Lake Forest opens North Suburban Conference play at home Wednesday, Sept. 9, against a Libertyville squad led by Brock Williams, the 6-foot-5 senior tight end committed to the University of Texas.
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Varsity Field.
The Scouts lost 32-16 at Zion-Benton in Week 3, according to Shaw Local's scoreboard. Libertyville enters at 1-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play after beating Warren 21-6.
Williams is the matchup that will test Lake Forest's 3-4 defense. Ranked the No. 2 tight end in the 2027 recruiting class, he announced his Texas commitment on the Pat McAfee Show in May, choosing the Longhorns over Georgia and Ohio State, Yahoo Sports reported. As a junior he caught 44 passes for 596 yards and 11 touchdowns. He scored twice against the Scouts in last year's meeting.
Libertyville lines Williams up at traditional tight end and split wide in spread sets. Head coach Chuck Spagnoli, who also coordinates the Scouts' defense, will need answers from senior defensive end Charlie Hornberger and senior outside linebacker Emmett Heaton.
Hornberger, a team captain listed at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, plays the right side in Lake Forest's 3-4 scheme. His job is gap discipline: force ball carriers wide or funnel them back inside. Heaton, a converted wide receiver at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, plays the "Jack" outside linebacker spot, where he is asked to rush the passer, drop into coverage and help against the run.
Williams is not Libertyville's only weapon. Senior Kaden Butt, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker and running back, put together a three-phase performance in the Warren win. He caught a 72-yard touchdown from junior quarterback Jackson Yarc on the opening snap, returned an interception 42 yards for a score and added a fourth-quarter sack, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Butt also pitched Libertyville to the Class 4A sectional championship in June, helping the Wildcats win a second straight state baseball title. He holds football scholarship offers from Western Illinois and Minnesota State.
"I love football. It's my passion," Butt told the Tribune after the Warren game on Sept. 5. "… We're here in Libertyville to win, whatever the sport."
On offense, senior quarterback Rafi Karam has shown week-over-week growth for the Scouts. The run game was a feature in the Carmel game, and deeper pass plays emerged against Zion-Benton, according to The Athletic Scout's preview. Wide receiver Jack Burger, another team captain, is expected to draw heavy defensive attention from the Wildcats.
Offensive coordinator Dylan Johnson will also have to account for Libertyville left tackle Aleks Nikolich, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior with FCS scholarship offers whose brother Luka plays wide receiver at Lake Forest College.
