by Paul Johnson for the Courier News.

St. Edward quarterback Anthony Holte had a forgettable start to Monday night’s rescheduled game against Guerin.

by Jerry Fitzpatrick for the Daily Herald.

The St. Edward homecoming dance had taken place 48 hours earlier at Villa Olivia in Bartlett.

The king and queen had long since been crowned.

Of course, there was still this little matter of a football game to be played.

Because stormy weather forced a postponement on Friday and Guerin was unavailable to play Saturday, the St. Edward football team experienced Monday Night Football for the first time.

The Green Wave took well to the experience in a 56-0 blowout in a Metro Suburban Red matchup in Elgin.

Senior quarterback Anthony Holte completed 16 of 21 passing attempts for 327 yards and 6 touchdowns, both career highs.

"I'm happy that my line was there all night to block for me," Holte said of seniors Luke Breier and Andy Cielak and juniors Luke Sauceda, Owen Gill, and Tristan Merlin. "And my wide receivers made plays."

Holte's top target was sure-handed Zeke Rolando. The 6-foot-3, 150-pound junior made 8 catches for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had 3 touchdown receptions in the game's first 14 minutes and 32 seconds as the Wave raced to a 22-0 lead.

The first Holte-Rolando connection came on a broken play that was supposed to go to the left side. Instead, the quarterback ended up rolling right and pinpointing Rolando in the back right corner of the end zone with a 15-yard scoring pass.

"Anthony has always talked with coach about how we're trying to extend plays," Zeke said. "I just wanted to try to get open and help Anthony out."

Rolando made things happen on their second connection. He caught a 10-yard pass, broke a tackle and raced up the right sideline for a 35-yard touchdown.

The duo's third scoring play was clutch. On fourth-and-22 from the Guerin 34-yard line, Rolando slipped behind the defense and hauled a pass in with his fingertips.

"I knew if I threw it up to him, he would come down with it because he always makes big plays and makes me proud," Holte said.

St. Edward (3-2, 3-0) gained 531 total yards compared to 51 for Guerin (1-4, 0-3). Rolando, Clem McCullough and Liam Pomeroy had interceptions to help St. Edward win the turnover battle 5-1.

"I thought our kids executed a lot of things, a couple of different run plays that we don't usually run," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "Whatever they give us, we have to learn to learn to do something else. I think we have enough in that we can usually counter whatever somebody is trying to do to stop us."

Junior running back Joe Sacco rushed for 98 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown. He caught two balls for 34 yards, highlighted by a 13-yard scoring grab.

Pomeroy's 18-yard, second-quarter touchdown catch gave St. Edward a 42-0 halftime lead. McCullough added a 15-yard touchdown reception and junior Blake Busto rumbled 29 yards to the end zone to cap the scoring.

St. Edward welcomes Chicago Christian to Greg True Field Friday in a showdown for first place in the MSC Red.

"We have 4-1 Chicago Christian coming in here in four days so we have to get ready to play on Friday," Mike Rolando said.

 

By Mark Harrington

 

 

 

Covered with dripping
beads of sweat and black granules of turf, Joe Sacco was everywhere on the
football field. Tomorrow, he has big plans.

 

 

 

“Sleep,” he revealed.
“Pretty tired.”

 

 

 

All Sacco did was reach
the end zone for four Elgin St. Edward High School touchdowns. He also set up
another score, running through a hole in the middle to the outside for a 36
yard run, his longest of his 24 carries.  

 

 

 

But it was also a fourth
quarter missed extra point kick by Elmwood Park that allowed the Green Wave to
squeak out a  35-34 Suburban Metro Red victory, its second straight win
placing them atop the conference at 2-0. The Tigers were pre-season favorites
to claim the conference crown.

 

 

 

Sacco, a  5-10, 150-pound
junior running back, busted through holes, dragged defenders with him, and
reversed direction all night, racking up 164 yards with pass receptions of 46
(TD) and 20 yards. He also uses his foot in all three kicking game situations.
His 27-yard kickoff return put his team in Elmwood Park territory, where he
scored later. On defense, there were his five tackles. 

 

 

 

Sacco called it possibly
his best game of his prep career. 

 

 

 

“Moving the ball even
when they (EP) knew where the ball was going,” he said, crediting his offensive
line. “Without the line, I’m not going anywhere.”

 

 

 

St. Edward Head Coach
Mike Rolando admired his  players’ effort and heart in the post-game
huddle.

 

 

 

“I know it took a lot of
everyone of you,” he said. “It took every bit you have. Sacco, I know you’re
hurting, but you had to do it. You’re the workhorse. When we needed to move the
ball, you and the line pounded away. 

 

 

 

“By the end of the day,
they (EP) made some plays, you made a couple more.”

 

 

 

The Tigers had the lead
twice because Sacco’s counterpart was Elmwood Park’s Keon Grimes, who hauled in
four touchdown passes of 35, 5,  and a pair of 11 yarders from quarterback
Michael Stranski, often on a slant play across the middle. Grimes also had an
interception to keep the game close. 

 

 

 

Besides Sacco, Elgin St
Edward kept bouncing back with big plays at right moments. 

 

 

 

Clem McCullough was not
to be overlooked by the Green Wave coaching staff after he screened off a
defender for a two-point conversion pass from Anthony Holte to tie the game at
14.  Later McCoulloug popped the ball loose on a bruising smack on an EP
pass with teammate Anthony Kirkwood recovering. 

 

 

 

“He’s always making plays
like that since last year,” said Kirkwood, who had nine tackles. 

 

 

 

With an onside kick, the
Green Wave’s Alex Walser emerged from the pile with the ball.

 

 

 

“He wasn’t really holding
it on the ground, so I ripped it out,”  Walser said. 

 

 

 

Elgin St. Edward had just
tied the game, but two minutes later scored again when Sacco kept his feet
moving and a burst of new energy put him across the goal line for a 21-14
halftime lead. 

 

 

 

In the fourth quarter,
James Brisco went through a middle hole to the outside 21 yards to set up a
35-28 lead on a Sacco five-yard TD. 

 

 

 

Late in the fourth
quarter, the Green Wave maintained drives to keep the Tigers from overcoming
the one-point lead. Sacco would have two runs for 29 yards total to sustain a
drive as time was winding down. Then came the win sealer, Holte pitching the
ball to Sacco, who fired off a 20 yard pass to Liam Pomeroy with just over two
minutes rema

 

 

The Metro Red welcomes newcomers Westmont and Christ the King and lost Fenton to the Upstate Eight Conference. Defending champ St. Edward returns 18 of 22 starters from a team that went 5-0 in the Red. Several all-conference players return including quarterback Anthony Holte, receiver Zeke Rolando (coach Mike Rolando's son), and Luke Breier, one of five returning offensive linemen. The Green Wave won the division for the first time since 2014; usually it comes down to Ridgewood and Elmwood Park. In fact, despite St. Edward's experience Ridgewood first-year head coach Matt Walsh -- who returns the Metro Red's reigning defensive player of the year in linebacker Jesus Velasco -- believes "it's Elmwood Park's to win" considering the Tigers field three-year starting quarterback Mike Stranski and solid numbers overall. Westmont went 5-4 as an independent last season.

Metro Suburban Red Conference as projected by Edgy Tim

+St. Edward

*Chicago Christian

*Elmwood Park

Ridgewood

Guerin Prep

Westmont

Christ The King

+denotes predicted 2019 conference champion

*denotes IHSA state playoff projected qualifier

 

By Mark Harrington

When 18 players return for another high school football season, the dream of going deeper into the state playoffs looms large despite not having played a game yet.

But that is exactly where defending unbeaten Metro Suburban Red Conference champions Elgin St. Edward finds itself for the August 30th home opener against Bremen (Midlothian, IL). After that, the Green Wave will be tested with four playoff teams from last year.

Valuable experience was gained on the football field a year ago as 11 sophomores started and learned how to sustain injuries and then resurging after losing its first three games to win five of the next six. The learning curve is smaller this time around.

“Last year we were just happy to be in the fight,” said head coach Mike Rolando, “and play close games early on. This year the expectation is a little different; we want to come into those first couple games and look at them as playoff type games. We’ve got to look like a mid-season football team.”

But the question is how will the Green Wave achieve those goals.

“We’ve got to hit the ground running, a lot of returning starters that know the system and know our terminology. We want to look crisp. We practiced all summer and used our 25 days; we’ve been doing a lot of seven on sevens. I think we are ahead of last year.”

The 14-year head coach said that “ahead of last year” translates into player knowledge of the playbook and terminology, knowing the routes and kids knowing each other.

“Last year, being so young, they hadn’t played together,” said Rolando. “They got a chance to make the playoffs and see what that was like.”

Despite a lack of size and sheer numbers, St. Ed compensates.

“We’re going to be undersized all the time,” said Rolando, adding the compensation relies on toughness. “Physically...mentally tough. What they lack in size, they make up for in heart and desire to not let each other down. They put the work in. They work hard. They never give up.”

As for those tougher teams on the schedule, Rolando knows his team’s fight.

“Whether a team outmanned us physically, they know they’re going to get our best effort every time. They know they’ve played a football game.”

Last autumn, Rolando admits that the Green Wave snuck up people last year.

“We were fortunate to get away with wins at Elmwood Park and Chicago Christian. Those were teams on paper that were physically probably better than us. We managed to get out in front of them and they couldn’t quite take the lead at the end,” reflected Rolando.

On Chicago Christian, Elmwood Park and Ridgewood this season:

“I don’t think we are going to be overlooked by any team,” he said. “ It’s always a challenge to repeat. Every game we’ll get the opposition’s best game until someone dethrones us.”

But the strength of the offense and defense has encouraged Rolando.

“Every O lineman is a returning starter. Andy Cielak, Luke Sauceda, Aidan Pomeroy, Luke Breier, and Owen Gill all return, and there are others competing for those spots and time on the line as well. We’ve got competition there, a little more depth and experience on the line. On defense, probably our athleticism, we’ve got enough athletes to where we can rotate kids in and get them off the field (for a rest). As long as we keep everyone healthy.”

Quarterback Anthony Holte returns, who likes to hook up with Zeke Rolando. Joe Sacco, Anthony Kirkwood, James Brisco, and Luke Breier are back after gaining valuable playing time a year ago. Kirkwood is moving from defensive back to outside linebacker, and on offense being a slot receiver or fullback combo. Both Brier and him play bigger than their size. Sacco, Briscoe and Kirkwood will form the running game.

“This year we’ll be able to distribute the ball all around, use several different weapons, running the ball and throwing the ball,” said Rolando. “We should have a really well balanced football team that is hard to defend.”

More than a football team, X’s and O’s, and wins or losses, the players talk about this year’s squad, when asked about one word to describe this season and group.

Zeke Rolando: family, bonding, putting the work in for each other.

Anthony Holte: heart.

Luke Brier: brotherhood. We’re a family here and will do whatever it takes to win this year.

Anthony Kirkwood: to describe the team, hitters. We’ve all improved and we want to prove ourselves again. Just get out there and be the strongest and toughest team out there.

Zeke Rolando says his game has improved in quickness, working the routes and catching. “It’s all about reps. A lot of teams are going to be bigger than us and faster than us, so we have to mentally strong.”

Kirkwood has benefited from practicing in his route running abilities and not just concentrating on his defense. But he prides himself in physicality and strength.

Holte has focused on footwork in the off-season and has seen improvements in his three-step drop while also working out every day in the weight room. The QB said he is
not afraid of scrambling and throwing passes out of the pocket.

Brier’s game is on the upswing. “Definitely better on my footwork, overall strength and speed increase.”

Spacing on the line will be filled in by 6-foot-5, 260 pound Tristan Merlin. That line is where SE Head Coach Rolando sees as a plus, hinting that much of the O line should be over 200 pounds each. “For a small school like us, that’s pretty good size.”

Holte favors the line for protection.

“A lot better than last year” said Holte. “I think we have more seniors, so they want it more. They’re giving it their all.”

Last season, St. Edward won the Metro Suburban Red Conference going undefeated (5-0), losing to Urban Prep Bronzeville in the Class 4A playoffs first round by just 10 points. Off to a 16-0 deficit, St. Ed’s outpointed Urban Prep-B 14-8 in the next three quarters.

That makes this team hungry. So what can fans expect this year?

“Competitive, hard-nosed football,” Rolando believes. “Our kids are going to give everything they have every week to come out and play as a team and do their best to win each game. Classy, respectful football, an old school brand of football.”

During the pre-season leading up to the first battle, Rolando discussed the importance of timing and synchronization with all 11 players on the field.

“The handoffs, the footwork, the play action passes,” he said. “The quarterback and the receivers. We’ve got a returning quarterback in Anthony Holte and several good receivers back that have upped their game over the summer. Liam Pomeroy, Joe Sacco, and Clem McCullough, have all improved and will be go-to guys. Those guys timing up their pass routes is critical.”

On the nine-game schedule, only five contests in the Metro Red Conference claims the title. The Green Wave also meets three-time defending state champions Immaculate Conception, which has a 40-1 record the last three years, in week seven. Rolando expects a closer game this time around.

In those nine games beside IC, the Green Wave will battle playoff qualifiers Chicago Christian and Elmwood Park, both went two games into the 2A playoffs, and Wheaton Academy.
Ridgewood missed the playoffs for the first time in three seasons in 2018.

“We just need to work on getting better each week and taking one week at a time,” Coach Rolando said. “Never looking past an opponent. It’s a long season. I think this team has to one-up those goals from last year (conference title and playoff appearance) and set their goals a little higher.”

Rolando enters this season as the winningest coach in school history at 60-74. Only twice has the Green Wave advanced into the second round (2010 & 2014) in the school record books.

 

With a healthy run game at its disposal, the intent this year for the St. Edward football team isn't to throw the ball 40-plus times as it did last year.

And after a huge 44-26 nonconference win over Class 5A power Metamora at Greg True Field in Elgin Friday, the Green Wave, with a roster of 23, discovered they won't need to throw it 40 times; they can run up as much passing yards with just a fraction of the throws.

Returning All-State quarterback Dylan Mlinarich, who broke every passing record there is at St. Edward last year, threw just a minuscule 16 times against the No. 7 ranked team in 5A and still nearly totaled 400 yards.

The senior connected with 4 different receivers for 396 yards and 5 touchdowns, including 3 to receiver Saveon Smith who totaled 160 yards on 6 grabs, as Mlinarich's first 2 passes of the game went for scores.

"It was just the balance that we didn't have last year," said Mlinarich, who saw 37 running plays called. "I was throwing forty, sixty times last year and they were dropping eight guys in coverage. And it was tough but now this year with Angel Garcia, who's such a great running back and our offensive line, proves to us and the other teams that we are stronger and run or pass the ball anytime we want and we are going to be successful on it."

A healthy Garcia ran 20 times for 99 yards as the run game added 179 to the Green Wave's 575 total yards compared to Metamora's 306, but Smith and Tyler Holte provided all the highlights.

Holte helped St. Edward (1-0) to a quick 7-0 lead when he caught a pass at the Redbirds' 25 on the second Wave offensive play and turned on the jets for a 40-yard score.

On the Wave's next series, it took 5 plays until Smith beat his defender over the top and hauled in a 56-yard touchdown grab to make it 14-0 St. Edward with 5:25 left in the first quarter.

Smith would strike again with 8:13 left in the second quarter, when Mlinarich avoided a tackle in the pocket, stepped outside and connected with Smith on 4th and 5 with a 28-yard touchdown grab for a 21-0 lead.

"That was like a Christmas present," Smith said of the big lead at that point. "It felt real good for the team and it hyped us up a lot. Coach (Marc Rusinko) said be the hunter or the hunted and we were the hunters."

The Wave hunted down 2 more scores, even after the Redbirds (0-1) closed within 28-19 in the third quarter. Holte, who made 3 grabs for 180 yards along with 2 touchdowns, made a one-handed grab with his left hand down the left sideline to start the Wave's second third quarter drive that went for 65-yards, setting up Garcia's 11-yard run a player later for a 35-19 lead.

Holte's pick with 17.6 left in the third on his own 38 that he returned to the Redbird 30 resulted in a 31-yard field from David Madden with 9:28 left in the fourth and for good measure Smith scored over the top from 33-yards out to make it 44-19. The Green Wave picked up 3 turnovers in total, allowed just 2 touchdowns to Bryton McDonald (9 catches, 84 yards) and picked off Metamora QB Thomas Hall (15-for-27, 169 yards) twice.

"We're pretty happy with the turnovers but there's some things we have to clean up," Holte said. "But it's awesome. We've got the bread and butter with the passing game. the running game is coming along. the O-line is looking great so it's awesome."

And what about coach Mike Rolando's take?

"We didn't know we if we could compete at that level (against Metamora) and now that we know we can, it gives us the confidence the rest of the season," he said.

Jerry Fitzpatrick

The injury report and game results intertwined as St. Edward's 2016 season unraveled.

The Green Wave opened with 4 straight wins, but an already modest roster was diminished almost weekly by a rash of injuries to key players, many season-ending.

By the time the Wave limped into the Metro Suburban Blue opener in Week 5 against eventual Class 3A state champion IC Catholic Prep, coach Mike Rolando's team was a shell of the version that broke camp. Only 18 players dressed for a 53-50 loss at Fenton in Week 6 and 17 suited up for a 42-21 loss at Glenbard South a week later.

Larger schools can absorb multiple injuries and remain competitive due to their depth, but that's a taller order for a Class 4A program like St. Edward, which has averaged 26 players since Rolando took over 13 years ago.

With electric performers like safety/wideout Saveon Smith and running back/linebacker Angel Garcia out of last year's lineup due to injury, the Green Wave didn't possess the depth to remain competitive for four quarters.

Fast forward a year and the now healthy Green Wave return starters at 20 of 22 positions, a statistic that includes multiple two-way performers. That listed is headed by returning all-state quarterback Dylan Mlinarich. He broke every program passing record last season, mainly because the offense had no choice but to throw the ball after Garcia was lost to a broken ankle in Week 4.

Mlinarich attempted 376 passes, breaking the previous record of 219 set by Ben Lehman in 2009. He completed 214 passes, eclipsing Joe Mullen's 107 in 2014. The left-hander's 2,812 passing yards dwarfed Lehman's old record of 1,799 and his 33 touchdowns topped Mullen's 28.

Tyler Holte (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) was one beneficiary of the Wave's penchant for passing. He set new program records in receptions (57) and yardage (677) and scored 7 touchdowns. Before his ankle injury, Smith caught 26 balls for 446 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Rounding out the talented group of returning receivers are Ryan Pomeroy (40 rec., 556 yards, 5 TD) and David Madden (37 rec., 521 yards, 6 TD).

However, St. Edward doesn't intend to throw the ball 40-plus times per game like last year with a healthy Garcia back in the fold. Before his injury, Garcia rushed 61 times for 391 yards (6.1 avg) and 4 touchdowns.

He'll run behind an offensive line Rolando calls "the biggest and strongest we've had." The group includes returning starters Brett Kruska (6-3, 260) at right tackle, guard Chase Migut (6-2, 265), center James Estes (5-11, 245) and left tackle Matt Pettey (6-1, 260).

"Dylan looks great and he's a senior who has been there and done that," Rolando said of a quarterback who has passed for 3,845 yards and 41 touchdowns in two varsity seasons. "If we can put a running game around him, he has a chance to be very efficient and effective. He doesn't have to go 26 of 50. He can go 13 of 18 and capitalize when we need him to."

The defense is led by Smith, who in three varsity seasons has 72 tackles, 4 interceptions and 45 pass breakups. He's joined by linebacker Ben Harrington, who led the 2016 team with 76 tackles. He plays alongside linebackers Garcia and David Madden (38 tackles, 10 pass breakups).

Jimmy Harkins (32 tackles, 3 ints.) will play defensive and Jordan West (25 tackles, 2 sacks) anchors the defensive line.

"We have some experienced playmakers," Rolando said. "We have a lot of athleticism on the defensive side of the ball. I think this will be a lot of fun. We've just got to stay healthy."

 

Junior quarterback Dylan Mlinarich knew what was on the line Friday night for St. Edward.

A win would make the Green Wave playoff-eligible, and Mlinarich led St. Edward to a one-point lead that lasted until late in the second quarter against host Wheaton Academy.

 

"We were just trying to go and go and go," Mlinarich said. "We were trying to make plays, do whatever we could to get into the end zone and just get us a lead. It was just tough. We lost the momentum."

As has been the case throughout the Metro Suburban Blue season, the Green Wave ran out of gas as Wheaton Academy stormed back for a 44-30 victory.

 

The combination of injuries, only four seniors on the roster and playing bigger programs eventually caught up to St. Edward (4-5, 0-5), erasing a 4-0 start and ending a three-year playoff run.

Prior to Friday's loss, the Green Wave's three previous games were against schools with enrollments at least three times as large.

"They gave it all they had," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "The fact that we can hang with these schools with mostly juniors and sophomores on the field bodes well for the future. We're right there with these big schools until the third quarter. The future is bright."

Early on, St. Edward was focused on the present and getting its four seniors into the postseason again. Mlinarich opened the scoring with 2:20 left in the first quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jake Frey.

 

After Wheaton Academy (6-3, 2-3) took a 13-7 lead, Mlinarich found junior receiver Saveon Smith for a 27-yard TD catch, giving the Green Wave a 14-13 lead that stood until 21 seconds left in the half.

Wheaton Academy scored then, and added two TDs in the first two minutes of the second half to put the game away.

St. Edward didn't fold, however. Down by 30 points, Mlinarich hit junior receiver David Madden for a 12-yard TD in the fourth quarter, and the seniors took over for the final scoring drive.

Senior lineman Sam Reedy bruised his way to 19 yards on two carries. Senior tight end Dominick Hartke rushed for a 15-yard TD and senior lineman Nolan Theriault pounded in the 2-point conversion.

Senior receiver Jimmy Harkins also caught four passes for 45 yards.

"It was a lot of fun watching Reedy break tackles," Mlinarich said. "Then watching Dominick score and Nolan with the 2-point conversion, it was a lot of fun. It was a good little moment there at the end."

 

Paul Johnson is a freelance writer for The Courier-News. Gene Chamberlain contributed.

 

St. Edward senior Jimmy Harkins and seven other Green Wave players never left the field Friday.

It wasn't their last stand, but now there are only two more chances for the coveted fifth win.

Injury-plagued St. Edward could only hold out for so long at home against bigger, deeper Glenbard South and power runner Sean Cooke in a 42-21 Metro Suburban Blue defeat.

"We have 17 guys, so we can't afford to come off the field," said Harkins, a wide receiver/defensive back. "When we run out of energy, we run out of energy.

"Really, there's nothing we can do about it."

St. Edward lost its third straight during a devastating rash of injuries. In much of the first half, it seemed the passing of left-handed quarterback Dylan Mlinarich to Harkins, David Madden, Tyler Holte and Ryan Pomeroy would be enough to get the fifth win.

St. Edward (4-3, 0-3) had a 21-6 lead in the second quarter after a 2-yard touchdown flip from Mlinarich to tight end Dominic Hartke. Behind Cooke, Glenbard South (5-2, 3-0) dominated from then on with 36 straight points.

"They just kind of wore on us," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "Our guys are warriors. They played awesome. I'm very proud of their effort.

"There are guys playing every down and on special teams. They proved they can play with a team like this."

Without a ground game due to running back injuries, Mlinarich completed 34 of 61 passes for 393 yards with three TDs and three interceptions. Harkins had 10 catches for 106 yards and Madden added seven catches for 123 yards.

"In practice, we always work the same routes and look at the same zones over and over again, and so Dylan knew where we'd be and found us in the open spots," Madden said.

Mlinarich threw a 13-yard TD pass to Harkins as St. Edward went up 7-6. Then Madden caught an 18-yard TD down the sidelines with 1:22 left in the first quarter.

When Hartke scored, St. Edward appeared to be in control. But Cooke started mashing away for 188 yards on 29 carries, including four TDs.

"He's a big boy and to tackle him you've just got to try to go low," Madden said. "It was the only way."

Cooke's third TD run, a 2-yarder with 28 seconds left in the first half, gave Glenbard South a 27-21 edge.

Once ahead, Glenbard South ditched the blitz and went to a three-player pass rush with zone coverage. It paid off when St. Edward was driving for the go-ahead points late in the third quarter.

Mlinarich was picked off at the 2-yard line by Justin Goetz.

"I misread the play," Mlinarich said. "I thought it was an out-and-up, but it was just a regular up. My fault entirely."

Glenbard South quarterback Jack Crouch followed by throwing a 38-yard TD pass to Bryan Maroney. The Raiders added added Cooke's 34-yard clinching TD run and a safety.

"Its just about being real disciplined and we didn't play disciplined football the first half," Glenbard South coach Ryan Crissey said. "But you've got to give it to coach Rolando and the Green Wave, those kids just fight their butts off.

"We knew we were going to be in a dogfight defensively with the way they pass the ball."

gchamberlain@tribpub.com

Twitter @genechamberlai2

IC Catholic Prep (4-0, 0-0) at St. Edward (4-0, 0-0) Metro Suburban Blue

Game time: 7 p.m. Friday.

Last week: IC Catholic 72, Chicago Christian 0; St. Edward 50, Guerin 0.

Last year: IC Catholic 41, St. Edward 6.

Outlook (from the IC Catholic perspective): Since 2009 these teams have split 3-3 dating to their Suburban Christian Conference days. They're the MSC Blue's top two teams both in scoring and scoring defense, with IC averaging 56 points and St. Edward allowing 10.5. IC's Northern Illinois-bound Jordan Rowell has already run for 691 yards and 14 touchdowns, though the Knights' up-tempo offense is predicated by how quarterback Luke Ricobene reads the defense. Senior safety Matt Sutton makes the calls on defense, which will bring the heat with physical linemen Jimmy Kenneally, Robert Vitek, Dylan Packer and Ricky Mysliwiec. St. Edward's 6-foot-2 quarterback Dylan Mlinarich has thrown for 1,176 yards and 20 touchdowns, gutting Walther Christian and Lindblom for 7 TD passes apiece. Saveon Smith has caught 6 touchdown passes and averages 27 yards per catch. However, IC's staff includes former NFL safety and current ESPN analyst Matt Bowen, a big advantage.

Outlook (From the St. Edward perspective): This Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division opener is among the most important games on the schedule for each of these longtime rivals. A Class 3A semifinalist in 2015, IC is 3A's top-ranked team. Led by all-state tailback and cornerback Jordan Rowell (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), committed to Northern Illinois, and junior quarterback Luc Ricobene, the Knights have scored 225 points. That total includes 61 points against a St. Laurence team that has beaten Benet, St. Rita and defending 3A champ Bishop McNamara. Rowell has rushed for 691 yards and 14 touchdowns on 55 carries. Ricobene has completed 45 of 73 passes for 617 yards and 5 touchdowns and been intercepted three times. Ricobene also has rushed 19 times for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns, which has St. Edward coach Mike Rolando's attention. "Rowell is outstanding and you have to account for him, but what scares us most is (Ricobene)," Rolando said. "Even if you do everything well on a play, he can scramble and make a play because he's so multidimensional." IC gave up 49 points to St. Laurence in a Week 2 win. Otherwise, the Knights shut out Bishop McNamara, Elmwood Park and Chicago Christian. IC defensive end Jimmy Kenneally (6-1, 235) was an honorable mention all-state pick in 2015. Last year, he terrorized St. Edward quarterback Dylan Mlinarich throughout IC'S 41-6 victory. Mlinarich comes in hot. The left-handed junior has thrown for 1,179 yards and 20 touchdowns on 66-of-115 passing (57.4 percent).

Next week: Riverside-Brookfield at IC Catholic; St. Edward at Fenton.

 

 

 

 

The St. Edward football team's two-week trend of decimating lesser secondaries seems likely to continue on homecoming this Friday.

The Green Wave return to Greg True Field with a 3-0 record for the second time in three seasons, thanks largely to a passing attack responsible for 754 of their 1,052 total yards in wins over Lindblom (50-14) and Walther Lutheran (63-8), both winless.

In his last 2 games, junior quarterback Dylan Mlinarich has completed 45 of 72 passes for 754 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The left-handed Mlinarich is spreading the opportunities among his receivers. Junior Saveon Smith, who this week announced on social media he will visit Illinois this weekend, paced the group in Weeks 2 and 3 with 10 receptions for 233 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Smith leads a talented group that includes senior Jimmy Harkins (9 rec., 188 yards, 2 TD) and juniors David Madden (8-156-2), Ryan Pomeroy (5-141-2) and Tyler Holte (9-87-2).

St. Edward should face little resistance for a third straight game when Guerin (0-3) visits at 7 p.m. The Crusaders have been outscored 105-0.

Guerin began the season with 20 players on its published roster, but attrition has taken a toll. The Crusaders trailed Fenton 26-0 at halftime of last week's game, but the second half was played with a running clock because Guerin was down to the minimum of 11 available players.

For perspective, Fenton entered that matchup 0-2 after losing its first 2 games by a combined score of 73-0.

While lopsided games are good for morale and can help a team find its rhythm, it's questionable whether such blowouts are good preparation for a high-level opponent like the one St. Edward faces next week in old rival IC Catholic Prep. The Knights (3-0) are the top-ranked team in Class 3A.

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said winning noncompetitive games by such lopsided margins may not be the optimal way to prepare for a team like IC, but the light schedule leading into what could be their most physical game of the season should benefit his players from a health standpoint.

The Green Wave entered the season with 22 players on the roster, but they are down to 21 and can't afford more injuries. Sophomore Nick Wright broke his arm in two places during the Lindblom game two weeks ago when he was stepped on. Five junior varsity players suit up with the varsity on Saturdays.

"We're very thin, so we need to keep our guys healthy," Rolando said. "While you want to be battle tested, at the same time, if we lose two guys, we become a totally different football team. When Nick goes down we have to bring up a sophomore to play linebacker and we're just not quite as strong. "We're not going to get any more or less physical in the next two weeks. These kids have been playing football for a long time. When we get to IC it's going to be a physical battle and the kids know that. From year to year, kids from both schools look forward to it. It's a tough game. That's why (Saturday) you saw a lot of jerseys coming on and coming of the field so we could get out of there healthy, and that's a good thing."

 

If sevens are lucky, St. Edward quarterback Dylan Mlinarich was the luckiest man in Melrose Park Saturday.

The St. Edward junior quarterback threw 7 touchdown passes for the second game in a row as the Green Wave improved to 3-0 by trouncing winless Walther Christian 63-8 at Fran Fanelli, Jr. Memorial Football Field.

The 6-foot-2, 189-pound left-hander saw open receivers everywhere he looked as St. Edward scored 7 touchdowns in the first half alone.

"I'm very surprised but I look forward to doing this. I work for this all off-season," Mlinarich said of 16 touchdown passes in 3 games. "The O-line did an amazing job, the wide receivers ran great routes and coach Ro (Mike Rolando), amazing play calling."

Junior Saveon Smith hauled in 4 receptions, including touchdowns of 6, 52 and 55 yards.

"I'm excited. I'm happy we're 3-0," said Smith, who said he'll be fine after he reached for his left hamstring at the end of a 55-yard touchdown catch-and-run. "In the off-season we work real hard with each other, run routes, all that, practice hard. I'm proud of my team and the accomplishments that we're doing right now."

Mlinarich completed 15 of 26 passes for 358 yards without an interception or sack. Like Smith, all his top targets were fellow juniors: David Madden (5 rec., 117 yards, TD), Tyler Holte (3 rec., 49 yards, TD) and Ryan Pomeroy, whose 53-yard scoring catch just before halftime made it 49-0.

Tailback Angel Garcia contributed 90 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 attempts to help the Green Wave amass 487 total yards.

Garcia, a Melrose Park native who lived five minutes from Fanelli Field until his family moved to Elgin when he was a sixth-grader, was also key on defense, rotating at middle linebacker with sophomore Sidney Muhammad. He was part of a Green Wave defense that limited the Broncos to 42 total yards.

In fact, Walther Christian's offense was in negative yardage until it mounted a 58-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes against St. Edward reserves.

"They came out and did what we asked them to do: play hard from the get go, whoever we had in there," Rolando said of his players. "We had some freshmen and sophomores in there the whole second half and they all played hard. I thought our intensity was good in the first half. We don't want the kids to come down and play at another level because of who we're playing."

 

St. Edward junior quarterback Dylan Mlinarch and Vernon Hills senior linebacker Chick Smith have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for their efforts in Week 2 of the high school football season.

OFFENSE

Dylan Mlinarch, St. Edward: This 6-foot-2, 189-pound junior enjoyed the kind of game quarterbacks dream about in a 50-14 home win vs. Lindblom. The second-year varsity signalcaller completed 30 of 49 pass attempts to nine different receivers for 495 yards and 7 touchdowns to help the Green Wave improve to 2-0.

Darreontae Jackson, St. Viator: The senior running back keyed a bounce-back win for the Lions in the biggest of ways. He rushed for 262 yards on just 14 carries, with scoring runs of 92 and 55 yards as St. Viator rolled past St. Francis 39-7.

Aidan O'Connell, Stevenson: The senior quarterback made his team's long bus ride to Michigan worthwhile. He threw for a school-record 447 yards and 4 touchdowns on 36-of-51 passing, helping the Patriots edge Muskegon 38-35 for their first win of the season.

Jordan Rowell, IC Catholic Prep: The Northern Illinois recruit scored 5 touchdowns, and the Knights needed them in a 63-49 win over St. Laurence. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound running back ran for 260 yards, 4 touchdowns; he caught 5 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. The senior's long plays were a 67-yard run and a 63-yard reception.

For good reason, St. Edward's passing game received plenty of preseason notoriety.

But when the regular season began Friday in Orlando, Fla. for the Green Wave, it was running back Angel Garcia who stepped up in the clutch against Christ's Church Academy.

Garcia, a sophomore, rushed for 119 yards and scored two second-half touchdowns to give St. Edward a 30-20 victory over the school from Jacksonville, Fla., at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

"We expected the passing game to lead and the running game kicked in," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "Angel had a great game and our line did a fantastic job of opening things up."

It's not that the passing game was forgotten.

St. Edward quarterback Dylan Mlinarich threw a 34-yard TD pass to Jimmy Harkins, who had five catches for 105 yards. Saveon Smith caught a 62-yard TD pass from Mlinarich, and the teams were tied 14-14 at halftime.

Garcia's TDs were from 1 and 2 yards after he carried the load on the drives, and St. Edward (1-0) also counted a second-half safety from the defense.

"They were trying to go up-tempo, I think, to wear us out in the second half," Rolando said. "They were a good team, with significantly bigger kids than we had, but we kind of turned it the other way and proved our guys were really better conditioned in the second half."

• 

     St. Edward's Saveon Smith is one of many talented receivers the Green Wave return this season.
  Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

Jetting to Florida for the season opener won't be the last time the St. Edward football team takes flight.

St. Edward under 12th-year coach Mike Rolando has traditionally been a running team. In fact, last season the Green Wave made its third straight playoff appearance and fifth in seven seasons by rushing the ball for 2,233 yards compared to 1,181 yards via the air.

But times change, as do rosters. Graduated is record-breaking running back Dwayne Allen (St. Cloud State) and most of the line that blocked for him.

What St. Edward does return is second-year varsity quarterback Dylan Mlarnich and his top four receivers from a year ago: Saveon Smith, Tyler Holte, Jimmy Harkins and David Madden.

As a sophomore, Mlarnich showed promise by completing 50.6 percent of his passes (80 of 158) for 1,033 yards. He threw more touchdowns (8) than interceptions (7).

Smith was his top target with 15 receptions for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns. Holte caught 16 passes for 188 yards and a score. Madden had 3 touchdowns among his 14 catches, and Harkins contributed 13 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Juniors Ryan Pomeroy and Jake Frey are expected to join that experienced group.

In their season opener against Christ's Church Academy of Jacksonville, Fla. at the Disney Resort in Orlando on Aug. 26, look for the Green Wave to attempt to control the clock by completing hitches and short routes in lieu of their traditional 32 dive.

"We'll have a different style," Rolando said. "We've always tried to be a run-first team, but it may be a new look for St. Ed's as far as not having that power-running game. It's the best passing entity that we've had collectively since I've been here."

The three players expected to rotate at running back in the four-wide scheme also play linebacker on defense. Junior Ben Harrington and sophomores Angel Garcia and Nick Wright all came up through the Crusaders program.

The four returning wide receivers will also start in the secondary: Smith and Holte at cornerback and Madden and Harkins at safety.

The defensive line is fortified by senior Sam Reedy (5-foot-10, 255 pounds) and junior Brett Kruska (6-2, 240), who earned a spot as a sophomore. Phil Welch (5-10, 265) and Brandon Broetjes (6-1, 185) play ends.

The roster of 29 features only four seniors: returning offensive linemen Nolan Theriault and Dominic Hartke, Reedy and Harkins.

"We're very young but not inexperienced," Rolando said. "Juniors like Madden, Holte, Mlinarich, Saveon, they all got significant time on the varsity level last year and that helps big time."

 

St. Edward (4-2, 2-0) at Ridgewood (4-2, 2-0)

Metro Suburban (East)

Game time: 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last week: St. Edward 41, Walther Christian 0; Ridgewood 52, Chicago Christian 19

Last year: St. Edward 38, Ridgewood 0

Outlook: The winner of this showdown between first-place teams gains the inside track to the Metro Suburban East title. Neither faces an opponent with a winning record in the final two weeks. Both squads walloped lesser teams last Friday. St. Edward won its homecoming game 41-0 in a contest played at Northern Illinois University. Coach Mike Rolando hopes his team enters this key division game with the same intensity as the Rebels, who will play before a homecoming crowd. "Coming off NIU and all that excitement my biggest fear is coming out flat against a team fighting for their playoff lives," Rolando said. "Our job is to pump them up and make them realize the importance of this key conference game. It could be the difference between a home playoff game or an away game. It's an important game. I hope the boys realize it and play like it." The Green Wave enter as healthy as they've been since the season opener. Linebacker/running back Patrick Brown returned to action in earnest last week and defensive end Joey Murray returns from a shoulder injury. Running back Dwayne Allen has missed two games and halves of two others, but last week returned to form with 12 rushes for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Dylan Mlinarich threw 3 touchdown passes against Walther Christian. He has completed 34 of 60 attempts for 474 yards and 4 scores.

Next week: St. Edward at Chicago Christian (1-5); Ridgewood at Guerin (2-4)

 

St. Edward rushing records have fallen to Dwayne Allen Jr., and more are about to fall.

Yet, the senior running back has a feeling so much more is possible. Part of the reason is he and Saveon Smith are back together again.

"He helps me out a lot with his speed and agility, to be a threat to go all the way like me," Allen said. "If I'm not having a good night, to have him come in and explode the way he does — whether running or a kick return or whatever — it's good to have that aspect in our game."

Allen needs 178 yards to break the school rushing record of 3,095 yards held by Devontae Elam as St. Edward (4-2, 2-0) takes to the road in a key 7 p.m. Friday Metro Suburban East game against Ridgewood (4-2, 2-0).

Realizing before the season he had inexperienced sophomore quarterback Dylan Mlinarich to bring along, St. Edward coach Mike Rolando had to come up with a counterpunch to Allen.

Considering Smith's accomplishments as a receiver and in the return game, and that he and Allen are threats to take back interceptions all the way as cornerbacks, the read-option as a quarterback in the Wildcat formation seemed one more way to unleash that speed.

"We really hadn't done a lot of it before — maybe seriously the last time was Moises Quiroga (2008)," Rolando said. "We did it a little with Mikey Castoro, but not much.

"Then last year we had an experienced quarterback with Joe Mullen, who was more of a passer like Bob French and Ben Lehman had been for us."

When they tried it the first time, Allen and Smith combined for 399 rushing yards in the season-opening win over Aurora Central Catholic.

"It's not something I ever did before," Smith said. "You've got to read the ends first, get a glimpse really fast, and see where you have to make a move and where you might go to."

And if he delays?

"They're going to come up and just smack you, which you want to try to avoid," Smith said.

Just when it seemed bringing Smith in occasionally as the Wildcat quarterback to combine with Mlinarich's passing would work wonders, the Green Wave lost that punch.

Smith missed a loss to Riverside-Brookfield due to a death in his family and Allen played only half the game when he sprained his ankle. The injury kept Allen from contributing full-time for almost eight quarters.

"When we weren't together we had our only two losses," Allen said. "When we're together, we bring out the best in each other."

Last week at homecoming they reunited for an entire game for the first time since Week 2, but it wasn't really needed as Mlinarich worked the passing attack and found three sophomore receivers for touchdown catches in a 41-0 victory over Walther Christian.

