Lake Forest Football Ready For Live Action

9 a.m. Aug. 19

football coach Chuck Spagnoli has coached long enough to understand what scrimmages are all about.

"It's an exercise in making people feel good. It's not necessarily about making our kids better," said Spagnoli, in his ninth season as Scouts' coach.

While the NFL charges $100 a ticket for its glorified exhibitions, you'll pay a lot less Saturday at Varsity Field. .

Practice is where players get better. On defense is where the Scouts need playmakers to emerge. Six starters are gone, including all-conference players Connor Cavalaris, T.J. Jackson and Max Keefe.

Watching the first team during a session Wednesday, here are a few blue shirts that stood out:

• Senior linebacker Brand Pfeifer: The Scouts had him playing inside and outside last year. Expect them to move him around again this year. Said Spagnoli: "He has enough athletic ability, and one of the things we would like to do with him and Nick (Keefe, senior linebacker) is create match-ups where they are in a better opportunities to make plays."

• Junior linebacker Alex Plonsker. Spagnoli needs playmakers. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Plonsker may be one, flying to the ball, making some of the hardest hits in practice.

• Senior defensive lineman Tyler Funk. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Funk will receive a lot of attention anchoring the middle of the Scouts' line. More than any other player on defense, Funk needs to stay healthy.

Other players to watch for at Saturday's scrimmage are senior safety Phil Sheridan, who will play a key role this season, and sophomore linebacker Trent Williams, who is getting plenty of reps with the first-team defense.

• What does senior defensive back Ben Warren expect from the defense this season? He explains in this video interview with Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch.

                                   • • •

Spagnoli knows his defense will be younger, but likes what he sees so far. What the Scouts lack in size and experience, they should make up for in speed and a collective nose for the football.

"They seem to be doing OK and not over their heads," said Spagnoli after Wednesday's practice. "I don't know how fast we are, but we're not slow. We do a good job running to the football."

Lake Forest's first opponent — Buffalo Grove — is a straight spread team that will occasionally feature two-back sets on offense. On paper, this should play into the hands of a defense built on speed. Don't expect Spagnoli and his coaches to overthink things schematically in Week One. Just line up and play.

"I think we're going to see pretty basic football. What I want to find out is how much pride do they have? Are they just OK, or are they really going to be good," said Spagnoli. "So if we can line up and play with heart and desire, then I’ll know what we got."

The Blue Gold Games begin at 9:30 with the freshmen, followed by the sophomores at 10:30 and the varsity at 11:30. All games are at Varsity Field.