SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW SECTION
TOUCHDOWN 2014 THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014 | DAILY-CHRONICLE.COM
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Shoring up the defense
NI Big 12 East up for grabs
Chip on their shoulder
DeKalb looking for unit to lead Barbs’ resurgence this season / 4
After sending 5 teams to the playoffs in ’13, league could be tougher in ’14 / 8-9
Sycamore players, coaches do not feel like the NI Big 12 East favorite / 6
GENOA-KINGSTON COGS
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
| TOUCHDOWN 2014
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A knack for making plays
G-K senior quarterback Griffin McNeal Photo Illustration by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
G-K hoping QB McNeal continues to evolve as a playmaker
“
He may not always be the sharpest and it may not always be the cleanest execution, but he has a little bit of a knack for making big plays and getting us out of trouble.” Travis Frederick, G-K football coach, on QB Griffin McNeal
By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com
I
t’s not always pretty, Genoa-Kingston football coach Travis Frederick said. But quarterback Griffin McNeal finds a way to make a play. McNeal returns under center for the Cogs, hoping to power the team back to the playoffs after a 5-5 season and first-round exit last year. The senior play-caller took over late in his sophomore year. Last year, he completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 1,199 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He led the team to the postseason for the first time since 2010. “He may not always be the sharpest and it may not always be the cleanest execution, but he has a
little bit of a knack for making big plays and getting us out of trouble,” Frederick said. “If we get in third-and-long, or we’re backed up against our own end zone, he just has a way of pulling things along and helping us move the ball.” The fourth-year head coach said having a play-maker such as McNeal has its benefits. “It takes pressure of everybody,” Frederick said. “The boys know if we just give a guy like that a chance that something special can happen at anytime. I try to tell the kids who make the plays, the backs and the receivers, you got to make the plays when he presents those to you.” McNeal was battle-tested last year with five games decided by a touchdown or less. The Cogs went 2-3 in those contests. The toughest
of those losses was against eventual conference champ Harvard, 22-21, in which the Cogs missed a twopoint conversion in the final 2 minutes that would have given them their first league title since 1992. “There’s a little bit of a sting right there,” Frederick said. “They’ve still got it on their minds.” Frederick said only a handful of starters return from last year, but most of the players got playing time last year anyway. The team’s depth has gotten better over the past couple years, letting the coach go deeper and deeper on his bench. This year, he said there were 68 players out at the start of camp. McNeal said the experience is a definite strength.
See COGS, page 3
Cogs hoping to go further in playoffs
3
Continued from page 2 “We don’t have a lot of returning starters, but we have a lot of guys who played a lot of time last year,” McNeal said. “Everybody knows the offense and is really familiar with it. “We have a lot of depth on our team, offensively and defensively,” he said. “We have guys who can step up and know what they are doing.” Frederick said his team reached the postseason last year but is looking for more this year – namely more than a one-and-done playoff trip. Last year, the Cogs lost 24-0 to eventual state runner-up Geneseo in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. “We’ve had a lot of playoff teams over the years,” Frederick said. “Even going back to the 1980s and ’90s. But only a couple of teams have gone beyond that second round. We certainly want to start making those quarterfinals, semifinals, hopefully state appearances.”
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Genoa-Kingston tight end Marcus Holley makes a one-handed catch during practice Aug. 14 in Genoa.