Against Ridgewood, it's more likely to require the full playbook.

"Norridge runs kind of the same offense as us, so we're going to have to be aggressive on offense ourselves and land the first punch," Allen said. "This will be like a conference title game. They're big and aggressive. It's going to take everything we have against them."

Allen broke the school record for rushing TDs in the win with 36, but paid little attention.

"One of the coaches told me 'you broke the record' and I didn't really know what he was talking about," Allen said. "My dad told me about a record or something but I didn't pay much attention.

"I just want to go out and try to enjoy some football, my last few games of my senior year now."

With Smith back to restore offensive balance, the enjoyment could come more easily — along with the all-time record.

gchamberlain@tribpub.com

Twitter: @genechamberlai2

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH

Larkin at St. Charles East

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Scouting report: Larkin (0-6, 0-3), behind the passing combo of quarterback David Hibbler to A.J Hunter, led Batavia and St. Charles North. Now the trick is finishing as the Royals seek their first win since 2013. With two touchdowns and 125 yards last week, has freshman Justin Jett arrived for St. Charles East (2-4, 2-2)?

St. Edward at Ridgewood

When: 7 p.m. Friday.

Scouting report: St. Edward (4-2, 2-0) is getting healthy now with linebackers Patrick Brown and Shane Budish and defensive end Joey Murray back and lineman AJ Salvador on the way. Running back Alex Rice is a threat for Ridgewood (4-2, 2-0), but Green Wave played a much tougher schedule so far.

 

DeKALB -- After its 41-0 win over Walther Christian at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb Friday, it's obvious that no school in the state of Illinois knows how to throw a homecoming party quite like St. Edward, which made the most of its Division I campus rental.

But despite all the lights and facilities of Northern Illinois University, an underlying theme among some of the players showed: there's still no place like home.

"It'll be a good memory but there's nothing like playing at home at (Greg True Field)," Green Wave safety David Madden said. "But NIU, a Divison I school, it's going to be a good memory."

And Madden and company can reflect on a lot, as the Green Wave (4-2, 2-0) jumped out to a 27-0 first quarter lead, let alone a 41-point advantage at the half with about just every phase of the game mastered.

Running back Dwayne Allen secured 188 yards on the ground on 12 carries, 2 of which went for touchdowns.

Quarterback Dylan Mlinarich completed 10 of 15 passes for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Seveon Smith hauled in an 83-yard touchdown pass while Tyler Holte secured a 20-yard grab.

Madden, however, caught 3 passes, 2 for picks, including a 23-yard touchdown pass. Along with defensive linemen Will Stevens' 2 fumble recoveries, hopefully the Wave can find a way to play at NIU one more time in 2015.

"We came out and we were like, ‘whoa.' We are not used to this," Madden said. "(NIU) was a big change and we all loved it. We felt very confident."

"I'm proud of the way the boys came out and played hard," Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "It is a distraction -- obviously you want to be home for your fans at homecoming -- but the support was awesome. This is probably the biggest crowd we had at any field."

The crowd had everything to cheer about from the get-go, as Allen, who had a 54-yard touchdown called back on the game's first play from scrimmage, redeemed himself with a 24-yard run at the end of the 5-play, 54 yard drive for a quick 6-0 lead.

Two plays later, Stevens recovered a Bronco (1-5, 1-1) fumble on the Walther Christian 28, which setup Madden's 23-yard scoring catch. A subsequent 3-and-out by the Broncos led to Allen's 75-yard run to help the Wave grab a 20-0 lead with 6:45 left in the first.

"Each game we want to come in with a whole bunch of energy," Allen said. "We knew what we had to do to get a W."

Madden's first pick led to Smith's 83-yard TD run and his second led to Allen's third TD from the Bronco 48. Holte's catch with 6:37 left in the second quarter gave the Wave a running clock.

"The execution in the first half across the board … passing game, running game, o-line, defense, I think is a prelude of things to come," Rolando said."

The Wave outgained the Broncos 425-38 in the first half and finished with a 463-60 edge, along with 5 turnovers -- a Nick Wright INT in the fourth. Walther Christian rushed for 20 yards, achieved only 6 first downs and crossed the 50 once with 6:10 left in the third as Malik Whittier was 8-for-24 for 40 yards and 3 interceptions.

"We want to get interceptions, fumbles, anything we can to help each other. Be afraid to let each other down is our motto," Stevens said.

On a Friday night with many happy returns for St. Edward, Jake French may have made the biggest.

The senior defensive lineman returned to his old position at linebacker due to injuries and made a critical third-quarter, game-changing interception and 43-yard return. That set up the go-ahead touchdown as the Green Wave started Metro Suburban East play with a 36-19 comeback victory over Guerin.

"That kind of stuff is fantastic," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "It's just good to see the defense playing that well and not giving up when they give up a big play or get down there with their backs against the wall."

Dwayne Allen Jr. returned from missing a game with an ankle injury to gain 102 of his 119 yards rushing in the second half, including the go-ahead, 1-yard TD run in the third quarter after French's interception. And both Saveon Smith and Caleb Elam broke kickoff returns for 83-yard TDs in the first half.

Without French's interception, though, none of the other returns would have let St. Edward (3-2, 1-0) get back into the win column after two straight defeats.

"Unfortunately, we had a couple injuries the past couple weeks and I used to be a linebacker, so they decided to move me from nose guard back and let some other guys get in who they knew could play nose guard," French said. "I'm just glad I could make a play and help my team win."

In a game played at Geneva High School's field due to dead turf at St. Edward, Guerin (2-3, 0-1) overcame a 15-2 deficit in the first half to lead 19-15 and was driving.

That's when French leaped in the open field, tipped the ball to himself, and raced the pick back to Guerin's 19. Allen then took a direct snap and scored with a 1-yard run on third down for a 22-19 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter.

"I ran the ball once or twice the first half, but the second half I knew I had built confidence, and I told my line to pick it up a little bit and they showed up for me," Allen said.

Quarterback Richie Zacharias, who went 16-for-33 for 329 yards, found John Szczygiel on the next series for a 40-yard gain to St. Edward's 16. But Elam, who also had an interception, came up from behind and stole the football.

"I was just thinking about stopping him from scoring," Elam said. "He had the ball out there, so I just went for it."

St. Edward converted it to clinching points when Smith went 55 yards off the right side on a read-option to make it 29-19.

The Green Wave added Dylan Mlinarich's late 20-yard TD pass to David Madden, but their quarterback's bigger pass was an overhand backward lateral across half the field that Smith caught on the opening kickoff and took back for an 83-yard Music City Miracle-style TD.

"Just some things we noticed on film that we thought they were kind of being overaggressive on," Rolando said. "They wouldn't kick it to Saveon, so we thought we could get him the ball that way."

After Elam's 83-yard TD return, however, Guerin scored on a 42-yard pass from Zacharias to Szczygiel. Then Zacharias had a 5-yard TD run to gain the lead.

"We played through the adversity and got it done," Rolando said.

gchamberlain@tribpub.com

 

According to St. Edward wideout Saveon Smith, it could be Geneva's Burgess Field, a parking lot or even a desert, the Green Wave really don't care where they play their home games the rest of the season.

As long as they get to do the things that gave them a 36-19 Metro Suburban East win over Guerin in Geneva Friday, winning takes care of it all.

In fact, on the game's opening kickoff, St. Ed looked as if they had some home cooking going on.

Smith took a lateral on a designed play before the game from quarterback Dylan Mlinarich on the opening kickoff 82 yards down the right sideline, and it wasn't the last time the special teams or big-play ability came through for the Wave to end a 2-game skid.

Caleb Elam, who grabbed an interception and forced a fumble, housed an 82-yard kickoff return of his own later in the first half, while Smith and Dwayne Allen each scored touchdowns in the second half to distance themselves from Guerin, which rattled off 14 points bridging the second and third quarters to take 19-15 lead.

"Coming from (last week's 41-6 loss to IC Catholic) we've been determined in practice," Smith said. "Hard work, no joking around. None of that. We came out strong ready to fight."

Although the Wave (3-2, 1-0) were edged by the Gators (2-3, 0-1) 381-288 in total yards, fight St. Edward did better.

Once the Wave lost the lead on Richie Zacharias' 5-yard run with 9:30 left in the third, senior nose guard Jake French, who moved to linebacker because of all the injuries, snagged a pick over the middle and returned it 41 yards to the Gator 19. That set up Allen's 1-yard run to end a 5-play drive and David Madden's extra point to give St. Edward the lead for good at 22-19 with 2:23 in the third.

Allen, who carried the ball twice in the first half, bounced back from a sprained ankle with 17 carries for 105 yards, with 15 runs coming in the second half.

"I just stuck it out the whole game," Allen said. "If (the injury) went down to 80 or 90 percent then I'd stop running. If it stays neutral or goes up then I'd keep on running and nothing happened to me so I kept running the ball."

It was also a good thing Elam kept running. He chased down wideout John Szczygiel, who caught the ball near the Wave 35, stripped and scooped up the loose ball at the Wave 16. That led to Smith's 55-yard scoring run for a 29-19 lead with 10:04 in the fourth.

"(The turnovers) could have not come at better times," said French. "They swung the momentum entirely in our favor and it was great to have them happen when they did."

Wave coach Mike Rolando echoed that sentiment.

"I thought the defense was outstanding tonight. We had the goal line stands down there. Bend but not break," Rolando said. "It's good to see the defense playing that well and not giving up when they give up a big play or when they have their backs against the wall."

Overall, the Wave bottled 3 turnovers and Smith finished with 54 yards rushing on 7 carries and 2 receptions for 44 yards. Elam rushed for 53 yards on 9 carries and Mlinarich added a 21-yard touchdown pass to Madden with 50 seconds remaining to finish 4 of 8 for 84 yards passing. Lost in it all was Zacharias' 306-yard day in the air on 16 of 34 passes. The Gator run was stopped to just 75 yards but Szczygiel caught 9 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown.

 

St. Edward has a place to play this week, and now the Green Wave need players who will take that field.

Athletic director P.J. White said Geneva High School's artificial turf field had been secured for a 7:30 p.m. Friday home game with Guerin to open Metro Suburban East play. St. Edward's Greg True Field remains unplayable after a maintenance company accidentally destroyed much of the grass, so future home sites will be determined on a week-by-week basis.

"The outpouring of support we received has been tremendous, and we have to thank (Geneva athletic director) Jim Kafer for helping out," White said, pointing out Kafer's ties to St. Edward as the school's former athletic director.

Coming off a 41-6 loss at IC Catholic last week, the most pressing issue facing St. Edward (2-2) against Guerin (2-2) is manpower.

Coach Mike Rolando hopes running back Dwayne Allen Jr. returns from an ankle injury. The injury list in the backfield runs even deeper because backup Patrick Brown also missed the last game with a concussion he suffered against Riverside-Brookfield.

"When you've only got 22 guys out, and you take away several of them, then you're really in need of someone to step up," Rolando said.

Allen will be a game-time decision again this week, and Brown is out. Brown normally anchors the defense at linebacker.

Last week, junior running back Caleb Elam stepped in and rushed for 113 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Elam wasn't even on the roster when practice started this year, and it was the first game he was eligible.

"He had a fantastic game against IC, about our only high point," Rolando said. "He wasn't in our offseason program and didn't come out until late August when we had a few others come out late.

"It was good to see another quality running back."

Losing Allen also removed the team's most experienced cornerback, but sophomore Tyler Holte filled in a week after he played corner on the other side when starter Saveon Smith was away due to a death in his family.

The St. Edward secondary expects to be tested this week by Guerin quarterback Richie Zacharias throwing to 6-foot-4 receiver Keith Franklin and speedy slotback Felix King.

"We'll have our hands full, for sure," Rolando said. "They lost to Aurora Central Catholic (37-28). We did beat ACC (41-0), but we were a different team then. We're missing important parts now."

No comment: Rolando did not want to weigh in on the ongoing dispute between Guerin coach Glen Kozlowski, the former Chicago Bear, and ACC coach John Belskis.

In a Chicago Tribune article, Belskis accused Kozlowski of threatening to fight him, targeting his son — quarterback Johnny Belskis — with late hits and said Guerin players had thrown rocks at the team bus.

"We just got beat 41-6, and we've got enough of our own worries with injuries and other things, so we can't be concerned with sideline antics and beefs coaches have," Rolando said. "Guerin has a good football team. We got down to them 13-0 last year when we were an undefeated team, so we'll worry about ourselves."

When standout St. Edward running back Dwayne Allen limped off the field after a hard tackle late in the third quarter of Saturday's against Riverside-Brookfield, it could have been one of those moments where the rest of the Green Wave team felt defeated. Instead, St. Edward rallied for their junior teammate who didn't return for the rest of the game.

Sophomore quarterback Dylan Mlinarich showed a lot of poise by leading the team on a scoring drive after that injury. Mlinarich saw a lot more action as the signal caller because starter Saveon Smith was excused from the game due to a family funeral.

The key play was a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Tyler Holt. Three plays later, Patrick Brown punched it in from 2 yards out. The ensuing extra point from David Madden kept the Green Wave to within a touchdown but the Bulldogs prevailed with a fourth-quarter touchdown to win this Metro Suburban crossover 21-7.

This game was played on a neutral site at Lyons Township High School in Western Springs. The Bulldogs' stadium is under construction and is scheduled to open next month.

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said R-B (3-0 overall record) won the contest with physical play in the trenches which limited Allen's effectiveness and kept Mlinarich running in the pocket. Allen, who ran for 1,573 yards last year and had already piled up 508 yards and 8 touchdowns in the first two games of this season, was held to only 44 yards on 17 carries.

"They won the battle upfront," Rolando said. "We had a hard time blocking them and keeping them out of our backfield. Duane going down really hurt us. The kids played hard going up against a sizable opponent like that and I am proud of them."

Rolando expected Allen to be back for next week's game.

In the early going, both teams traded big stops and there was no score after the end of the first quarter. Green Wave defenders hounded quarterback Ryan Swift. Defensive tackle Jake French had a big sack.

The Bulldogs scored first off a turnover. Swift, who also starts at linebacker, recovered a fumble. On the next play, he threw a 15-yard strike to John Mieczkowski for a touchdown with 10:36 to play in the second quarter. Swift finished with 183 yards on 17-32 passing.

"He is a throwback," said RB coach Brendan Curtin of Swift. "Some people raise their eyebrows when they hear that our quarterback is a starting linebacker."

The Bulldogs' other scores came on a 4-yard run by David Priby-Pierdnock in the third and a 26-yard sprint for a score by Ja'Mari Wise.

For St. Edward (2-1), coach Rolando liked what he saw with the scoring drive and looks for the team to build on that.

"We did connect on one of those late which was great," he said. "We will do more good things as time goes on."

St. Edward (2-0) at Riverside-Brookfield (2-0)

Game time: 7 p.m. Saturday at Lyons Township

The quick hit: The Green Wave seek their second straight 3-0 start in this Metro Suburban crossover. Playing on turf should maximize the cutting ability of elusive St. Edward running back Dwayne Allen and quarterback Saveon Smith. Allen has 509 yards and 8 touchdowns on 37 carries, while Smith has carried 25 times for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns.

St. Edward's defense is about to get its first real test, in more ways than one.

Led by linebackers Patrick Brown and Shane Budish, the Green Wave defense held both Aurora Central Catholic and Public League member Clark scoreless with nine sacks, three forced turnovers and a combined total of 88 yards.

Now, St. Edward steps up a level or two with a rare Saturday night road game against Riverside-Brookfield at Lyon's south campus — and must do so without defensive end Joey Murray, who broke a collarbone in last week's win over Clark.

"We feel sad for Joey," coach Mike Rolando said. "You want to think you can get through every game healthy, but it's not always possible.

"We aren't big numbers-wise (22 players), although that is a position we have some depth. But it's tough to be sure."

Murray had two sacks and had been part of a rotation with Haydn Hilton and Michael Montes, so now both will need to step up.

 

"Overall, the play on defense has been great," Rolando said. "The coverage with Saveon Smith and Dwayne Allen at the corners, and with (safety) Jimmy Harkins has been there. They're helping each other and communicating.

"Our linebackers (Brown and Budish) impressed us the first two games. They're undersized, but they fly to the ball really well, and their hitting has been phenomenal. That's something you never know about before the season because we're not doing a lot of it in August."

Riverside-Brookfield comes into the game 2-0 with a capable offense, led by quarterback Ryan Swift. He threw for 300 yards to beat Wauconda last week, including nine receptions by wide receiver Dean Zigulich.

"It's a school almost four times our size and they'll have more bigger and older players," Rolando said. "But that's par for the course for us. We're used to it.

"We beat Rock Island Alleman and put up a good fight against Coal City in the playoffs last year and they were bigger than us. We won't back down. It's a huge opportunity to play a 2-0 Class 6A team."

Saturday night lights: Fans of St. Edward (2-0) have to wait an extra 24 hours to get their football fix this week.

Due to the ongoing construction of Riverside-Brookfield's new football stadium, the Metro Suburban Conference crossover between the Green Wave and the Bulldogs will be played at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The field is unavailable Friday night because Lyons hosts Proviso West. Saturday's game will be played in the evening due to ACT testing in the morning.

"I'm not crazy about the Saturday night game because we'd prefer to stay in our routine," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said, "but with the (Labor Day) holiday this week, it did leave us a day short of practice anyway.

"No matter the day we're just excited for another big challenge. Last year our team was able to rise to the occasion when significantly outmanned and outsized. Riverside-Brookfield is four times our size in enrollment and significantly larger than us on the field. But I like what we get here at St. Ed's: tough kids who like to take advantage of opportunities to see what they've got in the tank."

St. Edward defeated R-B last season in Elgin, 33-7.

The Green Wave roster of 23 was diminished to 22 this week with the loss of senior defensive end Joey Murray to a clavicle injury.

http://football.dailyherald.com/article/20150904/sports/150909243/

 

Dwayne Allen rushed for 224 yards and 4 touchdowns. And that was just in the first half.

For an encore, St. Edward's junior tailback returned the second-half kickoff for his fifth touchdown, and set up another score with a 50-yard run before taking the fourth quarter off.

Allen finished with 274 yards on just 14 carries, leading the Green Wave past Chicago Clark, 50-0, in nonconference action at Greg True Field Friday night.

"We came out in a little drought in the first couple minutes," said Allen. "The line picked it up a lot and they opened some holes for me. The quarterback Saveon (Smith) did a lot of good things, running downfield with me."

Allen scored on runs of 2, 43, 12, and 10 yards. Smith scored on a 2-yard run, and Benjamin Harrington scored the Wave's final touchdown on a 39-yard scamper.

Although the Wave (2-0) had much to celebrate, coach Mike Rolando was concerned about recurring mistakes, particularly penalties. The Wave was flagged 9 times for 84 yards.

"Really all that's on my mind right now is the mistakes offensively -- a lot of penalties," Rolando said. "There's a lot of things we wanted to clean up. We'll focus on that and we'll clean it up."

Rolando couldn't find much wrong with the defense.

"I'm really proud of the defensive effort again," he said. "We've got some good athletes. I thought we were there every step of the way on the pass plays, stepping up and making plays on the run games. I think our line on both sides of the ball did well, and if we can win that line battle, I think we win a lot of football games."

The Wave defense pitched its second straight shutout to open the season. St. Edward held the Eagles to 41 net yards and 6 first downs. Smith and James Harkins posted interceptions and Anthony Salvadore had a pair of sacks against two Clark quarterbacks.

Allen set the tone for the evening on the Wave's first offensive play, racing 49 yards around right end. He was finally dragged down at the 2-yard line, but finished the drive on the next play. Later in the first quarter, Allen accounted for a 43-yard, 1-play drive with his second TD run.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/sports/ct-ecn-football-aurora-central-catholic-st-edward-st-0830-20150829-story.html

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando made it clear to sophomore receiver/cornerback Saveon Smith what would be expected of him this season.

 

"Coach 'Ro' called me before the preseason, talking about running the Wildcat," Smith said. "Coach 'Ro' said people are going to key on (reigning Metro Suburban Offensive Player of the Year Dwayne Allen) when I do the fakes, and I can come out and surprise and just do my job.

 

Smith and Allen proved to be too difficult a combination for Aurora Central Catholic to handle in Friday's season opener. They combined to rush for six touchdowns in a dominant 41-0 win.

Allen rushed for three TDs in the first half to stake the Green Wave to a 21-0 lead and added a fourth in the second half. He rushed for 221 yards on 22 carries. Meanwhile, in his new position as Wildcat quarterback, Smith didn't attempt a pass but he rushed for 167 yards on 13 carries with two TDs.

Last year, St. Edward won a school-record 10 games, but the star quarterback of that team, Joe Mullen, is now playing at Tiffin University in Ohio. As a result, Rolando plans to rely on the ground game this season.

"They're both special athletes," Rolando said of Smith and Allen. "Last year, we ran Dwayne well and threw well. This year, our counter to Dwayne is another running back. You have to account for them both, and we can also throw out of it, too."

Throwing wasn't necessary in the first half.

St. Edward sophomore quarterback Dylan Milnarich finished 6-for-9 for 46 yards with an interception, but only attempted two passes in the first half. It didn't matter, however, with Allen scoring on runs of 1 and 12 yards in the first quarter. ACC still felt in the game at that point, however.

An interception from Ben Ariano set up the Chargers at St. Edward's 22. They were unable to punch it in on fourth-and-goal from the 4, however, and Allen added to the lead with a 30-yard TD run with 1:37 left in the half.

"When they scored the one before the half, it kind of distanced things a little bit and took the wind out of our sails," Aurora Central Catholic coach John Belskis said.

It was Belskis' head coaching debut at ACC and his first appearance as a head coach since retiring from Downers Grove South in 2012.

"We got outhit," he said. "I don't care what you're doing scheme-wise, if you're getting outhit, you don't have a chance to win. I hope it was a learning lesson. That's all you can take away from it."

Belskis had the pleasure of coaching his son, Johnny Belskis, a junior who started at quarterback for ACC. He was 9-for-20 for 37 yards.

"During the game, he's just another player," John Belskis said. "I'm fortunate to be in this position. You see how fast they grow. In two years, he'll be off to college, so I'm cherishing every moment I have."

St. Edward knows it didn't play a perfect game. The Green Wave committed 10 penalties. For people who wondered if they could duplicate last season's success, however, 41-0 spoke loudly.

"It was a very good start, but we can do a lot more to improve," Smith said. "We can't play like this Week 10, come the playoffs."

Aurora Central Catholic (6-4) at St. Edward (10-1)Game time: 7 p.m. Friday.

The quick hit: These rivals have squared off 16 times since 1997 as members of three conferences. The Chargers lead the series 9-7. Defending Metro Suburban East champion St. Edward returns Dwayne Allen and Jake French, the respective league offensive and defensive players of the year.

Aurora Central Catholic at St. Edward

When: 7 p.m. Friday.

Scouting report: St. Edward will rely on the running of Dwayne Allen Jr. and on sophomore quarterback Dylan Mlinarich, but quick-footed sophomore Saveon Smith also will get snaps at QB. Game could hinge on how ACC's line, led by Griffin Zajac and Jacob Ishmael, handles the disruption of St. Edward nose guard Jake French, last year's Metro Suburban East Defensive Player of the Year.

http://football.dailyherald.com/article/20150825/sports/150829173/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Jerry Fitzpatrick

Depth was St. Edward's ally last season.

Playing against unfamiliar opponents in the newly formed Metro Suburban Conference's East Division, the Green Wave rolled to an undefeated title and a 10-1 record, thanks to a talented roster that went two-deep at several positions.

Such depth is no longer a luxury. The program graduated 17 seniors, one of its largest classes in years.

That group is "replaced" by an incoming junior class of only five football players. It would have been four juniors had lineman AJ Salvadore not transferred from Prospect.

The sophomore and freshman classes boast healthy numbers, thus, the program should be fine in the long run. However, the situation leaves the defending champs a bit short-handed for the next two seasons. Several players will go both ways.

"Our depth is definitely in question, but our kids are in shape and they don't want to come off the field anyway," 11th-year St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "Luckily, some fringe and role players have stepped up, so we should be able to get some guys off the field now and then.

"Still, I think it's a very talented group and I think we can be very good this year. We just have to find ways to get our talent the ball."

What the Green Wave lack in depth they make up for in high-caliber talent. Unanimous MSC-East offensive player of the year Dwayne Allen returns at running back and unanimous MSC-East defensive player of the year Jake French is back at nose guard, where he made 77 tackles and sacked the quarterback 12 times.

A Class 4A All-State honorable mention selection, Allen carried 201 times for 1,573 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also made 6 catches for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"All he needs is a crease," Rolando said. "Some of his touchdowns last year were not on blocked plays. He created them. If we block, he can do well. If not, he can still make something out of nothing. He's a special runner with great vision and he's added a little beef since last year, so there's a little more of a power component to his game."

Sophomores replace graduated all-area quarterback Joe Mullen, now at Division-II Tiffin University in Ohio. Dylan Mlinarich (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) is a promising passer, Rolando said, and Saveon Smith will be under center in certain packages. Smith last year played in the secondary and defended 16 passes, 9 more than any of his teammates. He'll again start in the secondary and carry the ball occasionally.

Senior Patrick Brown (5-11, 165) lines up in the slot or in the backfield. Sophomore David Madden (5-11, 150) is the other slot receiver. Juniors Jimmy Harkins (5-11, 145) and Nolan Theriault (6-0, 180) are the wide receivers.

One starter returns along the offensive line: senior right tackle Haydn Hilton (6-3, 235). Salvadore will play center, seniors Will Stevens (6-1, 205) and Ruben Montiel (5-10, 202) can both play right guard and senior Michael Montes (6-2, 200) starts at left tackle. Though they didn't start last year, Stevens, Montiel and Montes saw regular playing time in the second half due to the lopsided nature of St. Edward's victories.

Joining the offensive line at left guard is French, who was able to play defense only in 2014. French plays nose in a five-man front and drops to linebacker in a four-man front.

A rare position with depth is defensive tackle, where Salvadore and Stevens will start and rotate with Montiel, Montes, junior Sam Reedy (5-11, 240) and senior Josh McFadden (6-1, 195).

Defensive ends Hilton and senior Joey Murray (5-5, 145) gained experience at that position a year ago.

Brown is the team's second-leading returning tackler. As a junior linebacker he contributed 52 tackles, a sack, 2 forced fumbles and a recovery.

Smith and Allen form one of the better pass-defending cornerback combinations in the area, giving defensive coordinator Marc Rusinko the flexibility to play man-to-man defense.

Keeping injuries to a minimum will be important with a 23-man roster.

"I love the kids that we have," Rolando said. "We have several tough, hard-nosed, coachable kids that have bought into the program and they expect to compete."

http://football.dailyherald.com/article/20150824/sports/150829336/

 

In 2014, St. Edward was the only team from the nascent six-school Metro Suburban Conference East Division to qualify for the state playoffs.

A year later, the defending division champion Green Wave will encounter teams that feel they've taken another step in the right direction.

Norridge-based Ridgewood, which finished second to St. Edward last year with a 4-1 East Division mark but was one of 22 teams with 5-4 records left on the 2014 playoff sidelines, returns 7 of 11 defensive starters from a year ago, including East defensive player of the year runner-up Seth Krueger (inside linebacker), along with a pair of returning all-conference defensive backs in Mike Ortiz and Eric Mangal, as well as an all-conference defensive tackle in Vinny Scaletta. Also back is linebacker Max Kalynuk and defensive end Anthony Giovanelli.

"If our defense can pick up where it left off last year we should be in every game," Ridgewood coach Chris Zack noted.

On the other side of the ball, the Rebels return playmakers at running back (Alex Rice, who also plays wide receiver) and receivers Ortiz and Jake Karkoska.

Key newcomers include Marco Vitale (RB-WR) and Vince Santore (WR).

"We are looking forward to the season," Zack said. "We had a very good and competitive off-season and summer. The coaches and I as well as the players feel we can be highly competitive this season and compete for the MSC East title."

Defending East champion St. Edward (10-1) returns some keys players, most notably league offensive player of the year, Dwayne Allen, Jr., and league defensive player of the year, Jake French.

Staying healthy will be a priority for the Green Wave. The junior class is a small one from a football perspective with only five players, leaving the varsity with a roster of 23. Several will be asked to go both ways, including Allen in the secondary and French along the offensive line.

"Coming off a good year last year, we expect to compete in all our games," veteran St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "We caught a couple of those schools like Ridgewood and Elmwood Park by surprise last year. Those are good opponents. Plus, Guerin has a couple of Division-1 caliber players, Chicago Christian has a new coach and Walther always has good athletes.

"The rosters in our league are such that the powers can change from year to year. I think you'll see a changing of the guard from year to year and teams can move up or down. We expect to compete. In a small conference a couple of impact players can really change the outcome of games."

River Grove-based Guerin College Prep, coached by former NFL player Glen Kozlowski, won a pair of conference games last year and is looking for even more improvement this fall.

The Gators return 8 starters on offense and 9 starters on defense. Top returners include senior all-conference defensive end Vinnie Caeti (6-3, 197) and senior all-conference linebacker Jarvis Davis (5-11, 219). Caeti registered 24 sacks last year, while Davis, the team MVP as a junior, led the team with 89 total tackles. Caeti was the team defensive MVP.

Senior wide receiver Keith Franklin (6-4, 214) earned all-conference accolades after hauling in 12 touchdown passes and averaging 21.7 yards per catch.

Key newcomers include junior quarterback Richie Zacharias (6-4, 184), sophomore running back Jaylen White (5-10, 189) and junior defensive back Felix King (5-10, 173).

"Our defense will be improved from last year," said Kozlowski. "All of our returners have improved. We believe we have an opportunity to compete for the conference title and should be a solid playoff contender if we stay healthy."

Kozlowski welcomed Hall of Fame coach Alan Marks (former coach at Ridgewood) to the staff as the new offensive coordinator.

Chicago Christian, under the direction of new coach Nick Cook, is coming off a 2014 season where it went 4-5 and 3-2 in East play.

The Knights return 5 starters on offense and 5 on defense. Key returners include seniors Luke Rattler (5-10, 210, RB-LB), Steve Gallagher (5-9, 160, RB-LB), Nathan Krygsheld (6-0, 160, WR-DB-LS) and Rich Gricus (5-11, 190, OL-DL), along with juniors Jessie Geaschel (5-10, 210, OL-DL), Josh Hill (6-1, 190, WR-LB), Jake Iwema (6-4, 185, OL-DL) and Cyril Nikolovski (5-11, 210, OL-DL).

Newcomers include seniors Tom Hassel (6-3, 190, TE-DL-K), Kevin Gallagher (5-9, 160, TE-LB) and Sam Gabral (5-7, 190, OL-DL), as well as junior Parris Williams (5-6, 140, RB-DB).

"We have strong leadership at key positions," said Cook. "We're utilizing a system that we hope our opponents will find to be complex and difficult to defend. On defense we have a presentation of multiple fronts we hope will put our best athletes in a position to make as many plays as possible."

Cook added the team has been focusing on three primary goals since he took over. "Becoming more Christ-like men, setting and meeting offseason goals and setting and meeting game-night goals," he stated. "Our outlook goes as far as those three areas and trusting that as we worship God by giving a winning effort in those areas that we will accomplish all we are supposed to accomplish as we focus on those things."

Elmwood Park is coming off a 2014 campaign where it went 2-7 and 1-4 in the league, while Walther Christian did not win a game (0-9, 0-5).

Guerin's Kozlowski sees St. Edward and Ridgewood as the top two teams in the division heading into Friday night's 2015 season kickoff. "All of us are trying to compete against them," said Kozlowski, who added all teams in the division are "well-coached."

St. Edward and Ridgewood square off in Norridge in Week 7 (Friday, Oct. 9). Guerin Prep visits Greg True Field in Elgin in Week 5 (Friday, Sept. 25).

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/sports/ct-ecn-football-st-edward-preview-0824-20150822-story.html

 

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Optimism doesn't wear a jersey or hit the sled, but it was present on high school football fields throughout Illinois as IHSA-sanctioned practices opened on Monday.

Players from three of Elgin's high schools said they could hardly wait to get back to work with less than three weeks to prepare for the Aug 28-29 kickoff weekend.

"I slept for about four hours," said Elgin senior co-captain Terrance Miller Allen, who last year started 5 games at quarterback for the 1-8 Maroons. "I didn't even want to eat breakfast. My eating is coming out here and grinding. No grind, no shine."

The sentiment was the same on the west side of the Fox River, where rival Larkin began its quest to snap a 13-game losing streak.

"I was happy, just real happy," Larkin two-way lineman Ty Former said of football's return. "I couldn't wait to get out here with my guys and get ready and get started for the season."

The tone was similar at Elgin's Abbott Park, where St. Edward began preparations to defend its Metro Suburban Conference East title. The Green Wave fielded 23 varsity players on Monday, including reigning MSC East offensive player of the year Dwayne Allen, Jr., and MSC East defensive player of the year Jake French.

Allen, who attended summer camps at Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, North Dakota and North Dakota State, rushed for 1,573 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. After a morning workout on his own, he messaged teammates in anticipation of the scheduled evening practice sessions.

"(I) asked them if they're as ready for football as I am because I'm really excited," Allen said.

French finished his junior season with 77 tackles, 12 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries but said he looked forward to proving himself anew.

"I get to go out and prove to my coaches that I'm back for one last year and I'm going to do whatever I can to help my team win again," he said.

Gene Chamberlain

Aptly nicknamed the Coalers, Coal City’s football team relentlessly pounded, dug and chiseled away at St. Edward’s defense all game Saturday until the Green Wave finally caved in during Saturday’s Class 4A playoffs at Elgin’s Greg True Field.

With Jack Dibble rushing 40 times for 304 yards and four touchdowns, Coal City scored a 25-20 victory to end St. Edward’s season at 10-1 and advance to the quarterfinals against conference rival Manteno.

“They were just too big for us — they were big dudes,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “Our kids tried their hardest, played great, but (Coal City) just brought a little too much.”

St. Edward overcame deficits of 7-0 and 19-14 to lead 20-19 starting the fourth quarter behind the passing of quarterback Joe Mullen, who connected on nine straight passes during a second-half stretch and finished 15-of-28 for 194 yards with two touchdowns. But Coal City’s Dibble rushed for 223 of his yards in the second half to lead the Coalers (9-2) back from 14-7 and 20-19 deficits.

“It’s that way some games,” Dibble said. “We come and we try get things going. They know we’re going to run, but as the game goes on we continue to beat on people, we continue to run hard, we continue to block hard.

“And teams just get tired out.”

After Mullen hit Trevor Loewen for a 21-yard touchdown pass for a 20-19 St. Edward lead, the Coalers went back to work pounding the ball behind 285-pound Matt Long, 275-pound Andrew Mathena and 265-pound T.J. Lightner. They drove 65 yards on nine runs to score on Dibble’s 17-yard burst for a 25-20 lead with 8:36 left.

“He’s a great runner,” St. Edward linebacker Chris Kelly said. “We would go and take on the lead blocker, we’d leave him no hole to go through. He’s not small but he could hit those small holes and slither through there.”

St. Edward had good field position at its 44 to try to regain the lead, but Mullen lost the ball on a fumble after a blind-side blitz by Kevin Myers. When he got the ball back and drove St. Edward to midfield with 5:12 left, Corey Jurzak picked off a long pass at the 18-yard line. The Coalers never gave it back with a drive to the St. Edward 2-yard line as time expired.

“We didn’t want to give them the ball with a minute-anything left because they were very dangerous and could make some plays,” Coal City coach Len Onsen said. “We were trying to eat clock, eat clock and get the heck out of Dodge.”

Dibble scored on a 2-yard run after a Brad Littleton interception had given the Coalers the ball at St. Edward’s 36 with three minutes left in the half, but the Green Wave countered with Dwayne Allen’s 3-yard TD run to end a 71-yard two-minute drill and trailed 7-6 following a blocked conversion.

Allen, who rushed for more than 1,500 yards, was limited to 23 yards on 21 carries, so Mullen went to the air and 6-foot-4 Nick Duffy six times total for 110 yards.

“He’s been my receiver since we were sophomores,” Mullen said. “I felt like when it came to that time, it was time to go to Nick.”

Duffy stole a 23-yard completion from Jurzak to set up Mullen’s 1-yard QB sneak, but that started four TDs in the last 5:01 of the third quarter.

Dibble broke a 28-yard TD, and, after a St. Edward punt, he got loose for a 33-yard TD run and a 19-14 Coaler lead.

A Saveon Smith 63-yard kick return set up Loewen’s TD catch, and Joe French’s point-after kick for a 20-19 St. Edward lead with 28 seconds left in the third quarter. But Coal City kept pounding away.

“There were a lot of big collisions, a lot of big hits,” Kelly said. “We did a good job of just getting after their back. It definitely was the most physical game I’ve ever played.”

by Jerry Fitzpatrick

The weight of playing in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs for only the second time in school history didn't get to the St. Edward football team.

The weight of Coal City's offensive line did.

Giving away 100 pounds a man at some line positions, the St. Edward defense played the Coalers to a standstill for a half. But Coal City running back Jack Dibble and his mammoth offensive line capitalized on a 4-1 turnover advantage by gaining 364 rushing yards on 53 carries in a 25-20 victory at Greg True Field in Elgin Saturday.

Dibble, a senior who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in one knee as a sophomore and tore the other as a junior, carried the ball 40 times for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns. He rushed for 226 of those yards in the second half, including the 17-yard touchdown run that staked his team to a 25-20 lead with 8:51 left in the ballgame.

"That's just our game: tire them out and keep trying to run the football," Dibble said.

"He could hit those holes, just slither through there," St. Edward linebacker Chris Kelly said. "It was crazy. The kid was fast. He's a great, hard runner."

St. Edward's final 2 possessions ended in turnovers. One play after Dibble put his team ahead, Coal City's Kevin Myers blindsided Green Wave quarterback Joe Mullen, whose fumble was recovered by Brad Churnovic at the St. Edward 33-yard line.

However, the St. Edward defense forced a turnover on downs to give the offense another chance with 6:14 to play.

An 11-yard pass from Mullen to Petey deWindt followed by a pass interference call against the Coalers put the ball at the Coal City 36-yard line. Two plays later, Corey Jurzak intercepted a Mullen pass at his own 18 and returned it 22 yards.

Dibble then ran out the remaining 5:12 by carrying for 3 first downs behind huge linemen Matt Long (6-foot-5, 285 pounds), Andrew Mathena (6-5, 275) and L.J. Lightner (6-4, 260).

Already playing without defensive end Josh Von Rohr (concussion), the St. Edward defense was further diminished when senior free safety Danny Favela left the game in the second half due to injury. Twice in the first half Favela had tackled Dibble on fourth down to halt Coal City drives in St. Edward territory.

"They were too big for us," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "They were big dudes. Our guys tried their hardest. They just brought a little too much. But I'm proud of them. They fought hard."

Rolando wasn't the only coach to leave the field impressed.

"That was a darn good football team," Coal City coach Lenny Onsen said of the Green Wave. "They played extremely hard. People can say what they want about their schedule and this and that, but those kids had a lot of heart out there playing. I know when they lost (Favela), that took a lot of wind out of their sail because he was a heck of a defensive player."

St. Edward's vaunted ground game was shut down by the Coalers. Junior tailback Dwayne Allen, Jr., who ran for 294 yards and 3 scores in a first-round win over Rock Island Alleman, was held to 20 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also lost a first-half fumble.

St. Edward gained 194 of its 250 total yards through the air. Mullen completed 14 of 28 attempts. He threw for a touchdown and ran for another but was picked twice.

Coal City took a 7-0 lead with 2:04 left in the first quarter when Dibble parlayed Brad Littleton's interception near midfield into a 2-yard scoring run 3 plays later.

St. Edward answered with 16.6 seconds left in the first half on a 3-yard run by Allen. His touchdown was set up by a 37-yard catch from Nick Duffy, who ripped the ball out of the arms of the defender. Duffy finished with 5 catches for 102 yards. Parker Czaja blocked Joe French's extra point kick to preserve Coal City's 7-6 lead at the half.

St. Edward defensive lineman Jake French recovered a Dibble fumble midway through the third quarter. The Wave then drove 57 yards in 6 plays, including a 12-yard grab by deWindt, a 15-yard reception by Trevor Loewen and a 23-yard catch by Duffy to the Coal City 7.

Mullen scored on a 1-yard sneak on third-and-goal, then he threw to Duffy in the corner of the end zone for a successful 2-point conversion, giving St. Edward a 14-7 lead.

