Spring 2021 football previews
A collection of season previews for all area high school football programs.
As recently as two months ago, Kankakee senior football player Johnathan Pitts, like thousands of players across Illinois, didn’t think there would be a prep football season this school year.
When the Illinois High School Association announced in January that a shortened, six-week football season would be held, the perspective for players like Pitts totally flipped, and even if COVID-19 pops back up at any point in the season, the fact that the season is here is a blessing in itself.
“I thought it was over until we got the call [in January],” Pitts said. “Even if we don’t get the full season I’m just glad we get to play.”
This football season will be unlike any other, with games moving from the fall to the first six weeks of the spring. But Pitts said the glass has been half full in regards to the delayed start.
“[I’ve] been studying the game every day, studying wide receivers in the NFL and in college, doing catching drills and tennis ball drills, just perfecting all the little things of the game that affect the big picture,” Pitts said. “It was a blessing in disguise because it gave us more time to get better.”
While some players like Pitts dedicated their extended offseason to more work on football, others took advantage to try new opportunities.
Central quarterback Jay Lemenager, who also has multiple years of varsity experience in baseball and basketball, joined the re-installed Central golf program last fall to fill the competitive void left by football’s absence.
“I’m an athlete and just wanna compete no matter what it is,” Lemenager said. “I was just trying to play as many sports as possible and to have time to play all four of them is big to me.”
The delayed start to the season has allowed area anticipation to climb to a fever pitch, particularly following up the best two-year stretch of football in area history. In Clifton, where the Central Comets figured to enter the season on the short list of Class 2A state favorites, Lemenager said the energy that comes with football has been seismic.
“There’s more school spirit — teachers are happier and students are definitely happy,” Lemenager said. “We go out to the gas station and people are asking us how the team’s looking now that we’re back playing football. Everyone’s just happy.”
For Bradley-Bourbonnais defensive lineman Hollist Daniels, the tickle in the air that comes with the anticipation of the football season has finally brought a sense of what the hallways were like before COVID-19.
“You can just tell people are excited,” Daniels said. “There’s a norm back to BBCHS and people have something to look forward to.”
Not many towns in Illinois, let alone the area, get behind their football teams like Wilmington. Typical Friday nights on Becker Field at Jeff Reents stadium are complete with fireworks and a motorcycle escort for the Wildcats as they take the field.
Senior linebacker AJ Meyers said he’d love to get the chance do have the complete walkout again this year, and while it’s left to be determined what parts of that signature entrance will survive COVID-19, what really matters for Meyers and his teammates is the ability to play ball.
“I think the main thing for us is we’re just excited to get out there,” Meyers said. “Having no playoffs is gonna be rough but I think everyone’s just happy to play and we’ll be alright.
“It’s been tough, it’s been weird, but we get one last chance. We thought we weren’t gonna have anything so we’ve just gotta make the most of it.”
Bishop McNamara wide receiver, running back and cornerback Manny Harris said he trusted the words of coach Rich Zinanni when Zinanni told the Fighting Irish all year long that a season would eventually come. The future Northern Illinois Huskie said there wasn’t a point in time where the fear of a lost senior season was going to let him lose sight of the reason he plays football to begin with.
“I’ve had dreams since I was 6 years-old to be great and go to the NFL,” Harris said. “To watch guys from Mac go play in the NFL, play [NCAA] Division I football, that motivates me.”
As Harris and the rest of the area’s seniors prepare for their final high school football chapters and hope to begin sequels in college and beyond, they’ll hope to leave legacies to last beyond their years. For most seniors, that would mean a deep postseason run that results in a state trophy that is left as a reminder of greatness.
That option is out the window this season but hopefully will again be a possibility in the fall. Daniels knows that there will be Boilermaker football long after he graduates, and he wants to see what he’s worked hard to build during his high school tenure to continue.
“I’ve been wanting since my freshman year to be a leader, to be a captain and be someone people look up to and want to be like ...,” Daniels said. “I know there are juniors on the team that are gonna be starters next year and if I can help them make the playoffs next year, that’s a big thing for me.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Rich Zinanni (46th season)
Career Record: 361-144
Conference: Metro Suburban
Last Playoff: Class 4A Quarterfinalist, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 3A State Champs, 2015
2019 Record: 8-4
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. @Wheaton Academy
3/26 7 p.m. Riverside-Brookfield
4/3 3 p.m. Chicago Christian
4/9 7 p.m. Elmwood Park
4/16 7 p.m. @Immaculate Conception
4/23 7 p.m. @St. Francis
Anyone looking for evidence of how different this football season is needs to look no further than Bishop McNamara and head coach Rich Zinanni. There's not much Zinanni hasn't experienced with football, but that changed at practice last week.
"It's the first time that all the kids were actually around and able to sing happy birthday to me," Zinanni said. "My birthday's in March and we're always together in the fall so that was definitely different."
Zinanni has a bit more waiting to do before he can see if the team grants his birthday wish of a week one victory against Wheaton Academy. When they take the field, the Fighting Irish will have a new quarterback for the first time in four years as they look to replace three-year starter, Tyler Hiller, who graduated.
Junior Brady Bertrand won the job in the offseason and will quarterback a balanced offense, but he won't be the only one taking snaps. With all-state weapon Manny Harris already experienced as a receiver and running back, Zinanni figures Harris might as well take some snaps himself.
"We're gonna run some spread and some I-Formation and see how things go; there will be some teams we want to overpower and others we want to finesse," Zinanni said. "We've used Manny as a Wildcat quarterback and have some stuff for him, so I'm happy with where we're at."
Harris ran for 860 yards and added another 474 receiving yards with 19 total touchdowns in 2019. The future preferred walk-on at Northern Illinois University has drawn high praise from Zinanni, who compared him to former McNamara and Notre Dame star Lee Lafayette, and will join Roosevelt University commit Caleb Smith (running back/linebacker) as two-way, three-year starters.
"They're just football guys," Zinanni said. "They didn't get to go to camps, do much recruiting or visit anywhere, but I know those guys could play anywhere."
There are plenty more returning starters for the Irish other than their two leaders. Defensive back Alex Willis has drawn high praise from Zinanni in the secondary where he stars with Harris, where returning starting receiver Colton Provost could see more snaps there. Six-foot-5 twins Andrew and Matthew Arseneau bring versatility and size at several positions, including defensive end.
