The Lake Park Lancers will square off against the Wheaton-Warrenville South Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Lake Park turned things around against St. Charles East on Friday. They secured a 41-35 W over the Fighting Saints. The score was all tied up 28-28 at the break, but the Lancers were the better team in the second half.
Lake Park had a senior duo take command as Niko Menos picked up 214 receiving yards and three scores and Kendan Ratini rushed for 143 yards while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Menos was no stranger to the big play, lighting up the secondary with a catch that went for 67 yards.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Lake Park, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Julian Joseph, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Lake Park's defensive line made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Joey Michelini, Jack Grumeretz, and Max Degen, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in St. Charles East's side was Michelini, who picked up a sack, forced one fumble, and made six total tackles.
Meanwhile, Wheaton-Warrenville South made easy work of St. Charles North on Friday and carried off a 33-7 win. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won three matchups by 25 points or more so far this season.
Lake Park better keep an eye on Owen Yorke. He was instrumental in Wheaton-Warrenville South's win, rushing for 285 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 7.1 yards per carry. Those 285 rushing yards gave Yorke a new career-high.
Wheaton-Warrenville South was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 285 rushing yards. They are a perfect 4-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Lake Park's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 3-4. As for Wheaton-Warrenville South, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Lake Park has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wheaton-Warrenville South struggles in that department as they've been averaging 206.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lake Park couldn't quite get it done against Wheaton-Warrenville South when the teams last played back in October of 2024 as they fell 27-14. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Yorke, who rushed for 203 yards and a pair of TDs, and also picked up 70 receiving yards. Now that the Lancers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