Inside the Cogs Coach: Travis Frederick (9-19, fourth season) Last year: 5-5, 5-1 Big Northern Conference East Division; lost 24-0 to Geneseo in first round of Class 4A IHSA playoffs Keep an eye on: Senior quarterback Griffin McNeal didn’t put up the gaudiest numbers – 1,199 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, seven touchdowns and a 55.1 completion percentage. But Frederick said he just has a knack for coming up with a big play. Also: Jesse Bade, sr., RB/LB; Hunter Rogers, sr., RB/DB; Anthony Lacko, sr., OL/LB
Frederick’s take: “We’re looking real good. We’ve got a ton of work done during the summer in camps and 7-on-7 and that kind of thing. It’s the most we’ve gotten done in my many years here.” The big game: Last year, the Cogs lost 2221 at home to Harvard, which was undefeated at the time and made a run to the state quarterfinals. The Cogs missed a two-point conversion with 1:44 left in the game on a drive that lasted the entire fourth quarter. A win would have given the Cogs the conference championship. The rematch is Oct. 17
at Harvard. The lowdown: The close loss to the Hornets was nothing out of the ordinary for the Cogs, who also lost 29-27 at Rockford Lutheran and 34-26 against Winnebago, not to mention close wins against Richmond-Burton (29-28) and North Boone (28-23). Still, the team returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. ... Frederick said the team is looking to make a “nice, long, deep run in the playoffs.” ... Genoa-Kingston last won a conference title in 1992. – Eddie Carifio, ecarifio@shawmedia.com
Schedule Aug. 29: vs. St. Edward Sept. 5: at Byron Sept. 12: vs. Marengo* Sept. 19: vs. Rockford Christian* Sept. 26: at Burlington Central* Oct. 3: vs. Johnsburg* Oct. 10: vs. North Boone* Oct. 17: at Harvard* Oct. 24: at Richmond-Burton* Note: All kickoffs are 7 p.m. * - Big Northern Conference East Division
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TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
• COGS
DeKALB BARBS
DeKalb linebackers Allen Letterer (left) and Jake Kuykendall Photo by Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com Illustration by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
| TOUCHDOWN 2014
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For us to be good we have to have a good defense and improve on what we did last year. I look at other teams across the state that are good and are perennial title contenders, and they always have great defenses.” Matt Weckler, DeKalb football coach
Shoring up the defense Unit hopes to lead DeKalb’s resurgence By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com
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ith Illinois signee and reigning Daily Chronicle Male Athlete of the Year Dre Brown anchoring a high-octane pistol-option offense, the defense on the DeKalb football team can get overlooked. It doesn’t help that the team gave up almost 29 points a game last season in coach Matt Weckler’s first year. The players and coaches have
high expectations for this season after making the playoffs last year for only the second time since 1989. And although opponents might be focused on the offense, the defense is expecting to turn some heads. “Defense is looking better and better each day,” senior linebacker Jake Kuykendall said. “We’ve been doing real well lately. We kind of like being the underdog, flying under the radar so we can surprise teams.” Even the offense has taken note. Receiver Rudy Lopez said a big
strength of the team is the defense. Weckler said the linebacking corps is particularly strong, with four seniors in the five spots. Also playing there are seniors Allen Letterer (a transfer from Hiawatha), Tony Ramos and Jonathan Vega, as well as junior Leif Williams. Weckler said the team has shown improvements on both sides of the ball, mainly because the growing pains of learning the system mostly are out of the way.
See BARBS, page 5
Plays, schemes more intricate 5 Continued from page 4
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
A DeKalb receiver catches a pass in the end zone during practice Aug. 15 in DeKalb.
He said the plays and schemes, especially on defense, are much more intricate than last year. “For us to be good, we have to have a good defense and improve on what we did last year,” Weckler said. “I look at other teams across the state that are good and are perennial title contenders, and they always have great defenses.” With Brown and Eriq Torrey playing in the secondary more this year than last, Weckler said the backs will be greatly improved, as well. On offense, the Barbs still will utilize the option, with Tony Tate and Torrey splitting time
in the backfield with Brown. Quarterback still isn’t settled yet as of Aug. 20 between junior Ethan Conroy and sophomore Derek Kyler. “There’s still some stuff we don’t know, but we know most of the stuff,” Brown said. “We know how practice goes. We know how the games [are] going to go. We have an identity now of what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it.” Letterer said the team expects a lot out of the season – more than the 5-5 record, fourth-place Northern Illinois Big 12 East finish and first-round playoff exit that 2013 brought. “We’re capable of anything we put our mind to,” Letterer said. “We’ve got a hard-working team. We have a lot of big goals and big expectations for this season.”
Inside the Barbs Coach: Matt Weckler (5-4, second season) Last year: 5-5 overall, 2-3 Northern Illinois Big 12 East; lost 48-6 to Batavia in first round of Class 6A playoffs. Keep an eye on: With his papers signed with Illinois, Dre Brown looks to have a season full of success to cap his four-year Barbs career. Last year, he ran for more than 1,300 yards and scored 20 times. Also: Rudy Lopez, sr., WR/DB; Jake Kuykendall, sr., LB; Aaron Letterer, sr., LB; Tony Tate, jr., RB/DB; Eriq Torrey sr., RB/DB Weckler’s take: “This year, it’s more about
practicing what we already know instead of learning what we don’t. It’s allowed us to have a lot more intricate plays on offense and defense.” The big game: The Barbs haven’t beaten archrival Sycamore since 2007. If they want to make a claim on the division crown, they’ll need a win in their Sept. 19 matchup, not to mention the next week against Kaneland – a team they haven’t beaten since they started playing annually in 2006. The lowdown: The bad news is the Barbs have made the playoffs only twice since
1989. The good news is if the team makes it this year – and the players and coaches seem optimistic – it will be their third berth since 2010. The past two trips have been one-and-done after sneaking into the postseason with a 5-4 record. This year, DeKalb looks to improve on both the regular-season and playoff side of that, eyeing a conference title and playoff win. ... Weckler said Brown and Eriq Torrey will play more in the secondary in hopes of adding some speed there.