Additionally, Zinanni expects some fresh faces to make instant impacts. Luke Christie has shown a nose for the ball in the secondary while Caleb Martin and Mel Hay will join Smith at linebacker. At all three levels of the defense, Zinanni sees the toughness a successful unit needs.
"The keys are number one, to be physical, and number two, to know what they're doing with their assignments and alignments so they can read and react," Zinanni said. "As long as we do what we're supposed to do we should be pretty good on defense."
In this year's six-game Metro Suburban Conference season, the Irish save their two best for last with trips to Immaculate Conception and St. Francis to end the year, their only two conference losses in two years.
But in such an uncertain season, Zinanni just hopes he and the team make it that far with their health and seasons still in tact.
"We know the people we're playing and we have some really good rivalries with them," Zinanni said. "We have no time to rest and the crazy thing is you just don't know.
"You just have to assume everything will be fine and go from there."
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Mike Kohl (10th season)
Career Record: 54-37
Conference: SouthWest Suburban
Last Playoff: Class 7A Second Round, 2016
Best Playoff: Class 7A Semifinalist, 2015
2019 Record: 4-5
2021 Schedule
3/19 6:30 p.m. Lincoln-Way Central
3/27 1 p.m. @Bolingbrook
4/3 1 p.m. @Andrew
4/9 6 p.m. Stagg
4/16 6 p.m. @Lincoln-Way West
4/23 6 p.m. Sandburg
The formula for the Bradley-Bourbonnais football team during Mike Kohl’s tenure has largely been the same year-after-year: fight like hell to win five games in a gruesome SouthWest Suburban Conference to make the playoffs and see what kind of run can be made from there. It’s been a successful plan when the Boilermakers make the playoffs, as they won at least one postseason game in a four-year stretch from 2013-2016.
There won’t be a chance for Kohl and the Boilers to make their first playoff appearance since that 2016 season this spring, but for the six weeks the team is out there, the only thing different about the atmosphere this season compared to some of those memorable playoff moments is the addition of spring fever.
“Not having playoffs isn’t fun to talk about but it’s kind of nice because we know we have six weeks to start on Monday, fly around and get ready to play a football game,” Kohl said. “It’s gonna be six straight weeks of dogfights and great football games, and it’ll be great for our kids to be in a competitive atmosphere.”
Fans have been accustomed to seeing Keaton Schmidt quarterback on on North St. every Friday. But with their three-year signal-caller gone to graduation, a pair of talented juniors have been in such a strong competition that the Boilers will enter the season with a two-quarterback approach in Neal May Jr., and Caige Williams.
“We feel like we have two kids that can win football games,” Kohl said. “Competition breeds success and they’ve been competing really hard with each other.”
Both quarterbacks will have a line made exclusively of upperclassmen, including multi-year starters in seniors tackle Jack Priller and center Caleb Ozee. Daniel Schultz will miss the season at running back with an injury, but fellow senior and capable playmaker Ethan McCarty is back to handle primary ballcarrying duties.
“We want to try and establish the run game and pound the ball, especially with the spring weather and how things could be different with rain,” Kohl said. “Our goal is to run the ball to set up the playaction pass and get our quarterbacks out of the pocket, where they can throw it on the run.”
Whether it’s blocking as a fullback or disrupting backfields from the interior of the defensive line, Hollist Daniels is the player Kohl is most excited for this spring.
“He’s probably one of the strongest kids we’ve ever had in the weight room and a great kid,” Kohl said. “He’s definitely a great role model for our younger kids and a great leader on both sides of the ball.”
Daniels will form an interior with Lorenzo Burns that Kohl said is one of the best in school history. Experience abounds the entire defense with linebackers Detric Dee and Anthony Mancilla ready to take on larger roles. Starting cornerback Chris Vinardi is also back while linebacker Nate Murphy and safeties Caleb Barclay and Cody Kazupski bringing youthful athleticism.
In a short season amidst a short prep calendar this year, while Kohl and his program want to thicken their win column as much as possible, he doesn’t want to lose sight of the most important part of the football season.
“We don’t have a lot of time and the X’s and O’s are important, but we have to keep an eye on the kids’ emotional needs,” Kohl said. “I don’t think people realize the effect [COVID-19] has had on young people — it’s been devastating and I use that word comfortably because I’ve seen it.
“Just to be out with the kids, to talk and joke with them and make them realize it’s not just about football has been really important.”
Mason Schweizer
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Derek Hart (2nd season)
Career Record: 10-10, 9-2 at Kankakee
Conference: Southland
Last Playoff: Class 5A Second Round, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 5A Semifinalist, 2008
2019 Record: 9-2
2021 Schedule
3/20 3 p.m. Sacred Heart-Griffin
3/26 6:30 p.m. Thornwood
4/2 7 p.m. Rich Township
4/9 7 p.m. @Bloom
4/16 7 p.m. Thornton
4/23 7 p.m. @Crete-Monee
The prolonged football offseason has felt at time like just a day at Kankakee, and like several years other times. On one hand, the team has been working together to continue where they left off after last year’s nine-win season every moment they can.
On the other hand, the bitter memory of the team’s 2019 season-ending 22-18 loss to Mascoutah, a yard away from victory, in the second round of the IHSA Class 5A Playoffs lingers in the background each time they’re together. And that’s why Kays coach Derek Hart has seen his senior-led team so focused as they prepare to take the field again this week.
“A lot of us were thinking we wouldn’t get the chance to play this year, but our senior class has stuck together through this whole [pandemic] and they’re still just as excited as they were at the start of the summer,” Kays coach Derek Hart said. “We came up short by a yard in the playoffs and that hasn’t left us yet. That’s still on our minds.”
The memory isn’t all that’s back from the 2019 Kays program that won their first playoff game in a decade and tied a program-high wins mark over the past two decades with their 9-2 record.
All-Southland and Daily Journal All-Area defensive end Willie Norwood and all 70 of his tackles and nine sacks are back to lead a Kankakee defense that returns speed, tenacity, experience and a mean streak inherited from defensive coordinator Ed Hazlett, not to mention allowing 11 points per game last season, second in the area.
Norwood and Marcus Covington form a fearsome edge duo while Nick Hall will move from the line to a linebacker unit that features returning starter Philip Birdsong. Joeron Hill is a three-year starter at safety and leads a defensive backfield Hart would rank up there with the state’s best.
