-2.
• Elgin looks to build off its momentum from last week's 28-21 win against rival Larkin. The Maroons tallied 21 points in the second half of that game without an offensive touchdown. Junior RB Jordan Dean is second in the area in rushing yards and scoring. Elgin must win its final three games -- all of which will be on the road -- to become playoff eligible for the first time since 2001.
• The Warriors are coming off back-to-back losses, including a 21-14 overtime defeat against St. Charles East last week. Waubonsie Valley was held to a season-low 179 yards in the defeat. Senior QB Kenny Clay is dangerous both with the pass and run. The Warriors need to win two of their final three games to become playoff eligible for the fifth time in six years.
Quote: "There's no question last week's win was a great shot in the arm for the kids and the program. But at the same time we're still struggling offensively. We still aren't making the progress we need to make."
-- Elgin coach Dave Bierman
Erik Jacobsen's pick: Waubonsie Valley
Last year: North 20, Neuqua Valley 0
Notes: The Wildcats are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year after last week's 63-34 loss at Indianapolis Cathedral. The 63 points allowed were the most in program history. Neuqua also surrendered 521 yards of offense and committed six turnovers. Senior QB Joe Ippolito has run for 590 yards and 12 TDs this season.
• The North Stars can guarantee their eighth straight trip to the playoffs with a win. North is coming off a 35-13 victory against Streamwood last week. Junior RB Ben Hodges ran for 50 yards and three TDs in the triumph. Junior WR Josh Mikes joins the team this week after missing the first six games with a back injury. Senior RB Jordan Huxtable will miss his third straight game for apparent disciplinary reasons.
• The Wildcats lead the all-time series between the schools 2-1.
Quote: "(Ippolito) is their main cog. He throws really well but he's even more dangerous running the ball. He's one of the best I've seen in a long time."
-- North coach Mark Gould
Erik Jacobsen's pick: North
Last year: Jacobs 21, D-C 7
Notes: The Golden Eagles have had the upper hand against the Chargers lately, winning five straight times against their District 300 rival. D-C leads the all-time series 16-9.
• The Chargers are assured of their 15th straight losing season following last week's 42-20 defeat against McHenry. Losers of five straight, D-C allowed 520 yards of offense in last week's setback and is surrendering 39.8 points per game, which ranks last in the area. Junior QB Tanner Kotlan has thrown for 683 yards and five TDs this season. His top target is junior RB Danny Sharp, who has 24 catches for 324 yards. The Chargers have lost 13 straight conference games.
• Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter said his team is looking forward to playing the Chargers as always. The Eagles have lost five straight games, including a 50-6 defeat last week against Crystal Lake South, which marked Jacobs' second straight game against a state-ranked opponent. The Eagles snapped a streak of 10 straight quarters without a point last week when senior RB Dale Cook scored on a 76-yard TD run in the third quarter. Jacobs, which ranks last in the area with an average of 10.8 points per game, will miss the playoffs for the third straight year.
Quote: "Both teams obviously have struggled and it should be a fairly evenly matched game. We've got to fix our problems and worry about that before we worry too extensively about what Jacobs is doing."
-- D-C coach Mike Davis
Erik Jacobsen's pick: Jacobs
Last year: Did not play
Notes: The Red Raiders are 0-3 all-time against the Gators and have been outscored 126-14 in those previous meetings.
• A quick start to the season is a distant memory for Huntley, which has lost three straight. The Raiders will try to avoid their first four-game skid since the end of the 2005 season. Huntley's defense held powerhouse Cary-Grove to a season-low 23 points, but the Raiders could muster only 81 yards of offense in a 23-0 loss. Senior RB Brett Kleckner has been held to a combined 18 rushing yards the past two games after averaging 102.5 yards during Huntley's first four contests.
• The Gators moved up to No. 6 in the Class 7A state poll following last week's 50-6 win against Jacobs. That triumph clinched South's ninth straight trip to the postseason. The Gators are averaging 40.3 points per game and allowing only 4.5 points per contest. Senior RB Kameron Scott has run for 334 yards and eight TDs and is one of three Crystal Lake South players with at least 275 rushing yards.
Quote: "We think we're playing hard football. It just depends on how we match up with teams. We have a lot of holes and sometimes they are exposed and sometimes they are not."
-- Huntley coach Steve Graves
Erik Jacobsen's pick: Crystal Lake South
Last year: Hampshire 47, North Boone 13
Notes: The Whip-Purs are 3-0 against the Vikings since North Boone joined the Big Northern Conference in 2005. Hampshire won those meetings by a combined score of 124-26.
• The Whips will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years and are assured of their first losing season since 2003 after last week's 33-20 loss at Harvard. Hampshire led 20-13 at halftime of that contest. Senior RB Ron Laramie leads the team with 362 rushing yards on 67 carries.
• North Boone snapped a two-game skid with last week's 27-22 win against Marengo. The Vikings can become playoff eligible for the first time since 2005 with a victory. Junior QB Alex Albrecht has completed 79 of 146 passes for 1,385 yards and 16 TDs. He also leads North Boone with 682 rushing yards and seven TDs.
Quote: "(Albrecht) is a good player. This is his second year at the varsity level and he's a good thrower and a better runner. They can put up some points quick."
-- Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh
Erik Jacobsen's pick: Hampshire
Last year: Central 35, Marengo 14
Notes: The Rockets have won four straight against the Indians and nine of the past 10 meetings between the schools.
• Marengo has lost four straight after starting the year 2-0. The Indians are coming off a 27-22 defeat against North Boone last week and have lost 22 straight conference games. Junior RB Bobby Gaines leads the team with 392 rushing yards on 102 carries. Marengo must win its final three games to have a chance at reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
• Central looks to get back on track following last week's 48-14 loss against Richmond-Burton. Junior RB Tre Llanes and junior QB Tim Maroder both have more than 350 rushing yards this year. Junior OL Rene Saravia is expected to return after missing the past five games with a knee injury. The Rockets must win their final three games to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in at least 35 years.
Quote: "Every year (Marengo) has gotten a little bit better. I know coach (Matt) Lynch has done a really good job out there and we expect just like every week with a Big Northern game, a hard-hitting, physical contest."
-- Central coach Aaron Wichman
Erik Jacobsen's pick: Central
Last year: Oregon 35, G-K 20
Notes: The Cogs have lost nine of their past 10 meetings against the Hawks dating to 1993.
• G-K can become playoff eligible for the third straight year with a win. The Cogs are coming off a 12-7 victory against winless Rockford Lutheran last week. RB Austin Bankson ran for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns to key the triumph. Senior OL Terry Hensley is out for three weeks with an injured knee. Senior WR Nick Lopez (hamstring) and senior DL Kolby Pinne (shoulder) are both questionable.
• Oregon's quest for a fourth straight BNC West championship took a big hit with last week's 28-6 loss to Winnebago. Senior RB Nick McKeown is the top offensive threat for the Hawks, who are averaging only 15.5 points per game. Oregon, which reached the Class 3A state semifinals last year, must win two of its final three games to become playoff eligible for the fourth straight year.
Quote: "We're looking at this as kind of a playoff game because they need a win and we need a win. We've got a lot of respect for Oregon."
-- G-K coach Bill McCarty
Erik Jacobsen's pick: G-K
