MC Preps Football 2014

Through their eyes

2014 prep football preview

THE TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSE PAGES 4-8 Wednesday, August 27, 2014

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42 IN THIS SECTION

COVER PHOTO

Hampshire’s Jake Manning warms up with his teammates during practice Aug. 12 at Hampshire High School.

Michael Smart – For Shaw Media

SECTION DESIGNTom CleggAssistant sports editor

Marengo’s Drake Stavroplos catches a pass during practice July 30 at Marengo High School. Read about the Indians on page 31.

Sarah Nader – [email protected]

3 Views: Sports editor Jon Styf is learning how to watch football.

TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSE4 Vintage football: Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove run the triple-option offense, which isn’t exactly modern, but it is effective.6 Inside the triple option: An in-depth look at the offensive scheme.7 What the QB sees: The quarterback’s reads are the key.8 Defending the option: The right defense can make all the difference.

9 The spread: Wide-open offenses are becoming more popular.10 Take 2: Joe Stevenson and Lester Johnson can’t wait for Week 1.

CONFERENCE AND TEAM PREVIEWS11 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division Crystal Lake South (p. 12), McHenry (p. 12), Jacobs (p. 14), Dundee-Crown (p. 14), Huntley (p. 15), Cary-Grove (p. 17)24 Fox Valley Conference Fox Division Crystal Lake Central (p. 25), Prairie Ridge (p. 25), Woodstock (p. 26), Woodstock North (p. 26), Hampshire (p. 28), Grayslake Central (p. 28), Grayslake North (28)29 Big Northern Conference East Division Johnsburg (p. 29), Harvard (p. 30), Marengo (p. 31), Richmond- Burton (p. 31)32 East Suburban Catholic Conference/Marian Central33 Alden-Hebron

16-22 5 to watch: Some of the top players are featured.23 Staff predictions/Preseason All-Area team17/20 Journals: Four players write about what football means to them.34-35 Rosters: For all of the local teams

STAY CONNECTEDWebcast schedule

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Follow us on Twitter

Sports editorJon Styf – @JonStyfAssistant sports editorTom Clegg – @TripleTCleggSports staffJoe Stevenson – @NWH_JoePrepZoneMike DeFabo – @MikeDeFaboJoey Kaufman – @JoeyRKaufmanChris Casey – @ChrisCaseyNWHAlex Kantecki – @akanteckiKevin Meyer – @kevmeyer18Lester Johnson – @moreorlesj@McHenryCoSports

Week 1 – Aug. 29CL South at Marian CentralWeek 3 – Sept. 12CL Central at Prairie Ridge

Week 7 – Oct. 10Cary-Grove at JacobsWeek 9 – Oct. 24Cary-Grove at CL South

PREP FOOTBALL 2014 | Northwest Herald / NW

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ednesday, August 27, 20143

How to watch football: It’s a learning process

I’ll admit it. When I watch football, I usually watch the ball.

At high school games, I have to. With NFL games, I hardly know how not to.

Try as I might to under-stand what’s going on or why in the trenches, it’s always somehow eluded me.

I never played the game. I just know people who did.

That’s why this year, for people like me, we’re trying to give readers more insight

into all that goes into plan-ning and playing each posi-tion in high school football.

In early August, we ran a series on each position’s responsibilities, along with some great explainer videos online from Johns-burg coach Mike Maloney, Huntley’s John Hart and Matt Zimolzak and Marian Central’s Dirk Stanger and Billy Bahl.

Those guys know the intricacies of the game way better than I do, better than we do, so why not let them explain it to you better than we could?

If you want to see those, it’s easy to find them at

shawurl.com/football101.Our goal this season, like

it is every season, is to take you inside the huddle with all of our local high school football teams. This year, we’re just doing it with a lot more detail.

So maybe people like me will leave this season with a better understanding of the difference between an X and Y receiver, knowing better what gap responsibilities are for linemen and know when a receiver is actually going out to catch a pass or just trying to run a defensive back out of a run play.

I try to understand the game beyond where the ball is. Heck, I was the guy who was adamant about voting

for Prairie Ridge offensive and defensive lineman Shane Evans as our Play-er of the Year last season. No offense to Jacobs’ Bret Mooney, he was outstanding and provided some of the best moments the season had to offer.

I just thought Evans al-tered the game, on both sides of the ball, more than any other player I watched.

After this fall, hopefully I can become a little better at taking my eyes off the ball.

• Northwest Herald sports editor Jon Styf can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JonStyf.

JonStyf

VIEWS

More online

The Northwest Herald recently ran an eight-part “Football 101” series. Find all the stories, along with our “Football 101” video series with coaches from Huntley, Marian Central and Johnsburg at shawurl.com/football101.

Jacobs running back Josh Walker carries the ball during practice Aug. 11 in Algonquin.


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An OLDIE but a GOODIE

TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSE

Cary-Grove quarterback Jason Gregoire (left) pitches the ball during practice Aug. 13, as the Trojans work

on their triple-option offense.Kyle Grillot – [email protected]

Tricky triple-option offense isn’t new, but it’s still effectiveBy JOE STEVENSON

[email protected]

Cary-Grove quarterback Quinn Baker took the snap and stepped to his right,

sticking the ball in the belly of fullback Kyle Norberg, then yanking it back.

Baker tossed quickly to run-ning back Ryan Mahoney, who raced around running back Kaene Connington’s block on the right end, untouched, for a 63-yard touchdown against Lake Forest in their 2012 Class

6A football playoff semifinal game.

It was only one play to tie the score

in the first quarter, but it seemed like much more. It marked the start of a long and frustrating afternoon for Lake Forest’s defense, which had no answer for the Trojans’ triple-option offense.

When C-G was done, it had 512 total yards, a 42-21 victory and a third trip to the state championship game. Ma-honey, Norberg and Baker all rushed for more than 100 yards.

That game serves as a prime exam-ple why opponents rank facing a profi-cient option offense, like those at C-G and Prairie Ridge, high on their list of things they least like to do. Particular-ly in the postseason.

“Once you get into the playoffs and those teams haven’t seen an option

team, we like to think that’s a huge advantage,” C-G coach Brad Seaburg said.

Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp concurred.

“I hate when more people run [option],” Schremp said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful in the playoffs. A good family friend of mine had a son on Fenwick’s team [in 2010] and they thought they were going to kick our butts. After the game, he said, ‘That option of yours … we never knew who had the ball.’ ”

In an era when spread offenses, often using some option elements, have become the norm, C-G and Prai-rie Ridge are thriving with an offense more than 70 years old.

For me, personally, the

[opponent] can have my playbook if they want it. That would help me, but that’s me.

Bill MackTriple-option guru and former Crystal Lake

Central football coach

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C-G won the Class 6A state cham-pionship in 2009 and was runner-up in 2012. The Trojans have the longest current playoff string of any area team (10 years) and are 24-9 with seven quarterfinal appearances in that span.

Prairie Ridge accomplished some-thing no other Fox Valley Confer-ence team has done, reaching three consecutive playoff semifinals, the last culminated with the 2011 Class 6A state title. The Wolves are 17-7 in the playoffs since 2005 and have made the quarterfinals five of their last six trips.

Woodstock North coach Jeff Schro-eder also runs a triple-option attack, but one that looks a bit different in formations than C-G’s and Prairie Ridge’s. The Thunder went 14-7 with two Class 5A playoff appearances in the program’s second and third years but missed the playoffs last season.

Seaburg and Schremp say an option offense offers many advan-tages with its speed, the ability to have smaller offensive linemen and versatility. With the headaches teams like Lake Forest suffered in 2012, opponents would agree.

“If you take away something, you give something else up,” Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli said after that game. “You’re not able to practice against it the way they run it.”

•••Any talk about option football

locally starts with former Crystal Lake Central coach Bill Mack, who ran some option with the Tigers but jumped into the offense totally after retiring from high school coaching and teaching.

Wheaton College coach J.R. Bish-op, a good friend of Mack’s, asked him to be offensive coordinator. In order to do that and run option, Mack and Bishop went to NCAA Division II powerhouse Georgia Southern and spoke with coach Erk Russell, one of the best option minds in the country.

Mack later ran option as head coach at North Central College and helped numerous high school teams – C-G, Prairie Ridge and Carmel – install option offenses. Carmel ran it so well it won the 2003 Class 6A state championship, 54-26, over Bloom-

ington, with its backup quarterback John Solan running the option.

“There’s a lot of offenses, and they’re all good – somebody’s win-ning with it somewhere,” Mack said. “I don’t think option demands a skill in terms of grading at any position. Nobody can win with poor personnel, but there are more things you can do in the option. You don’t really need big linemen. Timing and blocking and space are much more important than flat-out speed.”

Mack’s sagelike advice helped former C-G coach Bruce Kay win the state title in 2009. Like Mack at Cen-tral, Kay had used option earlier in his career, but later went all-in with the offense. The first year the Trojans went triple-option, quarterback Bri-an Mitz led them to the Class 7A state championship game.

“You’re not asking a lineman to block another lineman who’s big-ger,” Kay said. “They’re going to release and let that guy go, and the quarterback has to read him. Who do you want to tackle, the fullback or the quarterback? In essence, if the quarterback makes the correct read, we’ve now taken one of their best players out of their defense because he’s tackling a guy without the ball.”

The idea of option is that the quarterback will read two players, neither of whom are blocked, creat-ing a numerical advantage for the offense. The father of the option, for-mer Missouri coach Don Faurot, got the idea from watching fast breaks in

basketball. Faurot reasoned that one defender cannot stop two players if the ball is handled correctly, and he adapted that to football.

“The key to the offense is it gives you a chance to metamorphose during the game, play by play by play,” Mack said. “It’s really not what they’re doing, it’s how well you do what you do and how quickly you recognize what’s going on on the field and take advantage of it. For me, per-sonally, the [opponent] can have my playbook if they want it. That would help me, but that’s me.”

•••In 2002, Schremp was still new as

the Wolves’ head coach and utilized a wide-open offense with 6-foot-6 quar-terback Todd Babington slinging the ball over the field.

It was productive, but Schremp saw smaller linemen coming up in the program and worried about protecting his quarterbacks. He had played option at Westchester St. Joseph, but was not well-versed in the offense.

He called Mack.“It was two days a week, 3 to 6

o’clock, I’d sit at his kitchen table and I’d leave with the worst head-ache,” Schremp said. “I’d come home and Sherry would say, ‘Why do you go to those meetings? They kill you.’ ”

Schremp was cramming for the test that next season.

Seaburg had an easier transition to option. He coached 10 years at

C-G, eight as head sophomore coach, which allowed him to learn the op-tion well under Kay and Mack.

Both coaches run the same drills for backs and linemen, drills they have picked up from some of the nation’s top college coaches.

Schremp spent his spring break with offensive coordinator Joe Terhaar at Georgia Tech, picking the brain of Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson. Seaburg had spoken with Johnson years before, when Johnson was at Navy. Seaburg and Kay also are close with coaches at The Cita-del, a D-I school in Charleston, S.C. Those coaches rode the option at Le-noir-Rhyne (N.C.) to a D-II runner-up finish last season before landing new jobs.

“Option coaches are kind of like a cult,” Seaburg said. “We’re definitely a minority, and we all kind of stick together.”

Hard-core option fanatics are sold on its versatility. Schremp says teams occasionally “make stuff up” on defense to contend with the option.

“They’ve practiced it two days, now go run it on Friday,” he said. “It rarely works.”

The option may seem like dial-up in a digital world to some, but not to the option cult.

“People ask me lots of times, ‘Why don’t you go to the spread? Every-body’s doing the spread,” Schremp said. “That’s why I don’t go to the spread.”

BRUCE KAYHead coach at Cary-Grove from 1989-

2011 (168-68). … Two state championship appearances, one state title (Class 6A, 2009). … Member of Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. … His last seven C-G teams were 77-10.

CHRIS SCHREMP• Head coach at Prairie Ridge from 2002

to present (89-44 in 12 seasons). … Won Class 6 A state championship in 2011. … Teams in 2009, 2010 and 2011 made playoff semifinals, becoming the only Fox Valley Conference school to accomplish that. … The Wolves are 17-7 in the playoffs since 2005 and made quarterfinals last four trips.

BRAD SEABURG• Head coach at Cary-Grove from 2011 to

present (28-8). … Team was Class 6A state runner-up in 2012. … Coached 10 years in C-G program, eight as head sophomore coach, before taking over when Kay retired in 2011.


Bill Mack option-coaching family tree

Bill Mack, the head football coach at Crystal Lake Central from 1968-87 (122-57) and at Cary-Grove from 1964-67 (14-9) has influenced many current and former coaches with his teaching of the option offense. Mack is a member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was head coach at North

Central College, offensive coordinator at Wheaton Col-lege and offensive assistant at numerous high schools. He is a recipient of the American Football Coaches Association Randy Walker “Doing Great” Award for his influence on other coaches. Some of those he influenced are: Bill Mack

– Joe Stevenson

Option coaches are kind of like a cult. We’re definitely a minority, and we all kind of stick together.

Brad SeaburgCary-Grove football coach

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46

What is the triple option?

The triple option was devised more than 70 years ago and remains an effective, though less-utilized system today.

That suits option coaches fine. They tell you the less defenses see option teams, the tougher it is for them to stop their own option.

The option relies on precise execution and timing, along with the quarterback’s quick thinking. On triple option plays, the quarterback can hand off to the fullback, keep the ball himself and run, or keep the ball and then pitch to another running back.

His decisions are contingent on what the defense is doing.There are three basic plays with the option (see graph-

ics at right), midline (up the middle), inside veer (off the guard’s hip) and outside veer (off the tackle’s hip). Players have tracks, like railroad tracks for their paths according to Prairie Ridge football coach Chris Schremp, based on how the defense lines up.

The option was born when former Missouri coach Don Faurot was watching a fast break in basketball. Faurot saw that in two-on-one situations, the defender had no chance if the ball was handled properly.

Faurot set out to create this on the football field; the Split-T option was what he developed. Teams run option out of different formations, with local teams Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge usually running out of Wing-T.

The quarterback keys on two players, No. 1 is often a defensive tackle or end, while No. 2 may be a linebacker or safety. These players will not be blocked as it will be the quarterback’s responsibility to read where they are going and act accordingly.

He determines the direction and play (midline, inside or outside), then reads whether to hand to the fullback or keep. If the quarterback thinks the unblocked end will take the fullback, he will pull the ball back out and take off. If he thinks the end is coming upfield, he will hand off. If he keeps, he then reads No. 2, which determines whether he keeps and runs or pitches to the other back.

If the quarterback reads the defenders properly, the defense is outnumbered and linemen and receivers have moved downfield to block and produce a bigger play.

KEYS TO THE TRIPLE OPTION

• Cary-Grove football coach Brad Seaburg and Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp believe one of the biggest advantages of running the option is because smaller offensive linemen can thrive. That’s because of blocking angles and sometimes defensive linemen are released so the offensive linemen go look for linebackers to block.

• It goes for most offenses or defenses, but Seaburg and Schremp both constantly talk about having their linemen play low and fast.

• As the season progresses, the biggest adjustment option teams make is by just getting faster. The repetitions through the season can eventually make option offenses look com-pletely different at playoff time.

• The sleight-of-hand with option offenses can be frustrat-ing for defenses. Fullbacks often get tackled when they don’t have the ball. Quarterbacks take hits on well-timed pitches to running backs that often go for big gains.

• Defensive coordinators normally want their players swarming to the ball, but that is not always advisable while defending the option. Defenses are better served to remain disciplined and stay in their lanes.

• No one really knows who is getting the ball until the quar-terback hands off or pitches or keeps. If even the quarterback doesn’t know, imagine how tough it can be for defenders.

– Joe Stevenson


MIDLINE

INSIDE VEER

OUTSIDE VEER

The strong-side linebacker (1) is the first key for the offense. If he pinches in, the QB and second RB go outside for an option. If he doesn’t, the first RB runs off the tackle. The strong safety (2) is the second key. If he goes inside, the QB and second RB go outside for an option play.

The first key the offense reads is this tackle (1). If he pinches in to stop the fullback (FB), the offense takes the ball outside. The second key the offense reads is the end (E). If he crashes on the QB, the QB pitches it to the RB. If not, the QB runs with it.

The end (1) is the first player the offense targets. It won’t block the end, instead reading where he goes. If he pinches in toward the RB, the QB will keep it and go outside. If the end plays the QB to run, he’ll hand it off to the RB, who runs off the guard. The safety (2) is the second player the offense targets. If the safety crashes on the QB, the QB will pitch it to a back. If not, the QB will take off and run.

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ednesday, August 27, 20147TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSE

By JOE STEVENSON [email protected]

An option quarterback’s job seems less complicat-ed than those in spread

offenses because the option basically is a run offense.

Yet while spread quarter-backs look over the field for their passing reads, option quarterbacks must make split-second decisions regard-ing handoffs and pitches. Re-garding calling plays, option quarterbacks actually wield more command than many of their counterparts.

“There’s a lot of power to the quarterback in the triple option,” said Cary-Grove quarterback Jason Gregoire, who starts his second year as starter. “It’s making the right decision every time. In the triple option, there’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of things you have to read at the same time.”