“Coach Hazlett does such a good job of getting those kids excited and fired up ...,” Hart said. “We have leaders at all levels, from defensive back to linebacker to defensive line.”
There’s experience back on the offense as well. Tyjuane Stewart is back to quarterback the Kays after throwing for 1,255 yards and running for 600 more and leading Kankakee to 39.7 points per game last season. But Hart said his third-year starting quarterback will be seen all along the offense this year.
“Whatever he does he’s gonna do well, he’s just so good at everything and he’s gonna work at what he needs to work on to get better,” Hart said. “And that’s the good thing with the spring and getting an opportunity for younger kids to get some time.
“Ty is probably gonna be an athlete in college at receiver or defensive back so that gives us the opportunity to see him in different positions.”
Hill will see more snaps at receiver as well, where he’ll line up alongside Johnathan Pitts, a player Hart said has been perhaps the most dedicated player he’s ever coached in almost a decade of coaching.
“I don’t know a kid who’s worked harder, even through COVID, than Johnathan has,” Hart said. “In our playoff game that we lost he made a couple of mistakes, and you can see how important to him that was and with how hard he’s worked, I think he has a chance for a huge spring.”
The Kays will look to win their first Southland Athletic Conference title in school history this season, but whether or not that happens, Hart knows a great foundation is being laid in his second year as coach.
“It helps so much building a program when you have a group like we have,” Hart said. “They show up on time every day, they pay attention and they’re coachable, and that’s what you look for when you’re trying to build a program.”
Mason Schweizer
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Dan Hutchings (4th season)
Career Record: 28-7
Conference: Illinois Central Eight
Last Playoff: Class 4A Semifinalist, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 2A State Champions, 1993
2019 Record: 12-1
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. Streator
3/26 7 p.m. @Manteno
4/1 7 p.m. Lisle
4/9 7 p.m. @Wilmington
4/16 7 p.m. @Reed-Custer
The class that graduated from Coal City last year is certainly one that will be remembered for decades to come, particularly after last year’s perfect regular season and playoff trip that ended in the IHSA Class 4A Semifinals. But for programs like the Coalers, who were no stranger to success before their most recent run, tradition lingers around just as long as the memories of the players who have since moved on.
“The one thing we hang our hats on and are most proud of is the stability of our program,” coach Dan Hutchings, only the third Coal City coach over the past 35 years, said. “When you have an exceptional class come through you have to take advantage of that and we did, but we expect to be in the playoffs and we expect winning seasons. The kids expect that and the community expects that.
“And the kids buy in and work hard in the weight room ... kids graduate but the tradition stays.”
One notable two-way returner is junior running back and defensive jack-of-all-trades Ashton Harvey, who burst onto the scene with an impressive postseason last year. He will be in the mix at running back to replace all-state and Daily Journal Player of the Year running back Daniel Jezik and will move from safety to linebacker on defense.
“He reaped the rewards of playing with some talented kids last year, bought in and made himself a very good football player,” Hutchings said of Harvey. “I go back to our quarterfinal game against St. Francis, a game we won 24-7 and he was arguably the best player on the field that day.”
Asa Cooper will also see plenty of carries and see plenty of action all over the field after all-conference play as a receiver last season.
Three-year starting quarterback Payton Hutchings is now hurling heaters for the University of Illinois and some of his weapons are gone as well, including all-state tight end and linebacker Austin Pullara. Dan Hutchings hasn’t confirmed a starter but all signs point to junior Keegan Crater early on.
“Keegan is a junior who’s taking a lot of snaps and got a lot of experience on JV last year,” Dan Hutchings said. “He’s got that experience and we just try and make him better every day and we’re happy with the progress.”
The Coalers had the area’s most dominant defense a year ago, allowing an area-best 7.8 points per game and pitching five shutouts in the process. In addition to Harvey, Cooper is back, moving from cornerback to safety, Nick Seplak returns on the interior of the defensive line and Kyle Burch is back on the edge. Brady Best will take over linebacker duties after spending last season on the defensive line.
“We really hang our hats on playing good defense and being aggressive tacklers,” Dan Hutchings said. “[Defensive coordinator Francis] Loughran does a great job at making these guys gel and it’s fun to see them get better every day, which makes our offense better as well.”
The Coalers will look to repeat as conference champions once again, but coach Hutchings said the team already accomplished their primary goal when they took the field for the first practice of the spring.
“We’re getting [our goal] just by being with the kids outside and practicing every single day,” Dan Hutchings said. “Just being out with them, seeing the camaraderie and seeing them develop ... just seeing them happy as heck, those are the things we need to get back to.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Dan Wetzel (24th season)
Career Record: 112-107, 94-95 at Herscher
Conference: Illinois Central Eight
Last Playoff: Class 3A Semifinals, 2018
Best Playoff: Class 3A State Runner-Up, 1998
2019 Record: 3-6
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. @Peotone
3/26 7 p.m. Wilmington
4/1 7 p.m. @Streator
4/9 7 p.m. Reed-Custer
4/16 7 p.m. Manteno
Herscher’s 2018 state playoff run all the way to the IHSA Class 3A Semifinals feels all but a memory at this point. The Tigers have had major turnover since they last played on the gridiron over a year and a half ago, where they finished just 3-6 and missed the playoffs.
“It’s a process — we had a nice run in 2018, and we're trying to rebuild our squad to get back to that point,” Tigers coach Dan Wetzel said. “So, it takes a little time. It’s a process that doesn’t happen over night, and so, we've got to build it brick by brick.”
With so many newcomers and players learning new positions, the Tigers will need to key in on the little things, such as making sure they are in shape and understanding new player roles, a difficult task with such a quick turnaround from winter sports.
“We got to be in shape because we don’t have a lot of numbers,” Wetzel said. “The big thing is we need to play as a team. Everyone is going to have to do their role, understand their role and what’s expected of them.
"It’s the only we are going to succeed. We've got to be great technicians … all the little things will matter for us. If we do the little things right, then we will be in every game.”
The Tigers will return three-year starter and playmaker on the outside in Camden Burns. The wideout has plenty of experience in big games and lets his play do the talking.
“Berns leads by example with his work ethic,” Wetzel said. “He works everyday at practice like it’s a Friday night and so he doesn’t say a lot, but with his actions and how he practices the kids follow him … he'll bring a lot to both the offense and defense and get us through some tough times.”