– Eddie Carifio, ecarifio@shawmedia.com
Schedule Aug. 29: vs. Vernon Hills Sept. 5: at West Chicago Sept. 12: at McHenry, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 19: vs. Sycamore*, at NIU Sept. 26: at Kaneland* Oct. 3: vs. Morris* (homecoming) Oct. 10: at Rochelle Oct. 17: vs. Yorkville* Oct. 24: vs. Geneseo Note: All kickoffs are 7:30 p.m. unless noted * - Northern Illinois Big 12 East
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• BARBS
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
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SYCAMORE SPARTANS
Sycamore center Daniel Coovert (from left), linebacker Brett Weaver and running back Dion Hooker Photo by Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com Illustration by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Chip on their shoulder Defending champion Spartans say they’re not feeling like the favorite
“
I think we still have a chip on our shoulder. I think we have a chip on our shoulder every year. ... You don’t want to bask in your glory, or keep thinking about how you won a conference championship and stuff like that. It’s good when you’re in the moment, but once you get past that you want to go for bigger and better things.” Brett Weaver, Sycamore senior linebacker
By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com
T
hey won the conference. They made the state semifinals. Their victory against Kaneland in the regular season ended the Knights’ 35-game conference winning streak. But despite their litany of accomplishments in 2013, Sycamore football players and coaches say they feel like underdogs this year. “I think we still have a chip on our shoulder,” senior linebacker Brett Weaver said. “I think we have a chip on our shoulder every year. Coach (Joe) Ryan tells us to have a chip on our shoulder. You don’t
want to bask in your glory, or keep thinking about how you won a conference championship and stuff like that. It’s good when you’re in the moment, but once you get past that you want to go for bigger and better things.” The team returns only four starters on each side of the ball this season, and Ryan, entering his 11th year as coach of the Spartans, said they don’t feel like this season’ favorites. “The chip on the shoulder is they’ve heard since the end of the year last year, ‘Oh, all these guys they’re going to lose,’ ” Ryan said. “And we did. We lost some exceptional leaders, some great players, some great kids. But now they believe it is
their turn. ... They’re not sitting back listening to anybody tell them they’ve lost a bunch of guys.” The Spartans didn’t lose a game until facing Montini in the Class 5A semifinals, losing to the Broncos in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. They were the only team to beat Lincoln-Way West last year, knocking off the Warriors in the first game of the year and then in the quarterfinals. But they saved the best for Northern Illinois Big 12 East Division play, winning every game by double-digits in a league that sent five of its six teams to the postseason.
See SPARTANS, page 7
Spartans lost 14 starters 7 Continued from page 6
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Sycamore players take a water break during practice Aug.15 in Sycamore.
“We’re going in to get better,” center Daniel Coovert said. “We’re going for another conference championship, of course. We’re looking to make the state championship this time, not come up one short.” Ryan said the team boasts excellent depth this year to help soften the blow of 14 lost starters from last year. Speedy Dion Hooker is expected to take over at running back – he won a state title in the 200-meter dash in 2013 and was runner-up in the 100 and 200 last year. Weaver, Coovert and Hooker all are three-year varsity players and are providing leadership and experience, Ryan said. At quarterback, Ryan said junior Brett Bemis is the starter. Ryan said the team doesn’t “feel like we are on top of anything right now,” and the players said they are trying to earn that feeling again. “You just have to go week by week,” Hooker said. “You can’t take any teams for granted and just focus on one team at a time and work our way to the postseason.”
Inside the Spartans Coach: Joe Ryan (62-42, 11th season) Last year: 12-1, 5-0 Northern Illinois Big 12 East; lost 42-20 to Montini in Class 5A semifinals Keep an eye on: A 2013 state champion in the 200-meter dash, Dion Hooker ran for almost 500 yards in a loaded backfield last season. He is expected to take over as the starter this year. Also: Daniel Coovert, sr., C; Brett Weaver, sr., LB; Colan Treml, sr., S/WR; Zach Kalk, jr., OT/DT; Tanner Watkins, sr., DB; Austin Kosusnik, sr., DE
Ryan’s take: “It’s tough when you come off the season we had and lose some of the players we had. I think these guys have the proverbial chip on their shoulder and came into camp doing really well.” The big game: Although DeKalb has its sites on taking down the Spartans – the teams meet Sept. 19 at Huskie Stadium – Kanleand might be the biggest test for Sycamore. The Spartans’ 31-21 win over the Knights was their first since the 2009 playoffs.
