Scouts Hit the Road for 2nd Playoff Game; Memory of Last Year's Loss Still Stings

It was June of this year, school had not yet gotten out for summer. Some spring sports were still playing. But the football team was already thinking about the fall.

Given permission from coach Chuck Spagnoli -- it's "your team" he told the seniors -- the class of 2012 all huddled together in a meeting room at West Campus. In the front of the room was a white board. One by one, they walked to the board and scribbled down what they believed the 2011 season would be about.

One word, written by running back Owen Williams, stood out: Finish.

The word was a rallying cry all summer for the Scouts, as they sweated through workouts, the monotony of doubles. It's a word they forgot to take with them to Buffalo Grove in week one, as the Scouts played their .

But they quickly latched back onto the creed's meaning, steamrolling through their schedule, outscoring opponents by almost 200 points (324-134), culminating in an in week nine. 

Now, as October turns to November, Lake Forest finds itself in a familiar position. In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, it's deja vu all over again.

"We've talked all year about finishing this thing," said senior defensive back Ben Warren, who has 28 solo tackles this season. "Last year, we threw it away basically."

What Warren referred to was the . The synchronicity is eerie -- in 2010, Lake Forest was a No. 8 seed on the road, facing a top seed on a Saturday afternoon. This season, they travel to and as an eight seed. 

The Scouts led Crystal Lake South, 17-15, midway through the final period only to surrender 13 points in the final three minutes. Now, one year later, on the eve of another second round game against a good opponent, Lake Forest will have an opportunity to do what they didn't do a year ago. 

"The seniors know what it's like to be in this situation. It's scary similar," said wide receiver Luke Bernardi (35 catches, 488 yards, four touchdowns this season). 

Said senior defensive lineman James McKegg: "We want to take it through. This means a lot. We've put so much into this season."

A season that started with a white board and a very bold goal. 

How to stop Batavia

If you look at film of Lake Forest's second round opponent, one thing jumps out: size. This might be pound-for-pound .

Consider this: the Bulldogs feature a tight end, Cole Gardner, who is 6-foot-6, 250-pounds (six catches, 110 yards and three touchdowns in 35-28 playoff win over Notre Dame Friday). They have a defensive lineman, Mack Brown, listed as 5-foot-11, 280-pounds.

This is nothing new for the Scouts, as all season they have played teams with more size. 

"They are just big," said the 6-foot-1, 230-pound McKegg. "You have to stay home and penetrate inside, look for them to throw it and let Ben and the sharks take care of the back end."

Expect a balanced attack from the Bulldogs, who have played as many as 18 on offense during the season. Their quarterback, Noel Gaspari, is the son of long time head coach Mike Gaspari, who stepped down after last season. Mike Gaspari is currently the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

"You can tell he's a coach's son as he has great field awareness," said Spagnoli, who is also the team's defensive coordinator. "He's a really good player. He's the key to what they do."

Here's a stat for you: The Bulldogs outscored opponents this season by a margin of 433-107. But of their six conference games, only two had a winning record (Geneva and Streamwood), the other four combining for nine wins. 

So how good is this Batavia team?

"We have to stop them on first down. We don't want to give them an opportunity for second and short where they dictate and drive down the field," said Warren. 

Sounds simple in theory. We'll all find out Saturday. 

Locker Room Message

If you walk inside the Scouts' locker room underneath West Campus, you will notice a few more things on the wall. 

Thanks to the mom's of a few of the players, the walls are decorated with decals featuring inspirational messages ("winning isn't everything, but wanting to is" by Vince Lombardi) and banners ("Scout Pride! Our Finest Moment"). 

Put up Friday before the team's win over Fenton, McKegg said the players are using the signs for a ritualistic behavior.

"We all slapped it as we left. It says it all right there," said McKegg.

• Coming Up: Look for a Q&A with both head coaches Friday morning.