Lake Forest takes a 1-5 record into Friday's homecoming matchup against Lake Zurich at Varsity Field, but the Scouts have lost four straight to the Bears.

In 2023, Lake Zurich won 43-0 with a squad that reached the Class 6A state semifinals. The margin tightened to 17-14 in 2024. The Athletic Scout described last year's 28-7 final as closer than the score suggested. In three homecoming meetings since 2017, the Scouts have been outscored 83-21.

The Oct. 2 game carries playoff weight. Lake Forest climbed four spots to No. 52 in the IHSA Class 5A Playoff Outlook standings after the Week 6 blowout of Waukegan, according to The Athletic Scout. The top 48 teams qualify for the postseason, leaving the Scouts four spots short with three regular-season games remaining.

Lake Zurich enters at 4-0 in the North Suburban Conference, tied with Libertyville atop the standings. The Bears' two losses came in non-conference play against Fremd and Antioch, teams that are a combined 11-1 this season. NSC wins over Stevenson (17-14), Zion (24-7) and Mundelein (15-9) were all decided by two possessions or fewer.

Lake Forest sits at 1-3 in conference play after opening the season 0-5. Back-to-back wins, capped by the 56-6 rout of Waukegan on Sept. 25, have given the Scouts life. Ollie Steiner opened the scoring on a 13-yard run to cap an eight-play drive. Juniors Dante Federighi and Alex Picek each returned an interception for a touchdown.

Coach Chuck Spagnoli's team has run the ball more effectively over the past two weeks than in the first four games of the season. Junior quarterback Colin McMahon started the Waukegan game and faces a tougher Lake Zurich defense Oct. 2.

The Scouts hold a 3-5 homecoming record at Varsity Field since 2017, with wins in 2021, 2023 and 2025. A Week 8 matchup with Stevenson, which also sits at 1-3 in NSC play, follows the Lake Zurich game.