The lowdown: They finally dethroned Kaneland from atop the conference, but have only four starters back on each side of the ball. Ryan said the team feels that people aren’t expecting a lot from the Spartans because of that. ... Ryan said at the center of the team is a trio of three-year starting seniors – Coovert, Weaver and Hooker – who provide experience and leadership. ... Junior Brett Bemis is expected to be the starting quarterback.
– Eddie Carifio, ecarifio@shawmedia.com
Schedule Aug. 29: vs. Lincoln-Way West Sept. 6: at North Lawndale, 6 p.m. Sept. 12: vs. Crete-Monee Sept. 19: vs. DeKalb*, at NIU, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26: at Ottawa Oct. 3: vs. Kaneland* (homecoming) Oct. 10: at Yorkville* Oct. 17: at Morris* Oct. 24: vs. Sterling Note: All kickoffs are 7:15 p.m. unless noted * - Northern Illinois Big 12 East
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Sycamore players participate in a scrimmage during practice Aug 15 in Sycamore.
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TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
• SPARTANS
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS BIG 12 EAST IS ...
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DeKalb running back Dre Brown DeKalb linebackers Allen Letterer (left) and Jake Kuykendall
DeKalb receiver Rudy Lopez
UP FOR GRABS
Coaches agree conference will be ‘as good as it’s ever been’ R
2013 NORTHERN ILLINOIS BIG 12 EAST STANDINGS
1.
Sycamore Spartans
Conference: 5-1 Overall: 12-1
2.
Kaneland Knights
Conference: 4-1 Overall: 9-2
3.
Yorkville Foxes
Conference: 2-3 Overall: 5-5
4.
DeKalb Barbs
5.
Rochelle Hubs *
6.
Morris Redskins
Conference: 2-3 Conference: 1-4 Conference: 1-4 Overall: 5-5 Overall: 6-5 Overall: 3-6 * - Rochelle is moving from the NI Big 12 East to the West this season.
ochelle won only one game in the Northern Illinois Big 12 East Division last year. Not only did the Hubs reach the IHSA Class 4A playoffs, they won a playoff game. With five of the division’s six teams making the postseason last year, the league was a tough one. Even with Rochelle leaving the East Division for the West this year, coaches still expect the East to be even tougher. “Kaneland only has one loss since we started this conference (in 2009), and we were fortunate enough to get them,” Sycamore coach Joe Ryan said. “Tom (Fedderly, Kaneland coach) does a really good job. DeKalb is going to be really good. Morris will be good. Top
to bottom, it’s going to be as good as it’s ever been. You can finish fifth and have a really good team in the league this year.” DeKalb finished 2-7 two years ago but improved to 5-5 last year, taking fourth in the conference. Behind running back Dre Brown, who has committed to play at Illinois next year, the Barbs hope instead of being in the middle of the pack with Yorkville and Rochelle, they will be in the conversation with Sycamore and Kaneland for the league title. “It’s going to be tough, but it’s basically up for grabs,” Barbs senior linebacker Jake Kuykendall said. “We’re working hard. We want it.” The league hasn’t always had much
STORY: By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com
PHOTOS: By MONICA MASCHAK mmaschak@shawmedia.com
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: By DANIELLE GUERRA dguerra@shawmedia.com parity. In fact, Kaneland dominated it from the inception of the NI Big 12 East until last year, going since 2009 without losing a regular-season game until the Spartans beat them. That launched Sycamore on a run into the state semifinals. Kaneland made the second round of the postseason, as did Rochelle. Yorkville and DeKalb each
were one-and-done. With Kaneland’s historical dominance, and Sycamore’s dominance last year, Brown said all it shows is that any year can belong to any team. “It doesn’t matter what you did last year. It’s about what you’re going to do now,” Brown said. “We don’t really look at their past success. We know they work hard, and we work hard, too.” Matt Weckler, in his second year as coach at DeKalb, said the Barbs are ready to be considered contenders in the division. “I think we have the opportunity to do so if we continue to improve week in and week out and stay healthy,” Weckler said. “On paper, I like the guys we have and the matchups versus the
other teams in the conference. But at the same time, we talk about the respect factors for these other teams. Kanlenad keeps reloading, Sycamore keeps getting better and Yorkville is right there all the time. ... It’s going to be tough, but we have to go in thinking we’re going to have the opportunity to win.” Fedderly said the league will be really compeitive, and that anyone can beat anyone on any given night – a favorite line of coaches. He was asked whether that phrase carried more meaning for the division this year – if it truly is that balanced. “It really is. It’s really even,” Fedderly said. “There’s a lot of really good coaches and I think anybody can beat anybody.”
TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
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HIAWATHA HAWKS
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
| TOUCHDOWN 2014
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Hawks’ centerpiece
“
We feel we’re really going to be able to use Nick’s agility and cutting ability. We’re trying to find something that suits his best attributes that he has. I don’t want to say everything is on Nick’s back because it most definitely isn’t ... but he is going to be a major part of what we do offensively and defensively.” Sean Donnelly, Hiawatha football coach
Hiawatha running back and safety Nick Doolittle Photo Illustration by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Doolittle to carry the load for Hiawatha By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com
S
ean Donnelly has a lot of faith in Nick Doolittle. So much so that the ninth-year Hiawatha football coach is taking the traditionally pass-first Hawks, putting them into the I-formation, and letting Doolittle run behind a young offensive line. “We feel we’re really going to be able to use Nick’s agility and cutting ability,” Donnelly said. “We’re trying to find something that suits his best attributes that he has. I don’t
want to say everything is on Nick’s back because it most definitely isn’t – there is always going to be 10 other guys on the field – but he is going to be a major part of what we do offensively and defensively.” The Hawks started the season 3-1 last year before losing their final five games, once again missing out on the postseason. Their last playoff trip was in 1987. Doolittle, who ran for about 400 yards despite missing a big chunk of the season with an injury, said he’s optimistic this year.
“I expect nothing short of playoffs,” Doolittle said. “I think we have a good chance with the people we have.” His coach shares that excitement. “We’re capable of adding another two wins to what we did a year ago,” Donnelly said. “I think we have the capability to become a five-win team again, make a push for the playoffs. A bounce goes right here or there, I think we can get to six wins. I think that’s a realistic goal for our guys to have.”
See HAWKS, page 11
Donnelly: Hawks are better this season Continued from page 10 Doolittle said he’s making the most of his increased role. “It makes me want to work harder now so it’s easier in the game,” Doolittle said. “Just trying to do good for my team, my school.” Donnelly said he’s liked what he’s seen out of quarterback Alex Flores in camp, but wants to take pressure off an inexperienced receiving corps by making Doolittle a focal point of the offense. He also said he thinks the team has improved from last year. “We’re going to be better defensively because we have more speed that can get to the ball and make tackles than we’ve had in the past,” Donnelly said.
“Offensively, it’s going to be a big change from wanting to throw the ball more like we did with Mike (Mercado). ... Our biggest strength is going to be being able to run the ball on offense.” One of the biggest problems Donnelly sees is the team’s depth – something that never has been the best but really cost the Hawks last year. When the injury bug bit, he said, it derailed the team’s promising start. “We started off great but kind of fizzled as time went on, and a lot of it came from a lack of depth,” Donnelly said. “We haven’t fixed that lack-of-depth part, because we’re never going to have a lot of guys. ... Now we’re going to have to find a way to keep them off the training table. We were looking at Week 5, Week 6 and we had five starters out. And when you have
that, it’s more like having 10 starters out because you’re looking at it being both sides of the ball.” With more and more teams switching to spread offenses, going back to a more classic formation might seem like something that will be unfamiliar to teams. But Donnelly said in the eclectic Northeast Athletic Conference, that’s not really the case. “You look at Luther North, it almost looks like a rugby game,” Donnelly said. “They’re so tight on the line of scrimmage it’s hard to tell who has the ball and who comes out of the scrum. Then you go play teams that run a wing-T, like Christian Life, then you get Hebron, who just likes to spread Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com you out. ... There’s so much difHiawatha quarterback Alex Flores looks to pitch the ferences in our conference I don’t ball to running back Nick Doolittle during practice Aug. think there is that surprise factor 14 at the school in Kirkland. that you would think.”