Wetzel will look for Berns to lead a group of talented underclassmen, including Travis Jones, who is set to make some serious noise as one of the top tight end talents in the area. Jones was only the second freshman who Wetzel has called up to play at the varsity level in his 24 years of coaching at Herscher when he brought Jones up last season.
“I haven’t really started any freshman since I’ve been coaching for 30-plus years," Wetzel said. "He’s a tremendous talent at tight end/defensive end for us, and he can do a lot of different things. We are going to lean on him quite a bit.”
Besides leaning on Berns and Jones, Herscher will look to get back to a solid ground and pound game with returning junior halfback Cody Lunsford.
Austin Jones will lead the Tigers on the defensive side, as he returns as the squad’s top linebacker. He'll be joined by returners like Berns and Lunsford as Herscher prepares to show some promise in Illinois Central Eight Conference play this season.
“These guys are a team that’s going to really get the foundation going and hopefully spring board us to bigger and better things as the year’s go on,” Wetzel said.
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: R.J. Haines (15th season)
Career Record: 89-83, 75-65 at Manteno
Last Playoff: Class 4A Opening Round, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 4A Third Round, 2014
2019 Record: 5-5
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. @Reed-Custer
3/26 7 p.m. Coal City
4/1 7 p.m. @Peotone
4/9 7 p.m. Streator
4/16 7 p.m. @Herscher
Throughout his tenure as a football coach, both with the Panthers and elsewhere, Manteno’s R.J. Haines has developed some of the area’s best quarterbacks that have lit up scoreboards on Friday nights and this year looks to be no exception.
Senior quarterback Caleb Borkenhagen returns under center after throwing for 2700 yards and 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and even with an abbreviated schedule, that number will likely again increase by a hefty chunk this spring.
Borkenhagen also proved he could move the ball with his legs, averaging five yards per carry and scoring four rushing touchdowns last year.
“Having Caleb back in his third year of starting has made our teaching curb and transition that much easier, especially in these times,” Haines said. “We’re lucky. It’s been pretty easy in that regard.”
Borkenhagen’s top returning target, Cole Jackson, is coming off a year where he caught 21 passes for 429 yards and six touchdowns, both top 10 numbers in the area. Justin Levesque and company will have to step up to complement Jackson with Bradley University baseball commit Luke Trepanier out for the season. Trepanier finished fourth in the area with 740 receiving yards last year.
Perhaps most notably, the Panthers will be without another key piece of their offense. Tackle Josh Gesky and his 6-foot-5, 285-pound frame have gone down to Champaign, where Gesky enrolled a semester early at the University of Illinois, where he’ll play in the trenches.
“Josh got the opportunity of a lifetime that he couldn’t pass on,” Haines said of Gesky. “He’s on a five-and-a-half year football scholarship playing Big Ten football.
“All of our coaches and players support him and couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Seniors Joey Cole, Justin Wilson, and Brandon Hampton will help bolster the offensive line.
Junior running back Logan Worobey will take over ballcarrying duties after workhorse Davey Wurster’s graduation. Wurster’s departure leaves 894 yards and 11 touchdowns out of last year’s backfield up for grabs.
Worobey and Hampton will also be key players at linebacker. Levesque recorded 20 tackles last year from his spot in the secondary.
The Panthers have just seven seniors, 14 juniors, and five sophomores on this year’s roster, with the loss of two key seniors to their college plans showing up in the depth department.
“Overall, we’re low on numbers top to bottom,” said Haines. “But all of our kids can play and will contribute at some point this year.”
With low numbers, the Panthers are on slippery ice and will need to stay healthy, especially in key positions if they want to stay competitive. Two years ago, the injury bug hit the team and they finished an uncharacteristic 1-8 before rebounding to make the playoffs last year with a 5-4 regular season.
On the flip side, history has indicated Haines has done well with experienced quarterbacks, one of which he certainly has in Panther purple this spring.
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Apostolos Tsiamis (6th season)
Career Record: 26-22
Conference: Illinois Central Eight
Last Playoff: Class 3A First Round, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 3A Second Round, 2017
2019 Record: 6-4
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. Herscher
3/26 7 p.m. @Streator
4/1 7 p.m. Manteno
4/8 7 p.m. @Lisle
4/16 7 p.m. Wilmington
The Peotone Blue Devils’ football team will blend experience in key positions with a slew of fresh faces as they battle Illinois Central Eight Conference opponents in 2021.
This year’s squad features 11 seniors and a dozen juniors to give coach Apostolos Tsiamas plenty to work with, in addition to 10 hungry sophomores that will find themselves in the fold as well.
“We’re really young in a lot of positions, so a lot of kids will be gaining valuable experience in this shortened season,” Tsiamas said. “We’re gonna blink and the season will be over, blink again and it will be next year already, so we’re going to take advantage of the opportunities we get to play.
“Probably seven or eight weeks ago I didn’t even know if we would be getting this opportunity.”
The blueprint of the team will remain the same. Expect a hard-nosed, physical group that is prepared for the trials and tribulations of the ICE conference.
“We want to compete on every play,” Tsiamas said. “We want to run the football, play great defense and effective special teams.
“All the teams we play in our league have great coaches and are always well prepared. Nothing will come easy.”
Peotone’s offense averaged 195 yards per game on the ground last season, and 50 through the air, but will have to replace a plethora of skill players from a season ago, including quarterback Max Gesswein, running back Sam Biedron and tight end Logan Heflin. However, top offensive weapon Ben Balmer returns after a nice junior campaign.
The senior running back rushed for 815 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games last year. Tsiamas said that Balmer is among the best ballcarriers he’s had during his tenure at Peotone.
“He’s one of those backs that if there’s no running lane, Ben’s gonna drop his shoulder and make something out of nothing and churn out yards,” Tsiamas said. “He’s a special back and there is no doubt we struggled when he wasn’t on the field last year.”
Last season the Blue Devils averaged 32 points per game in the regular season when Balmer played and just 6 points per game when he was out with an injury.
Senior Mike Kraft and juniors TJ Chenoweth and Ryan Moe will also receive carries at wingback while sophomore Dawson Piper will play fullback. Lincoln-Way East transfer Tristan Weglarz will take over quarterback duties in his senior season after winning the IHSA Class 8A State championship last year.
