Scouts Football Depth Chart: Positional Standouts Heading Into Libertyville Game
The playoffs are here and the Scouts play Libertyville Saturday in Round 2 of the postseason at the Wildcats home field.
What will player rotations look like?
Here’s how Lake Forest’s depth chart stands out at each positional group heading into tonight’s game (embedded links are to a player’s football-specific social media feed).
Quarterback
Danny Van Camp — Senior
Braden Hoskins — Junior
Sufyan Hussain — Junior
Analysis: As I wrote about Van Camp in the Watch List earlier this week, slow and steady wins the race in the postseason. Play the type of game we’ve seen most of this season when the Scouts win: 20-25 attempts, 70-75% completions, 10 yards per attempt, multiple touchdowns, protect the football. Van Camp has played in championship-type level games before — lacrosse — and won’t get rattled when momentum shifts (it will). There’s no better person and athlete the Scouts would want under center at this moment than Van Camp.
Running Back
Marty Hippel — Senior
Matthew Chabraja — Senior
David Carrillo — Senior
Fin Michael — Junior
Ryan Valentincic — Senior
Analysis: See above. Hippel is another multi-sport high achiever and that mental conditioning matters in games such as these. The ankle discomfort that has kept him out the past two weeks should be no hindrance Saturday. November football is the time for maximum usage of top personnel and Hippel needs to be on the field at all times Saturday if the offense is to keep up with the Wildcats. Outside zone runs were effective in the last meeting and adding a screen or sweep play might be a change-up wrinkle for Round 2.
Receiver
Charlie Markee — Senior
Bink Hartline — Senior
Gavin Burns — Senior
Henry Mulliken — Junior
Analysis: All season long, the Scouts offensive staff have been very creative with formations, shifts and motion. More of the same Saturday, with tweaks. Libertyville technically runs a 3-4 scheme — same as the Scouts — but do more pre-snap shifting than other opponents. The Wildcats defensive unit is in a similar bind as Lake Forest: pressure vs. coverage. Libertyville did not get Van Camp to the ground in Week 8 and could be scheming toward more pressure. Lake Forest will attempt to get Markee in favorable formations and get Harline moving horizontally. If covered and the play breaks down, Burger is there, as he was in the first meeting and all season, as an outlet for Van Camp.
Tight End
Trevor Diem — Senior
Luke Pasquesi — Junior
Chabraja — Senior
Analysis: Up and down production from this group all season. Pasquesi’s versatility draws more formations and allows for versatile spread sets. One adjustment the Wildcats could make is more perimeter-oriented nickel looks, leaving opportunity for plays in the middle of the field. It’s hard to envision a scenario where the Scouts win and Pasquesi doesn’t get on the stat sheet. Diem and Chabraja are Hudl stars — production that shows up in post-game film reviews. Lake Forest would not be as good as it is in the run or throw game without blocking contributions from the seniors.