Littleton responded by returning the kickoff 48 yards to the St. Edward 28. Dibble ran for a touchdown on the next play to draw his team within 14-13. A high snap on the point-after attempt forced an incomplete pass, leaving St. Edward ahead by a point.

After the Green Wave offense went three-and-out, the Coalers traversed 72 yards in 4 plays. Jurzak's 24-yard tote set up Dibble's 33-yard scoring run, which gave Coal City a 19-14 lead with 1:48 left in the third quarter.

Unfazed, St. Edward quickly regained the lead. Freshman Saveon Smith returned the ensuing kickoff up the right sideline 51 yards to the Coal City 23. Two plays later, Mullen found Loewen inside the front right pylon with a 21-yard touchdown pass, which gave St. Edward its last lead, 20-19 with 27.9 seconds left in the third quarter. The conversion pass didn't connect.

The defeat ended the best season in 71 years of St. Edward football. The Green Wave eclipsed the previous school record of 8 wins, became the first team from the Elgin school to finish 9-0 in the regular season, won the Metro Suburban East title and earned the program its second playoff victory.

"If you look back, we did something that's never been done before in history. That's great," Kelly said. "Even more than that we just bonded together as a team and tried to pave the ground for even more success at St. Ed's. That was the big thing, trying to leave the place better than we found it."

Rolando embraced his seniors individually after the game, thanking them for a memorable ride.

"Great year," the 10th-year coach said. "Great group of kids that learned how to buy into a team concept and how to overachieve. Together they can really achieve great things, and individually we're all nothing. They learned that lesson, and they learned to do what they were told and play for someone else. They're going to take those lessons on for the rest of their life and be successful because of it."

by Jerry Fitzpatrick

Dwayne Allen, Jr. St. Edward This junior running back's cutback ability and breakaway speed led to Class 4A All-State honorable mention recognition. The Metro Suburban East Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 1,573 yards and 19 touchdowns in 201 attempts (7.8 avg.). He also made 6 receptions for 104 yards and 2 more scores. "He was just magic with the ball in his hands," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "He was a unanimous pick for conference offensive player of the year. The other coaches said there wasn't even a need for a discussion. And he's humble about it. He deflects all the credit to his teammates."

Jake French St. Edward Opponents regularly double-teamed or even triple-teamed this determined junior nose guard, mostly to no avail. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound junior unanimously was named defensive player of the year in the Metro Suburban East after registering 77 tackles and 12 sacks. French also forced 4 fumbles and recovered 4 fumbles. "He wreaked havoc in the backfield of our opponents," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "For a 160-pound nose guard to have that kind of an impact, it just shows how tough a kid he is."

Chris Kelly St. Edward A two-way starter for two seasons, this academic all-state selection helped the Green Wave to a conference championship and program-record 10 wins with his all-Metro Suburban East play at linebacker and center. Defensively, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior finished the season with 64 tackles and 2 sacks, 2 passes defended and a fumble recovery. Offensively, he centered an offense that averaged 380 yards and 39.5 points per game. "He improved his speed so he could cover sideline to sideline, and he's so smart it was like having another coach on the field," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said.

Joe Mullen St. Edward This 6-foot-3, 175 pound quarterback completed 54 percent of his passes (107 of 198) for 1,781 yards. An all-Metro Suburban East selection, the senior threw 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the 10-1 Green Wave. "He's a quarterback who really grasped what we were doing and why we were doing it," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "He's always had a strong arm but the mental toughness he developed this year became a key strength."

Honorable Mention St. Edward -- Nick Duffy (Sr., WR), Jack Tierney (Sr., OL/LB), Josh Von Rohr (Sr., DE)

 

St. Edward football coach Mike Rolando was recently honored as the Athletico Phyiscal Therapy Coach of the Year, an award he received on Dec. 6 during the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Athletico Coach of the Year Award recognizes coaches for all they do to serve their local communities, including sportsmanship, coaching success and classroom involvement.

Nominated by multiple individuals within St. Edward and within the community, Rolando has shown high levels of excellence within his role. The Green Wave finished the 2014 season with a 10-1 record with a second round appearance in the Class 4A playoffs. Finishing his 10th season as the head coach, the turnaround of the football program that Rolando has led has been remarkable. Winless in his first two years at the helm, the Green Wave have now reached the playoffs four of the past six seasons, and will be poised to continue to break new ground in the fall of 2015.

In addition to his success on the field, Rolando's focus on community involvement led to his selection. Rolando has organized volunteer events for his team throughout the school year and summer. These opportunities have helped the program extend their influence beyond the football field.

"I want to thank Athletico and their athletic trainer at St. Edward, Chris Hurckes, for this award." Rolando said. "The fact that nominations came from people that know our program well, and that the award takes into consideration efforts made off the field in the community and in the classroom, really makes us proud to be recognized. The off-field developmental opportunities for these young men, and their academic focus, are the real ‘wins' for our program. Whether we win 10 games or zero games, we will always have that focus."

The coach of the year award was open to any junior high or high school level coach within the states of Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin. Nominations were open to the public and submitted via an online entry form. Nominators were required to explain why their coach deserved recognition. A selection committee within Athletico reviewed the nominations before selecting Rolando as the winner.

CLASS 4A

Coal City (8-2) at St. Edward (10-0), 2 p.m. Saturday

Last week: St. Edward 31, Alleman 12. Coal City 40, Mendota 14.

Next up for winner: Manteno (9-1) or Dixon (8-2).

Key players: Coal City — Matt Long OL-DL, Andrew Mathena OL-DL, Jack Dibble RB, Nick Micetich QB. St. Edward — Joe Mullen QB, Dwayne Allen Jr. RB, Kasey Cooke OL-DT, Dan Favela S.

Outlook: St. Edward faces another lineup of larger players, but the Coalers lack the breakaway speed that Allen provides the Green Wave. Dibble is a downhill runner, who can make the one cut and get off the edge and has nearly run for 2,000 yards. But Micetich rarely throws. He had one pass in the opening round and threw only 62 on the year. The Green Wave offense has to deal with a Coal City defense that gives solid pursuit out of a three- or four-man line. Long and Mathena both weigh in more than 270 pounds and rotate in on the defensive line, in addition to playing full-time on offense. Mullen has completed 91-of-168 for 1,593 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and often goes to Trevor Loewen and Santos Gomez for big plays, Nick Duffy in the red zone, and Petey DeWindt to move the chains. The 21st century Green Wave passing attack is complemented by Allen, who is a big play waiting to happen with 1,547 rushing yards and 18 TD runs. St. Edward’s defense hasn’t received much notoriety, but 56 sacks shows the Green Wave can bring the heat. Much depends on if the St. Edward linemen can use their quickness to beat bigger blockers and tacklers at the point of attack.

 

They seem to come at opposing defenses in waves.

It’s one feel-good story pitted against another when St. Edward tries to reach the state quarterfinals for the first time in history Saturday with a Class 4A second-round game against Coal City.

“I think we just need to go in with a chip on our shoulder again,” said St. Edward offensive and defensive lineman Kasey Cooke.

The Green Wave last week overcame the perception they played an easy schedule in a new, supposedly softer conference to go 10-0 for the first time in history, and did it by beating an established, physical, larger Alleman team.

In Saturday’s 2 p.m. home game, St. Edward again faces a team with a good size advantage from a small-school power conference, but also with a running back whose story tugs at heart strings.

Coal City senior running back Jack Dibble rushed for 1,926 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns after he overcame a torn anterior cruciate suffered in the fourth game his sophomore year and one in the other leg suffered starting his junior year.

“With a lot of kids, you never know how they’ll handle that, but he has worked his tail off to get back,” Coal City coach Len Onsen said.

Dibble benefits by running behind a line that includes 6-5, 285-pound Division 1 prospect Matt Long, 6-5, 275-pound Andrew Mathena and 6-4, 260-pound L.J. Lightner.

“Their back is tough,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “He’s a real deal. He reminds us of some of the tough north-and-south running backs we’ve had in the past like (Jim) Mathisen and Moises Quiroga.

“The difference from Alleman is they run a lot out of different formations like we do, which is less predictable.”

St. Edward players feel they proved last week they can be plenty tough enough to stop power-style teams. The senior-dominated team traces this back to cutting their teeth in the Suburban Christian Conference.

“Definitely for us switching conferences this year a lot of people questioned our toughness,” St. Edward center/linebacker Chris Kelly said. “Our old conference was a physical conference.

“We’re a little bit of a smaller school and got beat up a bit in there, but we’re still a physical team. We can’t control the schedule we played against this year, but we beat teams we needed to beat. Riverside-Brookfield was a playoff team and we handled them pretty well. And then last week.”

St. Edward’s offense looks flashy and well-balanced with speedy junior Dwayne Allen running for 1,547 yards and quarterback Joe Mullen throwing for 1,593 yards.

Allen’s cutting, breakaway style may have made it easier for linemen to battle larger opponents.

“Dwayne is a great runner who reads it whichever way you go with a block,” Kelly said. “A lot of the plays we’re just trying to put a body on a body. We’re definitely not big enough where we can manhandle the kid we’re blocking. But we’re just trying to get angles and get out there quickly.

“He can hit that hole. We can then get on our horse and go try to block downfield on those really long runs where he cuts back.”

St. Edward has thrown 172 times and Coal City (8-2) just 62 times.

“Our passing game has been efficient, and sufficient,” Onsen said.

Rolando said the passing game against Alleman left room for improvement beyond a huge 27-yard TD pass sophomore receiver Trevor Loewen caught. St. Edward had just 87 passing yards.

“I don’t think we executed the way we normally do,” Rolando said. “They put a little extra pressure on us.

“We can play better offensively, so I would hope to see that.”

 

Jerry Fitzpatrick

In a season of firsts for the St. Edward football team, this was the most important one yet.

This year's record-breaking squad was the first in program history to open a season with 6 straight wins, the first to finish a regular season undefeated and the first to win a title in the new Metro Suburban Conference.

Noteworthy achievements all, but they pale in comparison to Saturday's accomplishment at Greg True Field in Elgin, where the 2014 Green Wave became the first team in program history to win a home playoff game with a 31-12 victory over Rock Island Alleman.

The postseason win was the second for St. Edward since the IHSA initiated the state playoff system in 1974.

"We've been making history all year long," said defensive lineman Augustus Nottolini, a 5-foot-8, 178-pound defensive lineman who registered a sack and a tackle for loss. "It's just fantastic. It's the greatest feeling in the world."

The win means another first for the Wave: a second home playoff game in the same season. No. 2 St. Edward (10-0) will host No. 7 Coal City (8-2) next weekend, time to be determined. Coal City defeated Mendota 40-14 on Friday.

The victory meant vindication in a way for St. Edward, which played with a chip on its shoulder after facing only one playoff team during the season: Riverside-Brookfield.

"Everybody tells you your schedule is soft," coach Mike Rolando said. "We always thought our kids were good, but you never know how good. When we looked at (Alleman's) roster -- and their average lineman was 243 (pounds) and they range from 230 to 280 and their linebackers are 230 -- I really didn't think we'd be able to control the line of scrimmage. Or survive the line of scrimmage. And we dominated the line of scrimmage."

St. Edward outgained Alleman 369 total yards to 109. Offensively, running back Dwayne Allen, Jr., a 5-foot-8, 166-pound junior, ran for a career-high 288 yards on 24 carries, including touchdown runs of 75, 61 and 50 yards. It was the fourth time this season Allen has rushed for over 200 yards.

"I think they knew that we were going to run the ball a lot," Allen said. "We were ready for it and they were ready for it. We opened up with the passing game and when the passing game started slowing down, that's when we started running."

The impressive outing improved Allen's season totals to 1,541 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 181 attempts (8.5 avg.).

"He was one of the best we've seen all year, absolutely," Alleman senior linebacker Kier Murphy said. "He's a stud in the backfield. He can move around a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to do the rest of the season."

Allen opened the scoring with a 75-yard touchdown run with 4:24 left in the first quarter, but Western Big 6 tri-champion Alleman countered with a 35-yard touchdown pass from junior Kelan Whan to senior running back Kylee Dorsey, who was left uncovered on a blitz. St. Edward maintained a 7-6 lead when the extra point snap was bobbled.

St. Edward's next 2 possessions resulted in a missed a field goal and an interception at the Alleman 8-yard line by Whan.

The Green Wave broke through via a 1-play drive with 55 seconds left in the second quarter. Following a short punt, St. Edward quarterback Joe Mullen threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Loewen, who made the catch at the goal line. Joe French's extra point kick staked the Wave to a 14-6 lead.

Alleman muffed a third-quarter punt that Jake Harrington recovered at the Pioneer 26-yard line, but Zach Sheets intercepted a tipped Mullen pass to keep it an 8-point game.

However, the St. Edward defense held three-and-out, and Allen capitalized. After senior offensive lineman Dan Howell had to leave the field for one play due to blood on his jersey, defensive lineman Kasey Cooke entered at left tackle and Allen bounced a 33 lead to the outside of Cooke for a 61-yard touchdown and a 21-6 lead with 2:09 left in the third quarter.

"I just had to hook my guy and (Allen) bounced it out," Cooke said.

Alleman answered with another touchdown pass from Whan to Kylee Dorsey, this time for 27 yards, to pull the Pioneers within 21-12 with 9:44 left to play.

St. Edward went on to ice the game with 2 more scores. Joe French kicked a 39-yard field goal. Then, after Allen snared an interception on defense, he polished off possibly the most important victory in the history of Greg True Field with a 50-yard run up the right sideline.

Coordinator Marc Rusinko's St. Edward defense, led by linemen Nottolini, Cooke, Jake French and Josh Von Rohr, inside linebackers Chris Kelly and Jack Tierney and defensive back Danny Favela (2 PBU), forced 7 punts and grabbed 2 interceptions. They held the Alleman flexbone triple option to 42 yards rushing and 67 yards passing.

"They refused to let each other down. They wouldn't let us down," Rolando said. "They just focused on what their job was and they executed flawlessly on defense all day."

 

Gene Chamberlain

 

By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com | Updated 2 days ago

ELGIN -- Reflecting on a painful end to a game that offered so much promise, Alleman senior linebacker Kier Murphy pointed to five plays as the difference.

Elgin St. Edward capitalized on each of them.

"Those were daggers," Murphy said. "Those killed us."

Gaining 258 of their 368 yards on those five plays, the second-seeded Green Wave were able to frustrate an Alleman defense that was getting consistent stops. St. Edward scored on four of those plays and had the other set up a field goal, moments that eventually handed the 15th-seeded Pioneers a 31-12 loss in a Class 4A first-round playoff game at Greg True Field.

"Those five plays," Alleman senior defensive end Luke Saskowski said, "just killed our momentum and really made us suffer."

Before reaching that conclusion, Saskowski praised the Pioneers' overall defensive performance and pass coverage. Take away those five big plays, St. Edward (10-0) averaged 2.4 yards on its 46 snaps.

"A few broken plays made the difference," Saskowski said.

Dwayne Allen Jr. made the first one hurt, taking a delay handoff up the middle for a 75-yard touchdown with four minutes left in the first quarter. That was the first play of the St. Edward drive.

Alleman (5-5) offered its response early in the second quarter when Kylee Dorsey's caught a fourth-down, wheel-route pass from Kelan Whan and scored from 35 yards out. A bad snap on the extra point resulted in the holder being tackled, but the Pioneers were within 7-6.

The score remained the same as St. Edward started a drive at the Alleman 27 with 62 seconds left in the first half. Despite facing heavy defensive pressure, Joseph Mullen lofted a pass to his left that was caught in the end zone by Trevor Loewen. After the extra point, the Wave took a 14-6 lead into halftime.

"We wanted to finish hard," Allen said.

In the second half, St. Edward made sure the Pioneers were finished.

On the Wave's second possession, Allen took a first-down carry 61 yards for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead. After the Pioneers got within 21-12 on Dorsey's 27-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth, Allen's 45-yard run set up Joseph French's 37-yard field goal with 2:44 left and a 24-12 advantage.

Allen capped his 284-yard performance with a 50-yard touchdown run late in the contest. Take away his four attempts of 45 yards or more, Allen had 53 yards on 17 carries.

"My vision gets me most of my touchdowns," Allen said. "I know (the defense) flows to where I'm going, so the cutback is good. That's how I did it."

Alleman had Allen corralled on three of his long runs, but he changed direction, found a hole and bursted through it.

"He was one of the best (backs) we've seen all year," Murphy said. "He's a stud."

Despite the final score, the Pioneers did enough to stay in this contest. The problem was their offense could not sustain anything. St. Edward put 10 defenders in the box, including both safeties, to suffocate the Pioneers' rushing attack.

In 50 plays, Alleman had 106 yards. Sixty-two came on two pass plays to Dorsey.

"It seemed like every time we ran the ball, all 11 of them were at us," said Saskowski, who had 41 yards on 13 carries. "We ran it inside and outside, and they were there every time. You've got to give them props for that.

"It's like they knew our playbook."

Other than five plays, the Pioneers did the same to the St. Edward playbook.

"It hurts to play well," Murphy said, "but give up big plays and lose like that."

 

CLASS 4A

Rock Island Alleman (5-4) at St. Edward (9-0), 1 p.m. Saturday

Next up for winner: Mendota (6-3) or Coal City (7-2).

Key players: Rock Island Alleman — FB/DE Luke Saskowski, RB Kylee Dorsey; St. Edward — DL/LB Jake French, RB/CB Dwayne Allen.

Outlook: An intriguing, classic matchup. St. Edward is the passing team with a wide-open offense, undefeated but having faced only one playoff team. Alleman played a torturous schedule, has plenty of past playoff success, and relies on its defense and running game. Much for St. Edward will depend on whether defensive players like French (11 sacks), DT Dan Howell, LB Chris Kelly and DL Augie Nottolini can stand up to a bigger offensive line and Alleman’s wing-T attack, and whether the Green Wave offensive line can generate holes for Allen while keeping QB Joe Mullen clean against a 3-2/4-2 defensive alignment. A victory would be St. Edward’s first at home in the playoffs.

Another milestone?

St. Edward (9-0) wants to follow up its first perfect regular season and first Metro Suburban East title with the first home field playoff victory in school history Saturday against Alleman (5-4).

“They’ve been playing so far this year not to lose and to maintain that undefeated record and go 9-0,” coach Mike Rolando said. “That’s nice. But your season’s not over if you lose because 8-1 ain’t that bad.

“But if we lose now, the season’s over. The kids need to know they have to come out and play like they haven’t yet this year, and be at an added level of intensity and physicality because that’s what the playoffs take.”

The Green Wave’s other homefield playoff game still stings Rolando. In 2010, they were a 28-yard Mark Olenek field goal from the win.

St. Edward senior quarterback Joe Mullen and coach Mike Rolando seem to have found that ideal place all coaches and their signal callers seek to attain.

The goal is for the quarterback to know the offense so well that the two seem to read each other’s mind.

Mullen’s 25 touchdown passes to three interceptions over his last eight games testify to his talent level and mastery of Rolando’s offense, as the Green Wave (9-0) head into Saturday’s Class 4A home playoff game (1 p.m.) against perennial state power Rock Island Alleman (5-4).

“It’s like having my eyes out there on the field,” Rolando said. “He knows why I called a certain play, why we ran a certain motion, which route might be a dummy route to run some guys off and which one we’re trying to hit, and which defensive guy we’re trying to fool. All of those things Joe and I have been on the same page with.

“We went into the season opener and we were able to run our entire offense out of no-huddle if we wanted to. For us, that’s definitely a first. That’s rare, but Joe’s talent level is very rare.”

The 6-2, 190-pound Mullen has played with the varsity since his sophomore year, but became first-team quarterback last year after an early-season battle with Bryan O’Neill. He completed 58-of-120 for 957 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions then.

After a torrid finish to this regular season — 18 TD passes and one interception the last five games — Mullen is 83-off-148 for 1,526 yards with 25 TD passes and six interceptions. Thanks to this, and running back Dwayne Allen’s 1,253 rushing yards, St. Edward averages 42.7 points per game.

“The whole thing about this offense is it’s so well-balanced that we can run it to open up the pass or pass to open up the run,” Mullen said.

Mullen has a lot to do with the balance. He favors no one receiver.

Four Green Wave receivers have between 13 and 22 catches. Nick Duffy, at 6-4, has emerged the top possession receiver with 22 catches and 299 yards, but Petey DeWindt has 18 catches and 248 yards. Santos Gomez (13-280) and Trevor Loewen (16-432) are the big-play guys.

“It’s all just pre-snap reads (of the defense) which one of them I want to go to; if I want to go to Nick and use his height, or Trevor’s speed,” Mullen said. “Coach Ro is good at making the offense adjust to what the defense is showing us.”

Rolando recalled his own quarterback experience at Larkin under former coach Bob Krieger, and the advantage once his own understanding of the offense became a strength.

“We only had one year together and I was very inefficient at first, but about the middle of the year we started getting on the same page and he had me audible many different calls by the playoffs,” Rolando said. “When you can be a quarterback and you’re able to look at the defense and say I’m going to something else that will work better, that’s a pretty powerful thing.

“Most of the time high school defenses are probably not going to change out of what they’ve called.”

Whether St. Edward can operate this way and beat an Alleman team that defeated four teams with enrollments of 1,353 or more is the question.

“I think we have a monumental task in facing Alleman,” Rolando said. “That’s a seasoned team that’s been to state.

“We know we have our work cut out for us, but we think we’re a pretty good football team, too.”

Big play Wave

St. Edward’s passing attack has featured numerous receivers catching passes from Joseph Mullen, but the player who has emerged as a threat after being an unknown early is sophomore Trevor Loewen.

“He’s a big-play guy,” coach Mike Rolando said. “Nick Duffy and Petey DeWindt have been more the possession guys, but Trevor and Santos (Gomez) have been big-play types. Trevor’s playing time really increased when we lost Danny (Favela) to injury for a while or he would have been rotating in.

“He’s really blossomed and he’s still a young player.”

Loewen finished the regular season averaging 27.0 yards per catch. He had 16 receptions, half of which went for touchdowns, and 432 yards. Gomez had 13 catches for 280 yards and four TDs.

The Green Wave (9-0) host Rock Island Alleman (5-4) at 1 p.m. Satuday at Greg True Field in the 4A playoffs.

Saturday's announcement of the IHSA football playoff pairings left four area teams elated, two dejected.

Everyone wearing St. Edward green and gold sported a broad smile at Danny's on Douglas, a pizzeria in downtown Elgin where approximately 100 members of the St. Edward football community gathered in front of a big screen to find out which opponent the Green Wave would draw in the wake of a 9-0 regular season.

The crowd erupted in cheers when St. Edward was named the No. 2 seed of the 16 teams in the northern half the of Class 4A bracket. The Green Wave will square off against No. 15 Rock Island Alleman, a 5-4 team that finished in a three-way tie for the Western Big 6 Conference title with Galesburg and Quincy.

Alleman, which owns five state runner-up trophies, reached a 4A semifinal last season before bowing out to eventual state champion Rochester, 46-21. The Pioneers are 32-19 all-time in the postseason.

"I think it's going to be a really good football game. They've got a great history," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "They've been in the playoffs the last four years. We've made the playoffs four of the last six years, but we're still relatively new to it. I think we have a good football team and we have a lot of weapons. We're excited to have a home game and play in front of our crowd."

The second home playoff game in St. Edward history will be played on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Rolando said winning at least one playoff game is the primary goal. That may seem like a low bar for a 9-0 team, but St. Edward's all-time postseason record is 1-4.

"We don't want to look too far ahead, just take one game at a time," St. Edward senior wide receiver Nick Duffy said. "We'll just focus on Rock Island."

St. Edward was ousted in the first round last year after a 40-22 loss on a wet field in Harvard.

"Obviously, we want to go as far as we can, definitely farther than last year," St. Edward sack leader Josh Von Rohr said. "We'll try our best. There are some tough teams out there."

Elsewhere, the area's other undefeated team, Cary-Grove, earned the No. 1 seed of 16 teams in the northern bracket of Class 7A. The Trojans will host No. 16 Niles North (5-4). That's bad news for the Vikings since Cary-Grove has won a first-round playoff game every year since 2004.

The winner moves on to play the winner of No. 9 St. Charles North (7-2) at No. 8 Rolling Meadows (7-2). If Cary-Grove makes a deep playoff run as expected, the Trojans potentially could face No. 4 Geneva in a quarterfinal and No. 2 Highland Park (9-0) or No. 3 Addison Trail (8-1) in a semifinal, if seeds hold.

In Class 8A, Huntley (8-1) returns to the playoffs for the second time in three years under coach John Hart. Seeded No. 7 of the 16 teams in the northern half of the bracket, the Red Raiders will host No. 10 Palatine (7-2).

The winner of that game gets the winner of No. 15 Fremd (6-3) vs. No. 2 Glenbard West (9-0). Coach Chad Hetlet's Hilltoppers reached a Class 7A semifinal last season. They won Class 7A in 2012.

In Class 5A, Burlington Central (6-3) earned the No. 7 seed of 16 schools in the top half of the bracket, which means the Rockets get a first-round home game despite only 6 wins. It will be the school's first playoff game on Rocket Hill since 2006.

Central, making its 16th playoff appearance and first since 2011, is matched up against No. 10 Sterling (6-3). The Golden Warriors, making their 27th postseason appearance, are 16-26 all-time in the postseason.

Not every team was left smiling Saturday. Statewide, four teams with 5-4 records and at least 39 playoff points (combined wins by opponents) were left out of the tournament, including Jacobs.

Another six schools with 5-4 records and 38 playoff points were also left out of the dance. South Elgin was among that group. The threshold last season was 36 points. It was 38 points in 2012.

For Jacobs, not making the playoff means the end of two streaks. The Golden Eagles has reached the postseason four straight years since coach Bill Mitz took over the program.

For Mitz, a hall-of-famer who made the playoffs 21 straight years as the coach at Stevenson, it means the end of a 25-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances.

"That part's not important," Mitz said of the personal streak. "I just feel terrible for our kids. (Friday) night, the bus ride home (after a win at McHenry) was very exciting. The kids were looking at those stupid iPhones and saw that St. Charles East won, Barrington won. With 39 points I thought for sure we were a lock. We looked at it (the IHSA website) in the morning and started thinking about possible matchups. Then we went back and looked at it later and thought, ‘Oh my God, we might not make it.'

"It's tough. It's tough. I feel bad for the kids."

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The St. Edward football family -- players, coaches, parents, administrators and alumni -- lingered so long on Elmwood Park's field celebrating the completion of the first 9-0 regular season in the program's 71-year history that the host school finally turned out the lights.

Earlier, the Green Wave turned out the lights on Elmwood Park with a 54-14 win.

"Our coaches asked us at the beginning of the year on our seven-on-seven trip down to Washington (Ill.), what do you want to do this year, what do you want to accomplish?" said senior Jake French, who notched 2 sacks. "We all said 9-0. They said if you guys work for it, you can do it. And we did it."

With the victory St. Edward (9-0, 5-0) wins the Metro Suburban Conference's East Division outright in its first year in the league.

"It's the greatest feeling on earth," said senior quarterback Joe Mullen, who completed 6 of 10 passes for 129 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Elmwood Park (2-7, 1-4) caught the Green Wave off guard on the first play of the game with a trick play. Quarterback Jason Polito-Carlson threw a lateral pass to Dominic Cadetto. With several Green Wave defenders closing in, Cadetto threw a double pass to wide open receiver Julian Moscatello for a 69-yard completion to the St. Edward 1-yard line. Brandon Romero scored on a 1-yard run 2 plays later to give the Tigers a very short-lived 7-0 lead.

St. Edward lost a fumble on its first possession, but the defense held and the Green Wave responded with 54 unanswered points. St. Edward led 47-7 at halftime.

"It was just a minor setback for 30 seconds and then we came out and played football the way we're supposed to," coach Mike Rolando said.

Mullen directed the attack by throwing touchdown passes to Trevor Loewen (22 yards), Dwayne Allen, Jr. (27 yards), Santos Gomez (48 yards) and Nick Duffy (16 yards).

Allen, who carried the ball 9 times for 77 yards, staked St. Edward to a 15-7 lead with a 13-yard run followed by his 2-point conversion run.

Senior running back Santos Gomez provided the highlight of the night with a zigzagging 39-yard touchdown romp that featured two cutbacks. His big run was part of an attack that outgained the Tigers 316 total yards to 117.

"Luckily, my offense kept blocking," Gomez said. "I couldn't have done it without them."

Finishing a regular season 9-0 is a far cry from Rolando's first two seasons as St. Edward's coach in 2005 and 2006, when his teams did not win a game.

"They've truly embraced the team concept, which has allowed them in my mind to overachieve with undersized guys at a lot of positions," Rolando said. "It's a special time for them. I'm just proud of them."

Friday’s Metro Suburban East game at Elmwood Park marked the possibility of a number of firsts for St. Edward.

A first undefeated regular season in school history, the first conference title since 2010, and a title in the first year of its new conference were all on the line.

“I’m so proud of these kids — they’ve got a good vibe,’’ St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “They’re playing for each other, unselfish, no matter who it is, they’re out there cheering for them and have overachieved.’’

“We talk about the old days, the guys that came before them, laid the bricks for this program, and this day is for them.’’

The Green Wave owned the day, defeating the Tigers 54-14.

“It hit me and everyone else in the offseason, that we had it,’’ St. Edward quarterback Joseph Mullen said. “It was then I knew and said that we’re going undefeated. To do it, though, is really awesome.’’

Elmwood Park came out strong, throwing a 68-yard double pass on the first play of the game, scoring two plays later, and then promptly recovering a St. Edward turnover.

“We knew they were going to try some trick plays,’’ Rolando said. “We had six guys around the guy who threw the ball but it was just a minor setback.’’

But that’s where the good news ended for Elmwood Park (2-7, 1-4).

St. Edward (9-0, 5-0) forced a three-and-out on the Tigers’ next possession and scored in three plays. The Green Wave then scored on their next seven possessions, each of which started no deeper than the St. Edward 45-yard line. Four started at the Elmwood Park 37 or closer.

Mullen, who would finish with 156 yards on 7-of-11 passing, threw all four of his touchdowns in the first half.

“The line, receivers and Dwayne Allen are what drive this offense,’’ Mullen said. “There’s a reason he’s the rushing leader in the area, and he just makes it that much easier for me to pass.’’

The Green Wave wouldn’t need much of Allen as he rushed only six times for 53 yards and a touchdown. He also had one of Mullen’s four passing TDs.

While the offense gets all of the accolades, the Green Wave defense has been stout. The defense has shut out or kept its opponents in single digits five times this season.

After Elmwood Park’s first drive, the St. Edward defense stiffened and held the Tiger offense to negative 20-yards and no first downs.

Santos Gomez added two TDs, while Brandon Romero’s 1-yard run and a 6-yard pass from Xavier Vega to Jesus Carrillo accounted for the Elmwood Park scoring.

“For something like this to happen, everything had to bounce the right way and for us they did,’’ Rolando said. “We won the games we were supposed to, showed up in the games that were tight and won, and set this up to be a magical season.’’

St. Edward (8-0, 4-0) at Elmwood Park (2-6, 1-3), 7:15 p.m. Friday

Last year: Did not play.

Key players: St. Edward — WR Trevor Loewen, WR/DB Santos Gomez. Elmwood Park — RB/LB Ernest Deangelo, DB Corey Simmons.

Outlook: Coming off 35-14 win over Walther Christian, Elmwood has struggled defensively against run, but has plenty of speed on offense. Look for Green Wave to hand it to area rushing leader Dwayne Allen Jr. early and often, then tune up passing game for playoffs. St. Edward’s defense has turned it around, allowing only six points combined for three teams after giving up 21 to Guerin to open conference.

The Perfect Wave

Metro Suburban East champion St. Edward can complete the first perfect regular season in school history by winning at Elmwood Park, and 10th-year coach Mike Rolando can’t help but think back to where it all started.

The Green Wave went 0-9 his first two years.

“It’s kind of surreal to think of 9-0,” Rolando said. “At the beginning, those first years, people didn’t think we could win any games let alone make the playoffs.”

St. Edward’s depth and secondary gets a boost this week with senior defensive back Dan Favela returning.

“What a tough year he’s had, with appendicitis, then he fractured a toe, had a sprained ankle and then a hand fracture,” Rolando said. “Now he’s healed. It gives us another bigger (6-1) athlete in the secondary and allows us to give Santos Gomez and Dwayne Allen, who also play on offense, some rest.”

With standout freshman running back Dwayne Allen filling up the stat sheet every week opponents are already well aware of St. Edward's ability to run the ball. However, it's easy to fall into the trap of overlooking the Green Wave's passing game.

That passing attack was on full display Friday night at Greg True Field in Elgin. Quarterback Joe Mullen threw for 365 yards and 5 touchdowns to lead the Green Wave to a 45-6 Metro Suburban East win over Chicago Christian. St. Edward (8-0, 4-0) is now just one win away from its first unbeaten regular season. The eight wins ties a school record set in 1978 and 2010. The Green Wave also clinched at least a share of the Metro East title, their first conference title since 1978.

"Every week the pressure builds a little more to keep the undefeated season going," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "But the kids continue to respond and I have been really impressed with the way they keep their focus."

Mullen had touchdown tosses of 27, 64, 63, 68, and 11 yards. He hooked up with Nick Duffy on the Green Wave's first possession for a 27-yard strike to open the scoring. Then he found Santos Gomez deep for 64 yards on the second possession to make it 14-0.

"In getting prepared for the game we thought they would probably be geared up to stop the run," Rolando said. "So we wanted to come out ready to throw. We are a very well-rounded team and Joe is a good passer, so if the passes are there we are not going to hesitate to throw it. Everybody in the passing game did a great job tonight. The line did an excellent job of protecting, and the receivers did a great job of getting open, and Joe was on target."

Mullen completed 15 of 19 attempts.

"It's amazing what having a running back like Dwayne does for the rest of the offense," said Mullen of Allen, who had 93 yards on 17 carries. "Other teams come in planning around stopping him and that just opens up the passing game for us. We were going to take whatever the defense gave us and today they gave us the pass. And the O- line did an amazing job to give us time to throw That's the only way this is able to happen."

Sophomore Trevor Loewen was Mullen's favorite deep target with long bombs of 63 and 68 yards for touchdowns in the first half. St. Edward led 31-6 at the half. Loewen finished with 6 receptions for 194 yards.

"I did a lot of offseason work with Joe," said Loewen. "So we have a good feel for one another. And we have so many other guys on our offense that can make plays it just takes the pressure off and gives everyone a lot of opportunities."

Mullen added an 11 yard touchdown pass to John deWindt on the first possession of the third quarter. Later in the fourth M. Dziurgot ran for a 2-yard touchdown.

On defense the Green Wave held the Knights to just 130 total yards. Josh Von Rohr had a pair of sacks and Saveon Smith had an interception.

St. Edward quarterback Joe Mullen and his receiving corps lit up the Friday night sky in Elgin.

Mullen connected with Nick Duffy and Santos Gomez once and Trevor Loewen twice on touchdown passes before halftime, giving the unbeaten Green Wave control of a game they never relinquished.

St. Edward’s 45-6 win over visiting Chicago Christian maintained the Green Wave’s unbeaten season record and clinched their first Metro Suburban East title.

St. Edward (8-0, 4-0) led 31-6 at halftime, with Mullen racking up more than 250 yards passing. The senior found John deWindt in the second half to finish with five touchdown passes and 360 yards passing on 15-for-19.

Mullen applauded his offensive line and tipped his hat to running back Dwayne Allen Jr., who finished with 91 yards rushing and went into Friday’s game with 1,075 yards and an 8.1 yards-per-carry average.

“Having a back like Dwayne is amazing,” Mullen said. “Teams game plan against him and he’s unselfish. He doesn’t mind not carrying the ball forty times and he opened up the passing game.”

St. Edward led 14-0 after one quarter on a 27-yard TD pass from Mullen to Duffy and a 64-yard TD reception by Santos Gomez.

Chicago Christian (4-4, 2-2) got a 25-yard TD pass from quarterback Christian Bolhuis to Nathan Wigboldy in the second quarter, but Mullen found Loewen on TD passes of 64 and 68 yards to take a 31-6 halftime lead.

“I knew that if I could get by (the Knights’ defense), they wouldn’t be able to catch up with me,” Loewen said. “The line was giving (Mullen) a lot of time and Joe delivered the ball to me in good spots.”

Loewen finished with 186 yards receiving.

“We haven’t faced a good passing team like (St. Edward) this year, and it showed,” Jim Bolhuis said. “We were tough in certain cases but it was spotty.

“Our running back (Colby Rountree) has had some really good games but when teams key on him, we need to have a next step. We got some other people involved, but we couldn’t match that success with the stops we needed.”

St. Edward got a late 11-yard TD run from Mike Dziurgot, but it was the passing attack that owned the night.

“Six of our eight games have been in the rain and Dwayne has been running the ball great,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “But [Friday] Joe was really on and the offensive line was fantastic.”

Chicago Christian (3-4, 2-1) at St. Edward (7-0, 3-0)

When/where: today at 7 p.m. at Greg True Field

Last year: St. Edward 53, Chicago Christian 6

Last week: Chicago Christian 38, Elmwood Park 34; St. Edward 38, Ridgewood 0

Outlook: St. Edward, the No. 8 team in Class 4A according to the latest poll by The Associated Press, seeks to tie a school record while improving its playoff seed. A victory would tie the record of 8 wins in a single season, previously achieved in 1978 (8-1) and 2010 (8-3). A win would also clinch at least a share of the Metro Suburban East title. The Green Wave face a Chicago Christian squad fighting to remain in the playoff hunt. The Knights must defeat St. Edward and Guerin (3-4) to be considered at 5-4. They enter the weekend with 29 playoff points. "They are a strong group with a lot of personal desire to make the playoffs," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said of the Knights. "It's high school sports; teams can play above their ability when they're playing for each other and a common goal like making the playoffs and knocking off a 7-0 team. They have a lot of reasons to play inspired football. We've stressed to our kids we have to match the level of intensity Chicago Christian will bring." It'll be a tall task for the Knights to upset St. Edward based on recent results. Two weeks ago Chicago Christian lost to Ridgewood, 24-14. St. Edward defeated Ridgewood 38-0 last week.

Next week: Chicago Christian at Guerin (3-4); St. Edward at Elmwood Park (1-6)

Chicago Christian (3-4, 2-1) at St. Edward (7-0, 3-0), 7 p.m. Friday

Last year: St. Edward 53, Chicago Christian 6.

Key players: Chicago Christian — QB Christian Bolhuis, RB Colby Roundtree. St. Edward — RB Dwayne Allen Jr., DL Jake French.

Outlook: St. Edward is in pursuit of its first perfect regular season and takes the first Metro Suburban East title with a victory. Chicago Christian comes in off a 38-34 win over Elmwood Park, and has an offense that relies almost solely on the run. Roundtree, who averages 132.3 yards, is the running threat. Bolhuis is a threat running the read option. The Wave defense could be in line for a third straight shutout win because this opponent scored just 14 against the Ridgewood team St. Edward beat 38-0 last Friday.

Title Wave

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando had called his team’s offensive effort in last week’s second half “a little bit sloppy” despite the 38-0 win over Ridgewood.

Cleaning up execution in the passing game will be a goal against Chicago Christian as the Green Wave attempts to clinch the first title in the new Metro Suburban East at home Friday.

The blocking was there all game last week, even if the second-half points weren’t.

“The O-line really impresses me week in and week out,” said Rolando, whose team was ranked eighth in this week’s AP Class 4A poll. “Regardless of who’s getting the ball we’re gaining yards — and we’ve got a little bit of an undersized line but they’re doing a great job.”

Anticipate St. Edward’s defense playing a five-man line against a team that relies greatly on the run.

The Green Wave used an extra defender up front in Week 7 and held Ridgewood to one first down in recording a second straight shutout.

“Depending on the team we’re playing, on what they run, we can go with a five or a four,” Rolando said of the line. “It’s back and forth for us.”

Josh Von Rohr, St. Edward: This 6-foot-1, 185-pound defensive end terrorized Ridgewood's offense throughout a 38-0 homecoming victory. The senior led undefeated St. Edward to its seventh win and second straight shutout with a season-high 9 tackles. Von Rohr registered 3 sacks, increasing his team-best total to 10.

 

Unbeaten St. Edward has piled up some pretty big numbers in its run to the top of the Metro Suburban East, but in Friday night’s 38-0 victory over Ridgewood, the low numbers were more impressive.