Inside the Hawks Coach: Sean Donnelly (20-52, ninth season) Last year: 3-6 overall and Northeastern Athletic Keep an eye on: With a new quarterback under center, the Hawks will switch to an I-formation this year to try to give every advantage to Nick Doolittle, who only played four games last year but still racked up 346 yards. Donnelly said Doolittle is expected to carry most of the load this year on offense. Also: Alex Flores, sr., QB/S; Bart Hall,
jr., G/LB Donnelly’s take: “We are farther along than we were in years past just because we had good numbers in the summer. That always helps. There’s more you can do so you don’t have to start everyone off on square one. We’re already a few steps ahead.” The big game: The Hawks capped a three-game winning streak to open their schedule last year with a 40-27 win against Westminster Christian. The teams have a rematch set for Week 4,
Sept. 19 in Kirkland. The lowdown: Things started well for the Hawks, going 3-1 after Week 4 but falling back to Earth. They were outscored 206-29 in their final five games. Donnelly said injuries took their toll, including to Doolittle. The Hawks ended up losing five starters. ... Hiawatha last made the playoffs in 1987. – Eddie Carifio, ecarifio@shawmedia.com
Schedule Aug. 29: vs. Mooseheart Sept. 6: at N. Shore Country Day, 1 p.m. Sept 13: at Christian Liberty Academy, 1 p.m. Sept. 19: vs. Westminster Christian Sept. 26: vs. Marquette Academy Oct. 4: at Luther North, 1 p.m. Oct. 10: vs. Alden Hebron Oct. 17: at Christian Life Center Oct. 24: at Hope Academy Note: All kickoffs are 7 p.m. unless noted
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TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
• HAWKS
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KANELAND KNIGHTS
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, Augsut 28, 2014
| TOUCHDOWN 2014
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Kaneland receiver Connor Fedderly (left) and running back and free safety Isaac Swithers
Photo by Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com Illustration by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Piecing it back together again Kaneland out to avenge loss, reclaim conference throne
“
We, obviously, lost a lot of people, but that doesn’t change anything really,” Swithers said. “Coaches do a good job keeping us disciplined. We have a really hard-working team and we actually do have a lot of good people coming back. It shouldn’t be any different from last year. Probably a little better than last year.” Isaac Swithers, Kaneland running back and free safety
By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com
T
om Fedderly and the Kaneland football team aren’t going to let history get in the way of appreciating a good season. The Knights went 9-2 last year, reached the second round of the IHSA Class 5A playoffs and missed out on a Northern Illinois Big 12 East Division title because of a 31-21 loss at Sycamore. The loss to the Spartans was the team’s first regular-season defeat since 2009, and kept them from a fifth consecutive NI Big 12 East title. Fedderly said given the injuries the team battled through last year, he’s happy with the outcome and thinks the team can get back on top. “We’re really proud of what we did last year,” Fedderly said. “It was a great year. We had a lot of kids who were with us for a long time. Unfortunately, we had some key injuries that were hard for us
to overcome. But it’s a new year now and we’re looking to have a lot of fun this year.” Fedderly said the team will depend a lot on receiver Connor Fedderly – Tom Fedderly’s son – and senior free safety and running back Isaac Swithers. With a new quarterback and depleted receiving corps, he said those two will steer the spread offense early in the season. Connor Fedderly said the team hasn’t forgotten about the loss to Sycamore last year. “We knew that was going to be a big game against those guys,” he said. “They had a lot of good players; we had a lot of good players. They came out and they beat us.” Junior Jake Marczuk has the inside track at quarterback, coach Fedderly said. “Jake’s a really good athlete,” he said. “He can run, he can pass, he’s a good kid. He had a good summer with our 7-on-7. He’s a really good athlete.”
Last year’s team was a senior-laden bunch, but Swithers said this group isn’t missing a beat. “We, obviously, lost a lot of people, but that doesn’t change anything really,” Swithers said. “Coaches do a good job keeping us disciplined. We have a really hard-working team and we actually do have a lot of good people coming back. It shouldn’t be any different from last year. Probably a little better than last year.” Coach Fedderly said that mix, along with the team’s speed, are the two strongest points of the team. “We’re pretty quick,” Tom Fedderly said. “We’ve got some kids here that have some good experience. There are six kids that we’re bringing back that played quite a bit. I think we’re going to have a good mix of some young kids with some experienced kids.”
See KNIGHTS, page 13
Swithers will anchor secondary
13
Continued from page 12
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Kaneland football coach Tom Fedderly gives direction during practice Aug.13 in Maple Park.
Swithers will anchor the secondary on defense, with a pair of standout junior linebackers helping out – Danny Hammeister, who Tom Fedderly called one of the best in the conference, and 6-foot-5, 235-pound Jake Gomes. Although he said the conference is super close this year, coach Fedderly said the pieces are in place for the team to be as good as it wants to be. “We have our goals and that’s what we’re shooting for,” he said. “The kids take a lot of pride in what the program has accomplished and we don’t want any letdowns. We come out here Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com and expect to win. We’ll compete. I know that.” Kaneland linemen work on blocking during a practice Aug. 13 in Maple Park.