C-G coach Brad Seaburg said the plays that are called in the huddle for Gregoire are more of “suggestions” than actually what he has to run. Option coaches trust that through the repetitions and watching video, their quar-terbacks will recognize where defenses are susceptible before the snap and adjust accord-ingly.

“A lot of times, that’s the play we run, but he always has the ability to change the plays,” Seaburg said. “We give a menu, especially with a guy like Jason, who’s really smart. It’s ‘Run a play you think looks good here.’ ”

C-G and Prairie Ridge are two of the area’s triple-option teams. Woodstock North also runs that offense, although the Thunder’s sets differ from C-G’s and Prairie Ridge’s. C-G won the Class 6A state championship in 2009 and was runner-up in 2012, while Prai-rie Ridge won in 2011.

Even if the option quarter-back runs the play called, he still has three crucial deci-sions to make after the snap: to hand off to the fullback, to keep the ball, then to keep or pitch to another running back.

“Even on handoff plays, [the quarterback] will have a check,” Schremp said. “He’s reading this guy here, and now he’s reading this guy here. He knows that one guy to look for on every play.”

The option quarterback wants to survey the entire field as he approaches the line of scrimmage. Once he determines if they will run in the direction called or switch sides, he looks for two defenders referred to as No. 1 and No. 2. They will not be blocked, as the quarterback’s ballhandling decisions are supposed to take them out of the play.

“You have to read line-backers, you have to read linemen, a lot of things going on,” Gregoire said. “If you

don’t make the right read or right play, it can result in a turnover or a negative play. Making the right reads is really crucial to what you’re doing.”

Reading how No. 1 and No. 2 will react determine wheth-er the quarterback hands off, keeps or pitches the ball. No. 1 is usually a tackle or end, depending on the path chosen, while No. 2 could be a line-backer of safety. No. 2 is the player closest to No. 1.

Linemen often loop over No. 1 and look for a lineback-er to block. Backs or ends likewise will ignore No. 2 and look for another linebacker or defensive back to block. The quarterback then reads No. 1, either handing off to the fullback or keeping, then No.

2, either keeping and cutting inside that player or pitching to a running back.

Both C-G and Prairie Ridge use ride-and-decide with the quarterback and fullback, which gives the quarterback a split-second when he and the fullback are both touching the ball, to keep or pull it back.

“My first read is a lineman. If I know he’s going to get kicked out, I move on to the linebacker, my second read,” said Prairie Ridge quarter-back Brett Covalt, who helped the Wolves to the Class 6A quarterfinals last season. “And if I see the lineman blitzing, I know I’m going to pull the ball and pitch it right away.”

Deception with play fakes adds to the option’s effective-

ness.“[The defense] not know-

ing exactly where the ball is makes it tough,” Covalt said. “If we execute what we’ve been practicing, it’s difficult to stop.”

The best option plays may result in a fullback being tackled without the ball by multiple defenders or the quarterback taking a hit a split-second after a perfectly timed pitch for a big gain to a running back.

“In theory, it should work every time,” Gregoire said. “You can be disciplined [on defense] the whole game, but have one bad play and that’s going to cost you. You have to stay disciplined the whole game and that’s really hard at the high school level.”

HEAVY READING for option QBs

Prairie Ridge quarterback Brett Covalt hands off to fullback Zack Greenberg during a Class 6A playoff game last season against Boylan in Rockford.

Shaw Media file photo

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48 TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSE

STOPPING the triple option

By MIKE DeFABO [email protected]

CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake South football coach Chuck Ahsmann noticed

a trend after recent postsea-son games against Carmel, Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge. All three ran the triple-option offense. All three games ended in losses for the Gators.

But instead of pouring over game tape, dissecting the intricacies of each offense, he looked toward the other side of the ball: defense. What he found was the 3-3-5 alignment.

“All three of those teams run this defense,” Ahsmann said. “We said there must be something to it.”

Developed by Joe Lee Dunn in the 1990s and made famous by Charlie Strong when he was a defensive coordinator at South Carolina in the early 2000s, the 3-3-5

defense gets its name from its three down linemen, three linebackers and five defen-sive backs.

Three of the defensive backs are in the traditional mold – small, quick defenders. The other two are “hybrid” type athletes who could play strong safety or outside line-backer. (Think Steelers safety Troy Polamalu). Their ath-leticism allows them to cover the flats, blitz, provide run support or help in coverage.

The strength of the 3-3-5 defense is that it gets more fast, good-tackling defenders on the field at the same time – something that becomes even more important with the uncertainty of the triple option. By stacking the line-backers directly behind the three down linemen, blockers have a harder time reaching the linebackers, which makes it more difficult for quarter-

backs to read defenders and make decisions about what to do with the football.

The Gators switched to the 3-3-5 about five years ago. The new tactic is a start, but it is by no means a fix-all when it comes to stopping the option. Part of the challenge is that defenses don’t see it that often and it’s hard for a scout team to replicate it.

“What you’re familiar with in practice every day helps,” Chris Schremp, coach of triple-option team Prairie Ridge, said. “It helps the game planning for the coaches, too. You can kind of figure out pretty easily what your own defense can stop.”

No matter what defensive alignment a team runs, most coaches agree that stopping the triple option comes down to assignment-based foot-ball. For example, the inside defenders may be responsible for the fullback, no matter whether he has the football or not. The outside linebackers take care of the quarterback. And the perimeter defenders cover the pitch man.

“If they all do their assign-ment, then we should hold our own pretty well,” South defensive coordinator Rob Fontana said. “If they make a mistake, it could be a big

play.”Even when every defensive

player executes his assign-ment, the offense can rattle off a big gain by adjusting its plays slightly. For example, let’s assume the strong safety is responsible for the pitch man during one particular game plan. An option team can recognize this and borrow a blocker from another part of the field to take him out of the play. Suddenly, what was a 2-yard loss a play ago becomes a 25 yard gain.

“It’s kind of a chess match,” Ahsmann said.

Oh, and then there’s the pass. Don’t forget about play action.

“You get disciplined and you’re focused on stopping the run,” Ahsmann said. “The safety is flying up to stop the pitch man, and all of the sud-den the tight end is streaking up the field.”

“If [the defensive players] all do their assignment,

then we should hold our own pretty well. If

they make a mistake, it could be a big play.”

Rob FontanaCrystal Lake South defensive

coordinator

Crystal Lake South’s defense stops Prairie Ridge running back Brent Ander-

son last season at South.



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Option isn’t answer for everyoneBy JOEY KAUFMAN

[email protected]

Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg considers his of-fense a throwback. Rely-

ing on an option-style running attack, the Trojans pound the ball behind big burly linemen. Last season, they amassed 2,611 rushing yards and plenty of clouds of dust. Because of their success, they stick with it year after year.

But increasingly, Cary-Grove is an outlier in the Fox Valley Conference and across McHenry County, which has seen a rise in the number of teams trading in the Wing-T for the shotgun. Call the spread in vogue, if you will.

Everyone is searching for an edge.

Crystal Lake Central coach Matt Fralick made the switch toward the end of the 2012 sea-son, before fully implementing the spread last season. The impetus, he said, was to better utilize skill position talent like then-quarterback Kyle Lavand and all-area first-team wide re-ceiver Jack Ortner, who ended up catching 79 passes for 1,360 yards in the new-look offense.

“We don’t get enormous linemen like some of the other programs,” Fralick said. “When we play bigger teams, we just can’t run the ball through them, so I figured, well, maybe we can go over ’em.”

For the Tigers, another reason was to avoid the sort of grind-it-out style. By installing

no-huddle packages, they can play more up-tempo, and more than anything, get the ball to playmakers like Ortner and running back Ryan

Williams, a returning 1,000-yard rusher, in space.

“The skill kids fit the system well,” Fralick added. “That’s why we went to it. Basically, that’s what our strengths were from a talent standpoint.”

Most teams that shy away from the option for either pro-style offenses or the spread seem to view the switch as a way to better utilize their top talent.

“Over there, they’re all going to run the option regardless if they have a great quarterback or a great (running) back,” Jacobs coach Bill Mitz said of Cary-Grove. “They’re not going to change, for whatever reason. But I’ll change to what I think our personnel is.”

Mitz, who spent nearly three decades at Stevenson in Lincolnshire, says he has trotted out different systems over the years and likes to tailor his system toward his

team’s personnel. This year, it’s running back Josh Walker, who ran for more than 1,000 yards as a junior last season.

“I’m not going to try to make Walker an option guy,” said Mitz, who enters his fifth season with the Golden Eagles. “I think he can be a jitterbug, where we want to get him the ball in the flat or in the open field to try to create mismatch-es in space versus just pound-ing it in there all the time.”

Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp, who hasn’t turned in his playbook, shrugs at the new wave of offenses.

“It’s popular,” he said. “Col-lege teams are doing it. It’s what they see on TV. That’s the thing to do.”

Crystal Lake Central quarterback Matt DeCoste drops back to pass during practice Aug. 14 at Central. The Tigers run a spread offense.

Daryl Quitalig – For Shaw Media

Matt Fralick

“When we play bigger teams, we just can’t run the ball through them, so I figured, well, maybe we can go over ’em.”– Matt Fralick, CL Central football coach

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The prep football season begins Friday, but we’ve been in the classroom all fall. Reporters Joe

Stevenson and Lester Johnson discuss:

Stevenson: I thought I knew football fairly well, but I’m learning a lot this summer with our Football 101 series and working on this preview section. I really picked up a lot more about the triple option from former area coaches Bill Mack and Bruce Kay, as well as current coaches Chris Schremp and Brad Seaburg.

Even those teams who don’t run triple option have some bits of that offense with them, like spread option teams that run out of the pistol with the quarterback and one back. What are some of your favorite offenses to watch in the area?

Johnson: I really like to watch Marian Central’s offense because they almost always put points on the scoreboard. Offensive coordinator Dirk Stanger and coach Ed Brucker are good at molding their offense around their teams strengths and putting players in a position to excel.

I like watching the Jacobs offense as well, because they have a nice mix of run and pass. Coach Bill Mitz isn’t afraid to go for the big play when they need it and they are pretty exciting to watch.

When it comes to running teams, I love watching

Cary-Grove, Prairie Ridge, Woodstock North and Richmond-Burton. It’s awesome when everybody knows what’s coming and still can’t stop it.

Stevenson: The option seems old school, but our area teams like C-G, Prairie Ridge and Woodstock North run it very well. When you run it fast with all those fakes, and you see the defense tackling guys without the ball, you know it’s working. I mean, if the quarterback doesn’t know who’s getting the ball down to split-seconds during a play, what’s the defense supposed to do?

And I’m with you on Marian. The Hurricanes spread things out and let it fly, and they always seem to come up with great quarterbacks. Billy Bahl’s

their fourth consecutive NCAA D-I QB.Johnson: We have seen some amazing football

from that group of Hurricane QBs and I think Bahl is set up to have a big season. Marian Central has had some darn good offensive linemen up there in Woodstock as well and I think that’s another big reason for their consistency, with guys like Bryan Bulaga (playing in Green Bay now), Sean Cwynar, Cody O’Neill, Scott Taylor and Kurtis Stirneman. Now they have Karl Rude, who looks like another good one.

I think this could be a good year for QBs in the area. In addition to Bahl, I like guys like Hamp-shire’s Nick Mohlman and McHenry’s Mike Briscoe to really lead their teams and put up some good num-bers. Who do you like this season at the QB position?

Stevenson: I really like Johnsburg’s Nick Breng-man, a third-year starter who put up pretty good numbers. I think the Skyhawks are poised for some-thing special this season and he looks like the type of leader to pull that off.

I’m eager to see what Jacobs junior Brenden Heiss can do too. He has a big-time arm, although coach Bill Mitz says there is a battle for that job.

It’s fun to watch teams throw the ball, but I love watching those option teams too. Particularly with those Friday night deadlines. Run that ball, boys!

Take2Joe Stevenson

and Lester Johnson

FACE OFF

Prairie Ridge’s David Faccone carries the ball during practice

Aug. 13 in Crystal Lake.



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FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE VALLEY DIVISIONPlayers to watch

Malik Dunner, Dundee-Crown, RB-WR-DB, sr.

Dunner (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) did not get a lot of offensive touches last year, but when he did, opponents often paid. He’s one of the fastest players and committed to Ball State over the summer. He’ll play more offense this season.

Josh Esikiel, Huntley, WR, sr.Esikiel (5-11, 185) caught 44 passes for 495

yards and three touchdowns last season for the Red Raiders and should be one of the area’s top receivers again this fall.

Michael Gomez, Cary-Grove, sr., OL-DLGomez (6-0, 270) likely will play on both lines

this season. He was an anchor on defense with his strength, and he likes guard better than tight end, so he’ll be back inside on offense.

Tyler Pennington, Cary-Grove, FB-LB, so.Pennington (5-9, 190) may assume the role

Kyle Norberg had in 2012 by playing fullback and linebacker. He energized the offense as a freshman with 1,006 yards rushing last season.

Trevor Ruhland, Cary-Grove, OL, sr.Ruhland (6-4, 270) committed to Notre Dame

in the spring and is regarded as one of the top

linemen in the state. He is a third-year starter and a player defenders dread to see coming.

Josh Walker, Jacobs, RB, sr.Walker was the McHenry County 100 meters

champion in the spring and is one of the most dangerous backs around with his shiftiness and speed. He rushed for 1,054 yards last season

and caught 21 passes.

Pivotal games

Huntley at Cary-GroveSept. 26You can be certain that Huntley is itching for

another shot at C-G after last year’s heartbreak-ing 20-16 loss. C-G’s Jason Gregoire hit Larkin Hanselmann with a 60-yard pass late to win that game.

Crystal Lake South at Dundee-CrownOct. 3South lost to D-C, 14-13, in Week 3 last season,

a game that set a tone for both teams. D-C won close games, while South lost close ones.

Cary-Grove at JacobsOct. 10Jacobs is the defending FVC Valley champion,

but C-G has most of its starters returning, three of whom played on the Class 6A state runner-up two years ago.

Top contenders

Cary-GroveThe Trojans return the majority of their start-

ers on both sides of the ball and have the talent to be one of the state’s best Class 6A teams.

Third-year starters Matt Sutherland, Michael Gomez and Trevor Ruhland are integral leaders for C-G.

JacobsThe Golden Eagles won their first FVC title

since 1979 last season, led by quarterback Bret Mooney, the Northwest Herald Player of the Year, who graduated. Coach Bill Mitz has taken Jacobs to the playoffs three consecutive seasons and may have enough to challenge for another division title.

HuntleyThe Red Raiders’ defensive line is strong and

experienced and could help them back to the playoffs after a frustrating 4-5 season. Huntley’s first four losses last season were by seven or fewer points.

2013 standings

Conf. OverallJacobs 6-0 7-3Cary-Grove 5-1 7-4Dundee-Crown 3-3 6-4Prairie Ridge 3-3 7-5Huntley 2-4 4-5Crystal Lake South 2-4 4-5McHenry 0-6 2-7

– Joe [email protected]

Crystal Lake South will look to bounce back from a 4-5 record in 2013.



Cary-Grove senior Michael Gomez is a two-way standout on the offensive and defen-sive lines.

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Coach: Chuck Ahsmann (fifth season, 31-12)

2013 record: 4-5 overall, 2-4 FVC Valley

Fast fact: South had the area’s longest consecutive string of making the play-offs snapped at 12 years last season.

Scouting report

• Although the Gators’ impressive playoff streak ended, they still were competitive. After losing the opener by 26 points, their

other four losses were by a combined total of 19 points.

• South returns five of-fensive and five defensive starters. Alex Gardeck was one of the Gators’ top offensive linemen last season and returns there,

and also will play middle linebacker. He is a third-year starter.

• WR-DB Tyler Baker gives the Gators some outside speed. DB Joey Ahsmann, DL Josh Andrae and DL Steven Anchor return on a defense that should be stout.

• RB Corey Sheehan, LB Scott Coughlin and OL Kevin Amren are three key new players who could play integral roles this season.

With RBs Chris Ivers and Eric Landis graduat-ed, Sheehan should get a lot of carries.

• QB Payton Minogue saw some time late

last season and completed 6 of 6 passes, with four going for touchdowns.

Drill that stands out

Oklahoma: Players like it because it’s one of the first drills where they really start to hit. A running back stands behind an offensive lineman, with a defensive lineman and a linebacker on the other side. When a coach blows the whistle, the offensive lineman tries to block the defensive lineman and the running back picks a side to run. There can be a big collision or there could be a touchdown.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 @ Marian Central 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 South Elgin 7:15 p.m.Sept. 13 @ Bloom Township noonSept. 19 Crystal Lake Central 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 @ McHenry* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 @ Dundee-Crown* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 Huntley* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 Jacobs* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 26 Cary-Grove* 7:15 p.m.

* – FVC Valley Division game


Michael Smart for Shaw Media

A Crystal Lake South receiver tries to haul in a pass under heavy pressure from a defend-er during a Gators’ practice Aug. 13 in Crystal Lake.