Thanks to a speedy front led by linemen Josh Van Rohr and Jake French, St. Edward (7-0, 3-0) met its biggest conference challenge of the season by limiting the Rebels (3-4, 2-1) to one first down and 27 yards of offense while recording a second straight shutout.

“We’re not the biggest team around so we strive at working on speed more than power,” said French, after the Green Wave piled up four sacks and held Ridgewood rushing threat Chris Serna to 38 yards on 10 attempts.

“We’re doing really good with the five-man front,” Van Rohr said. “I think coach did a good job with that, and Jake French can really shoot through those gaps while the other linemen take up some room.”

There was no running room for Rebel backs, and Ridgewood quarterback Chris Jacobsen completed only 3-for21 for zero yards before leaving in the second half following a big hit.

“A lot of what we do is based on our ability to run and kind of open up the passing game, but their D-line was doing a great job and we weren’t able to get that running game going,” Ridgewood coach Chris Zack said.

St. Edward broke out a new set of black and neon yellow uniforms for homecoming, and looked energized early on offense by the wardrobe change, marching to touchdowns on the second, third and fourth possessions behind Dwayne Allen Jr.

The junior running back had 175 yards on 16 carries and rushing TDs of 40 and 62 yards. He also flashed in the passing game by turning a swing pass into a 35-yard TD. His 40-yard twisting run gave St. Edward a 7-0 lead.

The Green Wave also had a 5-yard TD run by linebacker-turned-tailback Jack Tierney in their elephant power package.

“The O-line really impresses me week in and week out,” coach Mike Rolando said. “Regardless of who’s getting the ball, we’re gaining yards. We’ve got a little bit of an undersized line but I thought we responded to a pretty good test, especially early.”

Green Wave quarterback Joe Mullin went 14-for-30 for 152 yards and two TDs. Besides the one to Allen, he threw a 22-yard lob on fourth-and-2 that 6-4 tight end Nick Duffy stole out of defensive back Mike Ortiz’s hands before falling into the end zone 3:19 before halftime. That made it 32-0.

Special teams got in on the effort, as well. Jake French blocked a punt and recovered at the 7 to set up a 23-yard Joe French field goal halfway through the second quarter for a 24-0 lead.

“I honestly think that was just another play that just happened to happen,” Jake French said. “I think I got lucky.”

They got lucky again a minute later when the snap went over the head of Rebels punter Max Kalynyuk, and he took an intentional grounding in the end zone for safety and 26-0 Wave lead.

St. Edward can lock up its first conference football title since 1948 by beating Chicago Christian Friday at home.

“It is fantastic to see our team coming together and getting it done,” Jake French said.

 

As the St. Edward football team gets to rewrite history every week with win after win that inches the Green Wave closer to its 9-0 goal, head coach Mike Rolando learns something new about his team each week.

For the second-straight week of scoreless football and third time this season, the Wave (7-0, 3-0) tossed out possibly is toughest competition to date -- Ridgewood -- 38-0 at Greg True Field Friday in Elgin in Metro Suburban East action.

In this case, a potent run game by Ridgewood (3-4, 2-1) was held to 30 yards while its pass dipped into the negatives (-11 yards) to total just 19 yards of offense with only 1 first down to show. All this by 5-man defensive front headlined by Josh Von Rohr, Jake French, Chris Kelly and Augustus Nottolini that held the Rebels to an 0-for-12 mark on drives, their deepest reaching the Wave 18 in the first half via a kickoff return.

"You never know what you got when your winning games like this, you keep waiting for that test and I thought tonight was a pretty good test and our kids responded real well early," Rolando said. "We were real concerned about their running game. They ran the ball real well in the games we saw on film. We put five guys on the line and I don't think the linebackers had to clean up much. I think the D-line got to all those tackles."

The front 5 made the big plays and dominated the interior consistently as Von Rohr notched a sack for a three-and-out on the game's first drive while Kelly and French pressured Ridgewood quarterback Chris Jacobsen and running back Chris Serna relentlessly. French's blocked punt that he recovered at the Rebels' 5-yard line set up his brother Joe French's 23-yard field goal to put St. Edward up 24-0 with 6 minutes to go in the second quarter. Serna rushed just 11 times for 38 yards and Jacobsen was pulled at half.

"We knew they were pretty athletic on the D-line, we've gone against some pretty big schools so far and been able to handle them pretty well," said Rebels coach Chris Zack. "I think we were a little caught off guard with a little bit of their quickness on the interior D-line."

The Wave's pressure also forced a safety when Ridgewood botched a snap on a punt and threw the ball out of bounds in the end zone.

"Every week we try to improve and we watch film and we see how is this offense different from the last one, how can we adapt to it and we're really doing well with the 5-man front, I think coach did a great job with that," Von Rohr said. "(French) can really shoot through those gaps while other linemen pickup some room."

"I just think that was just another play that happened, I think I got lucky," French said. "I think what really made our defense tonight was everyone coming together, pulling ourselves up and stopping them whatever chance we got to. We're not the biggest team around but we strive on working on speed and more than power. "

Talk about speed. Don't forget about Dwayne Allen, who ran 17 times for 185 yards with touchdown runs of 40 and 70 yards. He also added 2 catches for 48 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown reception where he broke a tackle in the early part of the second quarter. St. Edward moved the ball on offense efficiently in the first half scoring 32 points. That included Jack Tierney's 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead and Nick Duffy's (6 catches, 75 yards) sort-of-miracle catch where he wrestled the pass away from Ridgewood's Mike Ortiz at the goal line to make it 32-0. Joe Mullen went 15-for-32 for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Wave piled up 458 yards of offense.

Ridgewood (3-3, 2-0) at St. Edward (6-0, 2-0), 7 p.m. Friday

Last year: Did not play.

Key players: Ridgewood — LB Seth Krueger, RB Chris Serna. St. Edward — LB Jack Tierney, TE Nick Duffy.

Outlook: It’s a battle for first place in the Metro Suburban East, with the winner a strong favorite to take the title. St. Edward’s defense has to worry about a Ridgewood attack that spreads out teams and runs inside with Serna, who reminds Green Wave coach Mike Rolando of Riverside-Brookfield’s explosive Matt Chapp. Alex Rice is another running threat for Ridgewood, which lost to bigger schools Fenton, Niles West and Glenbard South. St. Edward linebackers Chris Kelly and Jack Tierney will be challenged to control the line against a bigger unit than they’ve been used to facing.

Ridgewood (3-3, 2-0) at St. Edward (6-0, 2-0)

When/where: today at 7 p.m. at Greg True Field

Watch: Streaming broadcast via highschoolcube can be seen at football.dailyherald.com

Last week: Ridgewood 24, Chicago Christian 14; St. Edward 61, Walther Christian 0

Outlook: With a playoff berth secured, St. Edward seeks to improve its postseason seed and put a stranglehold on first place in the Metro Suburban Conference's East Division with a homecoming victory. The Green Wave and the Rebels are tied atop the MSC East standings. "I think they're pretty good," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "I compare them a lot to Riverside-Brookfield. They're a school twice our size and they have some big, tough kids, especially up front. They have a really good running game and some good athletes on defense. It's a guessing game as to what they'll try to take away defensively. Our job is to figure that out and find a way to be successful." The Rebels may load the box to try to take away St. Edward junior running back Dwayne Allen, who has rushed for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns in 115 attempts (7.7 avg.). If so, it could give quarterback Joe Mullen a chance to add to his totals of 845 yards and 14 touchdowns on 47-of-86 passing. Mullen's top targets have been Trevor Loewen (10 rec., 230 yards, 5 TD), Nick Duffy (11 rec., 157 yards, 5 TD) and Santos Gomez (7 rec., 155 yards, 2 TD). Offensively, the Rebels ran the ball successfully last week with senior Chris Serna and sophomore Alex Rice combining to rush for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Next week: Guerin (2-4) at Ridgewood; Chicago Christian (2-4) at St. Edward

Tinkering Wave

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando gave a tip of the cap to defensive coordinator Marc Rusinko for an early tweak after Walther Christian started with a few first downs. The Green Wave (6-0, 2-0) went on to a 61-0 rout.

“He made a slight adjustment with our linebackers when they were able to get a couple things done,” Rolando said. “I think that’s something coach Marc does real well is make adjustments, whether at halftime, in the first quarter or after we see a couple things happening that we weren’t expecting. The ACC game last year comes to mind. We gave up 124 yards the first quarter and negative yards the rest of the game.”

St. Edward plays its biggest game of the year — and its homecoming game — Friday against Ridgewood (3-3, 2-0).

“They’ve got alomst twice as many kids as we do,” Rolando said. “It’s not going to be easy.”

 

In the 71 years that St. Edward has played football, there have been more days the Green Wave tried to forget than there have been days to remember.

Saturday will most certainly go down as one to remember.

The fact the Green Wave rolled to a 61-0 Metro Suburban East win over Walther Christian in Melrose Park was almost secondary to the real accomplishments on a bitterly cold and rainy early October afternoon. Not only did St. Edward secure a playoff bid for the second-straight year and the fourth time in 10 seasons under coach Mike Rolando, but the Green Wave also became the first team in the history of the program to go 6-0.

"I guess its just a culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of good people," said Rolando, well after his team and the decent number of fans who braved the elements had finished their celebration.

"You think of all the people who put so much into this. It's a great community. It's a football community and that's what makes this program what it is. I'm really happy for the kids right now and I'm happy to hear from all the alumni. They're proud of the way the program's being rebuilt and where it's at right now."

Where the program is right now is poised to win a conference championship possibly for the first time, or at least since 1978 when the Wave went 8-1 in the old West Suburban Catholic. Wins the next two weeks over Ridgewood and Chicago Christian would send St. Edward (6-0, 2-0) to the Class 4A playoffs as a conference representative for the first time. Then, a win over Elmwood Park in Week 9, would cap off the best regular season in school history.

But, wait, says Rolando. Next week is all that matters right now.

"The kids all along have had pretty lofty goals," Rolando said. "They've had a goal of being 9-0 but we slow them down and take them week by week. They know Ridgewood is probably the biggest one they have left. Right now it's the biggest game in school history and the biggest game in their history. It's a homecoming game and we won't have any trouble getting up for this game. They know how huge this one is. You can't get to 8 and 9 if you don't get 7. They'll show up and they'll be excited."

Getting win No. 6 was about as easy as the final score would indicate, as the Green Wave scored the most points in any game records are available for, eclipsing the 60 they put up against Wheaton Academy last year.

St. Edward scored on all eight of its possessions in the first half, rolling up 54 of its points in the first 24 minutes, mercifully evoking the running clock rule in the second half. And after last week's slow start against Guerin, getting out of the gates quickly Saturday was the main focus all week.

"All week Coach Ro had us going through a bunch of drills because we started out flat against Guerin and we didn't want to do that today," said senior quarterback Joe Mullen, who got the second half off after going 8-for-10 for 167 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half.

"We came out focused and ready. The whole team was ready and we brought our A game today."

Senior Nick Duffy started the scoring when he caught a 29-yard TD pass from Mullen on the third play of the game. Then Mullen hooked up with sophomore Trevor Loewen (3 catches, 65 yards) for a 12-yard scoring pass. Junior Dwayne Allen (4 carries, 99 yards) scored the next 2 TDs, from 19 yards out and 22 yards. and the Green Wave had a 28-0 lead before the hot chocolate could get cold.

"Having a great back like Dwayne helps and we can also open up a lot of stuff in the package," Mullen said.

Senior Jon deWindt caught a 12-yard TD pass from Mullen, Allen ran in from 52 yards away, Loewen caught a 41-yarder for a score and junior Patrick Brown went in from 23 yards out. Senior Joe French made 6 of 8 PAT kicks and it was 54-0 at halftime.

Junior Aaron Jefferson's 5-yard TD run with 7:57 left in the third quarter made it 9 possessions and 9 touchdowns for the Wave, who only had to run 31 offensive plays the entire game. The running clock limited the second half to a total of 32 plays combined.

St. Edward ran for 153 yards on the day and had 313 total yards to 184 for the Broncos (0-6, 0-2). Walther sophomore Jaylen Pugh did have a big game with 147 yards rushing on 24 carries. The St. Edward defense, though, only let Walther into the red zone once -- on the final possession of the game -- and the Broncos only penetrated St. Edward territory three times all day.

And the postgame celebration gave everyone clad in green and gold a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

"To finally be the first team to go 6-0 is just so meaningful," said Mullen. "I just want to thank everybody -- the fans, and the coaching staff for giving us this opportunity It's been a great time. It really has.

"Coach Ro and the coaching staff ... we treat every game like it's the Super Bowl so next week we want to carry it over and go 7-0."

 

St. Edward players shouted and sang the fight song after drubbing Walther Christian on the road 61-0 Saturday to become the first 6-0 team in school history, but the real celebrating occurred several minutes earlier.

That was during the fourth quarter when the Green Wave’s David Groves caused a fumble and teammate Patrick Brown recovered for the fifth forced turnover of the game by St. Edward’s defense. The noise on the sideline hit its highest decibel level at that moment.

“We were all really excited because coach promised us burritos if we got five turnovers,” defensive captain Chris Kelly said. “We all wanted some hot burritos after a nice, cold day out here.”

St. Edward played like a hungry team from the very start, which hadn’t occurred the previous week when the Green Wave (6-0, 2-0) fell behind Guerin 13-0 before winning 38-21.

The Green Wave piled up a 47-0 lead by halftime and had a running clock the entire second half, as quarterback Joe Mullen threw four TD passes to help the Green Wave secure a playoff berth.

“I think we kind of overlooked Guerin,” Kelly said. “We definitely didn’t want to do that again. We learned our leasson without having to lose a game.”

The defense had interceptions by Groves and Christopher Martinez and fumble recoveries by Joe McFadden and Bryan O’Neill in addition to Brown, helping St. Edward stay atop the Metro Suburban East.

Walther Christian (0-6, 0-2) was held to negative yardage until the Green Wave went up 41-0 in the second quarter, and the offense executed flawlessly all day.

“All week coach Ro (Mike Rolando) had us going through a bunch of drills because we started off flat against Guerin, and we didn’t want to do that,” Mullen said. “The whole team was ready to go and we came out and brought our ‘A’ game.”

Mullen found tight end Nick Duffy for a 29-yard TD pass on the first Green Wave possession, and the offense capitalized on great field position provided by the defense and poor Walther Christian punting to get a 12-yard Mullen-to-Trevor Loewen TD pass, a 24-yard Dwayne Allen TD run and a 21-yard Allen TD run all before the first quarter ended. A 13-yard Mullen-to-Petey DeWindt TD pass, a 40-yard TD pass to Loewen, and scoring runs of 19 yards by Brown and 51 yards by Allen followed.

Allen finished with 100 yards rushing and Mullen with 130 yards passing.

By the time it was over, the poor start in that win over Guerin was a distant memory.

“There was a great sense of embarrassment on my part, on the coaches’ part, on the players’ part, with the whole program to be down 13-0 in that,” Rolando said. “Nothing against Guerin because they came out hard and played well and they beat (Elmwood Park) last night so they’re not a real bad football team. But we shouldn’t have been down.

“The talk all week was starting out fast.”

It also was about making history, although a 6-0 start means very little if a team doesn’t go on to win the conference title.

“I’m happy for the kids right now and I’m happy to hear from the alumni like we have been about our good start,” Rolando said. “We had a couple alumni on the sideline with us [Saturday]. They’re proud of us. We may be the first team from here that’s 6-0 but they don’t look at it as getting records broken. They (alumni) look at it as we’re something they’re proud of.”

 

I've been kidding St. Edward coach Mike Rolando for the last couple of years to hurry up and win a state championship so we can write a book already.

Well, partly kidding anyway.

Of all the interesting stories on the Fox Valley prep sports beat over the last decade, none would merit elaboration in book form more than the revival and eventual rise to a state championship of St. Edward football.

That's because everyone loves a good rise-from-the-ashes-against-all-odds tale, a story in which the team everyone writes off rides off into the sunset.

The revival chapters are already written. Heck, they practically wrote themselves.

St. Edward has reached the playoffs three of the last five seasons, and a win this Saturday at Walther Christian would make the Green Wave 6-0 for the first time in their 71-year history.

But that's post-turnaround.

For those too young to remember St. Edward football as anything but highly competitive, here's an outline of the first few chapters of "For Whom the Victory Bell Tolls" (working title):

Chapter 1

It's 2003, late July. The previous St. Edward coach and staff quit without notice weeks before fall practice is scheduled to open. The players don't find out until they show up at the Elgin Sports Complex for practice only to find a note taped to a porta-John that reads "season canceled."

Chapter 2

The Elgin Catholic school turns to a well-known, former local athlete to guide the football program: Rolando, who quarterbacked Larkin to a state quarterfinal in 1990.

At the time he has no experience coaching at the high school level. His experience encompasses seven seasons with various Elgin youth football teams, including the Crusaders, which he led to the eighth-grade Super Bowl title a year earlier.

Several St. Edward upperclassmen give up on the program, advised by others to transfer to public schools. The job of continuing the St. Edward football program falls mainly to underclassmen.

Chapters 3-4-5

Seventeen of Rolando's players from the Super Bowl champion Crusaders join him as freshmen at St. Edward. Due to low varsity numbers after transfers, eight freshmen must start on the varsity right away. It's literally boys against men.

If the book is someday made into a movie, these chapters will be condensed into a video montage of St. Edward freshmen and sophomores getting the snot knocked out of them by upperclassmen from state championship-caliber teams from Montini, Driscoll, Marian Central, etc. St. Edward goes winless in 2005 and 2006.

Chapter 6

Finally, in Week 7 of the 2007 season, Rolando and his players break into the win column, beating St. Francis 28-26 by denying a 2-point conversion that would have tied the game in overtime. Tears are shed. Hugs are exchanged between strangers. The school's 26-game losing streak comes to an end. The victory bell rings for the first time since the 2004 season.

Chapters 7-8

The Green Wave win 4 games in 2008, including a 22-0 win over IC Catholic Prep, which goes on to win a Class 2A state title, and a 20-8 victory over Marmion in Week 9.

Just as importantly, the Green Wave hang tough with the big boys in the final year of the old Suburban Catholic Conference. They lose 21-12 to eventual Class 4A quarterfinalist Driscoll (9-3), they lose 28-12 to eventual 5A state champion St. Francis (13-1) and they drop a 33-27 decision to eventual 5A quarterfinalist Montini (11-1).

They play well, but the Green Wave still lose with one of their better teams. The 2008 season perhaps more than any other shows the need for St. Edward, a school of between 400-420 students depending on the year, to find a less-tilted playing field. But that doesn't happen until 2014.

Chapters 9-10-11

These chapters cover the playoff years. St. Edward reaches the postseason three of the next five seasons, including 2013. However, because of the difference in size and philosophy between St. Edward and the SCC powers, the Green Wave will always face an uphill battle, outmanned in at least 3 games per season by schools more than twice their size. No matter how hard Rolando, his players and his staff work to improve, they will struggle to earn a high seed in Class 4A against a mostly Class 5A schedule.

That's why St. Edward and six of the smaller members of the SCC left and merged this season with the Metro Suburban Conference. St. Edward now finds itself in the conference's East Division with Ridgewood (2-3), Chicago Christian (2-3), Guerin (1-4), Elmwood Park (1-4) and Walther Christian (0-5).

The MSC West includes Glenbard South (3-2), Riverside-Brookfield (3-2), IC Catholic Prep (2-3), Wheaton Academy (4-1), Aurora Central Catholic (4-1) and Fenton (4-1).

It does not mean St. Edward will annually have an easy path to the playoffs. Several MSC schools boast three or four times St. Edward's enrollment and could well develop strong programs that enjoy a string of successful seasons.

However, the level of competition is simply fairer now. In its better seasons, like this one, St. Edward will have the opportunity to win 7, 8, perhaps 9 games. That means a high seed, a first-round home game and a more realistic chance to get past the second round of the playoffs, something this program has yet to achieve.

In fact, several more firsts could be on the way in coming years. More wins tend to beget more players, and more players beget more wins.

"Success breeds success," Rolando said Wednesday. "It's no longer like the old days against the big schools we played where we were a third or half their size, but we're also not playing Class 1A and 2A teams either. We're playing schools that are equivalent or bigger than us. In some cases, much bigger. It's a little different landscape, but now our schedule is filled with teams we could be seeing in the playoffs like Ridgewood. The schedule now sets us up to have more success, but we still have to earn it."

Making the move from the SCC to the MSC not only gives the talented 2014 squad a chance to go 6-0 for the first time in school history, it means Green Wave teams of the future will have the opportunity to reach the playoffs with a high seed if they work as hard as their predecessors who saved the program a decade ago.

It could eventually mean a deep playoff run, maybe even that long-sought state championship.

It means sometime in coming years we might finally get to write that book.

No kidding.

jfitzpatrick@dailyherald.com

The Guerin Prep faithful was in stunned silence after St. Edward spoiled the Crusader homecoming 38-21 Friday evening in River Grove.

After a 13-0 deficit stared the Green Wave (5-0) in the face, St. Edward junior running Dwayne Allen was not ready to bow out early. Allen and St. Edward retaliated from the 13-point hole to post 38 unanswered points on the scoreboard.

For the fourth week in a row Allen registered yardage on the ground over the century mark, and for the second week in a row recorded over 200-yards (205 yards).

"I just have to stay positive," Allen said of the slow start to the game. "I had a feeling I'd break a run. I have the benefit of my offensive line that didn't give up for me. This is the first time in my football career that we've gone five in a row. I'm looking forward to the next game."

And run he did. With Allen's 241 all-purpose yards and one touchdown game, he not only extended St. Edward's undefeated record, but he also had his best performance of the year.

The first two offensive series the Green Wave tossed an interception and coughed up a fumble. This led to consecutive hook ups between Guerin Prep sophomore Richie Zacharias, who connected with junior receiver Keith Franklin for corner of the end zone touchdown (35 yard and 14 yard) throws.

However, the St. Edward defensive unit tightened up its play. After they chased a 13-0 lead, they wouldn't relinquish a score to Guerin Prep until there was a mere 14 seconds left in the entire game.

With the help of St. Edward junior linebacker Jake French (2.5 sacks, onside kick recovery), senior Jack Tierney (one sack for a safety) and freshman cornerback Savion Smith (didn't allow a single catch to Franklin after his first quarter touchdowns), nothing got past the St. Edward defense. St. Edward senior safety Bryan O'Neil also added an interception.

"It's no secret that we had an embarrassing start to the game," French said. "We came back because it's never a one-man show. We listen to what the coaches say, and we perform as a team.

"We have to keep our hearts throughout the entire game. If we got our head on right, we can get the win the right way."

In addition to the offensive showing that Allen displayed, Green Wave senior quarterback Joseph Mullen (11-for-21, 146 yards) threw for 3 touchdowns. Two of the Mullen scores were tossed to senior receiver Santos Gomez (5 catches, 56 yards), while the other from 4 yards out was gripped by senior receiver Nick Duffy.

The final St. Edward score was set up emulating the 1985 Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl where William ‘The Fridge' Perry rushed a ball into the end zone. In this version of the T-formation from the biggest man on the team was Green Wave senior lineman Kasey Cooke taking in a 1-yard run for the touchdown.

Although the St. Edward defense ended up allowing 65 yards in penalties that led to a final Guerin Prep scoring drive, Green Wave coach Mike Rolando was proud of the tenacity that all three phases exhibited in the final three quarters.

St. Edward will try to keep its perfect season alive as the Wave travel to Walther Lutheran next Saturday.

"I'm proud of the boys responding after the beginning," Rolando said. "Joe led the team well at quarterback, and I have a number of freshmen that played well. Dwayne is a phenomenal runner hitting a lot of good holes, and he make good plays out of nothing.

"It is a great way to learn (from the slow start) because you can't look past anyone. We're making history with every win. It's going to take a lot of heart to keep (the undefeated record)."

St. Edward (4-0, 0-0) at Guerin (1-3, 0-0)When/where: today at 7:30 p.m.

Watch: Streaming broadcast via highschoolcube can be seen at football.dailyherald.com

Last meeting (2010): St. Edward 49, Guerin 14

Last week: St. Edward 35, IC Catholic Prep 28; Aurora Central Catholic 48, Guerin 18

Outlook: After passing two major tests in two weeks, the Green Wave find themselves tied for No. 10 in The Associated Press poll of Class 4A teams. It's the first ranking for St. Edwards since 2010, when the program was ranked No. 10 for two weeks but fell out of the poll after losing to IC, which was ranked No. 7 at the time. Coach Mike Rolando said the intention this week is to stay the course in the inaugural Metro Suburban Conference East Division game for both teams. "We've made it through some of the games we thought were among the toughest on our schedule, now we have to play well against our conference opponents," Rolando said. "We can't look past any one week. We have to continue to execute, improve our game and develop our playbook." The Crusaders like to throw the ball around. "They throw it a ton," Rolando added. "They'll go five wide. Whenever you have five receivers running around, there's always the possibility of one of them getting loose for a quick score and it's a touchdown. We have to be leery that we don't give up the big play. After watching film we're focusing on what we need to fix in our kitchen." Junior tailback Dwayne Allen leads the Wave with 570 yards and 8 touchdowns on 93 carries (6.1 avg.). Josh Von Rohr leads the defense with 4 sacks and Jake French has 3 sacks. Linebacker Jack Tierney leads the team with 33 tackles.

Next week: St. Edward at Walther Christian (0-4); Guerin at Elmwood Park (1-3)

Class 4A
1. Rochester (16) (4-0) 169 1
2. Rockford Lutheran (1) (4-0) 143 2
3. Phillips (3-1) 132 3
4. Greenville (4-0) 104 4
5. Bishop McNamara (3-1) 93 6
6. Althoff Catholic (3-1) 90 5
7. Manteno (4-0) 58 7
8. Quincy Notre Dame (3-1) 38 10
9. Columbia (3-1) 36 8
10. Herrin (3-1) 30 9
10. (tie)St. Edward (4-0) 30 NR

Others receiving votes: Carterville 8, Aurora Central Catholic 6, Breese Mater Dei 6, Coal City 4, Richmond-Burton 3, Mt. Zion 2, Freeburg 2, Dixon 1, Alleman 1.

Gene Chamberlain’s football notes:
Historical Wave

St. Edward had just knocked off IC Prep to go 4-0, and coach Mike Rolando wondered aloud if there’d been many 4-0 teams from St. Edward.

They had just done it three years earlier, but this week when they open their first Metro Suburban East schedule with a game at Guerin, a win would make St. Edward 5-0 for the first time in 30 years.

The 1984 team, coached by John Pergi, went 5-0, then collapsed with four straight defeats. St. Edward had an unbeaten team in 1960 under coach Greg True, for whom the field is named, although it wasn’t perfect. The team went 6-0-1.

The best season in terms of total victories came in 1978 under coach Tim McVey at 8-1, but the Green Wave failed to beat IC Prep and make the five-class state playoffs, which started in 1974.

Daily Herald

St. Edward (3-0) at IC Catholic Prep (1-2)When/where: Saturday at 1 p.m. at Jack Lewis Stadium at Plunkett Park

Last year: IC Catholic Prep 21, St. Edward 17

Elgin area football games to watch in Week 4

St. Edward (3-0) at IC Prep (1-2), 1 p.m. Saturday

Last year: Immaculate Conception 21, St. Edward 17.

Key players: St. Edward – QB Joe Mullen, DE Augie Nottolini. IC Prep – OL/DL Michael Perrone, RB Jordan Rowell.

Outlook: St. Edward travels to Elmhurst’s Plunkett Park to face its longtime rival, which is now in the other division, the new Metro Suburban East. Rowell, only a sophomore, is a threat to go all the way with good size and great speed, and the Green Wave defense that refused to break last week will be tested. St. Edward ran for over 400 yards against IC last year but lost due to mistakes. The Wave is anxious to get RB Dwayne Allen loose on the artificial turf.

Riverside-Brookfeld (1-1) at St. Edward (2-0), 7 p.m. Friday

Last year: Did not play.

Key players: Riverside-Brookfield – QB Ryan Swift, RB Brian Kulaga. St. Edward – RB/DB Dwayne Allen, QB Joe Mullen.

Outlook: St. Edward is trying to start 3-0 for the first time since 2011, facing a larger Metro Suburban crossover opponent (1,500 enrollment). R-B has been through extremes, dominating Morton with defenders like lineman Jordan Petronella and linebacker David Pribyl-Pierdinock, then allowing five first-half TDs in a loss to Nazareth. The goal for St. Edward linebackers Jack Tierney and Chris Kelly is stopping Kulaga. St. Edward’s offense could turn to Allen’s running with flanker Dan Favela out (appendectomy). Mullen could look more to big receivers Nick Duffy (6-4) and Brandon Ostrander (6-3).

Riverside-Brookfield (1-1) at St. Edward (2-0)

When/where: today at 7 p.m. at Greg True Field

Last week: St. Edward 56, Clark 0; Nazareth 49, Riverside-Brookfield 6

Outlook: This Metro Suburban League crossover matchup represents one of the stiffer challenges of the year for St. Edward, which takes on a school almost four times its size. "They'll be a really good test," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said of the Bulldogs. "They are bigger than us for the most part, they have very few kids going both ways and they have some pretty good athletes. They're every bit as good as Genoa, but we're a better football team since Genoa. We'll come out and play as mistake-free as possible and let the chips fall." St. Edward gets a lift with the return from injury of senior defensive lineman Kasey Cooke, a 275-pound, 6-foot run stopper at defensive tackle. The team will be without receiver/defensive back Danny Favela for the second straight week due to injury, but the offense didn't miss a beat last week, thanks to junior Trevor Loewen. He caught a pair of 18-yard touchdown passes from Joe Mullen. St. Edward will face a defense that shut out Morton 22-0 in Week 1. Offensively, the Wave will keep an eye on running back Matt Chapp, who rushed for 66 yards and gained 26 yards via receptions in the Morton game. He also returned a kickoff against Nazareth 95 yards for a touchdown. Kicker Nick Fucinato booted 3 field goals in the season opener. R-B has much to prepare for since the St. Edward offense has rushed 55 times for 356 yards and completed 14 of 26 attempts for 193 yards and 3 touchdowns. "We should be a hard team to prepare for," Rolando said. "We want to continue to run and throw and maybe have our defense make some big plays."

Next: St. Edward at IC Catholic Prep (0-2); Walther Christian (0-2) at Riverside-Brookfield

Chicago Clark (0-1) at St. Edward (1-0)

When/where: today at 7:15 p.m. at Greg True Field

Last year: first meeting

Last week: St. Edward 24, Genoa-Kingston 20; York 50, Clark 0

Outlook: St. Edward coach Mike Rolando pointed out several bright spots in last week's 4-point win in Genoa: senior linebackers Jack Tierney (15 tackles) and Chris Kelly (8 tackles, fumble recovery) played well inside; junior lineman Jake French made 7 tackles and recovered a fumble; and Danny Favela was a difference maker. The senior scored on a 39-yard punt return and, later, a 79-yard run that put his team ahead 24-14 early in the second half. He also made 6 tackles on defense. "From the middle of the summer on, Danny really committed himself and realized this is his last time to do this," Rolando said. "He's really made the most of it. I'd like to see more of that out of him this year." Lineman Kasey Cooke is expected to miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury, his coach said. Junior Michael Montes (8 tackles) stepped up in his place and "really stood out," according to Rolando, who added he also was pleased with the performance of freshman defensive back Savion Smith who made 3 tackles and defended 3 passes. The Green Wave won't let the final score of Class 3A Chicago Clark's season-opening loss at Class 8A York affect their preparation. "They could be dangerous. They have talent," Rolando said. "They just weren't firing all pistons against a team with almost 100 guys dressed. If they shore some things up, they could be tough. I'd like to see us work on establishing the running game. If we can get our blocking assignments right in the inside run game, we an continue to evolve the outside run game. And we'll continue to work on the passing game. We need to be more efficient taking care of the ball."

Next week: Riverside-Brookfield (1-0) at St. Edward; Clark at Sullivan (0-1);

St. Edward’s Danny Favela made the transition from basketball player to football player this summer, and now he’s made the transition to team leader.

The Green Wave slot back/defensive back quickly assumed a big-play and leadership role like former player Mike Castoro had, and helped lead a 24-20 victory over Genoa-Kingston in the season opener.

“I don’t know if I can be exactly like Mikey was because he played with such heart and I’m also a little taller, but I want to be the guy they look to when things are tough, want to be seen as a leader,” Favela said.

“Most of the guys are younger than me, and I want to set a good example for them.”

Favela did more than set examples Friday. With the Green Wave offense stymied by a Genoa-Kingston defense keyed on running back Dwayne Allen, Favela broke a 79-yard touchdown run. He also produced a 39-yard TD return on a punt, and came up with almost 200 combined yards for the game, including 138 from scrimmage.

On defense, Favela made six tackles, including a sack.

“We’ve got a lot of playmakers but I think we saw Dan break out Friday night similar to last year when Devontae (Elam) did it for us in the opener,” Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. “He hadn’t had a breakout game before, but had showed signs of greatness with runs and receptions. He did that Friday, and also in the return game and on defense.”

The 6-foot-1 senior had been a sixth man and starter for coach P.J. White’s basketball team.

“Between my sophomore and junior years, that’s when summer basketball and football ran into each other,” Favela said. “I told coach Rolando then that I had to do summer basketball because I want to play it in college.”

Favela was playing travel basketball on a team with football and basketball teammate Nick Duffy, but opted this year to focus on summer 7-on-7 football instead. This included missing a trip with the travel basketball team to Las Vegas.

“You know, coach Rolando told me when I was a sophomore that I was going to end up playing football in college, anyway — the more I thought about it, he’s right,” Favela said.

Favela went to football camps at South Dakota State and Northwestern and visited Hope College in the offseason.

Now he’s fit well into the slot position in St. Edward’s offense, where he uses his versatility.

“It’s a tough position, especially blocking-wise,” he said. “The blocking angles are sometimes tough but I like the position best in the offense because I’m either catching passes or going in motion and getting to run and use my speed.”

Favela also lined up in the tailback spot in the third quarter Friday and broke the 79-yard TD run to give St. Edward breathing room.

“We had Dwayne (Allen) line up as lead blocker and put Brandon Ostrander at tight end and went with Danny as a big back,” Rolando said. “He has the speed to break it if he sees daylight.”

While there were several problems in the win over G-K that St. Edward’s coach said can’t be repeated against Chicago Public League team Clark in Friday’s home opener, Favela’s effort in the slot went exactly as planned.

“It was very much how we used Mikey (Castoro) last year,” Rolando said. “He doesn’t get a lot of carries, but can get around 100 yards with misdirections and sweeps, and Mikey was the leading receiver. Danny, in the slot, will be someone we throw to quite a bit.

“And then there’s the return abilities.”

Also there’s the leadership.

“We can’t make some of the same mistakes we did against Genoa,” Favela said. “We don’t know that much about them (Clark). They may not be as good. They could be even better.”

Scott Miller

GENOA -- No matter what, St. Edward was bound and determined to win its opening game of the season here on Friday night.

Despite a struggling offense that turned the ball over 3 times and generated just 7 first downs the Green Wave managed to pull out a 24-20 nonconference victory over Genoa-Kingston in large part because of big plays from the defense and special teams and one big run by junior Danny Favela.

The game was delayed at halftime for nearly 2 hours because of a thunderstorm, but on the third play from scrimmage in the second half Favela broke free off left tackle to ramble 79 yards for a touchdown that put the Green Wave up 24-14 and proved to be the difference in the margin of victory.

Earlier in the first half Favela scored on a 39-yard punt return which gave St. Edward a 17-7 lead at the time with 3:01 left in the second quarter.

"Thank God for Danny Favela tonight," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "He really saved us. We struggled at the line of scrimmage and just couldn't get any thing going offensively. But we came up with enough big plays to escape with the win."

Favela finished with 90 yards rushing on 5 carries and also had 5 receptions for 71 yards.

"I got some great blocking on both of my touchdowns," Favela said. "It wouldn't have happened without my teammates. It was a big win for us. They gave us a run for our money, but it was very important for us to get out of here with a win."

St. Edward's biggest play may have come on the first play from scrimmage when Dan Howell forced a G-K fumble that the Green Wave's Jake French pounced on at the Cogs' 12-yard line. On the next play Dwayne Allen scored on a touchdown run to give St. Edward a quick 7-0 lead.

"We felt like we had a lot of momentum coming into the game," Allen said. "We definitely wanted to land the first big punch and we did right at the start."

Joe French added a 35-yard field goal for St. Edward in the first quarter to make it 10-0.

G-K had touchdown drives of 80 and 64 yards in the first half. Quarterback Griffin McNeal scored the Cogs' first touchdown with a 2-yard run. Jesse Bade added a 7-yard touchdown run to pull the Cogs to within 17-14 at the half. McNeal added a 14-yard touchdown pass to Ian Fell in the second half.

However, the Cogs' final opportunity ended with a fumble at the Green Wave 40 that was recovered by Christopher Kelly with just over a minute to play.

"We got punched in the nose early on," said G-K coach Travis Frederick. "I thought we responded pretty well after that. We just allowed too many big plays."

Danny Favela made the big plays with a 79-yard touchdown run and a 39-yard punt return touchdown and St. Edward hung on for a 24-20 nonconference victory Friday to open the season at Genoa-Kingston.

Favela gave St. Edward 10-point leads twice with his touchdowns. Joe French’s 35-yard field goal and a Dwayne Allen 12-yard TD run accounted for an early 10-0 Green Wave lead.

The Cogs rallied behind a defense that forced three turnovers, had a Griffin McNeal TD run and a 14-yard McNeal TD pass to Ian Fell, then got the ball to midfield on their final drive but St. Edward’s Chris Kelly recovered a fumble with just over a minute left to preserve the Green Wave victory.

The first St. Edward touchdown, by Allen, had come as a result of a fumble caused by Dan Hall.

St. Edward at Genoa-Kingston, 7 p.m. Friday

Last year: St. Edward 43, Genoa-Kingston 21

Key players: St. Edward – QB Joe Mullen, DE/TE Brandon Ostrander. Genoa-Kingston – QB Griffin McNeal, LB Anthony Lacko.

Outlook: This could turn into a shootout because St. Edward has a high-powered attack and G-K has McNeal, who led several comebacks last year. The teams have played against each other in three straight openers, with St. Edward winning all three. This is the end of the series. St. Edward’s offense, led by Mullen and fleet RB Dwayne Allen, will challenge G-K’s defense. The Cogs have questions along the line.

 

St. Edward (5-5) at Genoa-Kingston (5-5)

 

When: today at 7 p.m.

 

Last year: St. Edward 43, Genoa-Kingston 21

 

Outlook: St. Edward has won 6 straight season openers, the last 3 against Genoa-Kingston. G-K returns several key players from a 5-5 playoff team that finished second in the Big Northern East, but so does the Green Wave. Defensively, coach Mike Rolando's team welcomes back eight defensive starters in all, including tackle Kasey Cooke (6-0, 285), end Brandon Ostrander (6-4, 250) inside linebackers Chris Kelly and Jack Tierney and third-year safety Danny Favela (2 ints.). Quarterback Joe Mullen aims to improve on last year's line of 957 yards and 10 touchdowns on 58-of-120 passing. He can throw to tall receivers Nick Duffy (6-4), Danny Favela (6-3), Petey DeWindt (6-2) and Ostrander at tight end. The varsity roster has grown steadily from 19 players in 2012 to 24 in 2013 to 33 this year. The largest team St. Edward has fielded in 10 seasons gives the program something it has lacked for a decade: depth. "Having 33 is a big step up for us," Rolando said. "We've made the playoffs three of the last five years so we have kids coming through the program who don't remember when we used to be real bad. They expect us to be competitive and they want to be a part of it. They see the fun we have." The Cogs return senior quarterback Griffin McNeal, who last year, according to the DeKalb Chronicle, completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 1,199 yards and 13 scores. He threw 7 interceptions.

 

Next week: Chicago Clark at St. Edward; Genoa-Kingston at Byron

Game time: 7 p.m.

Location: Genoa-Kingston High School, 980 Park Ave., Genoa, 60135

Last meeting: The Cogs lost 43-21 in Elgin to begin last year.

Scouting the Green Wave: There’s no surprises here. The teams are meeting for the fourth straight year.

“They might as well be a conference team at this point,” G-K coach Travis Frederick said. “We have seen enough of each other.”

Frederick said the Green Wave bring back most of their weapons from a year ago, including junior running back Dwayne Allen, senior quarterback Joe Mullen and 6-foot-4 (on last year’s roster) receiver Nick Duffy.

