No-win situation? Not after tonight

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One of the winless high-school football teams in Grayslake is coming away with a victory ... that much is certain about tonight's intradistrict battle at Grayslake North.

Another certainty will be a rockin' full house, despite the paucity of triumphs.

It's been a while since either club has seen the sunny side of a grid-game outcome -- last year's contest between Grayslake North and Grayslake Central, to be precise. The Knights of North won that one 31-6, the only varsity win in school history, and it evened up the series between the two schools at 1-1.

But the last time either team beat an opponent that wasn't wearing a Grayslake jersey came in 2006, when Grayslake Central bested Dundee-Crown. There's little chance of either team winning the final game on their schedule this fall, so it's a win-or goose-egg situation for both clubs.

"We've kind of got a little momentum in the series," said Grayslake North head coach Steve Wood. "They haven't won a game since they beat us two-and-a-half years ago."

Still, if one was betting this one, the greenbacks would have to go on the visiting Rams. Both teams have resembled colanders on defense, but Grayslake Central's offense has looked good at times this year, with quarterback Kevin O'Rourke and receiver Justin Squillo among the county leaders at their positions.

The Rams have scored twice the points that the Knights have managed. Grayslake North's offensive star is running-back Glenn Mizowek, who has rushed for nearly 500 yards.

An additional wrinkle in tonight's third game between the teams will be Central's use of the bizarrely entertaining, pass-happy A-11 offense, which the team unveiled last week and used approximately 50 percent of the time.

The abnormal alignment of the scheme, which a few teams in the state have been using exclusively this season, allows the possibility of having any player on the field eligible to catch a pass, depending on how they line up.

"It gives them something else to prepare for," said Rams head coach Nick Goshe. "That offense fits our program right now," he continued. "We're a smaller team with good skill people. We don't overdo it. We use it like a different formation."

Goshe said that the team has been practicing the offense most of the year but injuries kept them from using it prior to last week. Ironically, the Rams broke it out in the only game O'Rourke has missed this year.

"We did OK with it," said Goshe, "but we turned it over too much, which is bad no matter what offense you're running."

Both coaches believe the key to the game will be taking care of the football and staying away from penalties.

"We need to keep our mistakes to a minimum and keep our defense off the field as much as we can," said Wood.

Goshe agreed, adding that mind-set will also play a big part.

"You can't get away from it, but whoever can put the rivalry stuff aside and get down to the business of football first will have a big advantage," he said.

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

TONIGHT

Central Suburban North

• Deerfield (4-3) at Glenbrook North (3-4)

• Highland Park (5-2) at Maine West (2-5)

• Maine East (0-7) at Niles North (3-4)

Central Suburban South

• Waukegan (2-5) at Niles West (2-5)

East Suburban Catholic

• Marist (5-2) at Benet Academy (2-5)

• St. Patrick (5-2) at Carmel (6-1)

• Marian Catholic (1-6) at Joliet Catholic (5-2)

• Notre Dame (4-3) at St. Viator (3-4)

Fox Valley Fox

• Prairie Ridge (5-2) at Huntley (7-0)

• Grayslake Central (0-7) at Grayslake North (0-7)

• Johnsburg (3-4) at Crystal Lake Central (5-2)

North Suburban Lake

• Warren (6-1) at Stevenson (4-3)

• Mundelein (1-6) at Libertyville (3-4)

• Zion-Benton (0-7) at Lake Forest (4-3)

North Suburban Prairie

• Antioch (7-0) at North Chicago (2-5)

• Vernon Hills (6-1) at Wauconda (3-4)

Non-Conference

• Lake Forest Academy (3-4) at Wheaton Academy (3-4)

• Lake Zurich (4-3) at Grant (6-1)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Central Suburban South

• Evanston (1-6) at Glenbrook South (6-1)

• New Trier (5-2) at Maine South (7-0)

North Suburban Prairie

• Lakes (2-5) at Round Lake (0-7)

East Suburban Catholic

• St. Joseph (2-5) at Nazareth Academy (6-1) PREP FOOTBALL FRIDAY: CITY SHOWDOWN