CRYSTAL LAKE SOUTH: FVC VALLEY DIVISION

Chuck Ahsmann

Alex Gardeck

McHENRY: FVC VALLEY DIVISIONQuick hits

Coach: Dave D’Angelo (third season, 5-13)

2013 record: 2-7 overall, 0-6 FVC Valley (seventh place)

Fast fact: After making the playoffs for 20 consec-utive seasons, McHenry has failed to make the

playoffs the past six seasons.

Scouting report

• McHenry enters its third season under D’Angelo, who believes that his system and philosophy will begin to show itself this year.

“Usually it takes three or four years to build some-thing,” he said. “Because we have had success with the underclassmen, putting these three classes togeth-er, they mesh really well.”

• McHenry returns its starting quarterback from

last season, Mike Briscoe, who threw for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

“The last 30 years, we’ve probably had three returning quarterbacks, so it’s a great plus and he’s a real good leader,” D’Angelo

said. “He’s like having a coach on the field.”• Although D’Angelo will focus mainly on

the offensive side of the ball, he said there has been an increased emphasis on the defensive side this offseason.

“We have to put our best athletes on defense, and that’s what we intend to do,” he said.

• D’Angelo said that this is the best group of skill players McHenry has had in 30 years. Among those skill players are Mikie Borst, Scott Marunde, Jack Machometa and Giovanni Purpura.

“We’re very deep in the skill position,” D’Angelo said. “We’re going to be fast on both sides of the ball.”


In preparation for kickoffs, four lines of players line up. For the first 15 yards, they sprint to the first tackling dummy and use a quick move to get around it.

After that, they advance about 10 yards where they are met by a player with a pad, on this one the player must break down, extend his arms to find the ball carrier.

Upon finding him, the tackler must take the right angle and wrap up the ball carrier.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 30 @ Larkin 1:30 p.m.Sept. 5 Marian Central 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Dekalb 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 @ Woodstock 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 Crystal Lake South* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 4 @ Cary-Grove* 1 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Dundee-Crown* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Huntley* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 Jacobs* 7:15 p.m.


– Jacob [email protected]

Dave D’Angelo

Mike Briscoe

Kyle Grillot – [email protected]

McHenry sophomore Giovanni Purpura carries the ball during practice Aug. 14 at Mc-Cracken Field in McHenry.


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Coach: Bill Mitz (fifth season, 25-15)

2013 record: 7-3 overall, 6-0 FVC Valley

Fast fact: Jacobs made the playoffs in each of Mitz’s first four seasons as coach. Mitz, who coached

for 28 years at Stevenson, has made the postseason in 29 of 30 seasons.

Scouting report

• The Golden Eagles went undefeated in the Fox Valley Conference for the first time in school history last season on their way to the conference title.

“It’s nice to be in the upper echelon with Cary-Grove and (Crystal Lake) South,” said Mitz, whose career coaching record stands at 222-113. “I think we’ve earned a lot of respect in the four years we’ve been here.”

• Jacobs lost 18 seniors from last season’s team, most notably 2013 Northwest Herald Football Player of the Year Bret Mooney. The Class 7A all-state quarterback takes more than 2,500 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns (17 passing, eight rushing) with him to Colgate. Sophomore Chris Katrenick, a transfer from Marian Central, and junior

Brenden Heiss will battle for the starting job.• The Golden Eagles return 13 starters from

last season, including three-year starters Nick Gierlak, Carson Shoemaker, Cody Fer-encz, Jamal Wilson and Josh Walker. Add to that mix established senior receiver Camden McClain, who caught 32 passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns last season. “They’re a good nucleus right there,” Mitz said.

• Jacobs is looking for a new playmaker to emerge with its quarterback and top receiv-er, Hunter Williams, gone.

“It’s the next guy’s chance to step up,” Mitz said. “Is it Walker’s chance to step up? Is it McClain’s? Is it going to (Mat or Sean) Barnes? Is it going to be Katrenick? It could be Heiss. Who’s going to be that guy?”

• Mitz acknowledge that the Golden Eagles could focus more on the ground game with running back Josh Walker, who accounted for more than 1,300 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

“Walker is a very electric player,” Mitz said. “I’ve had a lot of really good players, but he’s

a gamebreaker at any time.”• Look for junior twins Mat and Sean

Barnes to step up at linebacker and running back and receivers Kyle Copeland and Na-than Meland to emerge this season.


The Golden Eagles take conditioning seri-ously. To get into shape, they run “suicides” like you would see on the basketball court, only the football version is much more gru-eling. Players start at the goal line and run to the 5-yard line and back. Then to the 10-yard line and back. Then to the 15-yard line and back. They continue in 5-yard increments until they’ve made it all 100 yards.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug 29 @ Barrington 7 p.m.Sept. 5 St. Charles East 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Whitney Young 7 p.m.Sept. 19 Grayslake Central* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 Dundee-Crown* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 Huntley* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Crystal Lake South* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 @ McHenry* 7:15 p.m.


– Mike DeFabo, [email protected]

JACOBS: FVC VALLEY DIVISION

Bill Mitz


Jacobs linemen practice moving the sled during football practice Aug. 11 at Jacobs High School in Algonquin.

DUNDEE-CROWN: FVC VALLEY DIVISIONQuick hits

Coach: Mike Steinhaus (first season)

2013 record: 6-4 overall, 3-3 FVC Valley (fifth place)

Fast fact: Last fall, the Chargers made their first playoff appearance in 19 years, losing in the Class 8A first round to Oak

Park-River Forest, 35-13.

Scouting report

• The Chargers were a run-heavy team in 2013, throwing only 50 passes. Steinhaus plans on utilizing senior QB Jeff Atherton’s

abilities according to what is working during a game.

“We’re going to do what wins us games, so if it means running the ball 45 times in a game, that’s what we’re going to do,” Steinhaus said.

• Senior RB Caleb Parson returns to a Chargers backfield that collect-ed more than 2,100 yards on the ground in 2013. Parson finished with 176 carries for 926 yards and 13 touchdowns.

• Only six starters return from the 2013

playoff team, three from each side of the ball.

“There’s a lot of turnover and we got a lot of juniors stepping up and that’s a good thing,” Steinhaus said.

• Losing most of his starting core, Stein-haus feels the biggest improvement his team needs to make is picking up its intensity.

“The speed and tempo are slower this year

compared to last year’s [team],” Steinhaus said.

• Senior defensive backs Malik Dunner and Kiwaun Seals lead a defense that, in six wins, allowed an average of only 14 points a game.

• The Chargers’ road schedule will be diffi-cult again, as they travel to FVC Valley foes Jacobs, Cary-Grove and Huntley. Dundee-Crown went 5-0 at home last year, but lost

four of five on the road.


Running backs need to be strong and aggressive, so Steinhaus has all backs gather for a fast-paced rushing drill. They line up and wait for their turn, while four teammates hold blocking pads. Each player holding a blocking pad receives a number. When a particular number is called out, the rusher launches himself into the pads and explodes forward. Then, the rusher retreats back to the middle before reacting to another called number, testing his reaction time and strength.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 @ Elgin 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 Streamwood 7:30 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Morris 7:30 p.m.Sept. 19 Prairie Ridge 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Jacobs* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 Crystal Lake South* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 McHenry* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Cary-Grove* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 @ Huntley* 7:15 p.m.


– Ryan Altman, [email protected]

Mike Steinhaus

Jeff Atherton


Dundee-Crown alumnus and first-year coach Mike Steinhaus works with players on po-sitioning during practice Aug. 12 in Carpentersville.


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Quick hits

Coach: John Hart (third season, 10-9)

2013 record: 4-5, 2-4 FVC Valley

Fast fact: The Red Raiders lost four games by a touchdown or less last season.

Scouting report

• After losing four games by a touchdown or less last season, the Red Raiders have adopted the acronym “FIST” – fast, intense, strong and tough.

“We were four plays from not making the playoffs to maybe being the No. 2 seed,” Hart said. “I’ve never had that in 30 years to be that drastic.”

• The Red Raiders graduated 28 seniors from last season’s team. They will be looking to replace the 1,181 yards and 12 touchdowns that running backs Mitchell Kawell and Jake Scalise produced on the ground, as well as the 1,320 yards and 15 touchdowns that quarterback Blake Jacobs passed for through the air.

• Although the Red Raiders lose their quar-terback, they return their top three receivers in Josh Esikiel (44 rec., 495 yds., 3 TDs in 2013), Kyle Kesul (22 rec., 195 yds., 2 TDs) and Brandon Altergott.

“We feel like we’re pretty good there,” Hart said.

• Who will throw to those receivers still is to be determined. Three QBs are competing for the job, with junior Anthony Binetti taking the first-team snaps. He sat out the second

half of last season with a broken elbow, but said it “feels stronger than ever now.”

• Last season Huntley’s defense ranked near the top of the conference, allowing 18.9 points a game. The core of that squad returns this season. On the defensive line,

Jeremy Behnke (sr.), Zach Herbert (sr.), Chase Burkhart (sr.) and Tim McCloyn (jr.) all started last season. Dominic Swanson (jr.) started on the O-line last year and has been added to the rotation. Behind them, four linebackers – three of whom have start-ing experience – are competing for three positions.


Gator ball: The Red Raiders form a big circle around the field. Two players go to the middle and line up in a 3-point stance. On a whistle, they fire out and try to pancake each other. The goal is to teach athletes to be aggressive, tough and fundamentally sound in their hitting.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 @ Bartlett 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 Elgin 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Gary West (Ind.) 8 p.m.Sept. 19 Hampshire 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Cary-Grove* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 @ Jacobs* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Crystal Lake South* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 McHenry* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 Dundee-Crown* 7:15 p.m.


– Mike DeFabo, [email protected]

HUNTLEY: FVC VALLEY DIVISION

John Hart

H. Rick Bamman – [email protected]

Huntley defensive tackle Tyler Hart jumps off the line while participating in a drill during summer workouts July 7 in Huntley.

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Coach: Brad Seaburg (fourth season, 28-8).

2013 record: 7-4 overall, 5-1 FVC Valley.

Fast fact: C-G has the longest current playoff appearance streak in the area at 10 consecutive

seasons. The Trojans are 24-9 in that stretch with seven quarterfinal appearances.

Scouting report

• The Trojans return 17 starters from last year’s team, led by third-year starters Trevor Ruhland, Michael Gomez and Matt Sutherland, along with QB Jason Gregoire, who started last year and three games as a sophomore.

• Ruhland (6-4, 270) is headed to Notre Dame. Ruhland and Gomez are both two-time Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selec-tions. Gomez (6-0, 270) will play on both lines this season, Ruhland will play mostly offense, but will be used in some short-yardage situ-ations on defense. C Scott Topole (6-5, 265) gives C-G another huge linemen.

• FB Tyler Pennington rushed for 1,006 yards as a freshman and didn’t start until the fourth game. He sparked the offense in a big way and is bigger (5-11, 190) this season. Seaburg doesn’t want to use Pennington both ways,

but the sophomore may play linebacker too. “We’re having a hard time finding lineback-ers,” Seaburg said. “I hope he doesn’t go both ways, we moved him around so much last year. He has real good instincts.”

• Seaburg is the same way with Gomez, whose college position likely is on defense because of his height. He is one of the strongest players in the area and played some

tight end last year on offense. Gomez told Seaburg he liked offense better as a guard, so that’s where he will be. “He just buries kids,” Seaburg said.

• Along with the three big linemen, WR Jimmy Freskos, RB Kevin Hughes and RB Zach McQuade are returning offensive starters. Freskos will move to TE. OL P.J. Bardgett saw some time last season. Sutherland and Larkin

Hanselmann are DBs who may get some carries as well. Also coming back on defense are DL Ray DiMatteo, LB Travis Myerson and DBs George and Willie Hartke.


Bama – It is a high-tempo drill geared for the offense where the players run through midline, inside veer and outside veer for the triple-option. Defensive players holds pads and work as the scout team, while offensive players are constantly moving. The drill often sets a tone for practice.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Wheaton North 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Lake Zurich 7:30 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Grayslake North 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 Woodstock North 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 Huntley* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 4 McHenry* 1 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Jacobs* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 Dundee-Crown* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 26 @ Crystal Lake South* 7:15 p.m.

*–FVC Valley Division games

– Joe Stevenson, [email protected]

CARY-GROVE: FVC VALLEY DIVISION

Brad Seaburg


Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg watches practice last month in Cary. The Trojans return 17 starters from last season’s team that went 7-4 overall, 5-1 in the FVC Valley.

Playing the offensive line at Cary-Grove is unlike anything else I have ever

been a part of. The amount of guidance and support we have from our coaches and

our commu-nity gives us confidence and direction that we will carry on with us long after we are done playing foot-ball.

Every day, I have the opportunity to run drills with and against some of the most talented and hardest-working linemen around. Going into my senior year at Cary-Grove, I have seen that the coaching staff does not just settle with a talented player.

The coaches will make sure each player works as hard as they possibly can so they develop all of their tal-ents and abilities. Hard work is the center of our program and the root of our success. Everyone in our program

knows that working harder than our opponent every day is the only way we will achieve our goals this year.

The offensive line sets the tone for the team’s work ethic each and every day. The team feeds off of our energy

and our tempo. Having this responsibility, we must keep the enthusiasm and always look to improve our practice tempo. We have to work harder and have a higher in-tensity level each and every day.

There is a quote in our weight room that says “There is no status quo, you either get better or worse.” – Un-known Author. That quote sums up exactly the mindset we must have when going to every practice – to be better

than we were yesterday.When that attitude is

ingrained in any organiza-tion, nothing can stop it from being successful. Having this maturity and focus in the way we practice is sometimes difficult to maintain, which is why we are extremely for-tunate to have coaches who care so much that they will not let us give anything other than our very best.

Nothing compares to the bond that our offensive line has developed. We succeed and fail based on our ability to execute as a unit. Being accountable to the rest of the line is what determines if we can perform as a unit instead of just being a guard, a center or a tackle.

It has been an incredible experience being a part of this program and playing on the line. Playing football at Cary-Grove has taught me that in order to achieve your goals, nothing replaces real hard work. That is why I am proud to be a part of this program.

PLAYER JOURNAL: BY SCOTT TOPOLE / CARY-GROVE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

H. Rick Bamman file photo – [email protected]

Cary-Grove offensive lineman Scott Topole (77) stands with teammates during last year’s season opener against Wheaton North. Topole returns for his senior season.

Scott Topole

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Josh Walker, Jacobs, Sr., RB

Walker (5-6, 160) ran for 1,054 yards and 13 touchdow

ns for the Golden Eagles, who w

on the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title. He is one of the area’s fastest players, w

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selection.

Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shaw

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Being able to play the game of football is a blessing.

Not everybody has the opportunity to play. And I feel like I play the best position in the game, wide receiver.

Being a wideout isn’t easy. If you’re not mentally tough as a wide receiver, being able to show off your talents every game can be hard. There

are times when you are tired and in your mind you think you can’t run another route, but you’ve got to fight through it. You must be able to run your routes hard every play to be able to get open and help your team.

Being a wideout, you must have a certain swagger. You have to find your game. Whether it’s your speed, height or strength, you have to know what your strengths are and use those to your advantage.

It might be route-running, play-making ability, being able to turn a 5-yard hitch into a 20-

yard gain.Then, you have to have

quick feet and strength to be able to get off the line, espe-cially going against a physical cornerback. You have to use

technique. Assistant coach Mike Naymola always tells us to take care of the little things and big plays will come.

Another thing receivers must know is the situation of

the game. If your team needs 7 yards on third down, you got to push that route to 8 yards to get the first down. Watching film is also a very important step in being a receiver, so you can

see the things you did that were both good or bad.

Another thing coach Naymola taught me is that everything you do as a wideout you have to do it with purpose, because what would be the point of doing it if you’re not giving it your all?

Another thing we take pride in is how we look on the field. Like what kind of gloves and cleats you have this year. Some wear arm sleeves and all different kinds of stuff, because if you look good, you feel good. Some guys don’t care as much about their appearance and just focus on getting the job done. I personally like to look good, but try not to overdo it, as long as it doesn’t affect my play.

That stuff doesn’t matter if you don’t work your tail off in the offseason. It takes commit-ment. You have to learn how to get past your comfort zone and keep pushing. When you’re tired, you have to keep running your route as hard as possible or you’re not going to get the ball.

Friday nights are right around the corner and I feel like I’m ready.

PLAYER JOURNAL: BY JOSH ESIKIEL / HUNTLEY WIDE RECEIVER

PLAYER JOURNAL: BY NICK BRENGMAN / JOHNSBURG QUARTERBACK

PLAYER JOURNAL: BY JORDAN PLUMMER / WOODSTOCK NORTH FULLBACK


Huntley wide receiver Josh Esikiel runs for extra yardage as he slips past Bartlett linebacker Jeff Mitchell after catching a pass last season at Huntley.

Josh Esikiel

Playing quarterback, in my opin-ion, is one of the best positions on the football field. It is exciting to

play a position where you get the ball on almost every play, nothing is more fun for a competitor than having the ball.