On defense, Frederick said most of St. Edward’s front seven return, calling the defense “real stout.”

What’s at stake: The Cogs are hoping to make a leap beyond 5-5 this season, and they get a good Week 1 measuring stick. Despite the lopsided score, the Green Wave also finished 5-5 last year.

“If we can play with these guys for four quarters, it’s a good test to see where we’re going to go for the season,” Frederick said. “If we compete well, maybe we get a ‘W’ against these guys and that would be a huge, huge boost to start the season. But they are real good and if things don’t go our way – I mean, they are going to be a playoff team. I like to start the year against a tough team like this.”

Frederick said he expects big things from quarterback Griffin McNeal. He also thinks converted lineman Joe Murray will shore-up a depleted fullback position. The Cogs started with four, but are down to “one and a half” according to Frederick.

It's the dawn of a new era for St. Edward football and the outlook has never been brighter.

The Green Wave fought the good fight for decades against larger private schools like Montini, Marian Central, St. Francis, Marmion and now-shuttered Driscoll in the Suburban Catholic Conference and its expanded successor, the Suburban Christian. The odds were usually against the Elgin Catholic school, which has an enrollment of 406 students, according to its website.

St. Edward, seeking a more level playing field for its athletes in general and its football program in particular, was among seven of the smaller SCC schools to leave for the Metro Suburban Conference, which is now a 12-team, two-division league comprised of seven private schools, five public.

The Green Wave finds itself in the MSC East with division games scheduled against Guerin, Walther Christian, Ridgewood, Chicago Christian and Elmwood Park -- respectable opponents, all, but not comparable to the state champion-caliber teams the Wave faced regularly in the SCC with rare success.

"We'd jump up and beat somebody now and then but the stars had to line up," tenth-year St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said of playing in the SCC. "Your kids had to be on, they had to not be intimidated and you had to catch the other guy on an off day maybe.

"Now we look at our schedule and there are 9 games we can compete in. The kids have a great attitude. They're confident and prepared. If the players do what they need to do and we do our job as coaches, there's no reason we can't put together a team that competes in all 9 games."

The veteran coach's optimism has reached the high-water mark, and the reasons go well beyond the new schedule. Ironically, Rolando has a team this season that might have fared as well in the SCC as any under his watch. The roster of 33, the program's largest in 10 seasons, is loaded with talented veterans. St. Edward welcomes back eight full or part-time defensive starters from a team that went 5-5 in its final SCC season and secured the program's third playoff berth in five years.

The defense drips with experience at each level. Senior inside linebacker Jack Tierney returns for his third season as a starter. Tierney last year had 1 interception and made 63 tackles, third on the team and the most of any returnee. Playing alongside him is senior linebacker Chris Kelly, a returning starter who recorded 42 tackles.

Danny Favela is a three-year starter at free safety. Also a basketball player, the 6-foot-3 senior snared 2 of the defense's 9 interceptions and made 44 tackles last year. He is joined again in the secondary by junior returning starter Jake French at cornerback. Seniors Devin Warner (5-11, 165) and Bryan O'Neill (6-0, 173) both saw significant playing time at safety.

"We have some solid defensive players, really good coverage guys," Rolando said. "A lot of teams like to throw now and I feel we've got six or seven defensive backs who are really good. We have several who can go man coverage, which allows us to do other things."

The defensive line is just as experienced. Senior tackle Kasey Cooke (6-0, 285) returns along with ends Brandon Ostrander (6-4, 240) and Josh Von Rohr (6-1, 185). Von Rohr is coming back from a season-ending injury suffered in Week 5. Dan Howell will get the starting nod at tackle after notching 4 sacks off the bench as a junior. Combined, that foursome was responsible for 90 tackles and 12 sacks in 2013.

Senior Joe Mullen emerged from a quarterback competition last fall and started throughout the second half of the season. He completed 58 of 120 pass attempts for 957 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw 7 interceptions. Rolando said Mullen added 17 pounds of muscle in the off-season and returns a more polished, more confident player ready to lead the offense.

Mullen enjoys the luxury of tall, seasoned receivers. Slot man Favela (6-3) made 8 receptions for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns last year, senior Nick Duffy (6-4) had 14 catches for 187 yards and 2 scores and Petey DeWindt had 9 grabs for 82 yards. Mullen gains another tall target with the 6-4 Ostrander at tight end.

Junior tailback Dwayne Allen didn't get many carries last season while biding his time behind record breaking running back DaVontae Elam, who graduated with single-season and career program records in attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Quietly, Allen posted the third-highest average yards per carry in modern St. Edward history with 9.3 per attempt. He gained 475 yards and scored 5 touchdowns on 51 carries and made 6 catches for 101 yards and another score.

The line features multiple two-way players: Kelly, Cooke, Tierney and Von Rohr. Juniors Haydn Hilton, Michael Montes and Ruben Monteil are vying for the open starting job, but all will see playing time in an effort to keep the team's two-way linemen as fresh as possible deep into games.

"I'm optimistic, mostly because of the depth of talent, the wide range of talent," Rolando said. "I like the well-balanced team we have."

 

08/19/2014, 7:45pm CDT

By Gene Chamberlain | gchamberlain@stmedianetwork.com

It usually takes very little to fuel the fires of optimism in St. Edward football coach Mike Rolando, so he’s had a full blaze going since well before summer workouts started.

St. Edward quarterback Joe Mullen attempts a pass during Friday evening's 7-on-7 and lineman challenge at St. Edward in Elgin. | Brian O'Mahoney/For Sun-Times Media

It usually takes very little to fuel the fires of optimism in St. Edward football coach Mike Rolando, so he’s had a full blaze going since well before summer workouts started.

“We’ve got 17 seniors, the most returning starters I’ve had, we’re the most well-balanced team I’ve had and the size of the kids: We’ve got big guys where we need big guys and fast guys where we need fast guys,” Rolando said.

Add in the fact St. Edward now plays in the Metro Suburban East against a schedule of more similar-sized opponents, and it’s easy to see why Rolando says, “It’s the best position we’ve been in coming into a season in 10 years.”

The defense figures to be just as strong as the offense. The Green Wave goes with four seniors across the front in tackles Kasey Cook and Dan Howell and ends Brandon Ostrander and Josh VonRohr. There is as much experience among linebackers with three returning starters: junior Jake French and senior third-year starter Jack Tierney outside and senior Chris Kelly in the middle.

Only in the secondary is there raw inexperience with freshman corner Saveon Smith, but also raw talent. On the other side is returning sophomore starter Dwayne Allen, and the safeties are Dan Favela and Devin Warner, both seniors with varsity experience. Santos Gomez and David Groves back up the young, speedy corners. Favela, at 6-2, gives opponents a reason to reconsider throwing deep.

“You need that height when you’ve got so many 6-4 and 6-3 receivers these days,” Rolando said.

The Green Wave’s own passing attack looks explosive, starting with senior quarterback Joe Mullen.

“He established himself as our leader and No. 1 since our indoor league in spring at Lake Barrington,” Rolando said.

Throwing to 6-4 Ostrander, 6-1 Petey Dewindt, 6-4 Nick Duffy, 6-2 Favela, Joe French and Trevor Lowen, and speedsters like Gomez, Smith or Allen coming out of the backfield gives Mullen versatile and multiple explosive targets.

Although Rolando calls Allen “like lightning” in the open field, he says the junior also can run with a surge on the interior.

Assigned to open the holes for Allen and buy Mullen time to throw are Cook, Kelly, VonRohr, Haydn Hilton, Nathan Witt, Howell and Michael Montes.

“We have a lot of two-way starters, but the thing is we’ve got a lot of reserve players with experience who can fill in and help keep guys fresh through the fourth quarter,” Rolando said.

One key reserve will be Bryan O’Neill, the backup quarterback who can play multiple offensive and defensive positions and may even help as a spot starter.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons but the whole key will be how fast they become a team,” Rolando said. “Everybody has to get comfortable with the idea of helping other people be successful and doing their part to help each other’s success rather than their own success with the ball.

“If they grasp onto this, and get excited about everyone else’s success, we can be dangerous.”

One in a series previewing area prep football teams.

- See more at: http://www.highschoolcubenews.com/news_article/show/411520?referrer_id=887306#sthash.OytH6Lwf.dpuf

 

Updated: October 30, 2013 7:10PM

 

One player does not make a football team, but there is no denying the outsized contributions Mikey Castoro provides as St. Edward’s emotional leader.

“Mikey is a very relentless player,” St. Edward senior Davontae Elam said. “He won’t give up, and that fires everyone up to play like him.”

Coach Mike Rolando calls the 5-foot-8, 140-pound Castoro the Green Wave’s heart and soul, so it stands to reason there was major cause for concern when Castoro heard a pop in his right knee during the second quarter of last Friday’s game at St. Francis. Test results Monday confirmed the team’s worst fears that Castoro suffered a torn ACL, and he underwent surgery Tuesday to repair the injury.

Rolando said a depression hung over the team last weekend as it dealt with the prospect of being without a player who lives up to his Twitter handle @The_Workhorse by making key contributions in every phase for St. Edward. The injury has since turned into a source of inspiration for the Green Wave going into Friday’s trip to play undefeated Harvard in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.

“There’s such a strong brotherhood and bond between the boys,” Rolando said. “I know they’re sad for Mikey, but they will rally around the situation. They don’t want to let him down, and winning Friday would give him a moment of joy”

Replacing Castoro won’t be easy as he leads St. Edward with 357 receiving yards and is the team’s second-leading rusher behind Elam with 485 yards on 39 carries, which is good for a ridiculous average of 12.4 yards per attempt. He also returns kicks and punts, serves as the holder on field goals and helps lead the defensive secondary with 38 tackles and seven pass deflections.

Staying true to form, Castoro remains determined to make an impact this week. He was at practice Monday offering advice to teammates who will fill his positions, and before scheduling his surgery he made sure the doctor cleared him to be on the sidelines wearing a headset for Friday’s game.

“I’m going to try and help the team as much as possible,” Castoro said. “I’ve been able to play in the games, so I’ll be able to see what’s going on and tell the coaches.”

The silver lining is Castoro should be back in time for baseball season in the spring. His dream of playing college football also appears to still be within reach.

Rolando envisions Castoro making a perfect slot receiver or wing back at the Division III level, and Wisconsin-La Crosse made contact this week to reiterate its interest despite the knee injury.

St. Edward (5-4) has plenty of talent to go around without Castoro, starting with Elam, the area’s leading rusher with 1,382 yards. Sophomore Dwayne Allen has been a solid complementary back all year, and seniors Collin Holte and Zach West are a pair of three-year varsity starters who anchor an offensive line that has paved the way for close to 3,500 total yards this season.

“When these types of injuries happen to a team with 26 kids it hurts, but the 26 we have are solid football players,” Rolando said. “There is depth there. It’s not numbers depth, but it’s quality depth where every guy can play.”

For Rolando, the toughest thing about Castoro’s injury is knowing a player who worked so hard for the chance to take the field in a playoff game won’t get the opportunity.

Castoro can find consolation in knowing he helped St. Edward secure only its fifth trip to the postseason in program history. The Green Wave has just one victory in its previous four playoff appearances, and raising the bar is something this year’s team has had its eye on all along.

“We want to finish as the best team that St. Ed has ever had,” Elam said. “It’s going to be tough this week and I know we’re the underdogs, but I think playing some of the bigger schools in our conference prepared us for this game. So I think we’re ready.”

Castoro concurs.

“Nothing changes and we’re still in the playoffs,” he said. “Our team has fought through adversity before, so they’ll be ready to go. I’m not worried about that.”

Class 4A

No. 15 St. Edward (5-4) at No. 2 Harvard (9-0)

Playoff history: St. Edward is making its fifth playoff appearance overall and third in five seasons. The Green Wave own a 1-4 postseason record. Harvard is making its fourth straight appearance and 16th overall. The Hornets are 11-17 in postseason play.

The skinny: St. Edward believes playing in the rough-and-tumble Suburban Christian Conference against Class 5A state contenders prepares the team for success in the Class 4A playoffs. The Green Wave gets a chance to prove it against the Hittin' Hornets, the undefeated Big Northern East champions, led by retiring football and wrestling coach Tim Haak. The 26-man St. Edward roster may have been diminished by one due to Friday's injury to running back/safety Mike Castoro. The senior's availability will be determined on Monday when he goes for a medical evaluation, according to his coach.

Coach Mike Rolando says: "First and foremost, we're just excited about the opportunity. This is only the fifth team in St. Edward history to make the playoffs and we're excited to be a part of it for the third time in five years. We talk about this for nine months of the year, getting that fifth win and getting to the postseason, so whoever we play it's a blessing. Obviously, Harvard is a solid football team that has learned to play and win close games with a veteran coach. I expect our guys to return to playing the way they did in the middle of the season when our backs were against the wall and we had to win."

Looking ahead: Winner plays either No. 10 Aurora Central Catholic (6-3) or No. 7 King (7-2)

St Edward (5-4) also faces a tough draw after landing a 15th seed in Class 4A. The Green Wave travels to play No. 2 Harvard (9-0) in the first round.

Champions of the Big Northern East, the Hornets are looking to make a deep playoff run in longtime coach Tim Haak’s final year at the helm. St. Edward will have to brace for Harvard’s physical style of play, but the Green Wave is certainly battle tested going into its fifth playoff appearance in program history after playing a grueling Suburban Christian Blue schedule.

“For us it’s a great opportunity to play in Week 10,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “Not a lot of St. Edward teams have been able to do that. We’re here, we’re excited and we look forward to the challenge.”

St. Edward proved it can go from zero to 60 in less than three quarters as it overcame a scoreless first quarter to post a 60-21 victory over Wheaton Academy on Friday. The offensive display marked the highest scoring total for the Green Wave in at least 33 years.

Seniors Mikey Castoro and Davontae Elam and sophomore Dwayne Allen all had at least 145 rushing yards for St. Edward. Castoro led the way with 174 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries to go along with a team-high eight tackles on defense.

The Green Wave became playoff eligible with the lopsided win, which came on the heels of a 53-point scoring output in Week 6 against Chicago Christian. Given the way St. Edward’s offense is clicking right now, it looks like coach Mike Rolando’s team might be poised to make some noise in the Class 4A playoffs.

 

Jacobsen’s Top 5

1. Jacobs (5-2): Mooney’s magic has Golden Eagles on track for first conference title since 1979, but a tough trip to Huntley looms Friday.

2. St. Charles East (5-2): Saints looked a little shaky in win over Streamwood and need to take it up a notch this week at Batavia.

3. St. Edward (5-2): Don’t count out the Wave to pull off a surprise or two in their next two games against Marian Central and St. Francis.

4. Dundee-Crown (5-2): Chargers were able to rebound from their first loss of the year. Can they do it again after ugly 42-0 defeat at Prairie Ridge on Friday?

5. Hampshire (5-2): Whip-Purs steadily picking up wins, confidence on their way to first playoff trip since 2008.

Brian Schaumburg

St. Edward helped its playoff chances and dealt Wheaton Academy a serious blow to its hopes Friday night.

The Green Wave became playoff eligible by beating the Warriors, 60-21, in Suburban Christian crossover action at Greg True Field for their fifth victory.

St. Edward (5-2) likely will have enough playoff points to make its first trip to the postseason since 2010. The Green Wave play at Marian Central and at St. Francis to finish the regular season in hopes of getting a sixth victory, which would guarantee a playoff spot.

Wheaton Academy (3-4) will have to win its final two games — at Chicago Christian and home against Marian Central — to get to five wins.

"We just told our guys it makes the road tougher," Warriors interim coach Brad Thornton said. "We've got to move on. We've got to learn from this."

Despite 81 points being scored Friday, the teams played a scoreless first quarter.

The Green Wave broke the scoreless tie on an 11-yard touchdown run from Mikey Castoro with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter.

Wheaton Academy answered on its next play from scrimmage as David Thrasher connected with Marino Costello for a 72-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

St. Edward scored the next 22 points, capped by a Danny Favela 85-yard interception return for a score and 2-point conversion run from Castoro with 1:11 remaining in the first half, to take a 29-7 lead.

Castoro finished with 171 yards on just 8 carries, including an 89-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Dwayne Allen had 161 yards and 2 scores on the ground and Davontae Elam added 145 and a touchdown as the Green Wave rushed for 502 yards.

"When Davontae gets his carries, teams are going to start keying on him," Castoro said. "Our line and my backs blocked for me and everything was wide open."

Thrasher threw for 334 yards on 12 of 22 passing. The sophomore's 3 touchdowns all went to Costello, who had 101 yards receiving. Sam Martinez had 3 receptions for 97 yards.

ST. EDWARD 60, WHEATON ACADEMY 21

THE SKINNY

After a scoreless first quarter, St. Edward exploded for a its highest point total in more than 30 years in a 60-21 win over Wheaton Academy. The Green Wave improved to 5-2 and all but secured a third playoff berth in the past five years.

TURNING POINT

St. Edward broke a 7-7 tie with 6:07 left in the second quarter on a 47-yard touchdown pass from Joe Mullen to Danny Favela. The Green Wave tacked on two more touchdowns before the half, including an 84-yard interception return by Favela to lead 29-7 at halftime.

THE STAR

St. Edward senior Mikey Castoro rushed for 180 yards on eight carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 11, 67 and 89 yards.

BY THE NUMBERS

Standout running back Davontae Elam was held to just 11 yards on six carries in the first quarter, but recovered to finish with 145 yards on 23 attempts. Castoro and Dwayne Allen, who rushed for 166 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns, helped carry the load.

QUOTABLE

“Words can’t describe the feeling right now. Since my freshman year we have wanted to get back to the playoffs. It’s an exhilirating feeling.” – Castoro

ST. EDWARD AT MARMION

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, High School Cube

Outlook: The Green Wave accomplished its goal of going 2-0 in nonconference play, and now it must win three more during a grueling seven-week stretch against Suburban Christian foes to become playoff eligible for the first time since 2010. Senior defensive end Tighe Koehring has 16 tackles and two sacks to help lead St. Edward’s defense, which posted a 43-0 shutout at West Hancock Coop last week. Marmion (2-0) is coming off a 45-0 win at Ottawa. Senior running back Mike Montalbano leads the Cadets with 227 rushing yards, and junior running back Jordan Glasgow could see his first action of the year after missing the first two games with a high ankle sprain. Marmion has won six of its past seven meetings against St. Edward going into what will be the final SCC game between the longtime conference foes.



St. Edward (2-0) at Marmion (2-0)

 

When: today at 7:30 p.m. at Fichtel Field

 

Live video streaming: @football.dailyherald.com, followed by postgame highlights

 

Last year: Marmion 49, St. Edward 16

 

Last week: Marmion 45, Ottawa 0; St. Edward 43, Hamilton West Hancock 0

 

Outlook: St. Edward steps up the caliber of competition in the Suburban Christian Blue opener. This will likely be the final meeting between these longtime conference opponents. St. Edward leaves for the Metro Suburban Conference next season, meaning the Class 4A Green Wave is unlikely to face Class 6A Marmion in the future. St. Edward disposed of Genoa-Kingston and Hamilton West Hancock by a combined score of 83-21, scoring 43 points in each outing. Marmion also beat a pair of winless teams, Plainfield and Ottawa, by a combined score of 70-7. "This is a whole other step up," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said of the Cadets. "Marmion has a very solid team this year, but we think we have a good team, too. This week will be the ultimate gauge of what we can do this season. Are we going to be a playoff team or aren't we? If we can compete with a 6A team, it will be a positive for us." The Cadets are led by the backfield tandem of junior Reilly Dougherty (10 carries, 163 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore Lucas Warren (26-162-3). Senior quarterback Brock Krueger (6-2, 205) has completed 11 of 25 attempts for 272 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The St. Edward defense is led by senior linebacker Jack Tierney (21 tackles), end Tighe Koehring (16) lineman Collin Holte (15) and linebacker Will Bothwell (13). The Green Wave defense has forced 1 turnover in 2 games. The St. Edward offense is keyed by senior DaVontae Elam, who has rushed for 275 yards and 6 touchdowns on 22 carries (12.5 avg.). Senior Mikey Castoro has gained 160 yards on 7 carries and has 2 receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. "We expect a good game," Rolando said. "They are big and tough and good. They run the ball well, they are hard nosed and well coached. We haven't really had a chance to test all of our offense yet, so we're looking forward to the opportunity."

 

Next week: Marmion at Marian Central; IC Catholic Prep at St. Edward

 

When it comes to feel-good stories through the first two weeks of the high school football season, look no further than the 2-0 starts for Dundee-Crown, Hampshire and St. Edward.

The good news is that the Chargers, Whip-Purs and Green Wave are two steps closer to reaching the goal of ending their respective playoff droughts after making it through the first two games unscathed. The bad news is all three teams face much tougher tests moving forward as they dive into their conference schedules this week.

Dundee-Crown made arguably the most emphatic statement out of the bunch by opening the season with a pair of blowout victories, including last week’s 59-14 rout of Streamwood, which marked the program’s highest scoring output since a 62-6 win over Austin way back on Sept. 9, 1989.

Success has been hard to come by for the Chargers the past few decades as they haven’t reached the postseason since 1994. Last year, they started 2-0 but could only muster one more victory in the final seven weeks while going up against one powerhouse after another in the Fox Valley Valley.

Dundee-Crown believes it is better prepared to handle the rigors of conference play this fall and will have a chance to prove it Friday when it hosts Crystal Lake South. The Chargers haven’t beaten the Gators since 2004, which is their only win in the past 13 meetings between the schools.

“Defensively, we’re more sound than we were last year,” Dundee-Crown coach Vito Andriola said. “Playing consistent, physical football is the key to making the playoffs.”

St. Edward’s defense took care of business in last week’s 43-0 shutout of West Hancock Coop in downstate Warsaw. The Green Wave takes a major step up in competition this week visiting fellow unbeaten Marmion.

With more top-tier Suburban Christian opponents looming on the schedule, a victory over the Cadets would provide a huge boost to St. Edward’s hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The task is easier said than done, though, considering the Wave has lost six of its past seven meetings with Marmion.

As for Hampshire, last week’s 35-34 win over DeKalb offered further proof the Whip-Purs might have what it takes to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. In order to do so they will have to fare much better in FVC Fox play than they did in their first two years in the league, starting with this week’s showdown at Crystal Lake Central, a team that beat Hampshire by a combined score of 82-14 the past two years.

And now here is my weekly rundown as we close the book on Week 2:

Most impressive win

St. Charles East’s 41-26 win over Jacobs stood out from the pack in Week 2. The Saints lumbered through the first half and trailed 6-0 at the break before ripping off six touchdowns in the first 17:33 of the second half.

Piling up so many points in such a short time against a formidable foe such as the Golden Eagles is proof that St. Charles East shouldn’t be counted out in any game it plays this season.

Player of the week

St. Charles North’s Evan Kurtz had the top individual performance of Week 2. The senior running back racked up 231 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries as the North Stars trounced Plainfield Central 49-0 on Friday.

Jacobsen’s Top 5

Here’s how I stack up the top teams in the Courier-News coverage area after Week 2:

1. Huntley (2-0): Red Raiders have huge FVC Valley showdown with Cary-Grove on Friday.

2. St. Charles East (2-0): Quarterback Jimmy Mitchell has eight touchdown passes through two games for Saints.

3. St. Charles North (1-1): North Stars have lost eight out of past nine meetings with rival St. Charles East going into Friday’s showdown.

4. Dundee-Crown (2-0): Win over Crystal Lake South would make Chargers 3-0 for first time since 1993.

5. St. Edward (2-0): Green Wave coming off first shutout victory since Week 3 of 2011 season.



It was a fruitful road trip for the St. Edward football team Saturday.

 

The Green Wave outgained host West Hancock 325 yards to 70 to win a nonconference meeting in Warsaw, Ill., 43-0. Senior running back DaVontae Elam rushed for 2 touchdowns as St. Edward (2-0) bolted to a 29-0 halftime lead and never relented.     

 

"Because of the Internet our kids knew the size of their kids and the fact that they only have 10 upperclassmen on the roster, so they expected to win," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "The game was actually a little more competitive than they thought it would be with us leading only 15-0 after the first quarter.

 

"But we spread the ball around a little more than we did last week. We threw it a little better with some short, possession-type completions, which we wanted to do."

 

Elam's 15-yard run and 2-point conversion run staked the Green Wave to an early 8-0 lead, which grew to 15-0 when sophomore Dwayne Allen, Jr. broke off a 30-yard scoring run and junior Joe French converted the first of his 5 point-after attempts.

 

The Titans averted worse damage with a first-quarter interception, which allowed them to burn a bit of clock. However, the Wave scored twice more in the second quarter to take a stranglehold. Elam capped a drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, and junior Nick Duffy scored on a 35-yard pass from junior quarterback Bryan O'Neill, who alternated plays throughout the game with junior quarterback Joe Mullen.

 

West Hancock (0-1), playing its season opener, requested the third and fourth quarters be reduced to eight minutes with a running clock, a request St. Edward accepted, Rolando said. Still, the Wave scored twice more in the second half. Mullen connected with Mikey Castoro in the third quarter for a 55-yard touchdown pass, and junior Danny Favela barged into the end zone in the fourth quarter from 1 yard out to finish the scoring.

 

St. Edward now turns its attention to a Week 3 battle of unbeatens against Marmion (2-0). The Wave will face the Cadets in the Suburban Christian Conference Blue Division opener in Aurora on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

 

"I'm not sure quite what we have yet, but we'll find out this week with Marmion," Rolando said. "It's a (Class) 6A school with 60 kids on the sideline, so we'll see what we're made of. Our kids are confident and have a great vibe going, a great attitude. They play hard, we have some skilled kids, talented quarterbacks and a big line. If it keeps coming together, we're hoping to be pretty competitive in all 9 games."

 

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com September 4, 2013 9:35PM

 

  

Fully healthy for a change, Davontae Elam is looking to put an exclamation point on his four-year varsity football career.

The St. Edward senior running back got off to a good start in Saturday’s win against Genoa-Kingston when he racked up 214 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns, including one on an acrobatic 79-yard reception for what was his only catch of the game.

It wasn’t a bad day of work considering Elam touched the ball only 14 times as the Green Wave blew things open in the second half, leaving him rested and ready for his next performance.

“Seeing the way Davontae ran the ball Saturday night is really what we expect out of him, and to tell you the truth we probably expect more because he only had 13 carries,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “He’s a big back, he’s a strong back and he’s a guy we expect to give the ball to 30 times and carry the load.”

At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Elam gives St. Edward the best of both worlds as a powerful north-south runner who can also make people miss with nifty moves.

The key for Elam this season will be staying healthy after a nagging toe injury bothered him for much of his junior year and an abdominal injury plagued him as a sophomore.

“It’s frustrating when you can’t help your brothers out 100 percent,” Elam said. “I just tried my hardest and did what I could.”

To Elam’s credit, he still earned All-Suburban Christian Blue honors last fall despite never fully recovering from the toe injury that forced him to sit out St. Edward’s Week 3 game against Marmion. He finished the year with 918 yards and eight touchdowns on 168 carries.

One thing working in Elam’s favor this fall is the Green Wave’s added depth, which means he likely won’t have to contribute at defensive back as much as he did in past seasons.

“We don’t really talk much about injuries and we try to keep that stuff close to the vest during the season,” Rolando said. “Even when (Elam) was hurting he was still a really good back, and I’m excited to see what he can do with a full season if we can keep him healthy.”

Elam said his goals this year include topping 1,000 yards rushing and helping the Green Wave reach the playoffs, which is something the program hasn’t accomplished since Elam was a freshman in 2010.

Also a key member of St. Edward’s basketball team, Elam’s future figures to be on the gridiron. Rolando said the standout has generated a good deal of interest among college football coaches, most of whom are waiting to see film from Elam’s senior year before making an offer.

While Elam’s skills and big performances are certain to attract attention, there are less noticeable areas where he’ll have a big impact for the Green Wave. This year his younger brother Desean is a freshman up with St. Edward’s varsity team, giving Davontae one more teammate to mold.

“I’ve improved my attitude and become a better leader these four years,” Elam said. “I can help the younger guys out with tips and small things to make their game better. I just try to be a role model for them.”

Adds Rolando: “It would be easy for a four-year running back to have a chip on his shoulder and not be likable on a team, but Davontae is just the opposite. He’s well-liked in the school, he’s well-liked by his classmates and he’s well-liked on the team because of the way he carries himself.”

Davontae Elam, St. Edward: Big-play Davontae opened his fourth varsity season by scoring a career-best 5 touchdowns in a 43-21 victory over Genoa-Kingston. On the first play from scrimmage, Elam erupted for an 80-yard touchdown. The 190-pound running back later scored on a 72-yard run and touchdown plunges of 1 and 2 yards. He carried 13 times for 214 yards (16.5) and 4 touchdowns. The senior also made 1 reception, good for a 76-yard scoring play.

St. Edward senior running back Davontae Elam had good reason to hug each of his linemen after the Green Wave pounced all over Genoa-Kingston 43-21 Saturday night in nonconference action at Greg True Field in Elgin.

For starters, on the first play from scrimmage from the Green Wave 20-yard line, Elam went untouched down the left sideline after bursting through a hole for the game's first score. He totaled 213 yards on 11 carries with 5 touchdowns, 4 on the ground and 1 through the air — a 72-yard pass that he tipped to himself in the third quarter on a 1-play drive from quarterback Bryan O'Neill, the only pass he threw in the game.

And Elam's last rush, a 72-yard score down the right sideline, pretty much brough everything into full circle, capping off a personal best for himself.

"I wanted to show everyone what I could do when I'm healthy and I just want to give credit to all my coaches and my linemen," said Elam, whose previous career-high was 4 touchdowns in a single game. "Our line was out of control today, they just got their assignments down."

Zach West (6-0, 260), Collin Holte (5-10, 235), Will Bothwell (5-8, 185), Matt Colasuono (6-1, 195) and Kasey Cooke (5-11, 260), plowed the way for not only Elam, but for Michael Castoro, who rushed 4 times for 104 yards, including a 40-yard run and a 50-yarder that setup Elam's second TD.

The Green Wave (1-0) had 7 plays go for at least 40 yards, where they rushed for 328 of their 483 total yards, which outgained the Cogs (0-1) by 214.

"Davontae had a great game, just across the board everybody played a great game," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "We've got a lot of weapons. Mikey (Castoro) is a great athlete, you saw little flashes of Dwayne (Allen Jr.), having a great game, Danny Favela is a good athlete."

Even Cogs coach Travis Frederick gave Elam praise saying: "He made kids miss. He's got a nice stiff arm. He looked pretty good."

St. Edward led 21-14 at the half and in a 4:12 span of the third the floodgates opened. St. Edward scored on 3-straight plays, including Elam's 72-yard run and 76-yard reception and Allen Jr.'s 77-yard touchdown pass from QB Joseph Mullen. By then it was 43-14 with only 3:13 remaining left in the quarter.

"Those are one-play drives and those are disheartening for a defense and they energized our team, too." Rolando said of the big plays. "I think we've got some explosive weapons and the defense played phenomenal."

Credit the Green Wave defense, too. Except for a 65-yard score on a passing play from Cogs QB Griffin McNeal to Mike Kuhn on a 4th-and-17- from their own 35 early in the first quarter, St. Edward sacked McNeal 4 times and held the Cogs scoreless from the 6:05 mark of the second until the 4:45 mark of the fourth. McNeal was 14 for 24 for 171 yards with 2 touchdowns and connected with 9 receivers but Genoa-Kingston rushed for only 98 yards as O'Neill, Nathan Dwyer recorded sacks and Tighe Koehring helped force 6 three-and-outs as Genoa was 3 for 13 on drives. St. Edward finished 6 for 12.

ST. EDWARD 43, GENOA-KINGSTON 21

THE SKINNY: St. Edward’s big play offense was on full display as it had seven plays for 40-plus yards.

THE TURNING POINT: Late in the second quarter the Green Wave broke a 14-14 tie with a seven-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Devontae Elam, who had a 40-yard run earlier in the series, scored on a 2-yard run with 2:56 left in the half to put St. Edward ahead 21-14. The Green Wave went on to score 29 unanswered points to break the game open.

THE STAR: It was the Devontae Elam show as the senior tailback rushed for 212 yards and four touchdowns. He added a fifth touchdown on a 76-pass reception from Bryan O’Neill. Elam scored on an 80-yard run on the first play of the game and added touchdown runs of 1, 2, and 72 yards.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Green Wave had 486 yards of total offense. In addition to Elam’s big game. Mikey Castoro had 105 yards rushing on just five carries, including runs of 50 and 40 yards. Quarterback Joe Mullen and Dwayne Allen connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

QUOTABLE: “DeVontae played out of his mind tonight,” said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando. “Across the board I thought everyone played well. I thought we got great blocking up front, and when we get that we have a lot of weapons to make plays.”

GENOA-KINGSTON AT ST. EDWARD

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Outlook: The Green Wave needed a 42-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to beat the Cogs 15-14 last year, and another close affair could be in store in the 2013 season opener. Senior running back Davontae Elam is back to help lead a deep St. Edward squad looking for a big step forward after last year’s disappointing 2-7 finish. Junior quarterback Griffin McNeal is one of 10 returning starters for Genoa-Kingston, which hopes to contend in the Big Northern East after posting a 3-6 record in 2012. Friday’s game is youth night at St. Edward, and any player or cheerleader wearing their team’s uniform will get in free and receive a ticket for a free hot dog and drink.

When: today at 7 p.m. at Greg True Field

Last meeting: St. Edward 15, Genoa-Kingston 14

Outlook: St. Edward can't afford to slip at home against the Cogs if they intend to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. A win is a virtual must for a team that must fight its way through the Suburban Christian Conference's tough Blue Division. Ninth-year coach Mike Rolando believes this squad has the capability to make the postseason. "I think we can beat just about anybody," he said. "A lot of things still have to develop and take place, but the confidence level is there. We have a lot of talent at a lot of different positions." Last year's matchup went down to the wire. St. Edward kicker Joe French, now a junior, booted a 41-yard field goal for the winning points. The Green Wave defense subsequently sealed the win by intercepting a pass at their own 28-yard line with 15 seconds. It was the fourth Genoa-Kingston turnover of the game. A player to watch is senior running back Davontae Elam. Last year against G-K he produced 166 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries.

Next: Genoa-Kingston at Rockford Lutheran; St. Edward at Hamilton West Hancock

St. Edward football coach Mike Rolando knows what playoff teams look like. After all, he's coached two of them since he revived the program in 2005.

The Green Wave finished 6-4 in 2009 and 8-3 in 2010 and reached the playoffs both years, but Rolando said this team might be the best he has ever coached at the Elgin school.

Fortified by a roster of 30-plus players — a healthy total for a team that began last season with 24 — the Green Wave is preparing for one last tour of the Suburban Christian Conference. St. Edward is among seven members of the current SCC set to merge with the Metro Suburban Conference next fall.

Rolando's optimism centers on a defense that returns nine players, a deep junior class responsible for more position battles than normal and a talented, four-year varsity running back in Davontae Elam.

Elam showed flashes of brilliance as a junior when healthy, but staying on the field was a challenge for him in 2012. Despite missing multiple games he managed to rush for 918 yards and 8 touchdowns on 168 carries (5.5 avg.).He has gained the interest of Northern Illinois along with several Division-I programs who intend to track his progress as a senior, according to his coach.

"He's a four-year varsity guy," Rolando said. "He's going to be playing like a man this year. We've seen some great running backs in this area. I'm hoping Davontae has a healthy season so we can mention him in the same breath as some of the great ones."

Complementing Elam's power-rushing style will be speed backs Mikey Castoro (77 carries, 494 yards), who played quarterback last season out of necessity, and sophomore Dwayne Allen, who gained a bit of varsity experience late last season. Also returning are seniors Will Bothwell (57 carries, 240 yards) and multisport athlete Danny Favela (28-161-1 TD). Also in the mix is Davontae Elam's freshman brother, Deshawn Elam (5-8, 145).

Rolando said he is equally happy with junior quarterbacks Joe Mullen (6-2, 162) and Brian O'Neill (6-1, 165), who battled for the starting position deep into fall camp. Both got their feet wet at the varsity level last season. O'Neill saw more action, completing 13 of 30 attempts for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. They will both rely on senior wide receiver Austin Murray (6-0, 150) and 6-4 junior tight end Nick Duffy (2 rec., 53 yards, 1 TD).

The offensive line is a strong point, anchored by three-year starters Collin Holte (5-10, 235) and Zach West (6-2, 255). Starting middle linebacker Jack Tierney (6-0, 195) will play guard in addition to his defensive duties. They are joined by Chris Kelly (5-10, 205), who played center and middle linebacker last year on the sophomore level, and senior Matt Colasuono (6-1, 195), who recovered from a preseason injury to play late last season.

"We're pretty excited about our O-line," Rolando said. "Our smallest player is around 195 (pounds) and a couple of them are around 250-260. Those are pretty good-sized kids for our level of football."

The veteran defense is led by a stout front line, featuring Holte, West, junior Kasey Cooke (5-11, 260) and multisport athlete Tighe Koehring (6-2, 200) at defensive end. Junior Brandon Ostrander (6-3, 220) and sophomore end Josh Von Rohr (6-0, 180) will also see playing time at end.

Linebacker Bothwell (82 tackles, Int.) was the team's second-leading tackler last season. He returns alongside Tierney (45 tackles) and Colasuono (15 tackles).

Rolando said St. Edward's veteran, athletic secondary "goes two-deep at every position." Davontae Elam and Murray return at cornerback while the 6-foot-3 Favela and speedy Castoro play safety.

Junior kicker Joe French made 3 of 5 field goals and 10 extra points last season.

St. Edward opens with nonconference games against Genoa-Kingston and at West Hancock Hamilton, a pair of must wins if the Wave expects playoff eligibility.

"At this point we're expecting to compete with everybody," Rolando said. If a 5A or 6A (school) overlooks us, I think we can beat just about anybody. A lot of things still have to develop and take place, but the confidence level is there. I think we have a lot of talent at a lot of different positions."

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com August 21, 2013 6:48PM  

Senior running back Davontae Elam headlines a deep roster for St. Edward this season. The four-year varsity member earned All-Suburban Christian Blue honors as a junior. | John Konstantaras~For Sun-Times Media

ST. EDWARD GREEN WAVE

St. Edward might be the obvious outlier in the rugged Suburban Christian Blue Division, but the Green Wave is eager for one last shot at hanging with the conference’s big boys. 

In the past five years the SCC Blue as it is currently constituted has produced seven state champions. St. Edward is the only team in the division without a state-title game appearance, which goes to the root of the reason the league is disbanding after this year. 

This year the Green Wave avoids defending state champions Montini and Aurora Christian in the SCC’s unique schedule setup, but matchups against Marmion, Marian Central and St. Francis will mark St. Edward’s last look at longtime conference rivals. 

“Leaving the SCC is a bittersweet thing for us,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “We’ve been pretty respectable over the last three or four years. This year I think we’re going to have nine competitive games. I believe we can play with and potentially beat anybody on our schedule.” 

Rolando’s optimism stems from having arguably the deepest roster of his nine-year tenure at St. Edward. In 2012 the Green Wave finished 2-7 as injuries frequently left the team severely shorthanded, but this year its 30-man roster is filled with battle-tested juniors and seniors. 

Headlining the unit is senior running back Davontae Elam, who is going into his fourth varsity season. The 6-foot, 195-pounder ran for 918 yards and landed All-SCC Blue honors as a junior. 

“Davontae is looking the best I’ve ever seen him,” Rolando said. “He played through some injuries the last two years and hasn’t quite been himself. I really think this is going to be a tremendous year for him.” 

Rolando is especially encouraged given the talent St. Edward has around Elam. Junior quarterbacks Bryan O’Neill and Joe Mullen are competing for the starting job, and both are capable of stretching defenses through the air, something the Wave lacked last year. 

Senior Mikey Castoro and sophomore Dwayne Allen give St. Edward two shifty running backs to complement Elam. Junior Danny Favela and senior Will Bothwell will also pitch in to the crowded backfield along with freshman Desean Elam, Davontae’s younger brother. 

Senior Austin Murray and junior Nick Duffy give the Wave two solid receivers while senior Tighe Koehring and junior Petey DeWindt will contribute at tight end. 

Seniors Collin Holte and Zach West both check in around 250 pounds and are three-year varsity starters returning to lead the offensive line. 

Senior Matt Colasuono will contribute up front after missing much of last year with a broken arm, and juniors Jack Tierney, Chris Kelly and Josh VonRohr are also in the mix. 