Tsiamas said that Weglarz will help maximize their offense with his throwing and running abilities.
“Tristan’s athletic with a big arm and is a savvy football mind,” Tsiamas said. “He’s going to add some things to our offense that we haven’t had in the past few years.
“We’re still a double-wing team that wants to establish the run but he can do some things in play-action and on the edge that will help us.”
Tyler Hendricker returns to the defensive line and looks to build on a breakout sophomore campaign in which he recorded 55 tackles, 6 sacks, and recovered two fumbles. He’ll anchor the lines along with returning starter Austin Massat.
“Tyler has a high motor to go with his size and strength,” Tsiamas said. “He was really raw last year, but his understanding of the game has improved. He’s worked his tail off and I’m excited to see what he can do the next couple of years.”
With having no playoffs this season, Peotone will look to send off its seniors off on a high note while building the foundation for the next few years to come. One game of note for the Blue Devils is their Rumble on Route 50 matchup with rival Manteno, a game the Blue Devils lost 14-7 without Balmer last year.
“Last year’s loss left a bitter taste in our mouths,” Tsiamas said. “It’ll be nice for both teams to get to play that game after all the kids have gone through this year.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Gavin Johnston (3rd season)
Career Record: 3-15
Conference: Illinois Central Eight
Last Playoff: Class 2A Opening Round, 2009
Best Playoff: Class 3A Second Round, 2006
2019 Record: 1-8
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. Manteno
3/25 7 p.m. @Lisle
4/1 7 p.m. Wilmington
4/9 7 p.m. @Herscher
4/16 7 p.m. Coal City
Third-year Reed-Custer football coach Gavin Johnston knows that the first game of the season is basically here, but he’s yet to give any of his players a sense of security, withholding naming any starters yet in hopes of breeding more in-house competitiveness to a Comets team that finished 1-8 in 2019.
“After a 1-8 season, nobody’s job is safe”, Johnston said. “Nobody’s position is set in stone. Everything is up for grabs every day and the kids are responding well to it.”
The Comets have 13 seniors, 14 juniors, and 14 sophomores on this season’s roster, giving the team depth and excitement for the future with a bevy of talented underclassmen.
Although Reed-Custer struggled on the varsity level a season ago, the Comets had great years on the lower levels. The freshman team was undefeated and the sophomore team only lost two games.
“Our sophomores are a really good class that are used to winning and having success,” Johnston said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there were situations where we had eight or nin sophomores on the field at one time.”
With that youth are more than a dozen seniors and juniors who have seen varsity football and have impressed Johnston with how they’ve not only brought the younger players up to speed, but accelerated themselves.
One returning player the Comets will lean on to make plays is junior running back Elliot Cassem, who bounced back from a torn ACL his freshman year to lead the varsity team in rushing in 2020.
“He’s the fastest player in our program and has a big burst but also runs hard at the same time,” Johnston said. “He worked really hard to get back from his injury and we’re excited to see what he’s gonna do on the field.”
Senior lineman Brendon Williams returns for his third varsity season. Junior Eric Houseman will be a key two-way lineman for Reed-Custer. The Comets secondary also returns defensive back Jarrett Goodwin for his senior season to sprinkle experience at vital positions on both sides of the ball.
Dylan Garrelts is back after finishing 11th in the area in passing yards last year, throwing for over 600 yards as a sophomore. His experience could prove valuable for the young Comets.
While Johnston hasn’t announced whether Garrelts’ primary position will be quarterback or wide receiver, he did say he will play a key role in the offense.
“Dylan is one of those guys that got a lot of experience under fire last year and that could play into his favor this year,” Johnston said. “He’s one of those athletes that we want the ball in his hands one way or another.”
It doesn’t appear to be a question of if the Comets will eventually be competitive, it’s just a race to see how soon it will happen. The rigors of the Illinois Central Eight Conference won’t allow it to come easy either, as four of the five teams the Comets play this year were playoff teams a season ago.
“We want to be competitive this year in the fourth quarter; some of our games last year were over by halftime,” Johnston said. “My first year we didn’t win a lot of games, but we were in almost all of those games late. We’re looking forward to hopefully getting back to that this year.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Jeff Reents (27th season)
Career Record: 231-62
Conference: Illinois Central Eight
Last Playoff: Class 3A Quarterfinalist, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 3A State Champions, 2014
2019 Record: 10-2
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. Lisle
3/26 7 p.m. @Herscher
4/1 7 p.m. @Reed-Custer
4/9 7 p.m. Coal City
4/16 7 p.m. @Peotone
Wilmington has entered the unusual spring season with a bit of an unusual roster situation. The Wildcats have 20 seniors and 16 juniors, including a wealth of players that have gained experience over the past two seasons, including during the team’s 2019 10-win season that ended in the IHSA Class 3A Quarterfinals.
And while there’s plenty of experience back, those returning players will be thrust into larger roles, and in some cases those roles are totally new.
Senior Jack Narine takes over at quarterback, replacing three-year starter Keaton Hopwood. Narine rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns as a junior while making 38 tackles from his spot as a defensive back, where he’ll also replace Hopwood as the secondary’s heart and soul..
The Wildcats and freshly-inducted hall-of-fame offensive coordinator Barry Southall will have to replace nearly 2,500 rushing yards from its top two backs from a season ago. Jacob Rodawold graduated and senior Trey Shaw is out for the season with an injury. Shaw is committed to play football at Augustana next year.
Cody Franzen is back after gaining valuable experience at running back last season when Shaw was out. Franzen scored four touchdowns and ran for 324 yards. Junior Jacob Friddle will be in the rotation after having a nice season at the JV level as a sophomore.
Fullback/ and linebacker A.J. Meyers returns as a two-way starter after rushing for 172 yards and a touchdown last year. Meyers has 71 career tackles, two sacks and one interception.
Matt Sanchez will also look to contribute more offensively this year as a running back. Sanchez led the Wildcats with 79 tackles last year including five in the backfield and figures to bring that same physicality to the other side of the ball on more frequent occasions.
Paving the way for the backs will be senior lineman Brad Stacy, Nick Gornik, and Lucas Spangler.
Junior Allan Richards returns to his linebacker spot, coming off a 58-tackle season with four tackles for loss. Richards also returns as the team’s kicker, where he’s made over 80 percent of his extra point attempts.