There is a lot of responsibility in the position and therefore you have to be prepared both physically and mentally. On the physical side, I spend much of the offseason participating in speed and agility programs, 7-on-7 competition and quarterback camps to prepare for the next season. Also, for

me anyway, the weightroom is a spe-cial place. That is where the physical preparation begins, and if you want to be a successful athlete you need to spend a lot of time and put in a lot of effort here. I have always enjoyed weight training and, once you are in a game, you will see how it pays off.

The mental preparation comes from watching a lot of film on future opponents and studying the different

defenses we may face. A large part of playing quarterback is understanding the coach’s game plan for each oppo-nent. The ability to run the offense according to plan and communicate with your coach during the game in order to execute and make changes on the run is critical to the success of the team in every game.

Another important part of quar-terbacking is team-building and preparation. We try, as a team, to make everyone comfortable with the playbook and knowing what each player’s responsibility is in order to

have a winning team. One of the ways we have done this is by getting togeth-er on our own time in the summer, at my home, where we run routes and go over plays to prepare for August workouts. This is a confidence-builder as well as we head into football season.

Being a quarterback is the best position for me. I enjoy the pressure of the position and reading and reacting to the different defenses. Hopefully, if I make the right call, we will gain the yardage, score and then win. Our team feels confident going into the 2014 season.

As a fullback in a triple-option of-fense, I have multiple responsibili-ties – carrying the ball, blocking for

other backs, selling fake handoffs and occasionally catching a pass or two.

Yards never come easy when you’re a fullback. Most of my runs are north and south, which means I have to go straight through all the big boys on the field. Since I don’t have much room to dance around defensive players, I have to be very aware of what my blockers are doing at all times and know where the holes in the line of scrimmage will be.

Once I make it past the first wave

of defenders, it is my responsibility to break one tackle. If I do break the tack-le, it usually results in a big play.

Playing fullback in the triple-option means I get a lot of oppor-tunities to carry the ball. On the downside, it also means I get tackled almost every single play because the defense doesn’t always know which of the three players have the ball. Because of the amount of carries, along with the number of hits I

take, I have to stay healthy and keep my body in the best shape I can.

I have taken multiple strength and conditioning classes in school, as well as speed and agility training during the offseason. In addition to physical training, I also train mentally by spend-ing hours watching film and trying to understand our opponent’s defense and figuring out what I do wrong on bad plays.

I find changes I can make to turn 3-yard gains into touchdowns.

Faking handoffs and blocking for our other running backs are probably my most important responsibilities.

Sometimes a good fake will freeze up a linebacker or free safety long enough to make it impossible for them to reach the running back.

Ninety percent of my run plays are options and it is sort of hard for me to fake a handoff if I don’t know whether I will get the ball or not. As a solution, quarterback Jimmy Krenger and I have repped our quarterback-fullback mesh to the point where it is second nature to both of us. That helps because it gives him more time to make a good read and it gives me time to also look at the read and get a good idea of if it will be a give or a pull.

Nick Brengman

Jordan Plummer


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QuarterbackBilly Bahl, senior, Marian Central

Running backJosh Walker, senior, JacobsRyan Williams, senior, Crystal Lake

CentralTyler Pennington, sophomore, Cary-Grove

Wide receiverJack Ortner, senior, Crystal Lake CentralJosh Esikiel, senior, Huntley

Offensive lineTrevor Ruhland, senior, Cary-GroveCarson Shoemaker, senior, JacobsKarl Rude, senior, Marian CentralChris Dolleton, senior, Prairie RidgeJohn Conroy, junior, Johnsburg

Defensive lineMichael Gomez, senior, Cary-GroveAlec Baron, senior, Crystal Lake CentralGavin Dineen, junior, Marian CentralJosh Andrae, junior, Crystal Lake South

LinebackerMichael Hartlieb, senior, Marian CentralAlex Gardeck, senior, Crystal Lake SouthTravis Myerson, junior, Cary-Grove

Defensive backMatt Sutherland, senior, Cary-GroveMalik Dunner, senior, Dundee-CrownCody Ferencz, senior, JacobsBrad Garber, senior, Crystal Lake Central

KickerPeyton Schneider, senior, Harvard

– Compiled by Jon Styf [email protected]

Preseason Northwest Herald All-Area team

Sarah Nader file photo – [email protected]

Cary-Grove running back Tyler Penning-ton is on the Preseason Northwest Her-ald All-Area team.

JON STYFSports Editor

FVC Valley champ: Cary-GroveFVC Valley MVP: Tyler Pennington,

Cary-GroveFVC Fox champ: Prairie RidgeFVC Fox MVP: Titus Booker, Grays-

lake NorthBNC East champ: Genoa-KingstonBNC East MVP: Johnsburg’s Nick

BrengmanLongest playoff run: Cary-GroveOffensive Player of the Year: Tyler

Pennington, Cary-GroveDefensive Player of the Year:

Michael Gomez, Cary-Grove

JOE STEVENSONSenior sports writer

FVC Valley champ: Cary-GroveFVC Valley MVP: Trevor Ruhland,

Cary-GroveFVC Fox champ: Prairie RidgeFVC Fox MVP: Ryan Williams, CL

CentralBNC East champ: JohnsburgBNC East MVP: Johnsburg’s Nick

BrengmanLongest playoff run: Cary-GroveOffensive Player of the Year: Billy

Bahl, Marian CentralDefensive Player of the Year:

Malik Dunner, Dundee-Crown

CHRIS CASEYSports writer

FVC Valley champ: JacobsFVC Valley MVP: Josh Walker,

JacobsFVC Fox champ: Prairie RidgeFVC Fox MVP: Titus Booker, Grays-

lake NorthBNC East champ: HarvardBNC East MVP: Peyton Schneider,

HarvardLongest playoff run: Marian CentralOffensive Player of the Year: Billy

Bahl, MarianDefensive Player of the Year:


JOEY KAUFMANSports writer

FVC Valley champ: Cary-Grove FVC Valley MVP: Josh Walker,

Jacobs FVC Fox champ: Grayslake North FVC Fox MVP: Titus Booker, Grays-

lake North BNC East champ: Genoa-Kingston BNC East MVP: Christian Kramer,

Harvard Longest playoff run: Cary-Grove Offensive Player of the Year: Billy

Bahl, Marian CentralDefensive Player of the Year:


MIKE DeFABOSports writer

FVC Valley champ: Cary-GroveFVC Valley MVP: Josh Walker,

JacobsFVC Fox champ: Crystal Lake CentralFVC Fox MVP: Titus Booker, Grays-

lake NorthBNC East champ: Burlington CentralBNC East MVP: Harvard’s Christian

KramerLongest playoff run: Cary-GroveOffensive Player of the Year: Billy

Bahl, Marian CentralDefensive Player of the Year: Malik

Dunner, D-C

LESTER JOHNSONMCS

FVC Valley champ: Cary-GroveFVC Valley MVP: Josh Walker,

JacobsFVC Fox champ: Crystal Lake CentralFVC Fox MVP: Titus Booker, Grays-

lake NorthBNC East champ: Genoa-KingstonBNC East MVP: Genoa-Kingston’s

Griffin McNealLongest playoff run: Cary-GroveOffensive Player of the Year: Trevor

Ruhland, Cary-GroveDefensive Player of the Year: Zach

Herbert, Huntley

STAFF PREDICTIONSCONSENSUS PLAYER OF THE YEAR PICKS

Offensive Player of Year: Billy Bahl, Marian Central Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Gomez, Cary-Grove

Marian Central quarterback Billy Bahl is the consensus pick to be the area’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Sarah Nader file photo - [email protected]

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Players to watch

Titus Booker, Grayslake North, RB, sr.Booker, an Indiana commit, might be the fast-

est player in the Fox Valley Conference, if not all of Illinois. At last spring’s Class 3A state meet, the speedy 6-foot, 182-pound back finished runner-up in the 100 meters at 10.64 seconds. He is expected to play in the secondary for the Hoosiers, but for now, he’s especially a threat on offense after rushing for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Ryan Williams, Crystal Lake Central, RB, sr.Williams was among the top running backs in

the area last season, going for 1,045 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder is expected to shoulder the load again this season for the Tigers, who are re-placing quarterback Kyle Lavand and his steady dose of production.

Jack Ortner, Crystal Lake Central, WR, sr.Last fall, Ortner (6-4, 180) led the area in re-

ceptions with 79 and receiving yards with 1,360. The next closest in either category was Marian Central’s Brett Olson, who had 47 receptions for 948 yards. His biggest game last season was in a seven-point win at Huntley, where he caught 19 passes, second most in a single game, ac-cording to the IHSA. He was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection.

Nick Mohlman, Hampshire, QB, sr.Mohlman (6-0, 180) stood among the area’s

more efficient quarterbacks last fall, tossing 12 touchdowns to only three interceptions. He also proved instrumental in leading the Whip-Purs to the 5A state playoffs for the first time since 2008. His steady presence could lead them to their second consecutive postseason appearance, which would be a first since the mid-2000s.

Chris Dolleton, Prairie Ridge, OL-DL, sr.Granted, the senior lineman isn’t overly im-

posing at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, but Dolleton has built a reputation as one of the area’s best bodies up front. Last season, he paved a number of holes for the run-heavy Wolves, as leading rushers Brett Covalt, Brent Anderson and Zack Greenberg ran for 2,304 yards.

Jake Varys, Woodstock North, C, jr.A Northwest Herald all-area honorable men-

tion selection last season, Varys started seven games for the Thunder and should play an even bigger role this season, including snaps on the defensive line. The 270-pounder is also one of the larger players in the area.

Pivotal games

Crystal Lake Central at Prairie Ridge 7:15 p.m. Sept. 12

The Wolves host the defending FVC Fox champion Tigers in early September in a matchup that could give either of the two di-vision favorites an early leg up. It also marks their first meeting since the 2012 season.

Woodstock at Woodstock North 7:15 p.m. Sept. 12The Woodstock schools begin Year 1 of

their two-year farewell tour before leaving for the new Kishwaukee River Conference in 2016. Although the two rivals combined for just three conference wins in 2013, a victory could provide some early-season momen-tum to make the division race all the more competitive.

Crystal Lake Central at Grayslake North 7:15 p.m. Oct. 5Last year’s Fox Division crown was decided,

more or less, in early October when the Tigers blew past the Knights, 35-6, handing them their only division loss. This time, the game will be played in Lake County, where Grayslake North hopes a change of scenery can do the trick.

Top contenders

Crystal Lake CentralThe Tigers’ defense of their Fox Division

title gets a bit tougher with the addition of

Prairie Ridge, but they boast the return of nine starters, including some key skill posi-tion players and big linemen up front.

Grayslake NorthThe Knights have built their reputation on

a dynamic offense after averaging almost 40 points per game last season and going over the 50-point mark twice. But they’ll need to shore up their defense after giving up an average of 27 points a game in conference play, including 56 and 35 in blowout losses to Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake Central.

Prairie RidgeAfter three seasons in the FVC Valley,

the Wolves slide over to the Fox, replacing Johnsburg, which left for the Big Northern Conference.

2013 standings

Conf. OverallCrystal Lake Central 6-0 8-2Grayslake North 5-1 7-3Hampshire 4-2 6-4Grayslake Central 2-4 4-5Woodstock 2-4 2-7Johnsburg 1-5 1-8Woodstock North 1-5 1-8

– Joey [email protected]

FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE FOX DIVISION

Prairie Ridge’s Derreck Pearson (foreground, left) and Chris Dolleton take part in an offensive line drill during practice Aug. 13 in Crystal Lake.



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Coach: Matt Fralick (fifth season, 29-12)

2013 record: 8-2 overall, 6-0 FVC Fox (first place)

Fast fact: The Tigers have reached the post-season each season since Fralick took over.

Scouting report

• Senior quarterback Matt DeCoste will be counted upon to replace Kyle Lavand, who threw for 2,311 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, second most in the area in each category behind Marian Central quarterback Billy Bahl. DeCoste is small at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, but he served as Lavand’s back-up last season and provides experience.

• Wide receiver Jack Ortner is coming off one of the best statistical seasons in area history. A Northwest Herald all-area first-team selection, he caught 79 passes for 1,360 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. “He runs great routes,” Fralick said. “He can change direction all in one motion. He doesn’t need to slow down. He has great hands to track the ball in the air. He’s a special receiver.”

• With a new quarterback, the Tigers

will rely heavily on returning running back Ryan Williams, who rushed for 1,045 and 16 touchdowns as a junior last fall. At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, he has pretty good size. Paving the way for him will be an offensive line led by right tackle Spencer Hobson, who has added 50 pounds since last season and is now 6-foot-3, 280.

• 6-foot-1 defensive end Alec Baron anchors the defense, which also returns

athletic junior outside linebacker Shawn Kyska. Baron has also added 15-20 pounds this offseason. “We’re as fast and as strong as we’ve ever been,” Fralick said of his de-fense. Also bolstering the defensive side are linebacker Romeo McKnight and cornerback Marcus Rios, who will provide experience.

• September will mark a challenging stretch for the Tigers. After hosting Grant in their sea-son opener, they’ll go on the road for four con-

secutive Fox Valley Conference road games before their next home date in October.


The Tigers want to play fast – up-tempo, no-huddle, run as many plays as possible. So, to condition themselves before the season, Fralick has his offense gather on the 15-yard line against one defense. After running a play, they sprint toward the other side of the field in six to eight seconds to face another defense. Then, the process repeats itself. The goal is to get off as many plays as possible in a 10-minute span, somewhere between 40 and 50. Eventually, over the course of train-ing camp, they build up to 15 or 16 minutes.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Grant 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Woodstock 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Prairie Ridge 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 @ Crystal Lake South 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Woodstock North 7:15p.m.Oct. 2 Grayslake North 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Champaign Centennial 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 Hampshire 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 Grayslake Central 7:15 p.m.

– Joey Kaufman, [email protected]

Quick hits

Coach: Chris Schremp (12th season, 87-44)

2013 record: 7-5 overall, 3-3 (tied for third in the FVC Valley)

Fast fact: The last time the Wolves competed in the Fox Division was 2010

when they went 6-0, finishing one game ahead of Crystal Lake Central.

Scouting report

• Senior Brett Covalt is back under center, but whether he remains the starting quar-terback remains to be seen, as junior Luke Annen pushes to take over the reins. Covalt was the team’s leading rusher last fall, totaling 924 yards on the ground to go along with 16 rushing touchdowns. He only threw the ball 82 times.

• Also returning to the backfield is wing-back Brent Anderson, who rushed 715 yards and four touchdowns on 95 carries last season. He is joined by the speedy 5-foot-8 Nathan Griffin, who may be the team’s best overall back.

• Chris Dolleton will become a rare two-way starter for Prairie Ridge, both at guard and on the defensive line. He’s one of just a handful of

guys to do so under Schremp’s watch. “He’s probably our best all-around football player,” Schremp said. “Unbelievable technique. He’s probably the best offensive lineman I’ve ever had as far as technique.” And he’s only 5-foot-9, 220 pounds. “If he was 6-3, he’d be a Division I lineman,” Schremp added.

• The secondary should be stout. Junior

free safety Jon Tiemen is back, relied upon to play deep in pass coverage and yet athletic enough to come up in order stop the run. Cornerback Jacob Reed started most of games last year, and is expected to line up opposite the team’s top receiver.

• The Wolves kick off their season with a stiff test against Class 8A Niles Notre Dame,

which routed them, 44-21, in the opener last season. “We’re going to know how good we are right away,” Schremp said. “We’re going to know what our strengths and weaknesses are. The good thing about playing a solid team like that, first game of the year, is you’ll know what you got.”


For a team that uses the Wing-T option offense, handoffs are especially important. Covalt and Annen often stay late after practice to work on technique. Depending on the play, the signal caller takes the snap, and hands off to a running back on a dive up the middle, or veers off toward the sideline.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Niles Notre Dame 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Grayslake Central 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Crystal Lake Central 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 @ Dundee-Crown 7:15 p.m. Sept. 26 @ Grayslake North 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 Woodstock 7:15 p.m. Oct. 10 @ Hampshire 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 Woodstock North 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 @ Crete-Monee 7:15 p.m.

– Joey Kaufman

CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL: FVC FOX DIVISION

PRAIRIE RIDGE: FVC FOX DIVISION

Matt Fralick

Chris Schremp


Crystal Lake Central players run sprints at the end of practice Aug. 14 at the high school.


Prairie Ridge’s Chris Eschweiler prepares to catch a pass during practice Aug. 13 at the high school in Crystal Lake.

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Coach: Steve Beard (12th season, 50-60)

2013 record: 2-7 overall, 2-4 FVC Fox (tied for 4th place)

Fast fact: The Blue Streaks have missed the playoffs in four consecu-

tive seasons for the first time since missing four in a row from 1992-95.

Scouting report

• Beard said the strength of his team will come on the defensive side of the ball, but they need to improve heavily on blocking and tackling to be a top competitor in the FVC Fox. Five of Woodstock’s seven losses last season were by 10 points or more.