A linebacking corps made up of Bothwell, Tierney and Colasuono figures to be the strength of St. Edward’s defense. Juniors Kasey Cooke and Brandon Ostrander will contribute on the defensive line along with Holte, West, Koehring and VonRohr. 

The theme of depth and experience rings especially true in the defensive secondary where Elam, Castoro, Favela, Murray and Allen are all back after starting at times last year. 

“For us to have 30 kids, most of which are contributors, really allows for a lot of competition at practice,” Rolando said. “Everybody is trying to earn respect every day.” 

 

By Jerry Fitzpatrick

Couple of local articles on the pre season. Practice starts today at 4:30pm! First game 2 weeks from Friday.

http://couriernews.suntimes.com/sports/21893221-419/football-time-for-pigskin-prognostication.html

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130813/sports/708139642

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com July 27, 2013 2:59AM

Updated: July 27, 2013 7:52PM

Camaraderie and good-natured competition were on full display Friday night when Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood gathered at St. Edward’s Greg True Field for a 7-on-7 tournament and lineman challenge.

The event came just over a month before the start of the 2013 season, and the countdown to kickoff will likely create more than a little anxiety for new Maroons coach Kyle Rohde, new Storm coach Pat Pistorio and new Sabres coach Mark Orszula.

“It’s all a blur,” Pistorio said of the past few weeks. “I haven’t had much sleep. My list of things to do seems to grow and grow every day.”

Pistorio at least had some familiarity with this players given his status as a social studies teacher at South Elgin. He also helped out for two weeks at the start of the Storm’s summer camp prior to being hired as the head coach.

“I feel like I’ve been able to carve out a lot of quality time with the kids,” Pistorio said. “They’re really picking up the system and meeting our expectations.”

Rohde didn’t need any introduction when he began his first summer camp as Elgin’s head coach after spending the past three years as the varsity team’s defensive coordinator under former coach Dave Bierman.

Nonetheless, the past few months have been a time of transition for the Maroons as they switch gears under the guidance of Rohde, a 2002 Elgin graduate who is charged with helping the program rebound from back-to-back 1-8 seasons.

“The kids are working hard and doing what I ask of them,” Rohde said. “Coach Bierman and I are different personalities, so it’s a different dynamic. With me being a little younger it changes the interaction between the players and coach.”

Of the three new U-46 football coaches, Orszula is the only one coming in from out of the school district. He is also the only one with previous head coaching experience having led Westmont the past five years.

“The good thing about football in the summer is you get to spend a lot of time together,” Orszula said. “The kids have kind of learned my expectations and how I want things to be done. I feel like they’ve responded well.”

Storm sweeps 7-on-7 competition

South Elgin capped a perfect 4-0 night in 7-on-7 action by defeating Larkin in its final matchup of the round-robin tournament. The Royals finished second with a 3-1 record while St. Edward took third with a 2-2 mark.

Senior quarterback Rob Cuda is back to guide the Storm’s new-look offense after throwing for 1,711 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior.

“It’s good to show what we’ve done the past couple weeks of camp with a new coach,” Cuda said. “(Pistorio) has really worked with us well and gotten us into a new offense. It’s a change, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.”

Cuda arrived late Friday after attending a football camp at the University of Chicago earlier in the day, allowing a chance for junior quarterback Hayden Nelson to show off his strong arm.

Green Wave wins lineman challenge

St. Edward’s big boys continued to impress by taking first place in the lineman challenge with a total of 29 points. Larkin was second with 19 points followed by Streamwood (15) and South Elgin (9).

Among the events that made up the challenge were a bench-press competition, a tire-flip contest, a relay race and a tug of war. The Green Wave’s victory comes on the heels of a first-place showing out of 26 schools at a lineman challenge in downstate Washington the previous weekend.

“We gain confidence when we win these lineman challenges, but we have to know that winning a lineman challenge isn’t like playing a football game,” St. Edward senior guard/tackle Collin Holte said. “Going ahead we have to work on getting our line scheme down. We still need some fine tuning, but everything is looking pretty good right now.”

Royals getting ready to rumble

Friday marked the end of a productive summer camp for Larkin.

Royals coach Mike Scianna said more than 70 players regularly attended the team’s workouts across all levels, which marks the biggest turnout during his four years at the helm.

Larkin’s varsity team is loaded with talent at the skill positions with senior quarterback Kemmerin Blalark and senior running back Damion Clemons back in the fold. Seniors Donte Bonds and Jarelle Shipp are two other big-time playmakers who made headlines this spring by helping the Royals track team advance to the state finals in the 400-meter relay.

There were some key losses on the offensive and defensive lines for Larkin, but senior Quentyn Jackson will help serve as an anchor up front. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound offensive tackle and defensive end knows his main priority is creating a little space for the team’s speedsters.

“I think we’ve got some of the best talent skill-player wise in the conference,” Jackson said. “Once doubles come we’ve got to keep on progressing, but I feel like we’re a lot more of a team than in the past. I’ve got high hopes.”

                                                           

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com July 24, 2013 5:28PM

 

Updated: July 25, 2013 2:24AM

With a productive summer program soon drawing to a close, St. Edward’s football team is ready to show off its progress for the community at large.

The Green Wave’s annual 7-on-7 tournament and lineman challenge will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at Greg True Field. This year there is more local interest than ever as Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood round out the five-team field.

The strong showing only added to coach Mike Rolando’s contention that this group could go down as one of the deepest and most talented teams he has led during his nine years at St. Edward.

“We are pretty optimistic, and what’s leading us to the optimism is the kids’ work ethic this summer,” Rolando said. “We’ve added some conditioning and weight room days that we didn’t have in prior summers because the kids came to us and said they wanted more since they felt those sessions were beneficial. So we’ve got 20 to 30 kids showing up to those strength and conditioning nights two or three times a week.”

St. Edward’s 7-on-7 tournament features a round-robin format where each school plays four games. The games will last 30 minutes with a running clock, and in between games there will be a 10-15 minute break when various events that make up the lineman challenge will take place on the field.

“These kids all know each other from youth football and they like to compete against each other,” Rolando said. “It’s a neat opportunity for the city of Elgin and the surrounding area to see pretty much all of the local talent on one stage.

“If you’re a St. Eds fan, it doesn’t mean you’re not interested in how Elgin and Larkin are doing. This provides a chance for people in the area to see all the local teams and put a face with the names when they read about these teams in the paper.”

St. Edward is looking to improve on last year’s 2-7 finish this fall, but as usual it will face an uphill climb in the ultra-competitive Suburban Christian Conference. The Green Wave’s hope is that competing against bigger schools during summer events like this will make it better prepared for the challenges ahead.

Senior running back Davontae Elam headlines St. Edward’s big group of returning players after running for 918 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. Senior Mikey Castoro is another key returning playmaker who will move into a running back/receiver role after chipping in at quarterback last season.

Collin Holte and Zach West are two of the big men to watch on the offensive line while Will Bothwell and Matt Colasuono are among the defensive leaders. Juniors Bryan O’Neill and Joe Mullen are competing for the quarterback job.

“It’s a very talented group and we have probably the most depth we’ve had since I’ve been at the school,” Rolando said. “We have about 31 kids on our varsity roster, which for us is a lot and much more than the 18 or 19 we had at times last year. When you have some depth it obviously makes things better, and we’ve got competition at virtually every spot.”

St. Edward’s exit from the SCC another sign of the times

By John Radtke

We all know times have changed. There’s evidence of it every day in every walk of life.

The Upstate Eight Conference recently came full circle, in a manner of speaking, when it accepted West Aurora and Glenbard East to rejoin the league those schools were charter members of 50 years ago when the conference was formed.

On Thursday, the official word came that St. Edward is among seven schools that have been accepted to join the Metro Suburban Conference in the fall of 2014, effectively bringing to an end one of the longest standing group of schools in the same conference anywhere in the state. Originally the West Suburban Catholic, then the Suburban Catholic, the league became the Suburban Christian Conference in 2009 when Aurora Christian, Walther Lutheran, Guerin, Chicago Christian and Wheaton Academy joined.

St. Edward, Aurora Central Catholic, Chicago Christian, Guerin, IC Catholic Prep, Walther Lutheran and Wheaton Academy announced at Thursday’s SCC athletic director’s meeting they had accepted invitations to join the Metro Suburban, which on Wednesday approved all seven to become new members.

The MSC will become a 14-team conference with the SCC schools joining Elmwood Park, Glenbard South, Fenton, Riverside-Brookfield, Ridgewood, Illiana Christian and Timothy Christian. Illiana and Timothy do not play football.

Ah, football. Before we go any further it’s necessary to make this statement: The breakup of the SCC is football-driven. You won’t read affirmation of that from anyone here because being politically correct and watching what you say is an administrator’s obligation anytime conferences have changes. But anyone who knows anything knows that the schools not invited to tag along — Montini, Aurora Christian, Marmion, St. Francis and Marian Central — are football powers that the other seven just plain can’t compete with on a regular basis. Rosary, an all-girls school, will also be left to find a new home or to stay with a downsized SCC that would have to add at least one school to have the IHSA required six to get an automatic football playoff berth.

The only one of those five without a state football championship is Marmion. Montini, Marian Central, Aurora Christian, St. Francis and now-closed Driscoll have 20 state football titles between them. The seven schools leaving the SCC have two, both by IC.

You don’t need a math degree to figure this one out folks.

“There became a lot of disparity,” said St. Edward football coach Mike Rolando. “When you see 85 kids from Marian or Montini marching to the field and you have 24, you worry sometimes abut the safety of your kids. We’d like to have nine games we can be competitive in and I think this new conference will allow us to do that. I don’t think this should be a surprise to anyone, including those schools. Seventy-to-nothing games aren’t good for them either.

“I don’t know if it’s football-driven and St. Edward wasn’t the school behind this change. We’ve been in the SCC forever and I’ve had great relationships with people in the conference and we’ve always done our best to compete.”

Yes, the Green Wave have. Rolando’s resurrection of the program has been remarkable, and St. Edward has done its very best to compete against the big boys but the fact is it’s an almost insurmountable challenge in football and some other sports as well.

“The SCC has been good for us but we’re an educational institution first and our students play sports,” Rolando said. “I don’t see anyone wanting to change that, nor should we.”

For that reason, among others, St. Edward is looking forward and is excited to be joining a new conference and to have the opportunity to play against new schools and forge new relationships.

“We are excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of us in the Metro Suburban Conference,” said St. Edward Superintendent Father David C. Finn in an emailed statement. “We are looking forward to a highly competitive conference where all the teams have a chance to compete for conference championships in all sports. We have nothing but great admiration for all of the schools from the Suburban Christian Conference and wish all of those schools the best in the future.

“As one of the founding members of the original Suburban Catholic Conference, we are saddened to be leaving the SCC, while at the same time we are excited about the new athletic, academic and spiritual opportunities in our future.”

Leaving the SCC doesn’t come without some emotion for St. Edward AD PJ White, also the Green Wave’s boys basketball coach.

“We’re excited about the new opportunities in the new league but at the same time we’re a little disheartened that we’re leaving a conference we were a founding member of,” he said. “Change doesn’t come without some conflict but in the grand scheme of things, we did what was best for St. Edward athletics and our kids who play sports. I think this new conference will give us a chance to compete for conference championships.”

But White will miss the relationships he’s formed with current and former ADs in the SCC.

“There aren’t any better schools than those six,” White said. “When our girls soccer team was going downstate and we needed a turf field to practice on, Aurora Christian said sure come on down, no charge. When I have a question about something I still call (former Montini AD) Don Riley. And Mary Lou Kunold at Rosary should be in the hall of fame. She’s incredible.

“It’s tough. I’ll miss working with those people but it’s something that’s best for our school. It’s a great opportunity for our sports teams to play some schools we’ve never played before.”

No decisions have been made yet about how the divisions in the new Metro Suburban will work, although it’s a pretty safe bet geography and enrollment will be the major factors in those decisions. The seven SCC schools range in enrollment, according to the IHSA website, from a low of 339 at IC Catholic Prep to a high of 638 at Wheaton Academy (St. Edward’s enrollment is 406). But remember, each of those enrollments is multiplied by 1.65 by the IHSA, as are all private schools. The seven current Metro Suburban schools range in enrollment from a low of 385 at Timothy Christian to a high of 1,499 at Fenton. Illiana and Timothy each get multiplied. The five public schools in the MSC have an average enrollment of 1,224, so it’s pretty clear that most of the seven SCC schools jumping to the MSC will stay in the same division, but there will certainly be crossover play, and football could take on a whole different shape. White said it will likely take the new league until early 2014 to work everything out.

White also said the final formality to all of this will take place May 8 when the SCC principals meet, and when each school signs its official letter to join the Metro Suburban.

So, times are changing again. The traditionalist in me hasn’t quite yet gotten wrapped around the fact St. Edward will no longer be in the Suburban Catholic Conference. One of my favorite memories of starting out in this business was the old Sunday afternoon West Suburban Catholic football wars at Greg True Field.

Of course if you didn’t attend those games, you didn’t know much about them until the Monday afternoon paper came out. Yes, there were afternoon newspapers in those days.

The times, they sure do change ...

Metro Suburban move big deal for St. Edward

St. Edward's decision to leave the Suburban Christian for the Metro Suburban represents a big change for the Elgin school.

St. Edward enters a stretch of four straight Suburban Christian crossover games with its back against the wall.

That task is easier said than done, though, particularly with the Green Wave’s next game coming tonight against state-ranked and undefeated Immaculate Conception at Plunkett Park in Elmhurst. Nonetheless, expect St. Edward to be up to the challenge as it looks to end a two-game losing streak.

“Make no mistake about it, the pressure is on,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “The kids know that if they want to have any realistic discussion about getting five wins and getting in the playoffs, we need to start winning this Friday.”

Immaculate Conception (3-0) hasn’t faced as difficult a schedule through its first three games as St. Edward (1-2), but it has had no trouble dominating its competition.

The Knights outscored their first three opponents 149-12. They moved up to No. 7 in the AP Class 4A state poll after last week’s 33-0 win against Aurora Central Catholic.

“(Immaculate Conception) is very explosive offensively and their line pushes really well,” Rolando said. “Demetrius Carr is a great talent who can throw the ball well and run the ball well. We kind of have to prepare for everything this week.”

St. Edward is coming off a 49-16 loss against Marmion last week. Junior running back Davontae Elam missed the game with a toe injury and several other players were ailed by a flu bug.

Elam, who ran for 225 yards and three touchdowns in the Green Wave’s first two games, is expected to be back in action against the Knights. The flu bug has also passed, so Rolando plans to have all 20 of his varsity regulars ready to go as St. Edward tries to beat Immaculate Conception for a third straight time.

“We do have the talent among our main 15 to 19 kids to be good,” Rolando said. “We just don’t have a lot of depth, so we need everybody to be healthy and play 100 percent.”

Green Wave going with quarterback by committee

St. Edward went from using two quarterbacks in its season opener to using three quarterbacks in its Week 2 loss against Aurora Christian. Expect more of the same going ahead as the Green Wave tries to break in juniors Tighe Koehring and Mikey Castoro, who are playing the position for the first time this year.

Moving the ball through the air hasn’t been easy for St. Edward so far, but Castoro did show off some fancy footwork last week. The 5-foot-6, 145-pounder finished with 47 rushing yards on 16 carries and moved the chains with three carries of 10 yards or more.

“(Castoro) is the smallest kid on the team, but he’s got the biggest heart,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “He’s a good football player. He’s just a little undersized for some of the teams we play, but he had a great game (against Aurora Christian).”

While Castoro’s size limits his ability to find receivers downfield, the 6-foot-1 Koehring has struggled with his accuracy, completing only 4 of 19 passes through the first two games. Sophomore Bryan O’Neill also got in the act last Friday as he competed a 21-yard pass late in the game.

“We’ve got to do a little better throwing the ball,” Rolando said. “We’ve got two brand new quarterbacks, but when teams come up like they do to stop the run, we have to be able to throw the ball in bounds and we have to be able to throw catchable balls.”

	St. Edward’s Mikey Castoro (8) moves up field after pulling in an interception in the second quarter against Aurora Christian Friday. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Aurora Christian’s Joel Bouagnon (23) moves upfield as St. Edward’s St. Edward’s DaVontae Elam tries to pull him down Friday in Elgin. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	St. Edward’s DaVontae Elam (34) drives in for a touchdown in the first half against Aurora Christian Friday. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	St. Edward’s DaVontae Elam is wrapped up by Aurora Christian’s Noah Roberts as he dives for extra yards to set up a touchdown run during the first half Friday night in Elgin. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	St. Edward’s Tighe Koehring (2) looks for an opening down field as Aurora Christian’s Jackson Carpenter (56) and Johnah Walker try to slip past St. Edward’s Collin Holte (55) Friday in Elgin. Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

Updated: September 1, 2012 3:57AM

Aurora Christian wasn’t exactly clicking on all cylinders Friday, but the top-ranked team in Class 3A still had enough in the tank to come away with a relatively easy win against St. Edward.

Brandon Mayes ran for 144 yards and a touchdown on six carries for Aurora Christian, which got three takeaways from its defense to help offset its own miscues.

“We started out slow but our defense was pretty solid all night,” said Eagles linebacker Victor Roza, who recovered a fumble. “Week after week we just focus on each game.”

St. Edward (1-1) was up to the challenge of playing the defending Class 3A champions early as a 12-yard touchdown run by Davontae Elam tied the score at 7 with 5:27 left in the second quarter.

The momentum didn’t stay with the Green Wave for long, though, as Mayes took off for an 80-yard touchdown run down the left sideline on Aurora Christian’s first play of the ensuing drive to put the Eagles ahead for good 14-7.

Chad Beebe caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from McQuade late in the second quarter to put Aurora Christian (2-0) ahead 21-7 going into halftime. The Eagles also got a pair of touchdowns from Ryan Suttle as well as touchdown runs from Joel Bouagnon and Legend Smith.

Mayes and Noah Roberts had interceptions for Aurora Christian. St. Edward got a pair of picks from Danny Favela as well as an interception from Elam and Mikey Castoro, but the Wave only converted one of the turnovers into points.

Elam finished with 50 rushing yards on 12 carries and was one of several Green Wave players to leave the game in the second half with injuries.

“We were right in it and then we started losing kids,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “We started having a few injuries and a few cramps and we were grabbing sophomores off the bench and throwing them in.

“I thought we hung with them pretty well and I thought our kids played with a tremendous amount of heart. That’s a state champion, No. 1 ranked team … If you take a couple big plays out, who knows what happens.”

Luke Duffy Named Finalist for National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award

Dallas, Texas, August 30, 2012 — Washington University in St. Louis freshman linebacker Luke Duffy, Elgin, Ill. (Saint Edward Central Catholic) is one of 26 finalists for the 2012 National Football Foundation High School National Scholar-Athlete Award, as announced Thursday by the organization.

The award will honor one young man from each of the country’s five regions as the best and the brightest for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens at the high school level. The five winners, who are now playing college football but are being recognized for their previous accomplishments in high school, will be announced the week of October 8.

“I am truly humbled to be a considered a finalist among all the extraordinary student-athletes throughout the country. I cannot thank my parents, high school football coaches, teammates, and the St. Edward community enough for supporting me and helping shape me into the person I have become,” said Duffy. “I would not be where I am today if they hadn't taught me the importance of hard work, discipline, and respect. I am honored to be selected as a finalist for this award.”

Duffy, a 2012 graduate of Saint Edward Central Catholic High School, was team captain and team MVP his senior year while playing for head coach Mike Rolando. A two-time Suburban Christian Conference and all-area selection, he made 87 tackles and had one interception as an outside linebacker. Duffy also ran for 967 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, while earning Illinois State Scholar and Academic All-State accolades.

The five winners will travel to New York City to be honored during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at the Waldorf-Astoria. First bestowed in 1991, the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award has become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement.

AURORA CHRISTIAN (1-0) at ST. EDWARD (1-0), 7 p.m.
Last week: Aurora Christian beat DuSable 48-0; St. Edward beat Genoa-Kingston 15-14.
Outlook: The Green Wave defense forced four turnovers in last week’s win over the Cogs but will face a much tougher test in this week’s game that can also be viewed on High School Cube.

Aurora Christian (1-0) at St. Edward (1-0)

When: today at 7 p.m. Greg True Field

Last year: Aurora Christian 55, St. Edward 22

Last week: St. Edward 15, Genoa-Kingston 14; Aurora Christian 48, DuSable 0

Outlook: Fresh off a thrilling road win, St. Edward welcomes the defending Class 3A state champion Eagles to Elgin for its home opener. Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe’s team is riding a 10-game winning streak and is ranked No. 1 in this week’s Associated Press Class 3A poll. “They’ve won quite a few in a row,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “They’re a good team. They’re No. 1 in the state and they have a lot of Division-I guys back. Our kids are looking at it as a great opportunity. They are not intimidated at all.” St. Edward would like to control the clock and keep the potent Aurora Christian offense off the field. St. Edward tailback Davontae Elam will be key to that strategy. He rushed last week for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 carries. He’ll be the focus of Aurora Christian senior Joel Bouagnon, a Burlington Central transfer who made 11 tackles at linebacker last week. He’s committed to NIU, as are two key members of the offense: running back Brandon Mayes and receiver Chad Beebe. “Our players are going to play as hard as they can and we’ll control the things we can control,” Rolando said. “If there’s a way to win, they’ll find it.” Daytime temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s, but the Green Wave can handle the heat. In warm conditions last Friday, no St. Edward players experienced cramping, thanks to properly hydrating throughout the week, Rolando said.

Next: Marmion at St. Edward; Walther Lutheran at Aurora ChristianWhen: today at 7 p.m. at Rocket Hill

Week 1 Defensive MVP

Joe Stump

St. Edward

St. Edward was protecting a 15-14 lead with 19 seconds remaining when this senior linebacker intercepted a Genoa-Kingston swing pass at his own 28-yard line to seal the victory. Stump also recovered a fumble and an onside kick. Stump also had 22 tackles in the game.

St. Edward’s defense was especially key in a 15-14 win against Genoa-Kingston. The Green Wave forced four turnovers and held the Cogs scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got new kids in some positions on offense, so our defense is going to have to carry us for a while,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “For the defense to not only play the way they did, but to also make the adjustments they made was impressive.

“(Genoa-Kingston was) running on us pretty good at the beginning of the game, but coach Marc (Rusinko) did a great job adjusting to what they were doing and we were able to pretty much shut them down the rest of the way.”

GENOA — Joe French was confident he could connect on a 36-yard field goal.

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando asked the sophomore if he had it when he lined up for the kick as the Green Wave trailed 14-12 with 5 minutes left at Genoa Field Friday night.

He double checked after St. Edward was whistled for a 5-yard penalty.

“I looked at him and said, ‘You got this,’ ” Rolando said. “Then we lost 5 yards and I said, ‘You still got this?’ That’s his range in practice.”

French easily cleared the goal post from 41 yards out to give the Green Wave a 15-14 lead which held as the defense stymied a late Genoa-Kingston run to win the season opener.

The Cogs’ next series set up from their own 20 and they drove down to the Green Wave 28-yard line on 11 plays. With 19 seconds left, Cogs’ quarterback Adam Price looked for Eli Thurlby on a swing pass.

Senior Joe Stump came up with a perfect read and picked off the pass to secure the win. He recovered one of 3 G-K first-half fumbles and an onside kick.

“I read the guy going out on the flat,” Stump said. “It was the pass that we read all week in practice. Coach told us to read pass.”

G-K running back Sal Lopez had given the Cogs a 14-12 lead with a 3-yard scoring run with 4:55 left in the third quarter. The score culminated a 15-play, 6 minute, 45 second drive after St. Edward led 12-7 at the half.

The Wave defense did its share of reading the run during the first half. On three consecutive Genoa-Kingston series, St. Edward recovered a Cogs’ fumble. Will Bothwell scooped up a Thurlby fumble on the Genoa-Kingston 49-yard line. On the ensuing play, Davontae Elam rushed 51 yards through the G-K defense for a touchdown. A failed 2-point conversion left St. Edward down 7-6.

Andrew Yarwood wrestled the ball away from Lopez with under 5 minutes left in the first half. Elam pounded the ball at the Cogs’ defense, rushing 5 times during St. Edward’s 9-play 41-yard drive. He capped off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. A second failed 2-point conversion gave the Green Wave a 12-7 lead.

Elam finished the game with 166 yards on 26 carries. He accounted for all but 19 yards of the St. Edward offense.

“The offense was working for it,” Elam said. “I want to give a lot of credit to the line. I kept telling them to give me the ball and I’ll take care of it and they did.”

DeVontae Elam

Updated: August 25, 2012 1:53AM

St. Edward forced four big turnovers, including one to close out the game, as they topped Genoa-Kingston 15-14 in the season opener.

That gave the Cogs ample time to put together a drive of their own, and they did just that as they moved the ball from their own 20 to the Green Wave 28.

With 15.2 seconds to play and out of timeouts, the Cogs tried to move the ball a little closer on second down to set up a more manageable field-goal attempt, but senior middle linebacker Joe Stump jumped on the Adam Price pass and intercepted it to seal the win.

“I read the guy going out on the little flare pass that we’ve been practicing all week and I just read the ball and made the play,” said Stump.

Added Coach Mike Rolando, “We figured they were going to throw, because they were out of timeouts. (Stump) came all the way over from middle to get underneath that and made a great play.”

Offensively, the Green Wave leaned hard on junior running back Davontae Elam, as he rushed the ball 26 times for 166 yards and a pair of touchdowns, accounting for all but 18 of his team’s yards on offense.

“I want to give credit to my line for stepping up,” Elam said. “They came up big in the second half and gave me the push and we just kept going and never gave up.”

The Cogs relied on their running game as well, as Sal Lopez led the way with 23 carries for 123 yards and both of his team’s touchdowns. Eli Thurlby added 68 yards on 11 carries and Jose Ruiz chipped in 39 yards on 10 carries.

However, their three fumbles proved costly as two of them led to Green Wave touchdowns. Andrew Yarwood and Will Bothwell joined Stump in recording a fumble recovery.

By Jerry Fitzpatrick | Daily Herald Staff

ST. EDWARD AT GENOA-KINGSTON

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last year: St. Edward 21, Genoa-Kingston 0

Notes: St. Edward has won four straight season openers. The Green Wave finished 4-5 last year, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Junior running back Devontae Elam is in his third varsity season and ran for 521 yards last year.

• Genoa-Kingston is St. Edward’s only regular-season opponent that isn’t a member of the Suburban Christian Conference. The Cogs are coming off a 1-8 record in 2011, which marked their first season in the Big Northern East. Senior Gabe Williams-Torres headlines a group of seven returning starters for Genoa-Kingston.

Quote: “(Genoa-Kingston) is going to be a lot better than they were last year. We might have beat them 21-0, but we remember it being 7-0 with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.”

— St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

Erik Jacobsen’s pick: St. Edward

 

 

 

 

 

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Updated: August 21, 2012 2:28AM

 

St. Edward enters the 2012 season knowing one misstep could be enough to derail its hopes of returning to the playoffs.

Such is life as a member of the rugged Suburban Christian Blue, where the Green Wave ranks as the second smallest school in terms of enrollment among a host of state powerhouses.

Five of St. Edward’s opponents this year reached the playoffs last fall, and its grueling schedule includes a Week 2 clash with Class 3A state champion Aurora Christian and a Week 8 contest against Class 5A quarterfinalist Marian Central.

The Green Wave does get a bit of a break since it doesn’t have to play every team in the SCC Blue thanks to the conference’s new schedule format, but much-improved teams such as Week 1 foe Genoa-Kingston and Week 5 opponent Aurora Central Catholic won’t be pushovers.

Simply put, St. Edward has no room for error, a lesson it learned last year when four lopsided wins against teams the Green Wave expected to beat weren’t enough to offset five blowout losses against superior competition as the program finished 4-5 and missed the Class 4A playoffs for the first time since 2008.

“Every game is a playoff game for us,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “We don’t have the luxury of making a mistake or two and then being able to play like-sized schools down the road. Our difficult games are against 5A and 6A state-champion caliber teams, so we need to play well every game and win the games we’re supposed to win.”

A formidable offensive line should help give St. Edward a fighting chance on a weekly basis. Junior guards Collin Holte (6-foot-1, 240 pounds) and Zach West (6-0, 240) both return as starters while senior tackles Nick Plazewski (6-2, 250) and Pat Berlin (6-4, 240) are prepared to step into larger roles.

Senior Sean McShane (5-7, 175) is back in action after missing the second half of last season with a knee injury and figures to see time at center along with senior Joe Stump (6-1, 200). Senior Jacob Koehring (6-1, 200) started at defensive end as a junior but will take on additional duties as one of two tight ends for the Wave along with senior Andrew Yarwood (6-3, 195), a transfer from Burlington Central.

St. Edward expects big things from junior running back Devontae Elam (5-10, 185), who is back for his third varsity season. Elam and junior fullback Will Bothwell (5-8, 175) will headline the Wave’s ground attack, with contributions also expected to come from a trio of wing backs in juniors Alex Arreguin (5-7, 135) and Austin Murray (6-0, 160) and sophomore Jack Tierney (6-0, 185).

Juniors Tighe Koehring (6-1, 200) and Mike Castoro (5-6, 135) split time at quarterback during the summer and could both receive snaps during the season. Neither Koehring nor Castoro have prior experience at the position, so a steady dose of running plays appears in the cards for the Wave.

“(Koehring and Castoro) are capable of doing a lot of things, but with them not having quarterback experience we want to ease them in and put the majority of the responsibility on our line and running backs, which are our more experienced positions,” Rolando said. “As our quarterbacks continue to develop I think we can throw more and more, but we expect to be a run-first type of team.”

There won’t be much rest for the weary as all of St. Edward’s offensive starters will be asked to contribute on defense.

Yarwood, who earned All-Big Northern East honors for his play at defensive end last year at Burlington Central, will help generate the pass rush for St. Edward along with fellow end Jacob Koehring. McShane figures to handle one defensive tackle spot while Holte and a host of others are in the mix for the other tackle position.

Bothwell and Stump return as starters at linebacker, where they’ll be joined by Tierney and Tighe Koehring. Sophomore free safety Danny Favela will help lead the secondary along with strong safety Castoro and cornerbacks Elam and Arreguin.

“For the most part, we’ve got 14 or 15 guys who are our key guys,” Rolando said. “We’re going to count on them to be in shape, be warriors and play St. Edward football, which means playing both ways all day.”

 

Only 17 days remain until opening night Aug. 24, and as with every new season, there are plenty of questions surrounding area teams going into the campaign.

1. Do any local teams have a realistic shot at making a deep run in the playoffs?

This question takes on added relevance this year in the wake of a disappointing 2011 postseason on the local front. Only four area teams earned berths in the state playoffs last fall, and all lost in the opening round.

It doesn’t appear there are any juggernauts in and around Elgin in 2012, but a few local teams might have what it takes to keep their seasons going into November. Chief among these candidates are Bartlett, Jacobs and St. Edward, but the inclusion of all three teams in this category comes with a major caveat.

Bartlett returns a big group of talented starters on defense from its 2011 Upstate Eight Valley championship team, and the Hawks are hungry after being upset by Lyons in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs last October. But Bartlett lost most of its offensive weaponry from last year’s team, so success this fall will hinge largely on how effectively the Hawks can find the end zone.

In the case of Jacobs, the arrow appears to be pointing up after a 7-3 finish last season. The Golden Eagles lost a few key players to graduation, but plenty of talent remains under the tutelage of coach Bill Mitz, who has led the program to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1999. But life in the ultra-competitive Fox Valley Conference Valley Division is never easy, and Jacobs can’t rest with so many challenges lurking on its schedule.

As for St. Edward, a 4-5 finish in 2011 ended the program’s first-ever streak of playoff appearances at two as four straight losses against powerhouse opponents in the Suburban Christian to end the season sealed the Green Wave’s fate. The schedule is loaded with state-champion caliber competition again this year, but if St. Edward can find a way to reach the five-win mark and earn a postseason berth, it likely has the talent to make a run in the Class 4A playoffs.

2. Who are the top local players to watch this season?

There is plenty of talent to go around among the 13 area teams, but let’s start by looking at some of the standouts who have already made Division I college commitments.

Streamwood senior Blake Holder is bound for Northern Illinois, and the 6-foot-2 receiver is a threat to score any time he gets his hands on the ball. Bartlett senior Chris Kantzavelos committed to Central Michigan, and the defensive end will headline what figures to be a tenacious Hawks defense. Then there is Jacobs senior Adam Kulon, a Toledo recruit who will be a load to handle at offensive tackle and defensive end.

Larkin senior lineman Alex Schabert is another local player who seems destined to play on college football Saturdays. The three-year varsity starter contributes on both sides of the ball, much like Streamwood lineman A.J. Mitchell, St. Charles East LB/FB Joe Hoscheit and St. Edward DE/TE Andrew Yarwood, who transferred from Burlington Central.

Jacobs receiver Jake Gierlak, Huntley running back Ethan Connor and Huntley receiver Bryce Beschorner figure to rank among the area’s top playmakers, and Burlington Central quarterback Ryan Ritchie is back for his third year under center. Look for Larkin running back Mo Jackson and St. Edward running back Devontae Elam to rack up healthy rushing stats as they work behind formidable offensive lines.

Among the top defensive players returning for their senior seasons are Bartlett’s Kevin Kirchhoff, Nick Andreucetti and Kyle Garcia, Hampshire’s Grant Bender, Streamwood’s Vince Williams and Austin Mugnai and Burlington Central’s Troy Klingberg.

3. Which teams lost the most key players from last year?

Every team gets hit hard by graduation, so it isn’t fair to say one team has more holes to fill than another based on departed seniors. However, there were a pair of notable transfers during the offseason that undoubtedly changed the outlooks for two teams.

Bartlett appeared to have a good thing going with running back James Butler, who racked up 933 rushing yards and 319 receiving yards last year as a sophomore. But Butler transferred to St. Francis this summer, leaving a gap for a Hawks team that already has to replace a talented quarterback, receiver and tight end lost to graduation.

The other eyebrow-raising transfer came when Joel Bouagnon left Burlington Central to enroll at Class 3A state champion Aurora Christian. Bouagnon was a beast on both sides of the ball as a junior with the Rockets, leading the area in rushing with 1,446 yards and making 105 total tackles as a linebacker.

The losses will hurt both teams, but as mentioned earlier, Bartlett has the defense to make up for any offensive shortcomings. As for Burlington Central, the Rockets still have plenty of talent as they look to challenge for the Big Northern East title and make a return trip to the playoffs under reigning Courier-News Coach of the Year Rich Crabel, but the loss of Bouagnon along with a few other transfers might temper expectations a bit.

4. Can Streamwood repeat last year’s success?

Streamwood was last season’s feel-good story as it broke through to reach the postseason for the first time since 2002 before finishing with a 6-4 record. The Sabres lost to graduation their quarterback and top running back among others, but the big group of Streamwood players listed earlier among the players to watch is evidence there is still plenty of talent on the roster.

The Sabres benefitted from an easy schedule last fall while winning their first five games. The slate is a bit more difficult this year, so Streamwood likely can’t afford any slip-ups, and it might even need to pull off a surprise or two if it hopes to make a return trip to the postseason.

5. Will Dundee-Crown win a game this year?

This might seem a bit harsh, but it bears asking given the fact Dundee-Crown enters the 2012 campaign on a 26-game losing streak that dates to Week 1 of the 2009 season.

The Chargers always face long odds in their annual meetings with FVC Valley powerhouses Prairie Ridge, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake South and Jacobs. Dundee-Crown was outscored 195-0 by those four teams last season, and the Chargers have lost 27 straight conference games dating to 2006.

With all that said, second-year coach Vito Andriola and his staff have undoubtedly worked hard during the offseason to turn things around at Dundee-Crown. Don’t expect the Chargers to challenge for their first playoff berth since 1994 given their brutal schedule, but an elusive victory might be within reach, with the most likely opportunity coming in Week 1 against Elgin.

6. Which local teams might surprise this year?

South Elgin, Huntley and Larkin all failed to make the playoffs last year, but all three squads fit the bill of teams that might turn things around this fall.

Injuries plagued the Storm in 2011 as it narrowly missed a trip to the playoffs with a 4-5 record, but South Elgin’s program is one that figures to contend for a postseason spot every year. Huntley is coming off a 2-7 campaign, but new coach John Hart figures to bring an instant jolt to the Red Raiders as he arrives with a 238-70 career record that includes two state championships in Indiana.

Larkin’s five-year playoff drought matches its longest in program history. Not since 1974-78 have the Royals gone this long without a postseason appearance, and as usual Larkin will be a bit undermanned compared to most of its opponents this fall. But a beefy offensive line, some talented playmakers and a series of good breaks might be enough for coach Mike Scianna’s scrappy team to win five or six games.

Not to be forgotten among the teams with the potential to surprise are St. Charles East and St. Charles North. The Saints and North Stars both missed the playoffs the past two seasons, but neither program figures to stay down for long.

A playoff berth for Dundee-Crown, Elgin or Hampshire would qualify as a major surprise. The Maroons and Whip-Purs both went 1-8 last fall, and the struggles for the Chargers have been well documented. All three teams enter the 2012 campaign with a clean slate, but a serious turnaround will be needed if they hope to extend their seasons to a 10th game.

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com August 1, 2012 7:26PM

 

The strong showing came on the heels of the Green Wave’s first-place finish in its own lineman challenge July 20 at Greg True Field. In that event St. Edward beat out Elgin, Larkin and Streamwood.

“Our success is a combination of the guys being big, strong and athletic,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “A lot of teams do better on the bench press but then they can’t run as well. Or they can’t push the sleds but they can run sprints.

“If you include our tight ends, luckily we’ve got seven guys across who average 220, are athletic and pretty strong. They do well at these events and we hope it translates into doing well on the field.”

St. Edward was one of several schools to enter two teams of linemen in the competition. In a sign of the Wave’s depth up front, its second team took 10th place overall.

With opening night of the 2012 season just over three weeks away, St. Edward’s third-year line coach Steve McShane will begin making final preparations next Wednesday when practices get under way for teams all across the state.

Headlining St. Edward’s group of big men is junior Collin Holte. The 6-foot, 235-pounder started on the line last year as a sophomore and returns to play guard and defensive tackle this fall.

Junior Zach West is another guard and defensive tackle who saw time as a varsity starter during the second half of the 2011 season.

Senior tackles Pat Berlin (6-1, 240) and Nick Plazewski (6-2, 250) will be counted on for significant contributions up front this year. Senior center Sean McShane (5-10, 180) is also a key member of the unit as he returns from a torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of last season.

The Green Wave plans to get plenty of use out of senior tight ends Jacob Koehring (6-1, 195) and Andrew Yarwood (6-4, 205). Koehring was a defensive end last year but will go both ways this fall, as will Yarwood, who transferred from Burlington Central after earning All-Big Northern East honors for his efforts at defensive end with the Rockets in 2011.

Matt Colasuono (6-0, 180), Josh VonRohr (5-11, 180) and Joe Stump (5-11, 210) round out what amounts to a group of 10 players Rolando expects to be in the mix blocking for juniors Devontae Elam, Will Bothwell and the rest of the Green Wave’s capable running backs.

“This year we’ll probably run more than we throw,” Rolando said. “We’ve got some guys on the line who are strong and who can move. We hope that translates into some power football up front.”

Streamwood’s Northern Illinois-bound Blake Holder spoke like a true wide receiver Friday night after the first St. Edward 7-on-7 passing tournament.

The Sabres showed they might be as potent a passing attack this fall as they were last year in their run to the state playoffs as they came away with a 3-0 record in 7-on-7 passing games against Elgin, Larkin and St. Edward. But the overall winner on the night at Greg True was host St. Edward, which came up with 25 total points based largely on the performance of its linemen in a series of linemen challenges.

“What’s really great is the interest that was shown here. We got a good crowd out here for some summer football, a few hundred parents where normally you just get a handful at our summer passing league stuff.”

St. Edward won the overall title by virtue of its victory over Streamwood in the first round of the night’s final event, the tug-of-war competition. That ensured the extra point it needed to overtake the second-place Sabres (24). Elgin and Larkin finished tied with 20 points.

“We’re going to average about 300 pounds between the guards and our left tackle will be 280,” Schabert said.

The Royals went 2-1 in the 7-on-7 games, and lost 20-18 to Streamwood at game’s end on a batted-down two-point conversion or they might have gone unbeaten. They beat rival Elgin 21-14 and St. Edward 16-12 with quarterback Kemmerin Blalark displaying a big arm at times, and finding cousin Anthony Blalark for key strikes.