Inside the Knights want to do is go 1-0. Concentrate on that first game.” The big game: When Sycamore beat the Knights, 31-21, at Engh Field last year, it was the Knights’ first regular-season loss since Oct. 16, 2009. The lowdown: Under normal circumstances it’s hard to call a 9-2 season with a playoff win a down year, but given the decade the team has had – again, no regular-season losses until the Oct. 18 loss at Sycamore – it has the team looking to go even further. The Knights were bounced in the second round
of the playoffs for the second straight year after semifinal runs in 2010 and 2011. ... Swithers took over at running back last year when the starter went down with an injury, pulling double duty – he plays free safety, too. Tom Fedderly said Swithers will be back at RB this year, and will be the No. 2 option behind Connor Fedderly at receiver until the young corps establishes itself in the Knights’ spread offense. ... Fedderly said the starting QB job is Marczuk’s to lose. Senior Owen Kopela is pushing him. – Eddie Carifio, ecarifio@shawmedia.com
Schedule Aug. 29: vs. Brooks College Prep Sept. 5: vs. Marshall Sept. 12: vs. Rich Central Sept. 19: at Yorkville* Sept. 26: vs. DeKalb* Oct. 3: at Sycamore* Oct. 10: vs. Morris* (homecoming) Oct. 17: at LaSalle-Peru Oct. 24: at Rochelle Note: All kickoffs are 7:15 p.m. unless noted. * - Northern Illinois Big 12 East
Good Luck
to all area teams this season!
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Coach: Tom Fedderly (58-19, eighth season at Kaneland) Last year: 9-2 overall, 4-1 Northern Illinois Big 12 East; lost 45-8 to Joliet Catholic Academy in second round of Class 5A playoffs. Keep an eye on: Connor Fedderly had 20 catches last year and will be the top target among a young receiving group. Also: Isaac Swithers, sr., FS/RB; Jake Marczuk, jr., QB; Danny Hammeister, sr., LB/ OL; Jake Gomes, jr., LB/OL; Andrew Kray, jr., DL Fedderly’s take: “We’re pretty excited. We had a good summer. ... We say what we
TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
• KNIGHTS
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| TOUCHDOWN 2014
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2014 ROSTERS No. Name Pos. 1 Tony Tate HB 2 Thomas Lowie DB 4 Kadarian Nellem SE 5 Zuerek Day HB 6 Markeatis Jackson HB 8 TJ Anthenat WR/DB 10 Ethan Conroy QB/K/P 11 Rudy Lopez DB/SE 12 Derek Kyler QB 15 Cole Tucker SE 17 John Koach LB/SE 22 Eriq Torrey HB 24 Tyler Geiseman DB 25 Keion Wright HB 26 Jarius Tarver DB 27 Jake Neidel DB 28 James Robinson HB 32 Jake Kuykendall LB 33 Dre Brown HB/DB 34 Chauncey Perkins DB 35 Jonathan Vega LB 40 Allen Letterer III LB 43 James Corralejo LB 45 David Long LB 50 Rodney Wilson DL 51 Robert Searls LB 52 Zac Stepanski OL 53 Ben Roelfsema LB 54 Dustin Larson LB 55 Hayden LaPointe OL 58 Caleb DeWeese OL/DL 59 Leif Williams LB 63 Ian Kowalski OL
Yr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr.
64 66 68 69 73 74 75 77 79 81 85 92 98 99
Malik Pringle DL Matt West OL Kevin Hernandez DL Riley Brown LB Logan Chase DL Andrew Elder OL Matt Petersen DL Damon Dombek DL DeVonte Thompson OL Willis Brei TE Luke Davis Ill TE Tony Ramos LB Giovanni De Los Reyes DL Dwayne Lacey DL
Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So.
Genoa-Kingston Cogs No. Name 3 Steve Orozco 4 Jared Barton 6 Hunter Rogers 8 Griffin McNeal 9 Keegan Cline 11 Marcus Holley 15 Jesse Bade 16 Brady Huffman 20 Keegan Shannon 21 Marcelo Ruiz 23 Ian Fell 24 Zach Butler 28 Brenton Cleveland 33 Chase Roger 34 Chance Franckowiak 42 Jordan Bennett 45 Cody Beeman
Yr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr.