• Despite losing one of their starting quar-terbacks and top running back to graduation, the Blue Streaks return playmakers at the skills position, Beard said, including senior QB Jace Pohlman (73 for 131, 919 yards, eight TDs) and senior RB Alex Shannon (75 rushes, 398 yards, four TDs). One of the team’s top newcomers is junior QB Zach Cullum.

• Woodstock figures to be tough up front and returns three offensive linemen, including junior Langdon Scott and seniors Devin Waryck and Marty Becker. In total, Woodstock returns 12 starters, but Beard

said the team’s depth will be tested. LB Gus Siebert (53 tackles, four sacks, three pass break ups, four interceptions) is the Streaks’

top returning tackler from a year ago.• The Streaks will replace their top two

receivers from last season with a mix

of seniors in John Kruse (49 receptions, 593 yards, three TDs), Shannon and Jack Fischbach, as well as sophomore newcomer Jacob Sumner. Mason Sutter and Justin Eisenmenger will play tight end.

• Even with a 2-4 record in the FVC Fox last season, Beard expects his team to compete for a conference championship as they attempt to return to the postseason for the first time since 2009.


Tilt the seven-man blocking sled. Seven offensive blockers attempt to drive block and leverage the sled up so as to tilt the sled over.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 @ Oswego East 7:30 p.m.Sept. 5 Crystal Lake Central* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Woodstock North* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 McHenry 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 Grayslake Central* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 @ Prairie Ridge* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Grayslake North* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 Champaign Central 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 @ Hampshire* 7:15 p.m.

*- FVC Fox Division game

– Alex [email protected]

Quick hits

Coach: Jeff Schroeder (6th season, 17-31)

2013 record: 1-8 overall, 1-5 FVC Fox (6th place)

Fast fact: Fourteen of Woodstock North’s 17 wins in school history came in 2011 and 2012.

Scouting report

• The Thunder will rely on the legs of senior fullback Jordan Plummer (96, 686 yards) and junior RB Travis Busch. Schroeder likes the versatility and varying styles of his running backs.

• Schroeder expects the Thunder to bounce back significantly from its sixth place finish in the FVC Fox, but won’t count wins: “We don’t ever try to think about how many games we’re going to win. Our goal is to compete at the highest level possible week in and week out.”

• Senior nose tackle Cody Barnes, who was the first North wrestler in school history to make state, will anchor the Thunder’s defensive line. “We should be strong up front again,” Schroeder said. “We spent a lot of time in the weight room and will be more

physical. We need to be.” • Schroeder said the strength of his team

will be its experience, with many returning starters on both sides of the ball, including

seniors Jake Britton and Brendan Domek on the offensive line. “The seniors will need to step up and show the younger players how we prepare for Fridays. It’s not all physical.

It’s mental, too.”• The Thunder attempted only 66 passes

as a team last season. Returning senior QB Jimmy Krenger has shown improvement in practice with both his arm strength and accuracy, Schroeder said.


Volunteer drill. The Thunder make a series of V’s with cones spread out at 5, 10 and 15 yards out and the running back runs a gauntlet through tacklers and blockers at each level.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Wauconda 7:15 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Lakes 7 p.m.Sept. 12 Woodstock* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 @ Cary-Grove 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 Crystal Lake Central* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 3 @ Hampshire* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 Grayslake Central* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Prairie Ridge* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 Grayslake North* 7:15 p.m.


– Alex Kantecki

WOODSTOCK: FVC FOX DIVISION

WOODSTOCK NORTH: FVC FOX DIVISION

Steve Beard

Jeff Schroeder


Woodstock junior offensive lineman Langdon Scott, a starter on the varsity last season, practices Aug. 12 in Woodstock.


Woodstock North senior wide receiver Chris Callahan listens to assistant coach Chris Jackowiak during practice Aug. 14 in Woodstock.


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Coach: Mike Brasile (First season, 0-0)

2013 record: 6-4 overall, 4-2 FVC Fox

Fast fact: First-year coach Brasile is no strang-er to the Fox Valley Confer-ence. He was a two-way

starter for Woodstock’s 1997 Class 5A state championship team. He graduated in 1999.

Scouting report

• Hampshire is set to play its first season under a new head coach. Brasile spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Leyden. Before that he was an assistant at Woodstock for six years.

• The Whip-Purs return starting quarter-back Nick Mohlman for his senior season. Last year, Mohlman threw for 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns. He threw only three interceptions. “That’s going to be the key: If our senior leaders can step up and bring everyone together, then we’re going in the right direction,” Brasile said.

• Hampshire will have to replace running back Nick Kielbasa, who graduated. Last season, Kielbasa led the Fox Valley Con-ference with 1,205 rushing yards and 20

touchdowns.• Hampshire expects some changes on

the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, the schemes should be similar to last year. “Offensively, we had a lot of learning,” Brasile said. “We brought some things from Woodstock and some things from Leyden that I think have jelled into a pretty good

offense.”• One hundred thirty kids have come out for

the Hampshire football program, which is the most in school history. “I’ve had to order more helmets and more shoulder pads, and the community is really excited about the football program, as they have in the past, but there seems to be a little more energy now, for

whatever reason that is,” Brasile said.


Kickoff drill. Divided up into five lanes on each side of the kicker, players sprint 25 yards to the first cone. Then they must break down and chop their feet until a coach points toward a bag. Depending on which bag is pointed to, players will sprint to that bag and huddle around it while chopping their feet until the next group kicks off. This drill teaches players to break down after a full sprint, find the ball carrier, then take a proper angle to them.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Burlington Central 7:15 p.m.Sept. 5 Grayslake North* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Grayslake Central* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 @ Huntley 7:15 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Urbana 7 p.m.Oct. 3 Woodstock North* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 Prairie Ridge* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Crystal Lake Central* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 Woodstock* 7:15 p.m.


– Jacob [email protected]

HAMPSHIRE: FVC FOX DIVISION

Mike Brasile


First-year Hampshire coach Mike Brasile watches over players doing agility drills during practice Aug. 12 at the high school in Hampshire.

Quick hits

Coach: Jason Schaal (0-0, first season)

2013 record: 4-5Fast fact: Making his

debut as a head coach, Schaal was the offensive and defensive line coach at Grayslake Central a year

ago. He also is the head softball coach for the Rams, juggling two sports as he aims to turn around the program.

Scouting report

• Grayslake Central is shifting its philoso-phy on offense. The team, which ran a veer triple option, will run a spread offense with more three- and four-wide sets. Schaal, who has been primarily responsible for the defense most of his coaching career, will be calling the plays. Because of the change in scheme, playmakers Cam Schwartz and De’Juan Ali will see more time in the slot this season. The two seniors were the primary running backs featured in the triple option.

• On defense, linebacker Billy Barrett is shifting over from the Will linebacker spot to the Mike, which is responsible for communi-cating the plays from the sideline.

• Schaal said the defensive line will rely

more on speed since the graduation of the bigger seniors up front. Schaal expects to rotate about four to six players on the line. Grayslake Central runs a 3-4 scheme.

• Jaron Armiger will primarily play defense this year. Armiger saw time at tight end last season, but Schaal said the new offense will see less sets featuring a tight end. Armiger will play outside linebacker.

• Schaal said Grayslake Central hopes to finish in the top three of the FVC Fox. He pointed to the first three home games that will help establish the team’s confidence and get used to the offense during that time.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Fenton 7:15 p.m.Sept. 5 Prairie Ridge 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Hampshire 7:15 p.m.Sept 19 @ Jacobs 7:15 p.m.Sept 26 @ Woodstock 7:15 p.m.Oct 4 Danville 2 p.m.Oct 10 @ Woodstock North 7:15 p.m.Oct 17 Grayslake North 7:15 p.m.Oct 24 @ Crystal Lake Central 7:15 p.m.


– Matthew [email protected]

GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL: FVC FOX DIVISION GRAYSLAKE NORTH: FVC FOX DIVISION

Jason Schaal

Quick hits

Coach: Steve Wood (9th season, 28-46)

2013 record: 7-3, 5-2 FVC Fox (second place)

Fast fact: After making the playoffs for the past two seasons, Grayslake North’s road to the postseason will be more

difficult this season. The Knights will face three eight-win teams and two seven-win teams from a season ago.

Scouting report

• In a fast-paced offense where the objec-tive is to run a play every 12 to 15 seconds, running back Titus Booker will again be a focal point. Booker, who has committed to Indiana, rushed for 1,295 yards and 14 touchdowns last season despite a high ankle sprain.

• Grayslake North has eight of 11 players on offense who saw major playing time a year ago. With Booker healthy, Wood expects quarterback Merrick Gentile to make a jump in his second year. Gentile, a junior, threw for 1,335 yards and ran for 1,031 yards as a soph-omore. Wood said the threat of both players would help with the offense’s explosiveness.

• On the defense side of the ball, Grayslake North has three transfers this year and a group composed of mostly younger players. Mason McIntosh, a transfer from Gurnee Warren, is a safety who should have an immediate impact. Wood said “he’s been a real blessing to be hon-est with you. We’re not sure what we would do without him at this point.”

• Wood also said the “new anchor” defensive line should be much improved due to having more size. He’s looking at senior Jordan Suchowski, 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, to be a force upfront.

• Also new to the defense is Booker. The senior will be playing cornerback, the position he’ll most likely be playing at Indiana.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Lakes 7:15 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Hampshire* 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Cary-Grove 7:15 p.m.Sept. 19 Normal Community West 7 p.m.Sept. 26 Prairie Ridge* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 2 @ Crystal Lake Central* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 10 Woodstock* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Grayslake Central* 7:15 p.m.Oct. 24 @ Woodstock North* 7:15 p.m.


– Matthew Paras

Steve Wood


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Quick hits

Coach: Mike Maloney (third season, 1-17)

2013 record: 1-8 overall, 1-5 FVC Fox (tied sixth place)

Fast fact: The Skyhawks broke a 25-game losing streak that spanned four

seasons when they defeated Woodstock North, 22-21, last year.

Scouting report

• The Skyhawks are back in the Big Northern Conference this year. In 2006, they left the red division and joined the Fox Valley Conference. In the eight years since,

they’ve posted a 26-50 record.• The Skyhawks have a three-year starter

back in senior quarterback Nick Brengman. He threw for 1,167 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2013. His primary target will be senior Haden Franzen, who caught 30 passes for 386 yards and a touchdown last year.

• Junior John Conroy, another three-year starter, anchors the offensive line. Two seniors will hold down the tackle spots in Sean Koeshall and EJ Hoffman, but the line is still an area of concern. “The offensive line getting that continuity early is important,” Maloney said. “This is the first time these five guys have been on the field all together.”

• With six starters returning on defense, there are plenty of opportunities for newcomers to make their mark. This is especially true at linebacker, where three

sophomores are battling for starting spots: Riley Buchanan, Brandon Perez and Bryce Smith.

• In his first two years, Maloney came in with the Skyhawks in the midst of a big losing streak. Even with that weight off his back, he said he doesn’t feel that much different going into this season. “I’d like to think we’re a hungry group,” he said. “I think we have more excitement surround-ing the season, but I wouldn’t say we’re overly confident.”


The Skyhawks have been working hard on their three defensive back system, since a lot of teams in their new conference utilize Wing-T and other run-oriented offenses.

Maloney said he’s got five players currently competing for those starting spots.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 @ Oregon 7 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Mendota 7:30 p.m.Sept. 12 Rockford Christian* 7 p.m.Sept. 19 @ North Boone* 7 p.m.Sept. 26 Richmond-Burton* 7 p.m.Oct. 3 @ Genoa-Kingston* 7 p.m.Oct. 10 Marengo* 7 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Burlington Central* 7 p.m.Oct. 24 Harvard* 7 p.m.

* – BNC East Division game

– Luke [email protected]

JOHNSBURG: BNC EAST DIVISION

BIG NORTHERN CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION

Mike Maloney

Players to watch

Christian Kramer, Harvard, RB, sr.Kramer (5-foot-6, 150), a three-year starter

for the Hornets, was the area’s leading rusher last season with 1,290 yards on 183 attempts, including 13 touchdowns. The Northwest Herald All-Area first team member was a big reason for Harvard’s undefeated regular season and run to the Class 4A quarterfinals.

Brad Boelkow, Richmond-Burton, RB, LB, sr.

Boelkow will likely be the No. 1 back for a Rockets team that loves to run the ball. Boelkow (6-4, 190), who also plays linebacker for R-B, has speed and durability that led to 640 yards on 90 carries, including nine touchdowns, last season.

Luke Brinkmann, Richmond-Burton, RB, sr.

Brinkmann (5-9, 185) is one of the faster backs in the area and is dangerous in the open field. Brinkmann ran for 506 yards on 94 carries after missing a few games at the end of last season. He is also a threat receiving out of the backfield, where he had 10 catches for 275 yards, a 27.5 yards per catch average.

John Conroy, Johnsburg, OL, DL, jr.Conroy, a three-year starter with the

Skyhawks, will be the center point of the offensive line again this season. Conroy (5-11, 250) was a Northwest Herald honorable mention last season, and could play a big role in Johnsburg’s shift back to the BNC East.

Peyton Schneider, Harvard, QB, K, sr.Schneider led his team to the Class 4A

quarterfinals by throwing for 1,102 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Schneider (5-10, 150) should be given the chance to throw and run the ball more as Harvard transitions to the spread option this season. He was also an all-area second team representative as a kicker.

Kyle Gara, Marengo, LB, jr.Gara (5-10, 185) leads an experienced

group of returning linebackers for the Marengo defense. Gara was an All-Area honorable mention as a sophomore, and will try to help the Indians improve on a one-win season a year ago.

Nick Brengman, Johnsburg, QB, sr.A three-year starter, Brengman should

be ready to improve on his 2013 stats that saw him throw for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns. He also threw 11 interceptions, which will have to go down, if the North-west Herald honorable mention is to lead the Skyhawks to the playoffs.

Pivotal games

Harvard at Richmond-Burton7 p.m. Sept. 12The Hornets begin their BNC East defense

run against the Rockets. R-B will be looking for revenge after their 21-0 defeat to Har-vard in the regular-season finale nearly cost them a shot at the playoffs.

Richmond-Burton at Johnsburg7 p.m. Sept. 26The area rivals will face off as conference

rivals this season in a game that could dic-tate a contender this year. The Rockets beat the Skyhawks in a nonconference game, 26-7, in last season’s opener.

Genoa-Kingston at Harvard7 p.m. Oct. 17The team everyone has their eyes on

as possible favorites for the 2014 season against the undefeated conference cham-pions from a year ago. With only one reg-ular-season week after this game, it could decide the conference champion yet again. Harvard beat G-K 22-21 last season.

Top contenders

Genoa-KingstonIf there is a team that area coaches are point-

ing at as maybe the top contender in the BNC East this year, it’s the Cogs. G-K was one narrow defeat to conference champions Harvard away from winning the title last year. Many of the top players are back and a filled roster make G-K a major threat this year.

JohnsburgThe level of competition may play a large role

in Johnsburg’s return to the BNC East. After, for the most part, struggling in the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division, the Skyhawks face teams with closer enrollment numbers, which could lead to more success. Johnsburg has a three-year starting QB in Brengman and may go from a 25-game losing streak to instant contention this year.

HarvardLast season’s conference champions are

down in numbers, changed their offense and have a new coach heading into the 2014 season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t repeat. Harvard lost a lot of seniors, but returns its two biggest offensive weapons in Schneider and Kramer, who will have to be excellent if the Hornets are to be in contention again.

2013 standings

Conf. OverallHarvard 6-0 11-1Genoa-Kingston 5-1 5-5Richmond-Burton 3-3 5-5Burlington Central 3-3 4-5North Boone 3-3 4-5Marengo 1-5 1-8Rockford Christian 0-6 0-9*Johnsburg (1-8, 1-5 FVC Fox) joins confer-

ence this season

– Kevin [email protected]


Johnsburg coach Mike Maloney takes snaps with his team during practice Aug. 11 in Johnsburg. The Skyhawks return to the BNC East this season.

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Quick hits

Coach: Sean Saylor (first season).

2013 record: 11-1 overall, 6-0 BNC East.

Fast fact: Former coach Tim Haak, an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer,

retired after 29 seasons with a 173-108 career record.

Scouting report

• RB Christian Kramer is fast and shifty and has rushed for 2,240 yards in the past two seasons. Kramer ran for an area-best 1,290 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

• QB Peyton Schneider returns to start for a third season in the backfield with Kramer. Schneider threw for 1,102 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. He completed 58.4 percent (80 for 137) of his passes.

• Junior DE Zach Martin was a tough defender last season and returns to lead the defense.

• Harvard lost a large portion of its teams and its starters to graduation. Saylor said last year’s senior class had 14, the same number of this year’s juniors and seniors combined. Numbers could be a problem as the Hornets have less than 20 players on

their roster.• Saylor was pleased with the progress

made in the new system over the summer. The Hornets will run a lot of one-back offense from a pistol set, giving Kramer

room to run and turning Schneider loose more than ever. “We wanted to get these things in and have a firm grasp over the summer,” Saylor said. “I feel confident in the kids understanding those things. Have we

mastered them? No way. We’re a long way from there.”