Reents raved about his top three returning tacklers in Sanchez, Meyers and Richards for what they bring physically and spiritually.
“All three of those guys have a nose for the football and are always in the right spots,” Reents said. “We’ll depend on their leadership.”
Richards’ kicking has continued to improve in the offseason and Coach Reents noted it’s no secret that the Cats will line up for a field goal without hesitation if they’re within his range.
Richards’ long field goal is 34 yards, but expect that to expand this season.
In a normal season, the Wildcats would be hunting down their 25th consecutive playoff appearance, but now the goals have changed in this shortened season due to no fault of their own.
“We’ve had to readjust some of our goals, but it’s great our seniors can play this year,” Reents said. “The kids still get to play three rivalry games.
“We still get to play in a tough Illinois Central Eight Conference, we still get to play Coal City week four, so we have a lot to look forward to.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Brian Spooner (26th season)
Career Record: 172-103, 158-78 at Central
Conference: Sangamon Valley
Last Playoff: Class 2A Quarterfinalist, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 2A Semifinalist, 2012
2019 Record: 11-1
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. Iroquois West
3/26 7 p.m. Seneca
4/3 2 p.m. @Dwight
4/10 1 p.m. @Walter Christian
4/16 7 p.m. @Momence
4/23 7 p.m. Watseka
It's been almost a year since the multi-sport athletes at Central learned their spring seasons were lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then they've tried their hands at golf, ran another strong cross country season and were a point away from a Sangamon Valley Conference basketball championship.
But that entire time, most of the Comets ready to strap their helmets up this spring have been waiting to get back on the gridiron more than anything, particularly the team's 11 seniors that have a total of 21 varsity letters before even counting 2021.
"The biggest disappointment, especially with the seniors because they had such high expectations for themselves, is no playoffs," Comets coach Brian Spooner said. "But I know they've been waiting 400-plus days to spend one last season together."
The self-expectations in Clifton stem from 9-0 2019 regular season that ended with a 37-19 loss in the Class 2A Quarterfinals to Fieldcrest. With quarterback Jay Lemenager and his top weapon Jacob Shoven, a pair of players who were All-Everything-But-American last season, as well as fellow three-year skill players Garrett Graham, Chandler Burrow and Caden Perry back, the points on the scoreboard could be higher than the head count at the Clifton pool on a toasty, summer day.
"Even in the NFL, you see a quarterback has tremendous chemistry with a receiver and you know on a 3rd-and-8, he's going to that guy; that's how Jay is but with three, four, even five guys," Spooner said. "We've got three receivers who have started since their sophomore years ... I think they just feed off each other."
With Shoven, Burrow and Perry out wide, Graham will run behind a line that lost anchor Caleb Toberman to graduation, but returns Garrett Manny and Cade Alexander. Spooner said that Graham was so eager to get back in the gym when COVID-19 restrictions were initially eased last year that he initially bulked up too much, but has since found a perfect physique just in time for the season.
"We had to have a talk because when all they could do was lift he was getting a little too big," Spooner said. "We got to see them briefly again in December and he lost too much [weight], but now he's right where he needs to be in the 180-190 pound rage to use his speed on offense and throw his weight around on defense."
Graham and his classmates will all see significant action on both sides of the ball for a defense Spooner said is short on depth but high on talent. As great as the Comets' top talents are offensively, players like Burrow, Shoven and Perry have already put their names at or near the top of several defensive records.
Several Comets seniors plan on playing football in college, and while some have already made their commitments, others are still weighing their options. Whether they have or haven't made that decision, all of their seniors are back, something Spooner feels fortunate about after seeing other schools lose seniors who have already locked up scholarships.
"Kids had to make their individual decisions on playing in the spring because everyone's situation is different, but fortunately for us we didn't really lose anybody," Spooner said. "Quite a few seniors have already committed, so that part's off their plates and now it's time to strap it up and show they're worthy of that recognition."
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Luke Standiford (3rd season)
Career Record: 9-10
Conference: Sangamon Valley
Last Playoff: Class 3A First Round, 2018
Best Playoff: Class 3A Second Round, 1983
2019 Record: 3-6
2021 Schedule
3/20 1 p.m. @Walter Christian
3/26 7 p.m. Iroquois West
4/3 2 p.m. Central
4/9 7 p.m. @Paxton-Buckley-Loda
4/16 7 p.m. Seneca
4/23 7 p.m. @Momence
After making the playoffs in 2018 under first-year head coach Luke Standiford Dwight followed it up with an underwhelming season in 2019 where the Trojans finished just 3-6. Now, in his third season, coach Standiford is planning to evolve Dwight’s long-standing tradition of being a run-heavy offense in order to turn things back around.
“I’d anticipate our offense transitioning into not being so reliant on running the ball every play,” Standiford said. “We're going to mix it up with the passing game a lot more this season.”
The reason for the subtle change to the Trojans offensive scheme is to take more advantage of the talents of quarterback Carson Crouch. He saw plenty of snaps at quarterback in a wildcat role last season but will air be a more conventional signal-caller this spring.
“We are a definitely a run heavy team, but we also want to transition into having the ability to throw the football a little bit more and effectively,” Standiford said. “I think we'll have the kids to do it with Crouch at quarterback this season.”
Crouch will look to add to a strong 2019 campaign where he totaled 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground with a strong offensive line that have spent the last couple of years together in the trenches.
“Four of our five offensive lineman are seniors and the other one is a junior who’s been starting on the offensive line since he’s been a freshman,” Standiford said. “So our line is really solid.”
The Trojans offensive line will consist of seniors Abe Rieke (left tackle) Jack Gallet (left guard), Andrew Kapper (center), Hudson Beier (guard) and Malaki Slaughter (right tackle). The experienced big men will ease Sam Edwards' move as he makes the transition from tight end to the squad’s starting fullback.
Dwight added some much needed talent on the outside as well. Look for sophomore wideout Jack Duffy to make some noise in the slot with his quick-twitch speed.
As for the defensive side, the Trojans are ready to leap forward with Chuck Butterbrodt taking over as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Butterbrodt will lean on Edwards, who finished as the Sangamon Valley Conference leader in tackles last season with 65 combined wrap-ups at middle linebacker.
With so much talented experience back and at least seven starters back on each side of the ball, Standiford doesn't see why the Trojans can't be the last champions in Sangamon Valley Conference history but also knows that in such a drastically different season, that isn't necessarily the top priority either.
