One week ago the Lake Forest Scouts Varsity football team lived up to the hype by making quick work of the visiting Glenbard East Rams in the second half. At the end of the first half, the Scouts only possessed a one point lead, but they came out dominant in the second half. As expected, the Scouts scored over thirty points and gave the Rams their first loss of the season, 38-23. With one win in the record books, the Scouts look to stay undefeated against the St. Viator Lions tonight at Robert Morris College in Arlington Heights. Needless to say, however, given Viator’s talent, they will have their work cut out for them on the road.
Last season St. Viator went into the playoffs with a 6-5 record (4-3 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference) only to lose in the second round of the class 6A playoffs to the Scouts. Second year Head Coach of the Lions Dave Archibald seems to be more confident coming into the new season especially thanks to their quarterback, Bryce Hellgeth. Listed at 6’2’’ 210 pounds, he is definitely coming back stronger than last season, a year in which he only started half of their games. Hellgeth’s passing game is above par and will surely test the Scouts’ stellar defense, but will also present a nice challenge to the Scouts’ defensive backfield. A week ago, the secondary had its ups and downs as the caused multiple interceptions (Cavalaris-2), but also got exposed for some big plays from scrimmage.
Bryce Hellgeth is also listed as their kicker. The multitalented player is currently being recruited by Ivy and Patriot League teams. In addition to a solid passing game, St Viator possesses a lethal running back in Elijah Black. The 5’ 7’’ junior is quick, but not extremely powerful. On the defensive side of the ball, Viator’s line is full of experienced seniors led by Michael Wittich who is said to be their best player on the other side of the ball. The last thing you need to keep an eye on if you are attending the game at Robert Morris College today is Matthew Doershing, who dons the number 6 for the scarlet and navy. Hellgeth targeted Doershing over ten times in their victory over Rolling Meadows last week and will likely continue to throw to him against the Scouts. The St. Viator Lions seem to have a better team–talent-wise–than Glenbard East, whom Lake Forest, again, handled by 22 last week, but they may still fall short to match the Scouts depth on both sides of the ball.
Last week the Scouts set the tone for their 2017 season–hard hitting, intense, maximum effort football. From the very beginning, when they forced a fumble on the opening kick, to the end where they led by 22 points, Lake Forest was dominant.
Courtesy of Jon Kerr from Scoutsfootball.com, the stats show just how dominant they were under the lights last Friday. Lake Forest’s offense racked up a total of 363 yards, 151 of them being in the air and the other 252 belonging to the running game. In his first start at quarterback Jack Mislinski looked sharp. Mislinski went 12 of 21 through the air along with twelve carries for two touchdowns. Junior running back Jacob Thomas also had a solid game with nine carries for 69 yards and lastly, on only five catches Ryan Cekay racked up a total of 78 yards and a touchdown. The Lions’ defensive line could present some formidable resistance for the Scouts tonight. However, if the Scouts offensive line comes up strong and counterattacks that threat, expect Mislinski to have enough time in the pocket to occasionally create something downfield.
After numerous amounts of players had strong performances in last week’s home game here is who to watch for.
Chris Cavalaris, DB: Cavalaris had two picks in last week’s contest along with an overall solid performance in the defensive backfield. Look for him to play a big roll on the defensive side.
Jack Van Hyfte, RB: Van Hyfte had 13 carries for 31 yds. against GBE after missing most of last season due to an injury. Expect him to be more comfortable tonight and have more carries.
Ryan Cekay/Luke Nolan, WR: Cekay had five catches for 78 yards along with 1 TD in his first game. He will be a key component in tonight’s offense, but look for Viator to shadow him with some complex coverage patterns. That could leave juniors Luke Nolan or Clayton Burton open for good yardage over the middle.
John Deering, LB: Deering, who is one of the team captains, had 8 tackles and a sack to start his third year on Varsity. Watch for him to make a big mark on defense for the Scouts.
In my opinion, St. Viator will pose a little bit of a threat to the Scouts–especially since they will be seeking revenge on their home turf after Lake Forest ended their season last year–but the intensity of the Scouts’ defense and the power of their offense will be a little too much to handle. Expect to see a closer game than last week, but in the end I see the Scouts coming out as the victors 28-21. Go support your Lake Forest Scouts at Robert Morris College in Arlington Heights as they look to improve to 2-0 tonight.
About the Lions (1-0):
Enrollment: Approximately 1,3oo students
Location: Arlington Heights, Illinois
Mascot: Lions
Colors: Scarlet and Navy
Conference: East Suburban Catholic
Coach: Dave Archibald
Furthest IHSA Playoff Advancement: 5A Quarterfinalists (’75, ’76, ’77, ’79, ’81, ’89)