• Saylor is impressed with sophomore Hunter Freres, who will start at safety and could get some time in the offensive backfield. “[Freres] doesn’t look like a sophomore,” Saylor said. “He’s picked up ev-erything well and he’s physically very mature for a sophomore. He’s a special kid.”


Hornets’ Nest: The drill is a four-on-four with three defensive players lined up face-to-face against three offensive blockers. There is a ballcarrier 4 yards behind the line and a defender 4 yards behind the line.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Rock Falls 7 p.m.Sept. 5 @ Winnebago 7 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Richmond-Burton 7 p.m.Sept. 19 Burlington Central 7 p.m.Sept. 26 Marengo 7 p.m.Oct. 3 North Boone 7 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Rockford Christian 7 p.m.Oct. 17 Genoa-Kingston 7 p.m.Oct. 26 @ Johnsburg 7 p.m.

*– BNC East Division game


HARVARD: BNC EAST DIVISION

Sean Saylor


Harvard sophomore Hunter Freres carries the ball during practice Aug. 11. Freres, a start-ing safety, also might see time in the offensive backfield, coach Sean Saylor said.


Herald.com • W


Quick hits

Coach: Matt Lynch (eighth season, 11-52)

2013 record: 1-8 overall, 1-5 BNC East (sixth place)

Fast fact: Marengo has one winning season and one state playoff appear-ance in the past 16 years.

The Indians finished 6-4 in 2004.

Scouting report

• Senior QB Ethan Walsweer will be under center for Marengo, and he’ll have several new targets out wide. While junior Craiton Nice returns, Lynch also expects newcomers Adam Roudabush and Weston Shepard to be large contributors at receiver.

• The Indians have a lot of experience on the offensive line with the return of center Kwinn Velasquez, guards Ben Ryan and Erik Johns, and tackle Derek Caskey. They’ll be looking to pave the way for junior running back Jarrell Jackson.

• Maybe the most experienced spot is linebacker. Seniors Jake Behnke and Dillon Csanda are back on the outside, while junior Northwest Herald All-Area honorable mention

selection Kyle Gara is the leader in the middle.• Despite having six starters back on both

sides of the ball, Lynch said he doesn’t feel comfortable yet at any one position. There are a lot of questions to answer before the start of the season, but team chemistry is not one of them. “They truly like each other,” Lynch said.

“They’re more together than any other team I’ve ever had here. The cohesiveness is there between the juniors and seniors, and the willingness to come in and work is there.”

• Only one team in the BNC East, Harvard, finished with more than five wins in 2013. Even so, Lynch had high praise for the tough-

ness of the schedule. “We play in one of the toughest leagues in the state of Illinois,” he said. “Each week is a dogfight.”


The Indians focus a good amount of practice time on hip movement. Having fast, flexible hips is hugely important in being able to change directions quickly, particularly on defense, where they will deal with teams like Harvard that are a threat both on the ground and through the air.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Byron 7 p.m.Sept. 5 Rock Falls 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 @Genoa-Kingston* 7 p.m.Sept. 19 Richmond-Burton* 7 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Harvard* 7 p.m.Oct. 3 Burlington Central* 7 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Johnsburg* 7 p.m.Oct. 17 Rockford Christian* 7 p.m.Oct. 24 @ North Boone* 7 p.m.


– Luke [email protected]

Quick hits

Coach: Pat Elder (ninth season, 64-28)

2013 record: 5-5 overall, 3-3 BNC East (tie third place)

Fast fact: Richmond-Bur-ton has advanced to the playoffs for seven consec-

utive seasons, with a 13-7 postseason record over that span.

Scouting report

• The Rockets will be looking to improve on a season in which they narrowly made the Class 4A playoffs before going out in the first round to top-seeded Evergreen Park. The team was hit particularly hard by injuries late in the season that impacted what it could do.

• If the Rockets make the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season, they will be doing so with a more inexperienced team. They return only two offensive starters and four defensive starters from last season. “We’ll be young, to say the least,” Elder said. “All you can do is try to improve and be better every day. Where we want to be is a long ways away, but we will keep working to get to that point.”

• R-B will be returning two of its three leading rushers from last season. Brad Boelkow and Luke Brinkmann, who will both be seniors this season, combined to run for 1,146 yards on 184

attempts, including 13 touchdowns. Boelkow, who also plays linebacker, should see the majority of the carries. Brinkmann is a speedy back who can also be dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield.

• The Rockets lost some of their important offensive players, including leading rusher Vince Battaglia and big offensive lineman Bryce Wagner. Expect Marshall Woodward, Tyler Talatian and Marcus Duha to take some

of Battaglia’s snaps this season. Elder believes his young linemen will progress as the season goes on.

• The Rockets will have a new quarterback after Danny Rygiel graduated. R-B does not throw the ball often (Rygiel had only 47 pass attempts all last season), but it appears the role will come down to either junior Joey Horner or senior Codey Blanton. Elder is seeing how things go before making a final decision on the

starter but said both have similar strengths.• Last season, the Rockets struggled to finish

drives in the red zone and struggled defen-sively at times. “We were a little disappointed in our defense last season. We have to give more effort and get better at execution to be successful,” Elder said.


Running backs timing drill. In the Wing-T offense, the backs are constantly in motion and with a new starting QB this year, timing will be a huge component. The drill had players in the formation working on both motion and ball-handling responsibilities that are crucial to the R-B offense.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Roosevelt 7 p.m.Sept. 5 Stillman Valley 7 p.m.Sept. 12 Harvard* 7 p.m.Sept. 19 @ Marengo* 7 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Johnsburg* 7 p.m.Oct. 3 Rockford Christian* 7 p.m. Oct. 10 @ Burlington Central* 7 p.m. Oct. 17 @ North Boone* 7 p.m.Oct. 24 Genoa-Kingston* 7 p.m.



MARENGO: BNC EAST DIVISION

RICHMOND-BURTON: BNC EAST DIVISION

Matt Lynch

Pat Elder


Marengo coach Matt Lynch talks with his players during practice July 30 in Marengo. Lynch said this year’s team is “more together than any other team I’ve ever had here.”


Richmond-Burton’s Brandon Kilcoyne (left) tries to stop Eric Guenther during practice July 24 in Richmond.

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Players to watch

Nick Borgra, Joliet Catholic, RB, sr.Borgra (5-foot-11, 195) ran for 982 yards on

120 carries and scored 12 touchdowns in 2013, finishing fourth among ESCC running backs. He also received second-team all-conference honors.

Billy Bahl, Marian Central, QB, sr.Bahl (6-4, 210), McHenry County’s leading

passer, threw for 2,510 yards and recorded 32 total touchdowns (29 pass, 3 rush) for the Hur-ricanes last fall. The Miami (Ohio) commit also completed 57 percent (160-279) of his passes as a member of the Northwest Herald All-Area first-team.

Jack Shutack, Nazareth, OT, sr.Shutack (6-6, 275) is a three-year starter for

the Roadrunners and was a member of the 2013 ESCC first team. According to Rivals.com, Shutack is a 3-star recruit and has received a handful of NCAA Division-I offers, including Iowa State, Minnesota and Rutgers.

Brad Sznajder, Benet Academy, RB, sr.Sznajder (5-9, 175) was a versatile figure for

the Redwings, rushing for 833 yards on 124 carries, while averaging 6.7 yards a carry. He also had 13 catches for 180 yards.

Matt Darling, St. Viator, WR, sr.Darling (5--10, 170) caught 55 passes for 880

yards and 11 touchdowns for the Lions last fall. He was also an ESCC first team member and Daily Herald All-Area honoree.

Karl Rude, Marian Central, OT, sr.Rude (6-3, 280) who protected Bahl as a

junior, looks to lead an offensive line capable of paving the way for a team that gained more than 4,100 yards of total offense in 2013. Last fall, Rude was first-team All-Suburban Christian and received a Northwest Herald All-Area honor-

able mention.

Pivotal games

Marian Central at Nazareth Academy1 p.m. Sept. 20Heading into Week 4 against one of the ESCC

preseason favorites, this matchup will most likely be the Hurricanes’ first true test in the division. The last time Marian Central played Nazareth Academy was at George Harding Field in 2007, where the Hurricanes defeated the Roadrunners, 34-27, behind QB Jon Budmayr’s 440-yard, three-touchdown performance.

Joliet Catholic at Marian Central7:30 p.m. Sept. 26The 2013 ESCC champions and 5A quarter-

finalists visit George Harding Field for the first time. The Hilltoppers went 6-1 in conference play and 10-2 overall last season. This is the Hur-ricanes’ third conference game of the season,

so winning could go a long way in deciding the 2014 ESCC champion.

St. Patrick at Marian Central7:30 p.m. Oct. 24After two road games against conference

opponents St. Viator and Carmel, the Hurricanes return home to wrap up their regular season against St. Patrick, which upset Joliet Catholic last year. This could be another game with big divisional and postseason implications.

Top contenders

Joliet CatholicJoliet Catholic’s triple-option offense, led this

season by Borgra, puts up big numbers almost each week, as they scored 35 or more points in all 10 wins last season. The Hilltoppers have also reached the state playoffs each year since 1997 and have won 13 state titles in program history.

Nazareth AcademyThe Roadrunners finished third in the ESCC

last season but have many returning pieces, including five offensive linemen who are 6-foot-3 or taller. They have five players with NCAA Division I or II offers, plus a handful of others with mild recruiting interest. With that much college potential, they have to be considered one of the favorites in the ESCC.

Benet AcademyCan the Redwings recover after losing two-

year starter at quarterback Jack Beneventi (3,800 yards, 27 TDs), who transferred to Fenwick? Brad Sznajder’s brother, Jack, who was a freshman starter for Benet’s sophomore team, enters camp as the new No. 1 QB. The Redwings’ sophomore team went undefeated in conference play last season, so it could make for a competitive varsity squad.

Marian CentralEven though the Hurricanes are new to the

ESCC, coach Ed Brucker thinks their offense should thrive again. Defensively, the Hurricanes allowed 225 points last season, a figure Brucker wants to improve despite losing a couple of key defensive leaders, including Suburban Christian Blue Defensive Player of the Year Thomas Lesniewski.

2013 standings

Conf. OverallJoliet Catholic 6-1 10-2Marist 4-2 9-4Nazareth 4-2 8-3St. Patrick 4-2 7-4Benet 3-3 7-4Notre Dame 3-3 6-4St. Viator 2-4 5-4Carmel Catholic 2-5 2-7Marian Catholic 0-6 2-7Note: Marian Central joins ESCC this season

– Ryan [email protected]

Quick hits

Coach: Ed Brucker(12th season, 94-31)2013 record: 8-3 overall,

3-2 Suburban Christian Blue (third place)

Fast fact: The Hurricanes move from the Suburban Christian Conference to the

East Suburban Catholic Conference this season.

Scouting Report

• Senior quarterback Billy Bahl, committed to Miami (Ohio), completed 57 percent of his passes in 2013, throwing 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He is a top quarterback to watch in the ESCC.

• After losing many key pieces on offense,

including running back Ephraim Lee, Brucker is still comfortable with where the offense stands. Lee ran for 1,166 yards and 20 TDs on 174 carries. Behind Lee on the depth chart was junior Jarryd Cabusao, who ran for 212 yards and four touchdowns.

• Brucker said junior Eric Rushke and senior Jordan Niemayer will fill the void left at wide receiver after losing all three leading receiv-ers, Brett Olson, Tom Klinger and Tanner Spoden, who combined for 1,795 yards and 20 touchdowns. Niemayer has some varsity experience, catching 15 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns last fall.

• With Marian having to face many run-heavy teams this year in a new conference, Brucker said having a strong defensive line will be key. “We have to be strong against the run,” Brucker said. “Our linebackers and defensive line are places we’re going to have to be solid.”

• Linebacker Michael Hartlieb (2 inter-ceptions in 2013) replaces all-area LB Chris Daniels and defensive end Thomas Lesniews-ki, the 2013 SCC Blue Defensive Player of the Year, as a leader on the defense.


Being quick with your feet and making good decisions are important for every football player, so Brucker runs a nameless drill that he said “improves the players’ breakdown in the open field and determines who has good lateral movement.” The team is split into two groups on separate sides of the field, while each group is split into pairs. Each pair stands about 15 feet apart, facing each other, while waiting for the coach to yell “evens” or “odds”. Once the coach chooses “evens” or “odds,” the players rush at each other from an angle, trying to push

one another back at the same angle they started at, working on both the footwork and lateral movement Brucker wants to see. He said this drill also can involve tackling when full pads are worn.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 29 Crystal Lake South 7 p.m.Sept. 5 @ McHenry 7:15 p.m.Sept. 12 Marian Catholic* 7:30 p.m.Sept. 20 @ Nazareth* 1 p.m.Sept. 26 Joliet Catholic* 7:30 p.m.Oct. 3 Notre Dame* 7:30 p.m.Oct. 10 @ St. Viator* 7:30 p.m.Oct. 17 @ Carmel* 7:30 p.m.Oct. 24 St. Patrick* 7:30 p.m.

* – ESCC game

– Ryan Altman

MARIAN CENTRAL: ESCC

Ed Brucker


Marian Central running back Jarryd Cabusao will try to help replace the loss of Ephraim Lee to graduation.


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Quick hits

Coach: John Lalor (12th season, 80-38)

2013 record: 6-4, 6-3 NAC (fourth place)

Fast fact: Alden-Hebron has made the playoffs 10 out of the past 11 seasons. The Giants only missed the

playoffs in the 2011 season during that span.

Scouting report

• Alden-Hebron will have an experienced team this season, after losing only five seniors (three starters) from a team that made the Class 1A playoffs. The roster still has only 25 athletes on it, but most have played or been a starter for a few years. “We have pretty much everybody back,” Lalor said. “These kids have had to step up and play as young guys, so they already have the experience. We are definitely faster and stronger than past seasons as well.”

• One big loss was four-year player and leading rusher Nick Beck. Beck ran the ball 117 times for 656 yards last season as well as be-ing the receiving yards record holder at A-H.

• The Giants run the ball a bunch. Nate Pe-terson was the second-leading rusher for the Giants rushing for 647 yards on 123 attempts. He will be joined by Josh Johnson, a back Lalor believes could have a big year because of his

speed as long as he stays focused.• Other offensive threats include do-every-

thing player Cody Nelson, whom Lalor is trying to give the ball to as much as possible. Nelson is athletic and will be used in several spots for the Giants. He had nine catches for 237 yards last year to lead A-H in receiving. Second-year starting quarterback Colten Cashmore also has looked sharper early in practice.

• Because of a lack of size, the Giants will be implementing a new defensive strategy this

season. The team is moving to a 3-5-3, that will try to showcase its speed. Alec O’Halle-ran, who is moving to linebacker, and Marshall Glenn could have big years defensively.

• Rockford Christian Life should be a strong opponent for the Giants this year out of the Northeastern Athletic Conference. Christian Life beat A-H, 56-0, last season, a loss that still stings the A-H players and coaches. “I hope we are right there fighting at the top of the conference,” Lalor said. “We definitely

have the Christian Life game circled for this year after they put it to us pretty bad last year. People will know that when they play the Giants this year, it won’t be easy.”


Diamond Drill. In this drill, players face one-on-one matchups in which the defender attempts to keep the ball carrier from making a move and getting by them in the open field. The Giants struggled in the open field last season, so Lalor is trying to get his players to settle down their hips and make contact to wrap up. It’s a huge focus for the team. The players seem to enjoy it as well, as they tried to both make moves and stop their team-mates from getting past them.

Schedule

Date Opponent TimeAug. 30 Christian Liberty* 1 p.m.Sept. 6 @ Chicago Luther North* 1 p.m.Sept. 12 @ Chicago Hope* 7 p.m.Sept. 20 Rockford Christian Life* 1 p.m.Sept. 26 @ Westminster Christian* 7 p.m.Oct. 4 Mooseheart* 1 p.m.Oct. 10 @ Hiawatha* 7 p.m.Oct. 17 North Shore Country Day* 7 p.m.Oct. 24 @ Ottawa Marquette* 7 p.m.

* – NAC game


ALDEN-HEBRON: NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

John Lalor

Michelle LaVigne – For Shaw Media

Alden-Hebron coach John Lalor is hoping for a big season from speedy running back Josh Johnson (above), who will join Nate Peterson in the backfield.