“With the majority of our team returning from last year, we have high expectations for the 2021 season,” Standiford said. “Given the circumstances we are under right now with COVID-19, our biggest goal is to stay healthy.
“Our next goal is to win every game and go 6-0.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Jason Thiele (1st season)
Career Record: 0-0
Conference: Sangamon Valley
Last Playoff: Class 2A Second Round, 2006
Best Playoff: Class 2A State Champs, 2003
2019 Record: 1-8
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. @Central
3/26 7 p.m. @Dwight
4/1 7 p.m. @Paxton-Buckley-Loda
4/10 1 p.m. Watseka
4/17 1 p.m. Walter Christian
4/23 7 p.m. Seneca
For the second time in three seasons, the Raiders gave their program a makeover when it decided to replace former head football coach Cam Stone with Jason Thiele. The former Iroquois West graduate and state champion in 2003 acknowledges he has his hands full taking over a program that’s won just one game in the past two seasons combined.
“My guys understand that this is a process, and we talk about it daily at practice,” Thiele said. “All we can control is the moment you’re in and you have to continue to get better in each of those moments and then, eventually, the wins will come.”
Although his new squad looks relatively young on paper, Thiele believes this year’s team can begin the turnaround Iroquois West needs due to all the experience his players have had playing as underclassmen.
“We're going to look like a younger team, but these guys have been playing since they were freshmen, so, I think our youth is going to pay off for us starting this spring,” Thiele said.
With Thiele now at the helm, the Raiders will look to transition from an offense that ran primarily out of the spread under coach Stone to a team that will lean heavily on its rushing attack.
“Offensively we are going to be a heavy ground team,” Thiele said. “We will have a mixture of formations, but we will be a run heavy team.”
While running back Auston Miller and fullback Trystyn Schacht are expected to take a bulk on the carries, Iroquois West plans to also use sophomore fullback John Ahlden, sophomore running back Damian Melgoza and junior running back David Netzband to lighten the loads.
“We have a very large running back corps who happen to be our linebacker corps, as well,” Thiele said. “So, we have a ton of depth as those positions.”
The biggest turnaround for the Raiders will be Ty Pankey replacing the graduated Tibaldo Alvarez at the quarterback position. Pankey is set to make his first start under center at the varsity level this season as a senior.
“Pankey has spent the last three years backing up Tibaldo so he knows this offense that we're running,” Thiele said. “The way he commands the huddle, I couldn’t ask for anything better than what he’s doing now. He’s great at it, and I think he’s going to step right up.”
Thiele noted how impressed he’s been with Pankey’s IQ, saying he will have the ability to call audibles at the line of scrimmage if he sees something from opposing defenses.
“The kid is extremely intelligent, so he may have some abilities to call some audibles if he sees something because we have that amount of confidence in Pankey,” Thiele said.
With there not being any state series during this year’s shortened season Thiele sees this six-game schedule as a prime opportunity to be a stepping stone heading into the traditional football season next fall.
“With the shortened spring season, I think it’s the perfect time for these guys to build that confidence in themselves that we can win some games,” Thiele said. “And then, take that confidence and roll it over into the traditional fall season, where we should be competing in conference and, hopefully, make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Wayne Walker (5th season)
Career Record: 12-25
Conference: Sangamon Valley
Last Playoff: Class 2A First Round, 2016
Best Playoff: Class 2A Semifinalist, 1991
2019 Record: 1-8
2021 Schedule
3/20 7 p.m. Watseka (at Kankakee)
3/27 2 p.m. Paxton-Buckley-Loda (at Kankakee)
4/3 2 p.m. Walter Christian (at Kankakee)
4/9 7 p.m. @Seneca
4/16 7 p.m. Central
4/23 7 p.m. Dwight
Momence’s 2019 campaign finished exactly like it did in 2018 where the Redskins went just 1-8 overall. The squad’s lone win came against Sangamon Valley Conference foe Iroquois West for the second year in a row, leaving for another underwhelming season. The past season's struggles are something fifth-year head coach Wayne Walker wants to keep in the past.
“We have kids and coaches that take that to heart,” Walker said. “We know we should be better than 1-8 and our kids are definitely prepared from this offseason.
“They know here at Momence we shouldn’t have two seasons back-to-back of 1-8 so we are trying to flip that around.”
In order to flip the switch and have a clean slate for the 2021 shortened season, coach Walker has put a renewed focus on the fundamentals in practice since his team is made up of 50 percent underclassmen.
“Every year you look to see what you can change offensively and defensively, but this year has been more about what we can change at practice,” Walker said. “The kids are getting better every practice and they hold themselves to a higher sense of accountability.”
The increase in expectations will start with newly found quarterback Kud'de Bertram who is set to take over under center for the graduated Grant Laney at the quarterback position. Bertram is a multi-sport athlete who has been making a smooth transition from basketball to football by soaking up all the knowledge from his coaching staff in practice.
“Bertram has made great strides from where he was last year,” Walker said. “Every time he comes to practice he’s taken the coaching and he understands what we want out of him.”
Momence’s offense ran out of an unbalanced single wing formation last season and given the progression the Redskins coaching staff has seen out of Bertram the squad will look to air it out more this season.
Bertram’s ability to pass the pigskin should come easier with a veteran line that is made up of mostly upperclassmen. Seniors Kody Lawrence and Brady Bishir and juniors Ethan Mills and Dawson Petkunas are all set to make their returns starting in the trenches.
Defensively, Lawrence is back to lead a linebacker unit that returns a healthy amount of experience, while junior Sam Peterson will give Momence good push up front on the defensive line.
“Defensively we are focusing on creating turnovers and getting better at tackling,” Walker said.
Additionally, Momence will look to get additional support from its notable newcomers in Zane Duran and Anthony Martinez. Duran will look to make a name for himself in a deep linebacker core meanwhile Martinez should become one of the Redskins top receiving threats on the outside.
“It will be interesting to see what those two kids do week one for us,” Walker said.
All things considered there’s no doubt this season will be a fresh look for the Redskins. They have 22 players out of their 43-man roster that are either freshmen or sophomores. Nonetheless, it’s apparent that Momence is dialed in on becoming more competitive in the SVC in the conference's final season.
“Our team goals are to get better at practice everyday, and for me personally, to get more than one win," Walker said. “It’s not a high goal, but I think we should be above .500 and prove our record more than we have in the year’s past.”