“They’ve got a real connection going,” coach Mike Scianna said. “I think we’ll be able to do more than pass. We have Mo (Jackson) at running back behind Schabert and Adam (Hamiel), who’ve been big keys up front for us. So we’ll be able to do a little bit of everything.”

Mario Randazzo, a transfer from Burlington Central, showed up big in the receiving and defensive game.

Streamwood, besides beating Larkin, 20-18, rallied to beat Elgin 16-15 on a last-second Holder TD catch and a two-point conversion pass, then rallied again from a 9-8 deficit late to beat St. Edward 22-9.

Jordan McFeggan, a backup QB last year, led Streamwood’s offense on the night, but is getting competition from Wheaton-Warrenville South transfer Mason Pollack.

“They’re still fighting it out and eventually we’ll crown one of them starter, but that’s a long way down the road yet,” said Holder. “We’re just excited we won three tonight for now.”

Elgin might have been 2-1 if not for the late Streamwood rally. Quarterback Ryan Sitter, who started last year as a sophomore, displayed good downfield touch and an ability to look off defenders, although he hasn’t really been able to entirely focus on summer football.

“He’s doing really well for us,” Elgin coach Dave Bierman said. “Between basketball, football, and baseball, he’s got a lot on his plate. But he’s done a heck of a job.

“I think skill-wise, we’ll be solid. It’s up front that’s going to be the key. No matter what you have, up front is where you need it.”

Elgin, Larkin, St. Edward and Streamwood will put their varsity teams on display during a round-robin 7-on-7 passing tournament and lineman challenge that starts at 8 p.m.

Prior to the varsity competition, St. Edward’s sophomores will engage in a 7-on-7 game and lineman challenge with the junior varsity squad from Westminster Christian, which is fielding a high school team for the first time this fall. The lower-level event begins at 6:30 p.m.

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando invites all local football fans to come out, grab dinner from the Green Wave booster club’s concession stand and get a preview of what to expect from Elgin’s teams during the 2012 season.

“If I were a high school football fan, this would be a good opportunity to kind of get my fix to hold me over until the season starts Aug. 24,” Rolando said. “A lot of times if you’re an Elgin fan you never get to see Larkin or St. Ed’s because you’re always going to the Elgin game. The same goes for fans of St. Edward and Larkin.

“Everybody probably reads about everybody else in the paper, but you don’t get a chance to get out and see what some of those players at other schools look like. This is just a neat opportunity to see all the local talent on the same stage.”

The varsity 7-on-7 tournament will feature two games at a time being played on 40-yard fields, and each game will have its own announcer.

In between the 7-on-7 games the linemen from each school will engage in various strength tests such as a tire throw and bench press competition. The linemen will also be involved in other events on the track surrounding the field while the 7-on-7 games are in action.

Among the big-name players to keep an eye on at the event are Larkin lineman Alex Schabert, Larkin running back Mo Jackson, Streamwood running back/linebacker Vince Williams, Streamwood lineman A.J. Mitchell, Streamwood defensive back Austin Mugnai and Streamwood receiver Blake Holder, who committed to Northern Illinois earlier this summer.

This marks the second straight year St. Edward is holding a summer football showcase, but it is the first time the event will be made up entirely of local schools.

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com June 21, 2012 5:00PM

 

Updated: June 23, 2012 11:39AM

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Mike Rolando during his seven years as St. Edward’s football coach, it’s that he maintains his enthusiasm through thick and thin.

This summer, however, Rolando seems to be even more amped up than usual.

From the preseason questionnaire he sent out in mid-May to the energetic practices he is leading three times a week this month, Rolando is building up a full head of steam going into the 2012 campaign, which kicks off Aug. 24. And to hear Rolando explain it, there’s plenty or reason for the excitement.

“We’ve had record numbers out for our summer practices, starting with the 60 kids we had out for our first practice June 4,” Rolando said. “The kids had been talking about football for the last three months and were counting down the days to summer practice. When they get excited, the coaches get excited and we kind of feed off each other.”

The Green Wave made back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in program history in 2009 and 2010, but a switch to the ultra-competitive Suburban Christian Blue Division played a role in halting St. Edward’s momentum as it narrowly missed out on a third straight trip to the postseason with a 4-5 record last fall.

Most of the key contributors from the past three seasons are now gone, including four 2012 graduates who will continue their careers in college. Lineman Evan Finnane is bound for Army, lineman Zack McQueen will suit up for Concordia University in Wisconsin, quarterback Bob French has committed to Augustana and linebacker/running back Luke Duffy will play football and baseball at Washington University in St. Louis.

In the wake of those departures, only eight or nine seniors figure to be in the mix this fall, but a big group of juniors are ready to step into leading roles as St. Edward eyes a return to the playoffs.

The task is easier said than done, though, as the Wave learned last year while navigating a daunting SCC schedule that included Class 5A state champion Montini and Class 3A state champion Aurora Christian. The road figures to be just as challenging in 2012 for the Wave, which is by far the smallest school in the loaded SCC Blue.

“Those two years we made the playoffs the program really created a buzz,” Rolando said. “The kids remember that and they were all on the sideline with that group that won a playoff game (in 2010), and that’s where they want to get.

“They understand they have to get five wins, and looking at the schedule they understand there’s not an easy game on there. They’re going to have to work for everything they get this year.”

Junior running back Davontae Elam is one returning player with noteworthy varsity experience. He racked up 751 rushing yards on 123 carries during his freshman and sophomore seasons and will be asked to shoulder a heavier load this year.

Elam and the rest of his teammates will ramp up to four practices a week starting in the second week of July, and the workouts figure to only get more intense as Rolando looks to squeeze the most out of the 25 contact days he’s allowed to have with his players during the summer prior to the start of two-a-days in August.

“It’s St. Eds football, and you really don’t get a break and you don’t get to come off the field,” Rolando said. “Our best kids play and they play full time, so we’re out here in the summer really getting them in shape and trying to condition them so that they don’t have to come off the field.”

Marian Central’s buzz saw of an offense sliced and diced St. Edward to pieces Friday night.

The visiting Hurricanes scored on seven straight possessions and kept their undefeated record intact by routing the Green Wave 47-3 in Suburban Christian Blue action at Greg True Field in Elgin.

Junior quarterback Chris Streveler led the charge for Marian Central (6-0, 3-0), completing 10-of-16 passes for 186 yards and four touchdowns. Six of those completions went to senior Kyle Thompson, who finished with 119 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“All offseason all we do is go to 7-on-7 passing leagues, and we always want to call ourselves a well-oiled machine,” said Thompson, who also recorded an interception. “We just try to work as a unit and do everything as well as we can.”

St. Edward (4-2, 1-2) had little margin for error coming into the contest, and some missed opportunities early loomed large.

The Wave went three-and-out on the game’s first possession, but a muffed punt by the Hurricanes gave St. Edward the ball at the Marian Central 31-yard line. The Wave failed to cash in and punted four plays later, but it got the ball back when the Hurricanes went three-and-out and punted on their first set of downs.

St. Edward again failed to move the chains on the subsequent possession, and a long punt return for the Hurricanes shortened the field as Sam Calderaro scored the first of his three first-half touchdowns on an 11-yard run with 4:17 left in the first quarter.

Calderaro added a 15-yard run and Thompson caught a 64-yard bomb from Streveler as Marian Central pushed its lead to 19-0 by the end of the first quarter. The onslaught continued from there as Scott Stochl caught a 22-yard touchdown pass, Calderaro scored on a 33-yard run and Thompson hauled in a 10-yard touchdown strike as the Hurricanes went to halftime with a 40-3 lead.

“You’ve got to try to keep the momentum and not make any mistakes,” Streveler said. “When you get going like that you just want to keep it going.”

It was more of the same on the opening possession of the second half as Streveler hit Nikko Theodorou for a 30-yard touchdown pass three plays into the third quarter. With a running clock in effect, Marian Central pulled its starters and began to celebrate clinching its third straight trip to the playoffs.

Calderaro finished with 110 rushing yards on 11 carries for Marian Central, which enjoyed a 393-196 advantage in total yards of offense.

The Green Wave’s only points came on a 35-yard field goal by Bob French in the second quarter. French also completed 12-of-34 passes for 167 yards but was intercepted twice.

The outcome marked another lopsided loss in the rugged SCC Blue for St. Edward, which still needs one win to become playoff eligible for the third straight year.

“(Marian Central) is a good football team and they had us outmatched at a lot of positions,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “I still think we’re a good 4A football team, and if we can get one more win here in the next three weeks maybe we get a chance to show people that. But obviously we didn’t show it tonight.”

The St. Edward football players understand the challenge.

In order to reach the Class 4A state playoffs for a third straight season, the Green Wave must knock off one of their final four opponents from the Suburban Christian Conference, two of which entered the weekend ranked in the Class 5A poll.

Marian Central the No. 2 team in 5A was never in danger of falling victim to St. Edward's playoff crusade Friday. The physically superior Hurricanes scored touchdowns on six straight first-half possessions and shut down the Wave's running game in a 47-3 Blue Division victory at Greg True Field in Elgin.

Marian Central (6-0, 3-0), led by the offensive line of left tackle Kurtis Stirneman (6-foot-5, 280 pounds), left guard Christian Scroggs (6-0, 210), center Don Remke (5-9, 200), right guard Kyle Harper (5-11, 205) and right tackle Scott Taylor (6-4, 295), outgained St. Edward 399 yards to 202.

"At the end of the day, we were just outmatched against that team," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, whose team slipped to 4-2, 1-2.

"I still think we're a good 4A football team. If we can get one more win here in the next three weeks, maybe we'll get a chance to show people that. Obviously, we didn't show it tonight."

The St. Edward offense tried to run behind its best player, senior Evan Finnane, a 6-2, 255-pound lineman who has offers from Army and Air Force. Finnane lined up at guard, at tackle wherever the ball was headed. However, Marian Central soon "started figuring it out," Finnane said. "They started bringing blitzes and messing up plays in the backfield."

Finnane was outweighed by 30 pounds in the trenches by defensive tackles Taylor, committed to Northern Illinois, and Stirneman.

"I think we did a good job on him," Taylor said of Finnane. "I knew he was a good player because I played against him last year and I wrestled against him. A couple of miscues, but I think we took care of him for the most part."

The result was 24 rushing yards for St. Edward, which averages 283 yards rushing per game. Forced into third-and-long situations all night, Green Wave quarterback Bob French (12 of 34, 178 yards) was intercepted twice. Those picks on back-to-back possessions helped the Hurricanes score 3 touchdowns in a span of 1:48 of the second quarter, a burst that upped the lead from 19-3 to 40-3.

Offensively, 6-3 Marian Central quarterback Chris Streveler completed 9 of 17 attempts for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns. His main target was 6-2 receiver Kyle Thompson, who made 6 catches for 115 yards, including a 64-yard bomb on a post pattern that staked Marian Central to a 19-0 lead with 10 seconds left in the first quarter.

Hurricanes running back Sam Calderaro rushed 10 times through wide-open holes for 112 yards and 3 touchdowns.

"Yeah, they're big, and, yeah, they're No. 2 in 5A or whatever but rankings don't mean anything when you go out there," St. Edward two-way player Luke Duffy said. "

We beat ourselves and that's been our story. We haven't had a perfect game yet. We're waiting for that game where everyone sticks to their assignments.

"The only thing we can do is learn from this. The best thing about it is it's over."

St. Edward quarterback Robert French shakes off Walther Lutheran's Paul Stahlke while rolling out of the pocket in the second quarter Friday night at Greg True Field in Elgin.

St. Edward's Luke Duffy is taken down by Walther Lutheran Paul Stahlke in the first quarter on Friday, September 23.

St. Edward's DaVontae Elam prances across the goal line with Walther Lutheran's Jeff Walker attempting to catch up in the second quarter on Friday, September 23.

St. Edward's Ryan Johnson leaps into the arms of Evan Finnane after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter vs Walther Lutheran on Friday, September 23.

St. Edward's Luke Duffy (8) is swarmed by teammates after scoring a touchdown over Walther Lutheran on Friday, September 23

St. Edward quarterback Robert French prepares to pass the ball before a sack by Walther Lutheran's Paul Stahlke in the first half on Friday, September 23.

 

It wasn’t exactly what coach Mike Rolando was looking for, but St Edward was still able to overcome a boatload of mistakes on Friday night to defeat visiting Walter Lutheran 49-21 in a Suburban Christian Conference crossover battle at Greg True Field.

Coming off its first loss of the season last week, St Edward (4-1) received an early wake-up call when Walter Lutheran recovered a mishandled punt return by the Green Wave at the St Edward 1-yard line just over a minute into the game. The Broncos scored on the next play to jump on top 7-0.

St. Edward did bounce back however to score the next 43 unanswered points. But contrary to the lopsided score, nothing seem to come easy for the Green Wave, which committed 10 penalties, turned the ball over three times, and allowed five quarterback sacks.

“It was just very sloppy from the get go,” said Rolando. “We still have a lot of areas to shore up. Just way too many mistakes.

We wanted to try and throw the ball a little more tonight to get more two-dimensional, but we never really found our rhythm in the passing game. Fortunately at the end of the day we stepped it up and we were able to pound the ball on the ground when we needed to.”

Luke Duffy enjoyed a big night for St Edward. Not only did the senior get nominated as homecoming king, he also had 222 yards of total offense (136 rushing, 86 receiving) and scored a pair of touchdowns. The Green Wave as a team racked up 291 yards on the ground.

“I can’t do it without my offensive line,” said Duffy. “They makes it easy for me. I just have to hit the holes they open. We knew this was a must win after our loss last week. Then after the way the game started we knew we were going to really pick up the intensity the rest of the way.”

St. Edward tied the score on the next series after yielding an opening touchdown to the Broncos, marching 66 yards for the score. Duffy had a 44-yard run on the drive and then went into the end zone on a 7-yard run.

A bad snap on a punt by Walter Lutheran (1-4) gave the Green Wave the ball at the Broncos 20-yard line and set up the Green Wave’s next score. Four plays later Ryan Johnson scored on a 7-yard touchdown run to put St Edward ahead 14-7. Johnson scored again with 1:01 left in the first quarter on a 5-yard run after the Green Wave had recovered an on-side kick.

St Edward added a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter on a 50-yard pass from Bob French to Duffy and a 3-yard run by Devontae Elam to go up 36-7 at the break.

French had another 4- \yard touchdown pass to Daniel Jaimes in the second half. Will Bothwell wrapped up the scoring for the Wave with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Despite scrambling for his life most of the game, French managed to complete 11-of-18 passes for 154 yards. The Wave rush defense held Walter Lutheran to negative six yards on the ground.

Things get tough for the Green Wave from here. Its final four opponents entered the the night with a combined record of 13-3.

“We are going to have to play better than tonight,” said Rolando. “If we make this many mistakes it’s going to cost us wins. When we play well we are a good football team.”

WALTHER LUTHERAN (1-3) AT ST. EDWARD (3-1)

When: 7 tonight

Radio: 1410-AM and wrmn1410.com

Last year: Did not play

Notes: Tonight’s contest marks the first-ever SCC crossover meeting between Walther Lutheran and St. Edward.

• The Broncos are coming off back-to-back lopsided defeats, including last week’s 41-6 loss to Immaculate Conception. Defense has been a problem this year for Walther Lutheran, which is allowing 42.5 points per game. Junior QB Joe Lomnicki, junior WR Najee Toomer and senior RB Glynn Chatmon are the top playmakers on offense for the Broncos, who missed the playoffs the past two years.

• The Green Wave’s blistering start to the season came to a screeching halt in last week’s 38-6 loss at Marmion. Senior RB/LB Luke Duffy scored his team’s only touchdown in the defeat and has been a key contributor on both sides of the ball with 486 rushing yards and 34 tackles. Junior DT Sean McShane is out for the year after tearing an ACL against Wheaton Academy in Week 3.

Quote: “(Walther Lutheran) has three athletes that are probably faster than anybody we have, so we need to make sure we contain those guys. We got the wind taken out of our sails there last week, and it’s not the way we want to leave people thinking about St. Edward football.”

— St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

Marmion junior Matt Lally doesn't get the opportunity to catch many passes, but the one he caught Friday night set the tone for the Cadets' 38-6 victory over St. Edward.

Facing a fourth and two from their own 37-yard line with just under eight minutes left in the first quarter, the Cadets lined up to punt the ball, but the ball was hiked to the up-back Dan DiBartolo who tossed an 8-yard pass into the hand of Lally.

When Lally turned around, there were no defenders within 10 yards of the junior, so he darted down the sideline to the 18-yard line. Fellow junior Cody Snodgrass took it into the end zone from the 15-yard line two plays later and the Cadets never looked back.

"On tape we saw that their linebacker was very aggressive and liked to come up," Lally said. "I didn't think I would be that wide open. I looked ahead and it was a great feeling."

Marmion head coach Dan Thorpe indicated that the strategy came from watching film.

"We worked on that fake punt all week and I thought that set the tone," Thorpe said. "We saw on film that we thought we could do that. You can draw it up all you want, but the kids have to execute."

The Cadets (2-2, 1-1) made it 14-0 just before the first quarter ended when Tyler Boyd recovered a Green Wave fumble on the 5-yard line and quarterback Charlie Faunce tossed a 3-yard pass touchdown pass to Kyle Kozak three plays later.

St. Edward (3-1, 1-1) couldn't get anything going offensively, completing only 2 of their first 8 passes for a total of 10 yards, and the Cadets defensive coverage made 3 interceptions. A.J. Friedman intercepted Green Wave quarterback Bob French midway into the second quarter to give the Cadets the ball on the Green Wave 34-yard line. Snodgrass took the handoff up the middle and appeared stopped after a modest gain of six yards, but Snodgrass carried several defenders with him for another 20 yards down to the 8-yard line. Garrett Becker then put the Cadets up 21-0 with an 8-yard touchdown run.

Leading 24-0 to start the third quarter, the Cadets scored again when Faunce's pitch bounced on the ground, but landed right into the hands of Becker who ran 51 yards to the end zone to give Marmion a commanding 31-0 lead. The Cadets made it 38-0 on their next possession when backup quarterback DiBartolo went deep to Jake Ruddy for a 64-yard touchdown with 5:03 left in the third quarter.

St. Edward's lone score came on a 25-yard pass from French to Luke Duffy with just over five minutes left in the game.

"They manhandled us up front, so you're not going to win many games when you get manhandled," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "After the fake punt, it kind of snow balled from there with the turnovers. To beat a team like this, you have to pretty much play a perfect ballgame."

After scoring 7, 6, and 6 points in its first three games, the Marmion football team is now an offensive juggernaut.

And all it took was a gutsy fake punt.

The Cadets’ trickery on their opening drive Friday night against visiting St. Edward resulted in a 46-yard pickup and led to a 15-yard touchdown run by Cody Snodgrass two players later.

Marmion forced four turnovers in the first half and found the end zone to be a warm and comforting place in a 38-6 win that moves the Cadets back to .500.

“This will give our offense some confidence,” Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. “Our emphasis this week was for linemen to block longer, backs to run harder. We could only block 10 guys so we needed guys to beat their man and they were able to do that tonight.”

On fourth-and-3 from their own 36, Cadets’ upman Dan DiBartolo — also the backup quarterback — found Matt Lally wide open across the middle for the big gainer.

“I had to step up with the linebacker coming up and then make a jump pass,” DiBartolo said. “Everyone was real excited. It gave us a change of heart (to score right away).”

The play dubbed “Tebow” had been in the works for days and provided Marmion (2-2, 1-1 in the Suburban Christian Blue) the confidence needed to break from its offensive slump.

“We saw it in the film and we told the kids we’d run it even if we were on the 20-yard line,” Thorpe said. “We told the defense if we don’t complete it, we have to go out and stop them. We felt it was there, we worked on it. Coaches can draw up lots of stuff, but the kids have to execute.”

Marmion linebacker Angelo Silvestro forced a fumble inside the Green Wave 5 not long after and quarterback Charlie Faunce found Kyle Kozak on a 3-yard touchdown for a quick 14-0 lead.

St. Edward quarterback Robert French was picked off three times in the first half by A.J. Friedman, Snodgrass and Rob Voirin, respectively.

Cadets’ tailback Garret Becker had an 8-yard touchdown run after Friedman’s pick, and Friedman added a 25-yard field goal before half for a 24-0 lead.

“They looked like an offense that could score some points against us for sure,” Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. “We come out and stop them, give up a fake punt. Just routine football 101 and we didn’t do it. Tackling, covering wide open receivers, taking care of the ball. We couldn’t have played any aspect of the game worse than we did.”

Becker had a 62-yard touchdown run in the second half, while DiBartolo found Jake Ruddy on a 65-yard strike.

After rushing for 248 yards last week, St. Edward running back Luke Duffy was held in check by the Marmion defensive interior, though he did get the only St. Edward score on a 25-yard reception.

“The teams we have left on the schedule, you can’t give opportunities like this and we know that,” Rolando said. “We got beat up by a better football team today. Hopefully, we can play a little better down the road.”

St. Edward (3-0, 1-0) at Marmion (1-2, 0-1)

When: today at 7:30 p.m.

Listen: The game will be broadcast on WRMN AM-1410 and streamed live on the web at wrmn1410.com, announcers Jeff Myers and Kyle Bault.

Last meeting (2008): St. Edward 20, Marmion 8

Last week: St. Edward 40, Wheaton Academy 0; Montini 13, Marmion 6

Outlook: St. Edward did exactly what it had to do in winning its first three games. Now, the competition level rises as the Green Wave gets its first crack at a member of the Suburban Christian Conference elite. Of St. Edward's final six opponents, four are either ranked or received double-digit votes in this week's Associated Press poll. The Cadets are not one of those teams. All they did was reach the Class 6A state title game a year ago. "We know we need to win 2 of these last 6 games to get into the playoffs," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "A lot of people say we won't be able to compete with the schools from these classes that are bigger than ours, but we've been erasing doubters since we got here. People said it would be impossible to rebuild the program here, but we did. Our kids take a lot of pride in the way they play defense. They believe in each other and they believe they can go out there and beat anybody. Of all the teams I've coached, this one has a unique heart that can offset some of the potential shortcomings in size. We're expecting a war." The Green Wave defense has allowed only one touchdown this season, led by seniors Mark Sink (32 tackles) and Evan Finnane (26 tackles, 3 sacks). The Marmion offense leans heavily on the running game, led by Garrett Becker (45 carries, 232 yards, TD) and junior Cody Snodgrass (27-117). Marmion's defense picked off 3 passes against Montini last week, including a pair by Jake Ruddy.

By Chris Pummer For Sun-Times Media September 9, 2011 11:42PM

Updated: September 10, 2011 3:44AM

Luke Duffy rushed for four touchdowns while St. Edward’s defense turned in an equally impressive performance in the Green Wave’s business-like 40-0 thrashing of Wheaton Academy in both teams’ Suburban Christian Conference Blue Division opener on Friday.

Duffy amassed 245 yards on 21 carries. His first touch of the game went for a 70-yard score on St. Edward’s first play from scrimmage, setting the tempo for the rest of the evening in Wheaton. The Green Wave senior went on to add 44-, 6- and 1-yard scoring runs.

“He looked real good in the first half,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “I asked him if he was feeling OK and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m in the zone coach. Just keep feeding me the ball.’ He ran like a man today.”

Said Duffy: “My offensive line gave us tremendous pushed and really opened up holes. Watching film all week, we knew their defensive alignments and what they were going to do. It’s easy to run when the holes are that big.”

Duffy’s opening salvo came after the Green Wave (3-0) bent but refused to break on Wheaton Academy’s opening drive.

The Warriors (0-3) drove for more than eight minutes before stalling on a fourth-down conversion attempt at the St. Edward 30-yard line, where seconds later Duffy broke free to give the Wave a 7-0 lead.

Instead of answering with another long drive, Wheaton Academy came back with two turnovers and a punt in its next three possessions. Meanwhile, Duffy rushed for another long score and DaVontae Elam added a 21-yard TD run to push the Wave ahead 19-0 midway through the second quarter.

Immediately after Elam’s score the Warriors had another chance climb back in the game when quarterback Nate Martinez delivered a 54-yard strike to Kevin Mann that put Wheaton Academy inside the St. Edward 10-yard line after the Wave’s Sean Richmond made a TD-saving tackle.

Four failed pass attempts left the Warriors empty-handed, and they wouldn’t get another opportunity deep in St. Edward territory until the very end of the third quarter when the game was out of hand.

“We were going up against a more experienced physical team,” Wheaton Academy coach Ben Wilson said. “Our kids fought hard, we had some big plays through the night, but we couldn’t capitalize when we needed to, or execute when we needed to.”

Both teams made their share of mistakes. The Green Wave was penalized 13 times for 115 yards. The Warriors weren’t as penalty plagued, but fumbled four times, giving the ball away twice.

“We have to shore those up because they’re not going to win us games going forward,” Rolando said. “Today we were just able to rebound from a little adversity and make some plays when we needed to.”

Elam finished with 68 yards and his score on seven carries. St. Edward QB Bob French threw for 135 yards on 9-of-14 passing which included a 43-yard TD toss to Matt Brockner. Brockner caught four passes for 85 yards and Tory Gudino added 65 rushing yards on a pair of long runs for the Wave.

Wheaton Academy’s Martinez finished with 131 yards on 9-of-23 passing with only two completions after halftime. Drew Decker caught four of those passes for 42 yards and led the Warriors in positive rushing yards with 11 on three carries.

When: today at 7 p.m. at Wheaton College

Last year: St. Edward 22, Wheaton Academy 10

Last week: St. Edward 55, Iroquois West 6; Byron 42, Wheaton Academy 0

Outlook: The undefeated Green Wave take on the winless Warriors on turf in the Suburban Christian Conference Blue Division opener for both teams. The St. Edward defense held Iroquois West to 59 yards of total offense last week. They'll face a Wheaton Academy offense that was shut out by Byron a week ago. "Our goal this week is to get our first SCC win and I don't care what form or fashion it comes in," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. These teams were both in the SCC Gold Division last year. St. Edward clinched that division by defeating the Warriors in Week 9.

The St. Edward defense has allowed only 6 points this season, led by seniors Mark Sink (25 tackles), Evan Finnane (19 tackles, 2 sacks), Ryan Johnson (18 tackles) and Zack McQueen (13 tackles, 3 sacks). That unit will focus on stopping Wheaton Academy running back John Mark Wiersma. "We need to bottle him up," Rolando said. "They do a good job of getting him the ball on screens and different running plays. I don't think their quarterback can hurt us running the ball or throwing down the field, so I think we'll see them hand off to their running back or find him on bubble screens and slip screens." Rolando said he is pleased with the progress of senior quarterback Bob French, who has completed 11-of-22 passes for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns without an interception in his first season as a varsity signal caller.

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By piling up big and balanced offensive numbers Friday night, Bartlett, St. Edward and Streamwood all served notice that future opponents will have to pick their poison.

Keep in mind all three teams blasted inferior competition in Week 2, but the high-powered and multi-dimensional offensive attacks displayed by the Hawks, Green Wave and Sabres were eye openers nonetheless.

In the case of Bartlett, senior quarterback AJ Bilyeu and his teammates looked downright unstoppable while doing all of their scoring before halftime in a 42-0 rout of Elgin.

Granted, the Maroons were without injured senior standout Dennis Moore, but it is hard to believe Moore’s presence would have done much to slow a Hawks attack that amassed 149 passing yards and 177 rushing yards for a 292 total in the first half before calling off the dogs after the intermission.

Of Bartlett’s six touchdowns, four came on passes from Bilyeu and two came on running plays. More impressively, all six touchdowns were scored by different players.

“We’re definitely versatile,” Bartlett senior receiver Zach Karys said. “We’ve got players at every position that can get the ball and do something with it.”

Karys, a three-year varsity starter, was the recipient of a 24-yard touchdown strike from Bilyeu in the second quarter, but it was senior tight end Lorenzo Mitchell who stole the show.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Mitchell picked apart what is usually a competent Elgin secondary by catching the first five passes from Bilyeu for 52 yards. In doing so Mitchell showed off his skills by hauling in passes over the middle as well as near the sideline, with his best reception coming on spectacular one-handed grab on a fade pattern in the back left corner of the end zone in the first quarter.

“(Mitchell) looked like a pro receiver there,” Meaney said. “That was an awesome catch, one of the best catches I’ve seen in the end zone.”

While Bartlett was proving it has the weaponry needed to live up to its lofty expectations, Streamwood was busy reassuring any doubters that its resurgence this fall isn’t a fluke.

The Sabres piled up a whopping 523 yards of offense while stomping Dundee-Crown 40-17. The Chargers had hoped to bottle up Streamwood’s star running back Alex Morrow, but that plan backfired when senior quarterback Dalton Lundeen completed 12-of-14 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns.

With the passing game in high gear, Morrow still managed to rack up 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries as the Sabres won consecutive games for the first time since 2003 and improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2002.

If Streamwood can continue to strike the kind of offensive balance it did while amassing 266 passing yards and 257 rushing yards against D-C, expect even more success to follow.

Last but not least, St. Edward got a dose of what the doctor ordered when it went on the road and pounded Iroquois West 55-6.

The Green Wave lost five fumbles in its Week 1 triumph, so cleaning things up on offense was a top priority Friday night. St. Edward accomplished that and then some as senior quarterback Bob French passed for three touchdowns and sophomore running back Davontae Elam ran for three touchdowns.

The 55-point outburst matched St. Edward’s second-highest scoring total during coach Mike Rolando’s seven years at the helm. More importantly, it built confidence in an offensive unit that will need to hold its own to support a stout Green Wave defense as the team rolls into Suburban Christian action starting this week.

By Dan Chamness For Sun-Times Media September 2, 2011 11:54PM

Updated: September 3, 2011 1:47AM

For the St. Edward offense, it was simply the Dovantae Elam show.

While Elam was scoring three touchdowns, the St. Edward defense was busy holding the Iroquois West Raiders to just one touchdown and 59 yards of offense, in the visiting Green Wave’s 55-6 victory.

Elam, who finished with over 200 rushing yards, rushed for the final four yards in a seven-play drive, which took the Green Wave (2-0) only 2:35 to complete. Elam entered the end zone with 40.8 seconds to play in the first quarter to give St. Edward its second touchdown of the contest. Joe French tacked on the extra point for a 14-0 lead.

“I love getting a lot of touches,” said Elam, who had 19 carries on the evening. “The offensive line helped tremendously. There was so much push.

“I learned a lot on how to run from my family. I also watched a little bit of Walter Payton.”

Elam rushed for 26 yards two different times during the drive as St. Edward started the drive from its own 42-yard line. Before the half was over, Elam had a second touchdown, dashing 65 yards and scoring at the 3:18 mark of the second quarter. He scored on a 75-yard touchdown run with 11:42 left to play.

Iroquois West earned its only touchdown by running the option, running Keaton Zirkle up the middle and depending on the speed of Tyler Clay as he dashed to the outside. The quarterback, Jordan Hansen, scored on a 3-yard run, cutting the lead to 14-6.

The Raiders had other drives, but the defense of St. Edward stopped them cold. Early in the third quarter, the Raiders used the option, driving down the field 27 yards, but a fumble recovered by Evan Finnane abruptly ended the drive and set up another St. Edward score as Green Wave QB Bob French found Troy Gudino with a 17-yard strike.

“Everything clicked,” said French. “My wide receivers and my offensive line made me look real good tonight. I had a ton of time. I just looked for the right guy.”

St. Edward held a 28-6 lead at halftime as French hit Matt Brockner with a 15-yard touchdown pass in the final 15 seconds of the first half. In the final play of the first half, Sean Richmond intercepted a pass to give him an interception for the second consecutive week.

“The coaches expect me to intercept passes,” said Richmond. “We were disappointed that they scored. It fired us up a little bit. The coaches had us well prepared. They surprised us on their scoring drive. They hit harder. When they brought Zirkle up the middle, they hit us harder.”

Besides the performance of Elam, French completed 6-of-12 passes for 153 yards. He completed three touchdown passes. Brockner caught two passes for 45 yards. Both were touchdown strikes.

ST. EDWARD (1-0) AT IROQUOIS WEST (1-0)

When: 7 tonight

Radio: AM-1410 and wrmn1410.com

Last year: Did not play

Notes: Roughly 120 miles separate St. Edward and Iroquois West, which is located south of Kankakee in Gilman.

• The Green Wave looks to take another step forward after knocking off Genoa-Kingston 21-0. St. Edward’s defense allowed only 79 yards while posting its fourth shutout since Week 2 of last season. Senior RB/LB Luke Duffy ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns and also had seven tackles, one sack and one interception on defense. Cleaning things up on offense will be a focus for the Wave, which lost five fumbles last week.

• The Raiders opened their season with a 45-8 victory against Eureka. Keaton Zirkle helped lead the onslaught by running for 156 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Iroquois West, which competes in the Sangamon Valley, finished 2-7 last season and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Quote: (Iroquois West) doesn’t do anything too flashy. They’re going to line up and try to pound the ball. I think our defense will be up to the challenge, but this Friday is really about our offense starting to click and getting some confidence.”

— St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

St. Edward's players head onto the field before their home game against Genoa-Kingston on Friday night. | Andrew A. Nelles~For Sun-Times Media

Updated: August 28, 2011 12:07AM

One week doesn’t make a season.

That’s the message local teams need to keep in mind over the next few days as they reflect on the opening weekend of the 2011 high school football season.

Only five of the area’s 14 teams were victorious Friday night, but it’s important to remember that the winners certainly didn’t punch a ticket to the playoffs and the losers by no means had their postseason hopes dashed. We’re only one-ninth of the way to the finish line, and a lot will happen during the next two months.

That was the mind-set after Burlington Central upended rival Hampshire 36-22 on Friday to make a winner of Rich Crabel in his Rockets coaching debut. The victory marked Burlington Central’s first Week 1 win since 2004 and signaled the program might be back on track following a three-year playoff hiatus, but the Rockets realize they were far from perfect.

“There’s a lot of things we know we have to fix, and that’s not uncommon after your first game,” Crabel said. “Some people say as long as you escape with a win in your first game, it was a good game.

“We just have a little higher expectations for ourselves and we can do some things better. We’ll go to work Monday and the kids will take care of that.”

St. Edward is another team that was less than euphoric following its season-opening victory as five turnovers by the Green Wave offense in a 21-0 win against Genoa-Kingston proved there is plenty of room for coach Mike Rolando’s club to grow.

The Wave’s defense lived up to expectations by keeping the Cogs out of the end zone despite being put in some precarious situations, but with seven starters back from the unit that led the area by holding opponents to 11.7 points per game last year, it comes as no surprise that St. Edward’s defense was ahead of its offense.

With that said, the Green Wave needs to clean up its offensive miscues in a hurry if it wants to get back to the postseason for a third straight year. Committing five turnovers against upcoming Suburban Christian Blue opponents Montini, St. Francis, Marian Central and Marmion would be like asking for a running clock defeat.

On the other side of the ledger, teams that lost in Week 1 need to leave the sting of defeat behind when they return to the practice field Monday.

This is particularly important for Bartlett and South Elgin, which still figure to be two of the area’s top teams despite enduring setbacks in Week 1.

Bartlett’s 26-24 loss to Wheaton North was especially gut-wrenching as the Falcons scored the game-winning touchdown on the final play of the contest.

The talented and experienced Hawks expect to win every week, so there were no moral victories to be gained from the narrow loss to a team ranked in the Sun-Times Super 25. With that said, Bartlett’s goals of winning the Upstate Eight Valley and making a deep run in the playoffs certainly look alive and well after nearly pulling off an impressive road win in a playoff-like atmosphere.

As for South Elgin, judging its performance solely on the 28-7 final score of its loss to Downers Grove South would be a mistake. The Storm trailed only 14-7 going into the fourth quarter despite being without All-UEC Valley offensive lineman Christian Guerrero, who was out with a broken ankle he sustained in practice last Wednesday.

South Elgin also turned the ball over twice in the red zone and missed two field-goal attempts of more than 30 yards, so an impressive road victory was much closer for the Storm than the final score would indicate. Assuming that South Elgin can sharpen up in the coming weeks, a rematch with the Mustangs in the Class 8A playoffs wouldn’t be out of the question.

Thanks to the Courier News for these shots and the article.

St. Edward held the Cogs to 69 yards rushing, 10 yards passing and 5 first downs, forced 8 punts, recovered 2 of 3 forced fumbles and intercepted a pair of Genoa-Kingston passes.

“That’s what we’re planning on: shutouts every week,” said senior two-way lineman Evan Finnane. “We don’t want them to score at all. That’s just old news for us. It was just total domination on defense for us.”

Genoa-Kingston lost yardage on 10 of its 46 offensive plays. Five of those tackles for a loss, including 2 sacks, were recorded by Finnane, who has full scholarship offers from Air Force and Army.

“He’s the real deal, especially on the defensive side,” G-K coach Justin Fredrick said. “We started thinking about going the other way more often, no doubt. “

Despite their offensive woes the Cogs trailed just 7-0 entering the fourth quarter. That’s when St. Edward senior running back Luke Duffy finally found some room to run and helped the Green Wave score 14 fourth-quarter points to seal the victory.

Duffy ran for 140 of his 162 yards and both of his touchdowns in the second half.

“They were filling all the gaps and their linebackers were stepping up hard,” said Duffy, who also intercepted a pass on defense. “At halftime we knew we had to adjust and that’s what we did.”

St. Edward coach Mike Rolando explained the adjustment.

“We had no success running to our tight end side earlier because they would overload and they had us outnumbered there,” he said. “We started spreading them out and running to our twins side. Once we figured out how to spread them out a little bit and give ourselves a little bit of an advantage we were able to run the ball.”

St. Edward took control of the game early in the fourth quarter when Duffy spearheaded a 6-play, 58-yard drive. The senior carried the ball 4 times for gains of 18, 11, 23 and 5 yards, the last of which was a touchdown run that put the Wave ahead 14-0 with 8:09 left in the game.

Duffy wasn’t done. Two possessions later he followed fullback Ryan Johnson’s lead block to the right side of the line, broke though and raced 66 yards to account for the final score.

“I have to give credit to my offensive line and my fullback for blocking in front of me,” Duffy said. “The holes were opening up.”

The game started ominously for the Green Wave when they were unable to field the opening kick. It was squibbed off a St. Edward front-row player and recovered by the Cogs, however, they couldn’t capitalize and were forced to punt.

Duffy immediately fumbled the ball right back to G-K at his own 14-yard line.

“I know they have all the faith in the world in their defense,” Rolando said of his players. “They certainly tested them tonight.”

Again, the Green Wave defense stiffened. G-K kicker Chris Camargo was set to attempt a 24-yard field goal, but the good snap slipped through holder Adam Price’s hands. The loose ball was picked up by Camargo, whose desperation pass to a release man was intercepted by Duffy at his own 15-yard line.

The St. Edward offense finally broke through on its fifth possession of the first half. Duffy returned a punt 29 yards to the Genoa-Kingston 31-yard line and subsequently reeled off an 18-yard gain.

Facing third-and-5 from the Genoa-Kingston 8-yard line, new St. Edward quarterback Bob French rolled to his right and connected with Matt Brockner on a crossing pattern for a touchdown with 5:26 left in the second quarter. French completed 5-of-10 attempts for 123 yards and a touchdown. Brockner made 3 receptions for 92 yards.

Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110826/sports/708269642/#ixzz1WCzXGopX

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com August 6, 2011 5:12PM

 

With high school football practices set to begin Wednesday, the 2011 season is quickly approaching.

On the recruiting front, several of the area’s top players are attracting interest from Division I and Division I FCS programs, and the future is coming into focus for a few seniors who have already received offers.

Bartlett quarterback A.J. Bilyeu made news last month when he verbally accepted an offer from Air Force, but he isn’t the only local player to catch the eye of coaches from the Mountain West Conference program.

Like Bilyeu, St. Edward lineman Evan Finnane was offered a full athletic scholarship to play at Air Force. Finnane hasn’t made a commitment yet as he is also expecting an offer from Army, where his older brother Shane made the team as a walk-on two years ago.

Evan Finnane has been a fixture on the offensive and defensive lines for the Green Wave during his high school career. He is being recruited as a defensive tackle after finishing with 59 tackles and six sacks during a junior season in which he was named to the All-Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division team.

“Evan has definitely worked hard and earned the respect that he’s gotten,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “It’s great to see at least one offer on the table for him, and I know there will be more to follow.”