52 54 55 56 59 61 64 66 68 69 70 71 74 75 76 77 82 88
Austin Ruchti Anthony Lacko Jake McMackin Mitchell Rausch Daniel Russell Andy Walker Marck Cardoso Dale Warren Justin Mousser Joe Murray Arnold Martinez Tyler Bennett Luke Miller Justin Johnson Matt Beaulieu Nicholas Cotham Cole Blank Jason Bray
Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr.
Hiawatha Hawks No. Name Pos. Yr. Erick Powell RB/DB Fr. 2 Alex Flores QB/S Sr. 3 Chris Schuck WR/LB/DB Sr. 6 Riley O’Hern K/P Fr. 11 Levi Novotny RB/DB Sr. 18 Evan Williams TE/DE, QB Jr. 21 Braden Watson RB/DB, QB So. 22 Harry Barrett WR/DB Fr. 24 Jonnie Moore WR/DB Fr. 26 Tyler Hamrick RB/DB Sr. 40 Sean Hines OG/LB So. 42 Michael Speer FB/LB/RB Sr. 48 Jacob Edwards OL/DL Fr.
50 54 56 57 58 61 63 64 65 74 79 80 87 88
Joey Hessing OL/LB So. Bart Hall G/LB Jr. Edwin Yockey OL/DL So. Abe Gonzalez OL/LB/DL Fr. Trevor Heiman OL/DL Sr. Cole Dunbar C/DL Fr. Dan White RB/LB Sr. Justin Parisot OL/DL Fr. Corey Thompson OL/LB Fr. Juan Gonzalez OL/DL Sr. Nathan Taylor OT/DL So. Josh Hakes WR/DB So. Nick Doolittle RB/S Sr. Brandon Phelps RB/DB Sr.
Sycamore Spartans No. Name Pos. Yr. Mickey Mathey RB/CB Sr. 1 Austin Jacox QB Sr. 2 Justin Otte SB/CB Sr. 2 Trace Hefler WR/CB Sr. 3 Edgar Garcia SS Sr. 4 Brett Weaver MLB/TE Sr. 5 Nick Niemann TE/OLB Jr. 6 Dion Hooker RB/CB Sr. 7 Brett Bemis QB/FS Jr. 8 Bryce Hansen SB/FS Jr. 9 Jackson Ryan QB/WR/CB Jr. 11 Matt Coovert WR/CB Sr. 14 Colan Treml WR/MLB Sr. 17 Tyler Sulaver QB/FS So. 18 Dominic Lesniewski W R/FS Sr. 20 Michael Gulley RB/SS Sr. 22 Michael Brons WR/CB Sr.
23 Tyler Maveus K 24 Tanner Watkins WR/CB 26 Michael Beaudoin TE/OLB 28 Zach Versluys FB/MLB 30 Dylan Lee WR/FS 32 Nick Dearborn WR/CB 33 Chris Malone FB/DT 36 Massier Derek RB/OLB 40 Luke Burns WR/C 42 Jacob Sherlock SB/MLB 45 Kevin Tyrrell WR/MLB 48 Justin Groble FB/OLB 50 Austin Kosusnik DE/C 51 Devin Knight NG 54 Vincent Pattalio G/DE 55 Ryan Grant C/MLB 57 Alex Guerrettaz G/DT 58 Phillip Wilson T/DE 60 Kevin Dwyer T/DE 62 Daniel Coovert C/MLB 63 Jesse Hendrickson T/DT 64 Jarrod Holtz G, NG 66 Michael Mathey G/DT 67 Hunter Munch G/DT 68 Isaac Evans T/DT 69 Zach Kalk T/DT 74 Sean Brinkman G/NG 76 Bailey Hunt T/DE 77 Jack Majerus T/DT 79 Ethan Baxa T/DT 80 Liam Sullivan CB 84 John Harnden WR/CB 85 Travis Carter CB
Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr.
Note to readers: Kaneland did not provide its roster.
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DeKalb Barbs
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Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Thursday, August 28, 2014
| TOUCHDOWN 2014
15TH ANNUAL
CASTLE SHOW YOUR
SCHOOLSPIRIT Support DeKalb and Sycamore Booster Clubs
Sycamore B A R B S vs. SPARTANS DeKalb
ORANGEOUT/GOLDOUT NIGHT DATE Friday, September 19 NIU Huskie Stadium
TICKETS Adults..............$12.00 Students...........$6.00
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Tickets available at DeKalb & Sycamore High Schools & Middle Schools, Castle Bank, DeKalb and Sycamore Chambers, Kishwaukee Family YMCA, and by student athletes throughout both communities. Includes admission to football game, tailgate party activities and Hy-Vee pork chop meal.