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Aaron Hilgendorf (5th Season)
Career Record: 24-17
Conference: Sangamon Valley
Last Playoff: Class 2A Second Round, 2019
Best Playoff: Class 2A Second Round, 2019
2019 Record: 7-4
2021 Schedule
3/20 7 p.m. Momence (at Kankakee)
3/26 7 p.m. Walter Christian
4/2 7 p.m. @Seneca
4/10 1 p.m. @Iroquois West
4/16 7 p.m. Paxton-Buckley-Loda
4/23 7 p.m. @Central
Under Aaron Hilgendorf's tutelage, the Watseka football team has reached peaks it had never reached before. The Warriors' trip to the second round of the IHSA Class 2A Playoffs was the furthest they'd gone in 1986, which was also the last time they won a home playoff game. Their seven wins were tied for the most at Watseka in the last 25 years and the fourth-straight playoff appearance is the longest streak in school history.
Yet with all the history that came with last season's 7-4 campaign, Hilgendorf said the Warriors haven't grown complacent, still remembering the hurt that came after the season ended with a heartbreaking 20-14 loss to number-one Knoxville.
"It feels like forever ago but that still hurts us because we thought we had the chance to upset them," Hilgendorf said. "I remember how hungry they were and I've been anxious for it to come back."
Quarterback Drew Wittenborn led the area with 2,190 passing yards last season and so are the team's two leading receivers from last year in Conner Curry (775 yards) and Brayden Haines (456 yards). Hilgendorf said junior Hunter Meyer and sophomores Braiden Walwer and Anthony Shervino have made huge early strides and will be serviceable targets.
"We're able to move more guys around now and have some younger guys to add to our depth," Hilgendorf said. "We had a good fall with some contact days, and while we've only had a little time in the preseason, we've been able to grow and [our experience] has allowed us to go a little faster with installs."
Wittenborn will have ample time thanks to a nasty offensive line led by three-year starting center Shawn Farris and will feature five seniors across the board along with Tylor Durflinger, Ashton Bowling, Yeraldo DeLeon and Cal Cotter.
Hilgendorf said that even on a team that's loaded with two-and-three-year varsity players at almost every position group, it's the big boys up front who will continue to help the team grow.
"Any great team has offensive linemen as their leaders and that's important to us," Hilgendorf said. "Shawn is the leader of that group on both the offensive and defensive line, he's a smart player and he's in great shape."
Farris will lead a defensive front that will rotate several bodies, but the linebackers behind them figure to see every snap. Durflinger is one of the best returning linebackers in the state as a three-year starter and he has returning starter Maddux Rigsby next to him. The secondary is led by three-year starting cornerback Ethan LaBelle and Curry, a three-year starter at safety.
The Warriors have perhaps the most to play for out of any area team this season. Their teammate, Bryce Denoyer, was killed in a car accident last year just months after making a name for himself as a bruising running back and relentless defensive linemen on the football field. But it's who Denoyer was off the field that Hilgendorf and his players miss most.
"His name still comes up quite a bit and his jersey still hangs up in my office ...," Hilgendorf said. "We constantly have conversations about him and how we need to keep living for him, and to live life joyfully the way Bryce did.
"A day doesn't go by that he doesn't get talked about. He's a huge part of who we are."
2021 Outlook
Head Coach: Clint Schwartz (9th Season)
Career Record: 40-39
Conference: Illinois 8-Man Football Association
Last Playoff: I8FA State Runner-up, 2019
Best Playoff: I8FA State Champions, 2018
2019 Record: 12-1
2021 Schedule
3/19 7 p.m. @Schlarman
3/25 7 p.m. Blue Ridge
3/31 7 p.m. St. Thomas More
4/10 3 p.m. @Martinsville
4/17 2 p.m. @Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland
4/23 7 p.m. @Decatur Lutheran
Milford-Cissna Park may have lost numerous key parts from its teams that finished as the Illinois 8-Man Football Association State Champions in 2018 and second place last season, but don’t tell that to Bearcats head coach Clint Schwartz, who sees another stocked cupboard of options this spring.
“We lost some really key guys from last season but we have a good mix of older kids and youngers kids this year that are stepping in,” Schwartz said. “I’d say we're a veteran team because most of our starters are seniors and juniors who’ve had plenty of experience.”
Although there will be no state playoffs this season as well as only a six-game schedule don’t expect the Bearcats lower their expectations. They've been the premier program in the first two years of the I8FA, the only team to reach the title game in each of the association's first two years of existence.
“We're taking it like it’s a normal year,” Schwartz said. “We aren’t taking anything lightly and we are going to make it the most genuine experience we can.”
In order to remind everyone just how dominant the Bearcats are in I8FA, Milford-Cissna Park is going to have to rely on its new quarterback, Trey Totheroh, who is replacing Penn Stoller, one of the most successful student-athletes in program history.
Totheroh is transitioning from cornerback to under center for the first time at the varsity level and luckily for him, he will have some familiar faces beside him in returning all-state running back Angel Salinas and three-year starting offensive lineman Jacob Nash.
“We’ve known for a long time that Totheroh is a leader,” Schwartz said. “And that’s the type of person you want to be at quarterback … he’s going to pick guys up and make guys better.”
The senior quarterback will look to command an offense that will rely heavily on its rushing attack with Salinas making his return to the backfield. Salinas rushed for over 1,000 yards last season with 13 touchdowns.
Outside of focusing on a ground-and-pound game, the Bearcats will look to pick apart whatever the defense gives them this season, whether it be in the passing game or running game.
“We’ve never talked about having to have a certain identity on offense,” Schwartz said. “We're going to take what the defense gives us and luckily our kids are unselfish.”
Much like the offense, Milford-Cissna Park’s defense will have similar turnover with guys switching positions as well as some new solid talent that’s been brought up.
The Bearcats have moved Jarid Woodby from cornerback to safety with hopes he can be one of the team’s leaders and signal caller. In addition, they have a new talented duo of linebackers in Mason Blanck and Nick McKinley.
“Everybody has bought in and everyone knows what expected of them, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Schwartz said.
With this year being such a weird season with everything related to COVID-19, coach Schwartz is keeping his team focused on the controllables.
“Our mentality is tying to take care of what we can take care of, whether that's in training or playing under the lights."