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Fox Valley Conference Valley Division

CARY-GROVE Coach: Brad SeaburgNo. Player Pos. Yr4 Larkin Hanselmann RB-DB Sr. 5 Zack Forney DB-FB Sr. 6 John Cullen DB Jr. 7 Sean Cullen DB Jr. 8 Jake Johnson SE Sr. 9 Max Skol LB Fr. 10 Connor Leach QB-DB Sr. 11 John Sullivan QB Jr. 12 Jason Gregoire QB Sr. 14 Mitchell Lemke DB Sr. 15 Collin Walsh K So. 16 Kevin Pedersen LB So. 18 Erik Norberg TE Jr. 20 Matt Sutherland RB-DB Sr. 21 Zach McQuade RB-DB Sr. 22 Kyle Mueller DB Jr. 23 James Freskos TE Jr. 24 Nick Cruz DL Jr. 25 Justin Gunther RB Jr. 26 Kevin Hughes RB-DB Jr. 28 Kyle Pressley FB So. 29 Alec Haglund DB Jr. 30 Thor Halverson RB Sr. 31 Travis Myerson LB Sr. 32 Robert Gleeson TE Jr. 34 George Hartke TE-DB Sr. 35 Eric Lind FB-LB Jr. 36 Willie Hartke RB-DB Sr. 39 Tyler Pennington FB-LB So. 40 Jon Davison LB Sr. 41 Ben Getka DB Jr. 42 Thomas Emma DB Sr. 44 Zach Harvey FB Jr. 48 Justin Howland DL Jr. 50 Keith McCowan OL Jr. 51 Raymond DiMatteo DL Sr. 52 Daniel Montemurro OL Jr. 53 Kevin Moran LB Jr. 54 James Elliman DL Sr. 55 Brandon Howland DL Sr. 57 Trevor Ruhland OL-DL Sr. 59 Owen Henriques OL Jr. 60 Alex Prendergast DL Jr. 61 Michael McMullin OL Sr. 63 Peter Bardgett OL Jr. 67 Michael Gomez OL-DL Sr. 68 Zachary Cohen OL Jr. 70 Ty Bergeson OL-DL Sr. 74 Ross Bernier OL Jr. 77 Scotty Topole OL Sr. 82 Hayden Breig DL Sr. 84 Jake Clemment TE Sr.

CRYSTAL LAKE SOUTHCoach: Chuck Ahsmann No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Andy Weber RB-LB Jr. 2 Payton Minogue QB Sr. 3 Tyler Baker WR-DB Sr. 6 Dan McSweeney RB-DB Sr. 7 Zach Schill RB-DB Jr. 10 Jimmy Collins QB-DB Jr. 11 Drew Murtaugh WR-LB Jr. 12 Alex Reich WR-DB Sr. 14 Hugh Hughes WR-DB Jr. 15 Tommy Berger WR-DB Jr. 16 Joe Moore WR-LB Jr. 17 Nathan Couzins WR-LB Jr. 19 Joey Ahsmann WR-DB Sr. 20 Frank Woods WR-DB Jr. 21 Corey Sheehan RB-DB Jr. 22 Kyle Bartusch RB-DB Sr. 23 Garrett Dziedzic WR-DB Sr. 24 Jarod Resh WR-LB Sr. 25 Noah Wisler WR-DB Sr. 26 Cam Pennino WR-DB Jr. 28 Blake Martel RB-DB Jr. 32 Scott Coughlin WR-LB Jr.

33 Zach Smith RB-DB Sr. 34 Nick Coriaci RB-LB Sr. 35 Dylan Sambrano RB-LB Jr. 36 Sean FitzMaurice WR-DB Sr. 37 Connor Swanson RB-LB Jr. 43 Kyle Kesseler WR-DB Sr. 47 A.J. Polizzi RB-LB Sr. 48 Ty Staples WR-LB Jr. 49 Josh Andrae TE-DE Sr. 50 Nick Yokas WR-LB Jr. 52 Cordel Breitenstein OL-DL Sr. 54 Bubba Gardeck OL-LB Sr. 55 Dylan Kornhauser OL-DL Jr. 56 Quinn McCoy OL-LB Jr. 57 Kenny Demann OL-DL Sr. 60 Sean Frank OL-DL Sr. 63 Niko Polizos OL-DL Sr. 65 Buddy Gabric OL-DL Jr. 66 Noah Safraniec OL-LB Jr. 70 Steve Anchor OL-DL Sr. 74 Kyle Loupee OL-DL Sr. 75 Thomas Mroz OL-DL Sr. 78 Kevin Amren OL-DL Jr. 81 Mike Vasko OL-DL Jr. 82 Jake Lawson WR-DB Jr. 83 Ryley Krausen WR-DB Sr. 86 Alex Schoenfeldt WR-DB Sr. 88 Wes Buckner TE-DE Jr. 94 Kevin Basgall OL-DL Sr. 96 Roland Gastfield OL-DL Sr.

DUNDEE-CROWNCoach: Mike Steinhaus No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Kiwaun Seals WR Sr. 2 Austin Garand WR Sr. 3 Nick Shydlowski WR Jr. 4 Alonzo Alvarado TE-OLB Sr. 5 Joey Flores DB Jr. 6 Caleb Parson RB Sr. 7 Zach Thelen OLB-TE Sr. 8 Christian Brunner DL Jr. 9 Ethan Wiles DB Jr. 10 Malik Dunner DB-RB Sr. 11 Matt Stevens DB Sr. 12 Jeff Atherton QB Sr. 13 Dustin Miller OLB Sr. 20 Pat Sprouse DB-QB Jr. 21 Nick Musielewicz DB-RB Jr. 22 David Hamelberg RB-DB Jr. 23 Nathan Murray WR Sr. 26 David Becker DB Sr. 28 Ray Turskey RB-DB Sr. 33 Joe Notarnicola RB Sr. 34 Brandon Brooks LB-RB Sr. 40 Jake Devincentis LB Jr. 44 Jarrod Raap LB Sr. 45 Zach Gathercoal LB-RB Jr. 46 Austin Merchut LB Jr. 50 Adam Darst LB Sr. 51 Alexis Mendez OL-DL Jr. 52 Tommy Koniewicz LB So. 53 Gage Efken OL So. 55 Albert Putlak DL-OL Jr. 57 Chris Trojanowski OL-DL Sr. 61 Andrew Rodriguez DL-OL Jr. 62 Grant Rumlow OL-LB Jr. 63 Joe Terry OL-DL Jr. 64 Brett Peters DL-OL Sr. 65 Christian Cuevas OL Jr. 67 Jon Lee OL-DL Sr. 69 Levi Zeigler DL Jr. 71 Josh Mosley OL-DL Jr. 72 Jhovanny Mora OL Jr. 76 Jake Kieltyka OL Jr. 77 Adam Melle OL Jr. 78 Derrick Nibbert OL Jr. 79 Jack O’Brien OL-DL Sr. 80 Jim Welzien WR-DB Jr. 84 Matt Michalski TE-LB Sr. 86 Matt Wiechmann TE-LB Jr. 88 Nathan Nash LB-TE Sr. 99 Christian Rodriguez DL Jr. Paul Herrera DL Sr.

HUNTLEYCoach: John Hart No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Josh Esikiel WR Sr. 2 Anthony Bellantuono DB Jr. 3 Ryan Ford DB Jr. 4 Aaron Rutkowski LB Sr. 5 Tony Bucaro LB So. 6 Sean Patel DB Jr. 7 Keith Peotter DL Jr. 8 Sam Kunde DB Sr. 9 Charles Mecozzi QB Jr. 10 Donnie Young K Sr. 11 Jason Cunningham RB Sr. 12 Eric Nehslen WR Sr. 13 Anthony Binetti QB Jr. 14 Jose Cortez DB Sr. 15 James Ambrose QB Sr. 17 Sina Balouch LB Sr. 19 Jonathan Alberts K Jr. 20 Kyle Zender RB Sr. 21 Connor Boos DB Sr. 22 Vincenzo Arnier DB Jr. 23 Brandon Altergott WR Sr. 24 Anthony Luciano RB Sr. 25 Casey Haayer RB Jr. 27 Tyler Schulz WR Jr. 28 Royale Weatherspoon WR Sr. 29 Nolan Smith WR So. 30 Joseph Domingo RB Jr. 31 Luc Lopez LB Sr. 32 Benjamin Pfeifer WR Jr. 33 Ben Stevens DB So. 34 Zachary Peter RB Jr. 35 Tim Ryan DB Jr. 37 Joshua Steinhoff DB Sr. 39 Frank Krupiczowicz RB Jr. 40 Alec Newman DB Jr. 41 Zachary Flick RB So. 42 Alex Pertzborn DB Sr. 43 Brett Snyder LB Sr. 44 Jacob Witt RB Sr. 45 Cody Sargeant RB Sr. 46 Joe Boland DB So. 47 Anthony Grippo LB Jr. 49 Jacob Fish RB Sr. 50 Justus Wood OL Sr. 51 Pedro J Morado DL Jr. 53 Daniel Dennis LB Jr. 54 Matthew Brannan OL Jr. 54 Tyler Novak LB So. 55 Michael Walker LB Sr. 56 Nicholas Dennis LB Jr. 57 Tim McCloyn DL Jr. 58 Tyler Szekely DB So. 59 Chase Burkart DL Sr. 59 Zachary Horan OL Sr. 61 Matthew Stolpe OL Jr. 62 Tyler Dombrowski OL So. 63 Christian Thompson OL Sr. 64 Thomas Licata OL Jr. 65 Luke Scarbro OL Sr. 67 Jasin Garcia OL Sr. 69 Zachary Johnson OL Sr. 70 Luke Schmidt OL Jr. 71 Marcus LaPorta OL Sr. 72 Zack Vretenar OL Jr. 74 Liam Gannon OL Jr 75 Kyle Witt OL Jr. 76 Tyler Kastner OL Sr. 77 Dominic Swanson OL Jr. 78 Andrew Pertzborn OL So. 79 James Wulf, IV OL So. 80 Jacob Rodgers WR So. 82 Chase Lowenstein TE Jr. 83 Brendan Barnes WR Jr. 84 Adam Horan WR So. 85 Daniel Frederick WR So. 86 Sean Farney TE So. 87 Chad Consiglio DL Jr. 89 Connor Sloth TE Sr. 90 Bryan Behrens DL Jr. 91 Tyler Larson DL Jr. 92 Jakub Koleczek DL Jr. 93 Justin Domingo DL So.

94 Zach Herbert DL Sr. 95 Tyler Hartline DL So. 97 Jeremy Behnke DL Sr. 98 Thomas Benner DL Jr. 99 Armando Navarro DL Sr.

JACOBSCoach: Bill Mitz No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Josh Walker RB Sr. 2 Chris Katrenick QB So. 3 Camden McLain WR Sr. 5 Chris McBrayer WR Sr. 7 Kyle Copeland WR Jr. 10 Emilo Martinez DB Sr. 12 Sam Abu WR-DB Sr. 14 Ryan Wells QB Sr. 18 Brenden Heiss QB-LB Jr. 19 Nick Espe DL Sr. 20 Josh Yonker WR-DB Sr. 21 Cody Ferencz DB Sr. 22 Mat Barnes RB-LB Jr. 23 Nathan Meland WR-DB Jr. 24 Nick Gierlak WR-DB Sr. 25 Adam Anyu RB Sr. 26 Nick Bartnik DB Sr. 27 Tony Orlando DL Sr. 30 Sean Barnes RB-LB Jr. 31 Blake Tatgenhorst LB Jr. 32 Anthony Vana DB Sr. 33 Tyler Bartnik DB Sr. 34 Kyle Trousil DB Jr. 35 Colton Trina TE-LB Sr. 36 Jack Hichew K Jr. 40 Brendan Downing OL-LB Sr. 41 Tom Tucker DB Jr. 42 Alex Bogdan DB Jr. 43 Davione Cooley RB-LB Jr. 44 Bryce Pahl WR-LB Jr. 46 Peter Dwyer WR-DB Jr. 50 Brock Judson OL-DL Sr. 51 Jeff Sidor OL-DL Sr. 52 Matt Kuhns LB Sr. 53 Jack Golnick OL-LB Jr. 54 Kevin Landmeier DL Jr. 56 Alex Boncoure LB Sr. 61 Munem Rizvi OL-DL Jr. 63 Carson Shoemaker OL-DL Sr. 64 Chris Smith OL-DL Jr. 65 John Gorham OL Jr. 66 Jon Cieniewicz OL Sr. 67 Quinn Carolan OL-DL Jr. 68 Bryan Giannone OL-DL Jr. 70 Bryant Finkler OL-DL Jr. 71 Ryan Novak OL-DL Jr. 72 Tim Laubenstein OL-DL Sr. 73 Julian Martinez OL-DL Jr. 74 Colin Ceisel OL Sr. 75 Jimmy Wormsley OL-DL Fr. 77 Mark Comstock DL Jr. 79 Tony Braglia OL Sr. 80 Casey Dennison RB-LB Jr. 81 Bryant Porter WR-DB Jr. 82 Spencer Helton WR-DB Jr. 83 Kraeton Moll DB Jr. 86 Kyle Rominger LB Jr. 88 Jose Mestey DB Jr. 99 Jamal Wilson DL Sr.

McHENRYCoach: Dave D’Angelo No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Troy McClaughry TE-S Sr. 2 Efren Lemus QB-CB Sr. 3 Alec Glauser FB-CB Sr. 5 Riley Johnson WR-K Jr. 6 Scott Marunde WB-S Sr. 7 Dillon Hallin WB-CB Jr. 8 Jack Machometa WB-CB Sr. 10 Teddy Pitzen WB-DE Sr. 12 Mike Briscoe QB Sr. 15 Kevin Szamlewski WR-S Jr. 17 Brandon Briscoe TE-CB Jr. 18 Daniel Delgadillo WB-S Jr. 20 Giovanni Purpura TB-S So.

21 Brandon Gregory OL-LB Sr. 22 Alex Csech TB-CB Sr. 23 Julian Guajardo TB-NT Sr. 25 Billy Loeding FB-LB Sr. 30 Eric Faith FB-LB Sr. 31 Marcus Mohr FB-LB Sr. 32 Brandon Ahne TB-CB Jr. 33 Agustin Andrade FB-LB So. 36 Michael Maly FB-LB Sr. 40 Samuel Pautz FB-DL Jr. 43 Devin Fees TE-S Jr. 44 Steven Touhy TB-LB Sr. 50 Chase Woods G-LB Sr. 51 Alex Scalzitti G-LB Jr. 52 Zach Sielck G-LB Jr. 54 William Spina OL-DL Sr. 55 Enrique Silva OL-DL Sr. 58 Jeremy Lambrecht OL-DL Sr. 60 Nathan Breisch OL-DL Jr. 61 Daniel Castellanos OL-DL Sr. 62 Andrew Fugatt OL-DL Sr. 63 Matthew Stanisz OL-DL Jr. 64 Joshua Little OL-DL Jr. 65 Andrew Wilkinson OL-DL Sr. 66 Robert Keller OL-DL Jr. 67 Andrey Escamilla OL-DL Jr. 68 Zach Meckl OL-DL Sr. 70 Brandon Paszternak OL-DL Sr, 71 Ryan Etzkorn OL-DL Sr. 75 Graham Waddington OL-DL Jr. 78 Raymond Vohasek OL-DL So. 81 Michael Mcinerney WR-S Jr. 82 Xavier James WR-S Jr. 83 Michael Oswald WR-CB Jr. 84 Ray Balog WR-DL Jr. 86 Mikie Borst WR-CB Sr.

Fox Valley Conference Fox Division

CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRALCoach: Matt Fralick No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Jack Ortner WR Sr.4 Angelo Cozzola LB Sr.5 Bradley Garber S Sr.6 Aaron Sances S Jr.7 Ryan Abraham DB Sr.8 Marcus Rios CB Jr.9 Matt Decoste QB Sr.10 Kyle Oetjens QB Jr.11 Michael Chen K Jr.12 Kurt Smith WR Sr.13 Mario McMinn WR-CB Sr.15 Jeremy Hey CB Jr.18 Justin Wagner WR Sr.20 Michael Powers WR Jr.22 Ryan Williams RB-LB Sr.23 Alec Baron DE Sr.24 Alan Pawlicki WR Sr.26 Vinson May WR-LB So.27 Matthew Krochmal LB Sr.29 Jose Figueroa DE Sr.31 Adam Evertsen RB Jr.32 Nathan Wayne DT Sr.34 Shawn Kyska LB Jr.40 Fabian Mora DE Jr.42 Cameron Davis DT Sr.44 Keegan O’Donnell LB Jr.46 Romeo McKnight LB Jr.50 Bradley Carter OG Sr.55 John Brown C Jr.56 Nathan Munn OT Jr.58 Charles McConnell OG Jr.60 James Adams OT-DT Sr.64 Greg Harmon OG Sr.66 Karson Gilson OG Jr.70 Alfredo Juarez DT Jr.72 Nate Goss DT Sr.75 Lavonta Davis OT Sr.77 Spencer Hobson OT Sr.80 Darian Singh WR Jr.81 Robert McLeland WR Sr.84 Jason MacAlpine WR Sr.99 Joseph Vergara DT Jr.


