Game Day: Lake Forest Opens Season With Buffalo Grove

Lake Forest (0-0) at Buffalo Grove (0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday (Aug. 26).

Where: Buffalo Grove High School, 1100 W. Dundee Road.

Last year: Did not play each other.

Last year's records: Lake Forest finished 7-4, lost in 2nd round of Class 6A state playoffs; Buffalo Grove finished 4-5 overall and did not qualify for the postseason.

Key Players: Lake Forest - Jordan Beck, qb; Bo Dever, receiver; Owen Williams, rb; John Marwede, lineman;  Dominick Keefe, lb; Brant Pfeifer, lb; Ben Warren, db. Buffalo Grove -  Richie Zirngibl, qb; Brian Busch, rb; Alex Fritz, rb; Marty Egan, receiver; Mike Catino, lb, te; Jordan Rathje, db, Adam Steinle, lb.

Lake Forest Will Win: If they move the ball effectively on the ground, sustaining blocks against a quick Bison defense to give Williams a chance to use his size and force the secondary to bring him down. If Beck shows he can be a proficient passer, taking advantage of his mobility to look for receivers. If the Lake Forest defense relies on gang tackling rather than letting one individual carry the load, like Pfeifer. This is a unit that needs to show itself to send a message to future opponents.

Buffalo Grove Will Win: If the Bison's spread offense is given the time to gain rhythm - that's part of its effectiveness is to keep the opposing defense off-balanced and guessing. Zirngibl started a few games last year when starter Mike Garrity was sidelined by a concussion, so he's no stranger to making this offense work. If Catino, at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, is allowed to dominate on defense. His leadership is a key to a defense that has seniors projected to start at 9 of 11 positions.

Intangibles: Lake Forest may have a bigger chip on its shoulder, solidifying itself as a team to be reckoned with rather than a one-season wonder. Buffalo Grove is trying to break a seven-year drought from the state playoffs.