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HAMPSHIRECoach: Mike Brasile No. Player Pos. Yr 2 Clayton Adriatico LB Sr. 3 Trey Schramm WR-LB Sr. 4 Matt Bridges WR Sr. 5 Mike Palazzolo LB Sr. 6 Vinny Mounivong LB Sr. 7 Devontae Johnson B-LB Sr. 8 Jake Manning WR-DB Jr. 9 Tre Hicks WR-DB Jr. 15 Tyler Fitzgerald WR Sr. 16 Nick Mohlman QB Sr. 20 Jose Hernandez K Sr. 21 Michael Kruse WR-DB Jr. 22 Jeremy Curran QB-LB Jr. 23 Nico Bennett WR-DB Sr. 24 Xavier Bennett WR Jr. 25 Josh Koch WR Sr. 30 Jared Lund DB Jr. 31 Phillip Wilkins WR Jr. 33 Nick See WR Jr. 34 Logan Fleury WR-DB Jr. 35 A.J. Rojo RB-DB Jr. 40 Matthew Kozina WR Jr. 42 Nick Seliga FB-DL Jr. 43 Anfernee Ward WR-DB Jr. 44 Mason Fleury RB-DB Sr. 45 Croy Seagren WR-DL Jr. 50 Andrew Buckwinkler OL-DL Jr. 51 Eric Bajorek OL-DL Jr. 52 Brenden Oleferchik OL-DL Jr. 53 Raul Aranda OL-DL Jr. 54 Devin Syavong OL-DL Jr. 55 Steven Brill OL-DL Jr. 56 Ramiro Conejo OL-DL Jr. 60 Gader Bulow OL-DL Sr. 61 Brent Enger OL-DL Sr. 62 Tyler Petrey OL-DL Jr. 64 Steven Kirkwood OL-DL Sr. 65 Allen Schane OL-DL Jr. 66 Nick Wojciechowski OL-DL Sr. 70 Payton Mull OL-DL Jr. 71 Matthew Kielbasa OL-DL Jr. 72 Chris Gaudaen OL-DL Jr. 73 Alec Wheeler OL-DL Jr. 74 Patrick Fleener OL-DL Sr. 76 Bobby Pearson OL-DL Jr. 77 John Jimenez OL-DL Jr.

PRAIRIE RIDGECoach: Chris Schremp No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Emmanuel Ebirim FB-DL So. 2 Samson Evans WR-QB Fr. 3 Nathan Griffin RB-DB Jr. 5 Matthew Lorenz OLB Jr. 7 J.D. Patterson WR-DB Sr. 10 Dean Brown FB Jr. 11 Luke Annen QB Jr. 14 Landis Mast WR Sr. 16 Matthew Henning OLB Jr. 18 Brett Covalt QB Sr. 22 Brent Anderson RB-OLB Sr. 23 Cole Brown RB-DB So. 24 Jacob Reid RB-DB Sr. 25 John Di Cecco ILB Sr. 26 Matthew Mohapp OLB Sr. 27 Nicholas Pilafas DB Jr. 28 Jonathan Tieman DB Jr. 29 Brogan OConnor ILB So. 33 David Faccone FB-ILB Jr. 36 Noah Cherry DL Jr. 41 Anthony Azzano DL Jr. 42 Parker Tomlin ILB Jr. 44 Nicholas Greenberg RB-DB Jr. 45 Connor Harrell ILB Jr. 50 David Nelsen OL-DL Jr. 52 Jacob Ommen ILB Fr. 54 Kyle Heinzmann OL Jr. 56 Terrell Sheridan DL Sr. 57 Robbie Palmquist OL-ILB Sr. 60 Daniel Papic OL Sr.

74 Chris Dolleton OL-DL Sr. 76 Derreck Pearson OL Jr. 77 Jeffrey Jenkins OL Fr. 78 Luke Ponga OL Jr. 79 Frank Andrzejewski OL-DL Jr. 80 Chris Eschweiler WR-K Sr. 83 Joe Perhats TE-ILB Fr. 87 Ryan Orr TE-OL Jr. 88 Seth Lehman TE Sr. 90 Daniel Brainerd DL Sr. Jimmy Dimitriou Jr. Derek Schafer Sr.

WOODSTOCKCoach: Steve Beard No. Player Pos. Yr 2 Eli Kruse DB Jr. 7 Garrett Boyle DB Jr. 8 Jace Pohlman QB Sr. 10 Vannis Smith K Jr. 16 Zach Cullum QB Jr. 21 Tim Piquette DB Sr. 23 Travis Soltys LB Sr. 24 Eric Bell DB Sr. 25 Jacobs Sumner WR-DB So. 26 Alex Shannon RB-DB Sr. 30 Jamie Watson WR Jr. 32 Daniel Nattress RB Jr. 34 Nick Sundberg LB So. 36 Cameron Grisiola LB Sr. 42 Jon Elliott DE Sr. 43 Augustus Siebert RB-LB Sr. 45 Colton Ratkovic LB Sr. 47 Martin Halilaj LB Jr. 50 Nick Tribble DT Sr. 54 Jose Lopez DT Jr. 55 Vincent Maltese OL Jr. 58 Jared Skytte OL Sr. 59 Marty Becker OL-DL Sr. 61 Devanté Martyne DT Jr. 63 Dan Regna OL Jr. 66 Joey Speach OL Sr. 65 Zach Myers OL Sr. 71 Devin Warycjk OL-DL Sr. 73 Langdon Scott OL Jr. 76 Johnathon Michael DT Sr. 77 Jesus Hernandez-Lara DT So. 78 Alex Martenson OL Sr. 80 Sam Wright WR Jr. 81 Jack FIschbach WR Sr. 82 John Kruse WR-DB Sr. 85 Wyatt Yoder WR Jr. 87 Justyn Eisenmenger TE Jr. 88 Joe Kruse DB Sr. 89 Cole Richter WR Sr.

WOODSTOCK NORTHCoach: Jeff Schroeder

No. Player Pos. Yr 1 Chris Callahan WR-LB Sr. 2 Chris Nulle WR-DB-K Sr. 3 Jimmy Krenger QB-DB Sr. 7 Daniel Jewasinski WR-DB Jr. 10 Taylor Madson WR-DB Sr. 11 Marshall Coalson QB-DB Jr. 12 Christopher Niese K-P Sr. 16 Joe Miceli WR-LB Sr. 23 Sean Lagerstrom WR-DB Sr. 24 Jimmy Elsinger RB-DL Sr. 25 Travis Busch RB-DB Jr. 26 Benjamin Flores RB-LB Sr. 28 Jacob Schmitt RB-LB Jr. 33 Randall Kline RB-LB Jr. 34 Jordan Plummer RB-LB Sr. 37 Jeremy Haymond RB-LB Sr. 38 Thery Sims TE-DL Jr. 42 Brennen Ward WR-LB Jr. 44 Trent Liebmann RB-LB Sr. 48 Matt Kretowicz TE-LB Sr. 51 Logan Thomas OL-DL Sr. 52 Ethan Brandt OL-LB Jr. 55 Trevor Jensen OL-DL Sr. 56 Brendan Domek OL-LB Sr.

57 Jacob Varys OL-DL Jr. 58 Wolfgang Kemp OL-DL Jr. 60 Michael Valenti OL-DL Jr. 66 Gilbert Krich OL-DL Jr. 68 Alex Tapia OL-DL Jr. 71 Skylar Shoemaker OL-DL Jr. 75 Cruz Gomez OL-DL Jr. 76 Jacob Britton OL-DL Sr. 77 Cody Barnes OL-DL Sr. 78 Zak Lampl OL-DL Jr. 79 John Ison OL-DL Sr. 80 Shawn Kinsey WR-DB Sr. 81 Dalton Butts TE-DL Jr. 83 Joseph Martelli WR-DB Jr. 84 Jakob Brink WR-DB Jr. 87 Jacob Peschke WR-DB Sr.

Big Northern ConferenceEast Division

HARVARDCoach: Sean Saylor No. Name Pos. Yr 1 Austin Niemiesz TE-LB Jr. 2 Reiss Bielski WR-DB Jr. 3 Joe Quinn WR-DB Sr. 4 Christian Kramer RB-LB Sr. 8 Todd Lehman QB-DB Jr. 12 Peyton Schneider QB-DB Sr. 22 Hunter Freres RB-DB So. 23 Tyler Perkins TE-LB Jr. 34 Matt Rodriguez WR-DB Sr. 41 James Quinn RB-LB Sr. 50 Max Miller OL-DL Jr. 60 Zach Martin OL-DL Jr. 61 Bryton Crosby OL-DL Jr. 62 Mauricio Espain OL-DL Jr. 68 Louis Bouchette OL-DL Sr. 75 Easton Hall OL-DL Jr. 76 Kevin Vargas OL-DL Sr. 82 Lucas Schmidt TE-DL Sr. 85 Mason Thompson WR-DB Jr.

JOHNSBURGCoach: Mike Maloney No. Name Pos. Yr 1 Blake Lemcke RB-CB So. 2 Bailey Stefka RB-LB Sr. 3 Dan Tylkowski WR Sr. 5 Nick Brengman QB-CB-P Sr. 6 Connor Bell WR-CB So. 7 Alex Peete RB-S So. 8 Andrew Calhoun K So. 9 Bryan Stockwell WR-FS Sr. 10 Riley Buchanan QB-OLB So. 11 Eric Wagner RB-DE Sr. 12 Brad Iverson FS-WR Sr. 14 Anthony Rittorno CB-RB Jr. 19 Austin Koontz WR-OLB Sr. 23 Jacob Blount CB Sr. 25 Branden Peshek LB-RB Sr. 28 Alec Siudak WR-CB So. 29 Chuck Curry OLB So. 30 Braden Helma CB-WR So. 31 Anthony Vallone LB Jr. 34 Bryce Smith RB-LB So. 40 Zach MacKenzie FB-LB Sr. 41 Aubrey Wuchter TE-LB So. 45 Riley Elliott CB So. 52 Mason Berger OL-DL So. 57 Jarrid Wagner LB-OL So. 66 John Conroy OL-DL Jr. 67 Branden Ackman OL-DL So. 68 Alex G. Lee OL-DL Jr. 70 Joe Moore OL-DL So. 71 Luke Hiller OL-DL So. 72 Blake Boyle OL-DL Jr. 75 Ericson J. Hoffman OL-DL Sr. 76 Sean Koeshall OL-DL Sr. 79 Dyllan Hess OL-DL So. 82 Bryce Jordan TE-DL So. 85 Haden Franzen WR-LB Sr. 93 Jared Carlson OL-DL So.

MARENGOCoach: Matt Lynch No. Name Pos. Yr 2 Michael Skorzewski WR-DB Jr. 3 Edillio Andrade WR-DB Sr. 4 Brandon Temple WR-DB Jr. 5 Joseph Mier RB-LB So. 7 Craiton Nice WR-DB Jr. 8 Ethan Walsweer QB-DB Sr. 9 Kurt McMackin QB-LB Jr. 12 Marc Bender WR-DB Sr. 15 Alex Knaak WR-DB Sr. 16 Colton Wightman TE-LB Jr. 20 Belemino Andrade-VillagomeTE-LB Jr. 21 Luke Langan WR-DB Sr. 22 Jarren Jackson RB-LB So. 23 Adam Roudabush WR-DB Jr. 25 Jesse Ramirez P Jr. 30 Conlin Lentz RB-LB Jr. 32 Danny Martinez RB-DB Jr. 33 Dakota Kissack RB-DB Sr. 34 Jarrell Jackson RB-DB Jr. 36 Jake Behnke RB-LB Sr. 40 Kyle Gara RB-LB Jr. 42 Dillon Csanda TE-LB Sr. 44 Drake Stravoplos FB-LB Jr. 48 Weston Shepard WR-DB Sr. 50 Erik Johns OL-DL Sr. 51 Derek Caskey OL-DL Sr. 52 Chase Bough OL-DL Jr. 55 Andrew Anderson OL-DL Jr. 56 Zac Lane OL-DL Jr. 59 Dylan Turner OL-DL Jr. 60 Kwinn Velasquez OL-DL Jr. 62 Hunter Richardson OL-DL Sr. 63 Mike Brunk OL-DL Sr. 68 Ben Ryan OL-DL Sr. 70 Justin D’Ambrosia OL-DL So. 72 Jarrett Burno OL-DL So. 75 Gabe Taylor OL-DL Sr.

RICHMOND-BURTONCoach: Pat Elder No. Name Pos. Yr 5 Mike Dahlen RB-DB Jr. 6 Luke Brinkmann RB-DB Sr. 7 Codey Blanton QB-DB Sr. 8 Brad Boelkow RB-DB Sr. 9 Brandon Kilcoyne RB-DB-K Sr. 10 Joe Horner QB-DB Jr. 12 Carter Miller TE-DB Jr. 13 Ryan Dahlen RB-DB Jr. 15 Robert Heaney RB-DB Jr. 16 Eric Guenther RB-DB Jr. 19 Alec Weiland RB-DB Jr. 20 Tyler Talatian RB-LB Sr. 22 Marshall Woodward FB-LB Sr. 25 Riley Fritz RB-DB Jr. 28 Joe Wolfram RB-DB Jr. 31 James Powers RB-DB Jr. 32 Joe Dittmar FB-LB Jr. 34 Marcus Duda FB-DE Sr. 35 Steven Cotteau TE-LB Sr. 53 Tilak Patel G-LB Jr. 55 Matt Ferrero C-NG Jr. 57 Dustin Spence G-DT Sr. 60 Chad Autschbach G-NG Sr. 61 Brandon Ingalls T-DT Jr. 62 Ethan Sheedlo G-NG Sr. 64 William Zaremba T-DT Jr. 66 Alex Petersen G-DT Sr. 67 Jeremy Gallegos C-DT Jr. 70 Jason Hodgins T-DT Sr. 72 Ryan Curran T-DT Jr. 74 John Stasieczek T-DT Sr. 75 Fred Bush T-DT Jr. 77 Dalton Wagner T-DT So. 79 John Nelson T-DT Sr. 85 Reggie Banks TE-DE Jr. 88 Trevor Anderson TE-LB Jr.

East Suburban Catholic Conference

MARIAN CENTRALCoach: Ed Brucker

No. Name Pos. Yr 2 Brendan Yarwood WR-DB Jr. 3 Kolton Rominski QB-DB Jr. 4 Eric Ruschke WR-DB Jr. 5 J.R. Budmayr QB Jr. 6 Billy Bahl QB Sr. 7 Johnny Churak WR-DB Sr. 8 Bailey Brown RB-WR-DB Sr. 9 Mike Miceli RB-LB Jr. 10 Liam Stoll K Sr. 14 Bailey Nixon WR-DB Jr. 15 Luke Tegtman WR-DB Jr. 16 Jake Higgins K Jr. 18 Jacob Dehne WR-DB Sr. 19 Jordan Niemeyer WR-DB Sr. 20 Jake Tinkham WR-DB Jr. 21 Emitt Peisert RB-WR-DB Jr. 22 Andrew Yerkes WR-DB Jr. 23 Jack Littner WR-DB Jr. 25 Jack Niemaszek RB-LB Jr. 26 Derrick RB-LB Jr. 28 Cole Bokowy WR-DB Sr. 34 Jarryd Cabusao RB-DB Sr. 35 Thomas Welch RB-LB Jr. 42 Colton Gregory FB-LB Sr. 43 Steven Wember TE-LB Sr. 44 Isaac McGuire TE-DE Jr. 45 Michael Hartlieb TE-LB Sr. 46 Mike Velazquez WR-DB Sr. 51 Sebastian Soliz RB-LB Sr. 53 Charles Hanlon OL-DL Sr. 55 Zeny Liubinskas OL-DL Sr. 57 Shane Kirwan OL-DL Sr. 58 John Slivka OL-DL Sr. 61 Max O’Halleran OL-DL Jr. 64 Andrew Darbro OL-DL Jr. 67 Nick Dioguardi OL-DL Jr. 71 Matt Crook OL-DL Jr. 72 Kyle Darbro OL-DL Jr. 74 Karl Rude OL-DL Sr. 76 Gavin Dineen OL-DL Jr. 77 Sam Gibson OL-DL Jr. 78 Connor Adamick OL-DL Jr. 79 Michael Gross OL-DL Jr. 81 Matt Ricchiuto TE-DE Sr. 84 Gerard Squires TE-DE Jr. Thomas Applegate OL-DL Jr.

Northeastern AthleticConferenceAlden-Hebron

Coach: John Lalor No. Name Pos. Yr5 Colten Cashmore QB-LB Sr.7 Cody Nelsen WR-DB Sr.10 Kevin Mendoza-Ortiz WR-DB So.14 John Judson QB-DB Sr.21 Thomas Baldwin RB-DB Jr.22 Nate Peterson RB-DB Sr.28 Jordan Gricar RB-DB So.31 Isaiah Johnson RB-LB Sr.34 Josh Johnson RB-LB Jr.36 Patrick Baldwin WR-DB Fr.43 Trevor Redlin TE-DE Jr.51 Marshall Glenn OL-LB Sr.55 David Reiter OL-DL Fr.56 Jacob Boehlen OL-DL Fr.58 Alec O’Halleran OL-DL Sr.61 Trent Redlin OL-DL Sr.63 Taylor Glenn OL-DL Jr.64 Kristian Rapa OL-DL Jr.71 Mason Mindham OL-DL Fr.73 Joel Angeles OL-DL So.75 Aristotle Papanikolaou OL-DL Fr.79 Shane Bieze OL-DL Jr.82 Marcus Heaver TE-DL Sr.84 Austin Stauss WR Jr.88 Justin Steele WR-DB Fr.

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