Wisconsin ranks high on the list of other schools showing an interest in Finnane. The 6-foot-2, 260- pounder was invited to a camp by the Badgers, but whether that interest turns into a scholarship offer is yet to be seen.

For Bilyeu, who hopes to study to become a doctor in college, the recruiting process came to an end when he found a perfect fit with Air Force. While tuition to service academies is free to those who are accepted, the opportunity is there for Bilyeu to have his education paid for through medical school.

At 6-3 and 175 pounds, Bilyeu ranks as one of the top returning quarterbacks in the western suburbs. He garnered All-Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division honors as a junior when he completed 105 of 157 passes for 1,437 yards and 19 touchdowns.

With his college decision already made, Bilyeu can focus on the task at hand of guiding an offense that should help Bartlett compete for the UEC Valley title. Former Hawks quarterback Josh Hasenberg’s program records for career passing yards and passing touchdowns are also within reach for Bilyeu, who is going into his third varsity season.

“I think A.J. is pretty excited about going to Air Force,” Bartlett coach Tom Meaney said. “As for this season, if he stays healthy, he can break a lot of records.”

While Bilyeu and Finnane are the first local players to receive offers from a Division-I program, several other area standouts are on the recruiting radar.

St. Edward linebacker Luke Duffy is garnering interest from a number of Ivy League schools, including Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton and Yale. The All-SCC Gold honoree led the Wave with 97 tackles last year as a junior.

Streamwood running back Alex Morrow spent the summer attending a number of camps at schools such as Iowa, Indiana and Penn. He has remained in contact with coaches from several schools, but doesn’t have any offers at the moment. Morrow ran for 759 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior and landed All-UEC River honors.

Elgin High’s Dennis Moore also had a busy summer on the recruiting camp circuit. He said he is getting significant interest from Northern Illinois and Drake, and he also recently made a visit to Ball State.

A two-way standout for the Maroons, Moore is being recruited as a defensive back after tallying 44 tackles and four interceptions and earning All-UEC River honors at the position as a junior.

“It’s always encouraging to have these schools looking at me and calling me,” Moore said. “It just makes me want to work harder.”

Last but certainly not least, South Elgin’s David Reisner seems like a safe bet to get an offer from a Division-I program.

One of the top kickers and punters in the region, Reisner is going into his fourth varsity season. He is a two-time Courier-News All-Area team member who averaged 58.3 yards per kickoff and 34 yards per punt during his junior season.

The All-UEC Valley honoree went to camps at Purdue, Illinois, Northern Illinois, Iowa State and Western Michigan. He also won a field-goal competition while attending a camp in Los Angeles for some of the top kickers in the nation.

Reisner says Illinois and Iowa State top his list of potential destinations, but for now he’s still waiting for formal offers.

“I’m hoping to get (an offer) before the season starts, but the college coaches I’ve been speaking to lately are not in a rush to make a decision probably until after their seasons are over,” Reisner said.

Summer get together

St. Edward wrapped up the end of its summer camp by hosting a 7-on-7 competition and lineman challenge under the lights July 29 at Greg True Field. Elgin High and Streamwood brought some more local flavor to the event, which also included Waukegan.

The Green Wave beat all three schools to win the 7-on-7 passing competition. St. Edward finished second to Waukegan in the lineman challenge, but Finnane blew away the field in the bench press when he completed 30 reps at 185 pounds.

“The booster club was out there and they had the concessions going full force,” Rolando said. “It was a really good time.”

Updated: July 5, 2011 11:09AM

Big changes to the football schedules at Hampshire and St. Edward will lead to big challenges for both teams this fall.

Last week the IHSA released the 2011 football schedules for all the teams in the state, and the biggest story lines on a local level are the difficult slate of games awaiting the Whip-Purs and Green Wave.

Hampshire makes its move to the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division this year, and nothing will come easy for the newcomers as the Whips try to navigate a league known for being a football powerhouse.

Meanwhile, St. Edward’s hopes of reaching the state playoffs for a third year in a row will be severely tested with its move to the ultra-competitive Suburban Christian Conference Blue Division. Showdowns against reigning Class 5A state champion Montini and Class 6A runner-up Marmion are just part of what will be a grueling league schedule for the Wave.

“Everybody involved with and close to this program is nothing but excited to get to play that level of competition,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “We’ve been getting better and better, and if we want to be able to compete at that top level we’ve got to fight and claw all nine games. We’re going to approach every game like a playoff game until we get to that fifth win.”

Wave taking big step up

St. Edward’s move to the SCC Blue comes as the league enters its third year of existence. The plan all along was to reassess the alignment of teams in the SCC Blue and SCC Gold in every sport following the 2010-11 school year.

Using a formula that took into account every SCC football team’s school enrollment, win percentage in division games and playoff success, the Green Wave and Wheaton Academy were tabbed as the two teams to move up from the SCC Gold to the SCC Blue. Aurora Christian and Walther Lutheran will go the other direction, dropping to the SCC Gold.

St. Edward won all of its SCC Gold games en route to the division title last year, but it lost both of its crossovers. Marian Central and St. Francis join the Wave, Montini and Marmion in the SCC Blue. Wheaton Academy is the only team in the division that wasn’t part of the old Suburban Catholic Conference.

The Suburban Christian Conference could be in for more changes following the 2011 season as the league plans to institute a new formula that puts added weight on strength of schedule to decide the league breakdown. For now, though, St. Edward is only focused on the task at hand.

“People probably forget that we rebuilt this team in the (Suburban Catholic Conference), and our last year in the original SCC we were 4-5,” Rolando said. “We beat Marmion that year, we only lost to Montini by six on a last-second play, we only lost to Driscoll by nine and we only lost to St. Francis by 11. So we were very competitive before we broke up the conference, and people tend to forget that and think we only had success when we were in the easier side of the new SCC.”

In addition to the changes in its conference schedule, St. Edward also has two new non-conference opponents this year. The Wave opens the season with a home game against Genoa-Kingston before traveling to Gilman to play the Iroquois West Coop in Week 2.

by Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Jan 20, 2011 12:19AM

St. Edward senior Ben Lehman will have plenty of unwavering support back home when he begins his college football career next fall at Valparaiso.

Lehman, who as quarterback for the Green Wave helped guide the program to one of its most successful seasons in 2010, verbally committed Monday to continue his playing career with the Crusaders.

“I’ve been there seven or eight times with camps and everything and it just felt like home,” said Lehman. “I like the direction of the program and the guys that they are bringing in. They’re building the program.”

The decision allows Lehman to follow in the footsteps of St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, who also used a successful high school career in Elgin to land a spot as a quarterback at Valparaiso. A 1991 Larkin graduate, Rolando played for the Crusaders from 1991-95.

“It’s exciting because I’ll get to go back there,” Rolando said. “But I never really tried to influence Ben one way or the other. I always tell the kids to go where they’re wanted. Valpo has been paying attention to Ben since last year when they saw his junior film. They’ve been courting him ever since and really treating him well, which goes a long way in the recruiting process.”

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Lehman is the only St. Edward quarterback to lead the Wave to back-to-back postseason appearances. Last season he helped St. Edward claim its first-ever state playoff victory as the Wave matched a school record for wins with an 8-3 finish.

Lehman completed 106 of 219 passes for 1,799 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior campaign. He also ran for 407 yards and four touchdowns and was named Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division Player of the Year.

Valparaiso struggled to an 0-11 finish last season in coach Dale Carlson’s first year at the helm. The Crusaders compete at the Division-I FCS level and are members of the Horizon League.

“I hope to leave there better than we found it just like we did at St. Edward,” said Lehman, who also strongly considered North Central College in Naperville.

Rolando is sure Lehman will be in good hands at Valparaiso. Bob Muckian, a former teammate of Rolando’s who played on the offensive line for the Crusaders, is now the offensive coordinator.

“They’ve given Ben the inclination that he’ll be able to compete for playing time and be able to develop quickly,” said Rolando. “I’ll be expecting Ben to do a lot greater things than I did there. Hopefully really early on he’ll be able to start accomplishing a lot of great things at Valpo.”

R.J. Gerber contributed to this report.

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Nov 29, 2010 05:01PM

 

 

In six years, St. Edward’s football program went from doormat to conference champion.

In that same six-year span, Green Wave coach Mike Rolando and his staff went from trying to figure out how to get a first down to trying to figure out how to make a deep run in the Class 4A state playoffs.

The 2010 season represented a watershed moment for St. Edward’s up-and-coming program. The Green Wave won its first-ever playoff game, tied a single-season school record for wins by finishing 8-3 and claimed the team’s first league title since 1979 by capturing the outright Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division championship.

At the center of that success is Rolando, a 1991 Larkin graduate and a natural leader who took on the thankless task of rebuilding St. Edward’s football program in 2005. Six years later he is the 2010 Courier-News Coach of the Year.

“I consider this a Coaches of the Year award,” Rolando said. “I’ve got a great coaching staff, and several of the guys have been with me since the first year.

“To tell you the truth, what we consider ourselves good at is motivation. We are honest with the players, help them set realistic goals and then motivate them to reach those goals. In terms of X’s and O’s, there’s probably a lot of coaches out there that are better than us. But as far as motivating the players, I think we do a really good job.”

Starting from scratch

To understand how far St. Edward has come under Rolando, it is important to understand where he started.

Rolando took over as the Green Wave’s coach in July 2005, one month before the start of the season. The program was in disarray after the abrupt resignation of former coach Rich Sanders only days before Rolando’s hiring.

Rolando had been the sophomore coach on Sanders’ staff, and he brought with him additional experience from his days coaching the Crusaders youth football team. He also brought to his staff Marc Rusinko, a friend and fellow Crusaders coach who to this day remains a right-hand man to Rolando as the Wave’s defensive coordinator.

Eloy Diaz and Gordon Tourtellott arrived to pick up their sons from some of those first practices under Rolando and noticed the thin coaching ranks. They offered to help, and six years later Diaz still coaches receivers and defensive backs for St. Edward while Tourtellott guides the program’s sophomore team.

When Sanders bolted the program, so did a large number of players expected to contribute on the varsity level. That left Rolando with a squad made up predominantly of underclassmen who were unprepared for the challenges that awaited in what was then the highly competitive Suburban Catholic Conference.

The results weren’t pretty in 2005 as the Wave finished 0-9 and was outscored 404-74.

In year two, Scot Brockner and Mike Childers joined the coaching staff, but the Wave endured another 0-9 season. Nonetheless, the foundation of the coaching staff was in place, as evidenced by the fact that Brockner and Childers remain in the fold as St. Edward’s offensive line coach and special teams coach, respectively.

The Green Wave finally notched its first victory under Rolando in Week 7 of the 2007 season, snapping a 27-game losing streak that extended to the Sanders era. Then came a 4-5 finish in 2008 and finally a breakthrough in 2009 as St. Edward went 6-4 and reached the playoffs for only the third time in school history.

Not until this season had the Wave made two consecutive playoff appearances. St. Edward came within three points of advancing to the state quarterfinals this fall and also boasted the area’s best defense, which limited opponents to 11.7 points per game. Despite those gains, the sweat poured early on is not forgotten.

“We would probably look at some of our better coaching accomplishments coming in years one, two and three,” Rolando said. “In our minds that’s probably where we did some substantial work getting kids to buy in to a program that was 0-27.

“Now we’ve got athletes that know how to play football and kids that have won football games at all levels. It’s a little easier to sell this to them than it was to those kids in those first couple years.”

Like a big family

Despite those lean years, St. Edward began attracting more and more players to the program by stressing hard work in the offseason and an overall positive environment.

All of that fit into Rolando’s goal of building a consistent winner.

“If we didn’t think there was a light at the end of the tunnel, I don’t think we could have gotten up every morning and continued to work so hard,” Rolando said of his staff. “We believed that if we did it the right way and focused on academics, discipline and respect that people would want their kids to be a part of a program like that.”

Rolando wanted to make sure that everyone involved in the program felt like a stakeholder. In return he got strong support from St. Edward’s administration, faculty, parents and boosters.

That all-together environment is now a main attraction for the Green Wave.

“Everyone is basically like a big family,” St. Edward senior Sam Pozezinski said. “The coaches are basically father figures to all the kids and it’s just a great atmosphere.”

As the years went on St. Edward’s family grew to include Steve McShane as the team’s defensive line coach, Joe Guistino as the strength and conditioning coach, Chet Arciuch as a general assistant, Dave DeWitt as assistant offensive coordinator and Ryan Lasota, Chris Reynolds, Vince Castoro and Mike West as lower level coaches.

Beyond his group of coaches, Rolando says he wouldn’t be where he is without the support of his wife Teresa Rolando, their children Veronica, Jillian, Ezekiel and Luciano and his mother Dee Rolando.

“I couldn’t ask for a better coaches’ wife,” Mike Rolando said. “She’s one of the loudest fans and she’s always asking me questions about the game. With all the time we have to put in and spend away from our family, I couldn’t do it without her support at home.”

A love of coaching

Rolando has always had a fiery persona on the sidelines, but these days he isn’t as inclined to go easy on his players when they make mistakes. Simply put, he has become more demanding.

Nonetheless, St. Edward’s players respect Rolando’s dedication and coaching style.

“Coach Ro is definitely a motivator,” Pozezinski said. “He’s always willing to put forth the effort and he’s always working hard and balancing his family, job and football. He does it all.”

Added senior Jon Keokanlaya: “Coach Rolando definitely demands a lot, but I think it’s good that he expects a lot out of us because then we perform better and play to the best of our abilities.”

Rolando also earned softball Coach of the Year honors in 2008. He has since stepped down from his head softball coaching post, but he is only the third person to be recognized as C-N Coach of the Year in two separate sports.

Those leadership qualities have been with Rolando throughout his life, including when was the starting quarterback at Larkin and guided the Royals to the 1990 state quarterfinals.

Rolando carried those leadership skills to Valparaiso — where he was mostly a backup quarterback during his college football playing days — and into his professional career in the human resources field.

In many ways, it seems as if Rolando was born to coach.

“There’s always the stress behind the scenes, but I think this was my calling,” Rolando said. “My ability to communicate and motivate kids is what I guess I would say I’m good at. I guess it’s a gift to be able to do that and to get people to buy into what you’re delivering.”

By John Radtke

Things were looking good for St. Edward’s black-clad Green Wave Saturday afternoon.

The stands were full and they were two-and-three deep down the sidelines. Mendota’s healthy crowd, the air filled with the aroma of burgers and pork chops cooking on the grills, not a cloud in the sky. An estimated 2,500 fans. Yep, it was set up to be a special day in the history of St. Edward football.

And an improbable 57-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the first half to give the home team a 14-6 lead at the break.

Oh yes, Elgin, a high-school football team from the city was headed to the state quarterfinals for the first time since their coach’s alma mater Larkin had gone that deep in 1999.

Yep, it sure was looking good for coach Mike Rolando’s Green Wave.

But then a 30-second span of the third quarter turned things very cloudy on this bright and splendid November Saturday.

A big runback and a touchdown 6 plays later made it 14-14. A turnover on the ensuing kickoff, a big run and a short run and suddenly the victory bell seemed as far away as the state title game in Champaign.

The fight wasn’t over though. The heart and fortitude that has become Green Wave football in Rolando’s 6 years at the helm took over and the Wave clawed and fought their way back in, scoring late in the third quarter to make it 22-20. An errant 2-point conversion pass prevented the game from being tied but you sensed that maybe the momentum had shifted again. Heck, they now had the whole fourth quarter to win the game.

But Mendota toughened up and the one good chance the Wave had to go ahead didn’t materialize. But St. Edward’s defense held the Trojans at bay and there was one last shot for the home team to send its crowd into a frenzy. But, again, the opportunity didn’t come to fruition when a high snap caused kicker Mark Olenek’s timing to go awry on a 28-yard field goal attempt with 2:49 to play that would have put the Wave back on top.

Mendota ran out the clock on St. Edward’s season and while the Trojans celebrated, St. Edward’s coaching staff implored the Green Wave to keep their heads held high. Rolando proudly congratulated his boys on a great season.

Great? How about super-great. The goals were met win the conference, win a playoff game, and host a playoff game. An 8-3 record? Well, St. Edward has been playing football since 1944 and only one other Green Wave team the 1978 Tim McVey squad managed 8 wins in a season.

“It’s always nice when you have to re-establish goals because that means you’ve achieved the ones you set,” said Rolando after spending several moments hugging his players one by one.

“I’m very proud of what they’ve done. Every year we’ve just wanted to improve and these guys can definitely say they left the program better than they found it.”

Senior quarterback Ben Lehman, who had a stellar day passing, acknowledged there were missed opportunities but preferred to not dwell on the negative.

“There were plenty of missed opportunities but you can’t look at the bad things,” he said. “You have to look at the success we had. We won the conference. After every game there’s been a sense of satisfaction. I’m so proud of what we’ve done this year.”

Junior running back Luke Duffy says this is no flash-in-the-pan type of thing going on on Elm Street.

“Each year coach Ro has been here, every team has gone farther than the last one,” Duffy said. “Our goals were to win the conference, win a playoff game and get a home game in the playoffs. Unfortunately we didn’t come out on top.

“A lot of our defense is coming back and the seniors showed us juniors how do get it done. We’ll definitely carry on their legacy.”

While Rolando chose to emphasize how much this moment was for his seniors ”We’re thinking about the seniors right now and how they played their hearts out,” he said he also spoke to the future.

“It’s up to the junior class to raise the bar again,” Rolando said. “I think these guys learned what it takes to get better. The opportunity to improve on this year will be a 12-month commitment. It won’t be long until these guys are in the weight room and setting their goals for next year.”

One thing that’s pretty clear is this the days of losing football seasons at St. Edward are over.

 

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Nov 6, 2010 09:45:57PM

ELGIN — A series of small miscues ended up costing St. Edward big-time Saturday.

The Green Wave’s season came to an end with a loss against Mendota for the second year in a row, this time in a 22-20 defeat in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs at Greg True Field.

A disastrous start to the third quarter left ninth-seeded St. Edward (8-3) in a hole, but the Wave had a chance to take the lead when senior kicker Mark Olenek lined up for a 28-yard field goal attempt with 2:49 remaining. Holder Matt Brockner managed to corral a high snap on the play, but the damage was done as Olenek had to hesitate before connecting on a kick that came up short and right of the uprights.

“Brockner did a great job jumping up to get it, but Mark was already halfway to the ball and he had already planted,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. “It’s one of many (mistakes) that add up. We didn’t play perfect and we had a lot of little execution errors.”

The 16th-seeded Trojans went back to their punishing ground attack following Olenek’s miss to run out the clock. Mendota (7-4) picked up two first downs before finally taking a knee and celebrating its second straight trip to the state quarterfinals. The Trojans will play Sandwich or Geneseo next week.

St. Edward held a 14-6 lead at halftime, but it didn’t take long for Mendota to erase that deficit in the third quarter.

A 54-yard return by Konner Stremlau on the opening kickoff of the second half gave the Trojans good field position at St. Edward’s 36-yard line. Six plays later Robert Watson rumbled across the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown, and he followed that with a two-point conversion run to tie the score at 14 with 8:50 left in the third quarter.

Disaster then struck for the Wave when sophomore Mo Jackson lost a fumble at the St. Edward 39-yard line on the ensuing kickoff. Mendota made it two touchdowns in a span of 30 seconds when Watson scored on a 4-yard run two plays later, and his two-point conversion run put the Trojans ahead 22-14.

“You don’t really have a chance to make any adjustments or make any changes when you give them the ball back on the ensuing kickoff,” Rolando said. “That was just a huge swing of momentum there.”

Added St. Edward quarterback Ben Lehman: “Our special teams has never really struggled like that. I think that (start to the third quarter) kicked it off really strong for Mendota. They were able to capitalize on one mistake and it haunted us for the rest of the second half.”

St. Edward bounced back and marched to Mendota’s 12-yard line on its ensuing possession, but Adam Sondgeroth intercepted Lehman to end the scoring threat.

The turnover was a rare miscue for Lehman, who completed 11 of 24 passes for 279 yards and also ran for 47 yards on seven carries.

The Wave was held to negative-8 rushing yards in the first half, but Lehman’s passing touch helped open up room for Jon Keokanlaya’s 17-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left in the third quarter. St. Edward then called a timeout prior to attempting a two-point conversion, but Lehman’s pass to Brockner sailed incomplete before Brockner even turned to catch the ball.

“It might have been a miscommunication,” Lehman said of the failed conversion attempt. “Those things happen.”

The Wave advanced to Mendota’s 25-yard line on its next drive, but three incomplete passes in a row by Lehman resulted in a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter. St. Edward’s only other possession ended with Olenek’s missed field goal try.

Watson finished with 67 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 15 attempts. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound fullback is one of only five seniors on the Mendota roster.

“We’ve kind of run all year without (Watson) in the backfield because he’s been bothered by hamstring injuries,” Mendota coach John McKenzie said. “You see what a difference he makes. He’s just a pounder inside.”

Keokanlaya finished with 47 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries for St. Edward. Freshman DeVontae Elam (2 receptions, 93 yards) and senior Sam Pozezinski (5 receptions, 89 yards) were the team’s top receivers.

The Wave’s longest play from scrimmage came on the last play of the first half when Lehman connected with junior Daniel Jaimes for a 56-yard touchdown pass. The strike came two plays and 21 seconds after Mendota scored its first touchdown of the contest.

St. Edward’s narrow defeat represents a heartbreaking finish to a stellar campaign that saw the Green Wave tie a single-season program record for wins, claim its first-ever playoff victory and finish in first place in the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division.

“When these guys established their goals back in July they wanted to win the conference, they wanted to get a home playoff game and they wanted to be better than the team before them,” Rolando said. “They did all that. They should be very proud of what they’ve done. These guys can definitely say they left the program better than they found it.”

MENDOTA 22, ST. EDWARD 20

Mendota — 0 — 6 — 16 — 0 -- 22

St. Edward — 7 — 7 — 6 — 0 -- 20

STE – Keokanlaya 1 run (Olenek kick), 5:12

MEN – Watson 1 run (kick failed), 0:21

STE – Jaimes 56 pass from Lehman (Olenek kick), 0:00

MEN – Watson 5 run (Watson run), 8:50

MEN – Watson 4 run (Watson run), 8:20

STE – Keokanlaya 17 run (pass failed), 2:53

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING:

MEN: Sondgeroth 12-79, Lewis 10-68, Watson 15-67, Carroll 16-4.

STE: Keokanlaya 8-47, Lehman 7-47, Elam 1-3, Jackson 1-(-6), Duffy 6-(-7).

PASSING:

MEN: Carroll 1-1-0 19.

STE: Lehman 11-24-1 279.

RECEIVING:

MEN: Highman 1-19.

STE: Elam 2-93, Pozezinski 5-89, Jaimes 2-62, Duffy 1-23, Brockner 1-12.

Pardon the Elgin St. Edward faithful if they look a little dazed and confused when Mendota travels to Elgin for a second-round Class 4A football playoff game this weekend. You see, the Green Wave will be hosting their first-ever playoff game in school history.

Elgin St. Edward (ninth seed) won its first playoff game in school history with a round-one triumph over Chicago (Uplift) and now the Green Wave will get to experience playoff fever at home for the first time when the Mendota Trojans (16th seed) travel to Elgin for a second-round contest on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Greg True Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The Green Wave (8-2) has come a long way in the six years that Mike Rolando has been at the helm. They lost their first 24 games under Rolando but have made steady progress since then. Elgin St. Edward qualified for the playoffs for just the third time in history last season when it came to Mendota and dropped a 27-13 decision to the Trojans.

"For six years in a row we've gotten better and better," Rolando said. "I'm proud of these guys for accepting that challenge and taking it to the next level."

Elgin St. Edward qualified for the playoffs this season by racing through the talented Suburban Christian (Gold) Conference with a perfect 5-0 mark. The Green Wave is led by quarterback Ben Lehman, who was under center last season when they played the Trojans. Lining up in the backfield behind Lehman will be Luke Duffy and Mo Jackson. Sam Pozezinski is one of Lehman's favorite targets when he puts the ball in the air.

"They're a pretty balanced team," said Trojan coach John McKenzie. "I think they like to run more than pass, but they have a nice play-action package and can throw the ball very effectively.

"They run some wishbone stuff out of multiple formations. Their backs run hard and their line isn't big, but very athletic up front. They're pretty diverse on offense."

Elgin St. Edward may be better known for its defense in 2010. It has only allowed 107 points in 10 games this season, with three shutouts to its credit.

"Defensively, I'm sure they're going to try to jam us at the line of scrimmage," noted McKenzie. "They're just a real solid team from a good Suburban Christian league. They flow to the ball really well on defense. There's no doubt we're going to have to bring our "A" game."

The Trojans (6-4) have always been a run-first offense under McKenzie, so that philosophy will not change when they play Elgin St. Edward. Mendota could be hampered a bit if it has to throw the ball, however, as regular quarterback Will Hansen, who has thrown a majority of the passes this season, is out with a broken hand.

"Will we have to throw the football more? Probably," said McKenzie. "But we're not afraid to throw if we have to.

"We like to pass when we want to. (Elgin St. Edward) is going to have to stop our running game first."

Duffy anchors the Green Wave defense from the linebacker position, while Zach McQueen and Art Monsivais also contribute on the defensive side.

"This team laid out their goals early in the season," said Rolando. "They wanted to win the conference, they wanted to win a playoff game, they wanted to get a home playoff game and they wanted to improve on last year's team."

"This should be a pretty good game," added McKenzie. "We're going to have to play a good, mistake-free game to win."

Class 4A

No. 16 Mendota Trojans (6-4) at No. 9 St. Edward Green Wave (8-2)

When: Saturday at 1 p.m. at Greg True Field

Last week: In first round action, Mendota def. Rockford Christian, 39-15; St. Edward def. Chicago Uplift, 44-8.

Playoff history: This is the fourth playoff appearance for St. Edward, which won the first playoff game in school history last week. This week, the Green Wave host a playoff game for the first time. Mendota is making its fifth straight postseason appearance and sixth in seven years.

Head coaches: Mike Rolando, St. Edward; John McKenzie, Mendota.

Just the facts: The Green Wave will be back in black, donning all-black uniforms and helmets for the second time this season. “The last time we wore that uniform we played some pretty inspired football,” Rolando said of a 42-0 victory over Immaculate Conception in Week 3. “We told them if they wanted those uniforms back, they can only have them back if we played a home playoff game.”

Mendota leaders: Rushing: fullback Adam Sondgeroth last week rushed 20 times for 178 yards. Against Rockford Christian, sophomore Adam Carroll carried 22 times for 170 yards and 3 touchdowns and returned a punt for another score.

St. Edward leaders: Rushing: Maurece Jackson (95 carries, 694 yards, 9 TD), Jon Keokanlaya (69 carries, 524 yards, 6 TD); Luke Duffy (64 carries, 429 yards, 7 TD) Passing: Ben Lehman (95 of 192, 1,528 yards,13 TD, 7 Int.); Receiving: Sam Pozezinski (24 rec., 529 yards, 7 TD), Mark Olenek (29 rec., 439 yards, 3 TD); Tackles: Duffy (90), Keokanlaya (73), Mark Sink (79), Zack McQueen (62).

Line on Mendota: The Trojans graduated 17 starter from the team that beat St. Edward in the opening round of the 4A playoffs last season, 27-13. Yet, they found a way to win the NCIC title in the league’s final season. Mendota’s offensive philosophy hasn’t changed. The Trojans pound the ball on run after run and rarely put the ball in the air.

Line on St. Edward: St. Edward needs its defense to repel the running attack of the Trojans. The Green Wave defense limits opponents to an average of 10.1 points per game and has shut out three opponents. “Our defense is a little more disciplined this year and sticks to their assignments and flies to the ball a little bit better,” Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. “I don’t think Mendota is quite as multidimensional as they were last year, but (Carroll) is a great running back. We have to get to him as quickly as possible and recognize how they’re getting the ball to him.”

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Nov 3, 2010 10:22:00PM

St. Edward’s defense provides a lesson in what teamwork is all about.

The Green Wave entered the season lacking size and experience on defense, but that hasn’t stopped the unit from becoming the area’s stingiest squad, statistically speaking.

Going into Saturday’s showdown against Mendota (6-4) in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs, St. Edward (8-2) boasts a defense that is holding opponents to 10.7 points per game. The 107 points allowed by the Wave this season is more than 50 points fewer than the next area team.

Those accomplishments seem even more impressive when it is taken into account that St. Edward’s defense returned only four starters from last season and primarily uses a group of 12 players who average about 180 pounds.

So what is the key to success? Coach Mike Rolando says it is all about the players understanding the team’s system.

“All the guys are very coachable,” Rolando said. “They understand their assignments within the defense and they don’t try to make too much happen. They understand that their job may not be to make tackles, but to contain or to not let receivers behind them.

“The big thing is they understand each other’s roles and they count on each other to get the job done. They’re not selfish and they don’t go outside of their own discipline to try to make plays.”

Rolando admits that the defense was a big question mark coming into the season.

Senior defensive tackle Derek Porto, junior defensive tackle Evan Finnane, senior linebacker Jon Keokanlaya and senior safety Sam Pozezinski were the only returning starters for the unit, meaning there would be several new faces at every level of the defense.

It didn’t hurt that the incoming junior class was fresh off an undefeated sophomore campaign, but questions still remained.

“Any time you make the leap from the sophomore level to the varsity level it’s a huge disparity in the speed and the physicality of the game,” Rolando said. “We were hoping they’d be able to play at this level, but when they make that jump you just never know.”

It didn’t take long for the juniors to assert themselves and take on leading roles.

Junior linebackers Luke Duffy and Mark Sink rank as the team’s top two tacklers with 90 and 79, respectively. Junior defensive end Zack McQueen has a team-high seven sacks while junior cornerback Ryan Johnson and junior safety Sean Richmond are tied for the team lead in interceptions with two apiece.

“We knew that our defense was going to mainly be made up of juniors,” said Sink, the son of Hampshire defensive coordinator Rod Sink. “We knew we had to step up and play big and play for our seniors. We didn’t want to let them down.”

Junior cornerback Matt Brockner (44 tackles) is another key piece to the puzzle along with Finnane, who is the only junior on the team in his second varsity season. Finnane has 54 tackles, six sacks and six forced fumbles.

Given the production of the Class of 2012, it’s safe to say defense won’t be a major concern going into next season.

“Luckily we’re at this point where we’re in November and we’re not thinking about next year yet,” Rolando said. “But in the back of your mind you do catch yourself thinking ‘That (junior-dominated defense) does bode well for the future.’”

Rolando adds that the success of the juniors is in part due to the leadership provided by the team’s seniors, who also play an important role.

Keokanlaya (73 tackles), Porto (4 sacks) and Pozezinski (11 pass deflections) have all stepped up their games this season. Meanwhile, senior defensive end Kevin Danikowski has taken his game to a whole new level.

Danikowski didn’t get much playing time last season, but he doesn’t come off the field this year. In addition to his 64 tackles and five sacks on defense, he also starts at offensive tackle.

Senior linebacker Bobby Waclawik (58 tackles) is yet another important contributor for the Wave, which gets a boost from the scouting and preparation of defensive coordinator Marc Rusinko and the rest of the coaching staff.

“Coach prepares us well,” Porto said. “We always change things up depending on what the offense on the other team does, and we watch a lot of film to get ready.”

St. Edward allowed a season-low 69 yards in last week’s win against Chicago Uplift, which marked the first playoff victory in program history. The Wave hasn’t allowed more than 29 points in a game this season, and in its eight victories it hasn’t given up more than 14 points.

Along the way St. Edward held three opponents scoreless, including back-to-back shutouts in Weeks 2 and 3. Not since 1984 had the program accomplished such a feat, which proved to be a sign of things to come for a Wave team that is setting the bar higher than ever this year.

“We strive to get a shutout every game,” Keokanlaya said. “We want to set an example and play hard-nosed defense every time out.”

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Nov 2, 2010 07:06PM

St. Edward’s current group of football players is well informed when it comes to program history.

Granted, it’s not exactly a storied history for the Green Wave, which prior to this year had only 14 winning seasons since 1944, only three appearances in the state playoffs and no postseason victories.

Nonetheless, the 2010 St. Edward squad is in tune with the hard work that came before, particularly since coach Mike Rolando took over a decimated program shortly before the start of the 2005 season.

The reminders of the past were there for the Wave before its Class 4A first-round playoff game against Chicago Uplift on Saturday at Lane Stadium.

There was the presence in the stands of Matt Ardiente, a hard-working 2008 graduate who endured a 1-26 record on the varsity level during Rolando’s first three years at the helm. There was the letter of encouragement from Shane Finnane, a 2010 graduate who was in the trenches with many of the current team members last season and now suits up for Army’s football team.

It was with all the former Green Wave players in mind that St. Edward claimed its first playoff victory in program history. In some ways, it was as if the Wave was making up for decades of frustration by trouncing the Titans 44-8 on a sun-splashed afternoon.

“All the blood, sweat and tears these guys put in before us, this is all for them,” St. Edward junior Luke Duffy said after the win. “This is awesome.”

It might be a bit early to tag this St. Edward team as the finest in program history. The squad that went 6-0-1 in 1960 or the team that finished 8-1 in 1978 might still have a claim to such a title.

But this much is for sure: This year’s Green Wave claimed the outright Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title, the program’s first league championship since 1978. This team also tied the 1978 squad’s record for single-season victories, became the first to win a playoff game, will host the school’s first postseason game this week and became the first team in school history to return to the postseason in consecutive seasons.

That’s a pretty good list of accomplishments so far.

“These guys respect all the teams that have come before us, and they play for them,” Rolando said. “But the first playoff win and the second team to win eight games (in a single season), that’s a lot of history. They’re a darn good team.”

St. Edward will try to continue its dream season when it takes on Mendota this week with a trip to the state quarterfinals on the line. Adding even more incentive for the Wave is the fact that its season ended in a 27-13 defeat against the Trojans in the first round of the playoffs last year.

The playoff rematch will offer an idea of just how far St. Edward has come in the past 12 months. Mendota (6-4) may have graduated a few players from the squad that reached the quarterfinals last year, but the North Central Illinois Conference champions will still be a formidable opponent. That much was evident during its resounding 39-15 win against previously unbeaten Rockford Christian on Friday night.

“Just like last year they run the ball hard and they are a great team,” Rolando said of Mendota. “They were great hosts to us and we hope to return the favor and be a great host to them. We also hope to return the favor and send them home with a loss.

“If our kids do what they know how to do and play disciplined football, they can play with anybody. They just need to rise to the occasion. This is a huge, huge game for us. We couldn’t be more excited to have another crack at Mendota at home.”

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Oct 30, 2010 09:38PM

CHICAGO — St. Edward is starting to run out of major milestones to accomplish.

The Green Wave crossed another landmark achievement off the list Saturday, notching its first postseason victory in program history by pounding Chicago Uplift 44-8 in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs at Lane Stadium.

It was a dominating effort from start to finish for St. Edward (8-2), which tied the 1978 team’s program record for most victories in a single season. The eighth-seeded Titans didn’t record a first down until the game’s final series, and the ninth-seeded Wave enjoyed a running clock throughout the fourth quarter.

The triumph sets up St. Edward’s first home playoff game in school history next week at Greg True Field against Mendota. The Wave lost to Mendota in the first round of the playoffs last year.

“Every year the team has taken it a step further,” said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, who is in his sixth year at the helm. “As a coach that’s an ideal situation, but eventually that’s got to end because you can only go so far. For six years in a row we’ve gotten better and better and I’m just proud of these guys for accepting that challenge and taking it to the next level.

“They laid out their goals early in the season. They wanted to win the conference, they wanted to win a playoff game, they wanted to play a home playoff game and they wanted to improve on last year’s team. In one fell swoop here today they took care of the home playoff game and a playoff victory. It’s just an awesome day.”

St. Edward wasted no time taking command, marching 47 yards in four plays for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession. Luke Duffy scored on an 8-yard run and then ran in the two-point conversion, giving the Wave an 8-0 advantage 1:13 into the contest.

The rout was on shortly thereafter as junior Ryan Johnson intercepted a pass from Uplift quarterback Jameel Carter on the third play of Uplift’s ensuing drive, setting up sophomore Mo Jackson’s 4-yard touchdown run. St. Edward then recovered an onside kick, and Duffy made it 22-0 when he scored on a 1-yard run with 1:20 left in the first quarter.

While the offense started with a burst, the story of the day was without a doubt the Wave’s defense. Uplift (7-3) had negative-32 yards in the first half and finished with 69 total yards. St. Edward’s defense even got in on the scoring act when Carter recovered two fumbles on the same play but was dropped in the end zone for a 28-yard loss and a safety in the second quarter.

The Titans’ only points came on the final play of the game against St. Edward’s second-string defense when Carter connected with Marcus Sanders for a 21-yard touchdown strike on a pass that was tipped by a Wave defender near the goal line. Carter then hooked up with Sanders again for the two-point conversion.

“We don’t want to give the other team anything,” said Duffy, who in addition to his running back duties also starts at linebacker. “We’re looking for a shutout every game. That’s our mentality.”

In another sign of the lopsided nature of the game, St. Edward started 10 of its 12 drives in Uplift territory. The Wave’s worst field position came when it started at its own 43-yard line on its only possession of the fourth quarter.

A string of dropped passes and a pair of interceptions thrown by St. Edward quarterback Ben Lehman in the second quarter were the only things that kept the Wave from adding on to its scoring total.

Jackson tacked on two more touchdown runs in the third quarter and finished with a game-high 80 rushing yards on six carries. Lehman racked up 121 passing yards, connecting with Sam Pozezinski for his lone touchdown in the second quarter.

“We knew what we had to do, we had to take it to them,” Duffy said. “We took it to them, but I think we might have relaxed a little bit. It came back to bite us (in the second quarter), but we finished and we’re going on. We definitely can’t do that next week.”

Carter tallied 67 of his 71 passing yards on the final drive of the game for Uplift, which was making its first playoff appearance.

The outcome provided plenty of satisfaction for the big and boisterous group of St. Edward fans that traveled to Chicago for the afternoon affair.

“They are just the best fans anywhere,” Rolando said. “I can only imagine what Greg True Field is going to be like next week.”

Added Pozezinski: “It’s an amazing feeling right now. I’m glad about how the team came together and played well. I’m looking forward to playing Mendota again and getting a little rematch with them.”ST. EDWARD 44, CHICAGO UPLIFT 8

St. Edward -22 - 9 - 13 - 0 -- 44

Uplift - 0 - 0 - 0 - 8 -- 8

STED – Duffy 12 run (Olenek kick), 10:47

STED – Jackson 4 run (Olenek kick), 5:25

STED – Duffy 1 run (Olenek kick), 1:20

STED – Safety, 7:06

STED – Pozezinski 12 pass from Lehman (Olenek kick), 5:58

STED – Jackson 37 run (Olenek kick), 4:49

STED – Jackson 19 run (kick failed), 1:35

CU – Sanders 25 pass from Jameel Carter (Sanders pass from Jameel Carter), 0:25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING:

STED: Jackson 6-80, Duffy 9-47, Elam 5-24, Keokanlaya 6-17, Lehman 1-(-8).

CU: Jamal Carter 6-18, Ogunkoya 4-8, Wilson 4-4, Jameel Carter 11-(-32).

PASSING:

STED: Lehman 12-24-2 121.

CU: Jameel Carter 5-17-1 71.

RECEIVING

STED: Olenek 7-50, Pozezinski 2-35, Brockner 1-22, Duffy 2-14.

CU: Sanders 2-67, Slaughter 2-4, Jamal Carter 1-0.

No. 9 St. Edward (7-2) at No. 8 Chicago Uplift (7-2)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday at Lane Tech H.S.

Last week: St. Edward def. Wheaton Academy, 22-10; Chicago Uplift def. Manley, 6-0.

Playoff history: The Titans are in the playoffs for the first time in the program's five-year history. The Green Wave enter the playoffs for the second straight year and the fourth time overall. Each program seeks the first playoff victory in its history.

Coaches: Mike Rolando, St. Edward; Rick Alboyd, Uplift.

Fast facts: A victory would guarantee St. Edward a home game next week. The Wave have never hosted an IHSA playoff game. St. Edward scored 30.1 points per game while allowing an average of 11.

St. Edward leaders: Rushing: Maurece Jackson, 101 carries for 733 yards and 7 touchdowns; Jon Keokanlaya, 63 carries for 475 yards, 5 touchdowns. Passing: Ben Lehman, 84 of 164 for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns. Receiving: Sam Pozezinski, 22 receptions for 462 yards and 6 touchdowns; Mark Olenek, 23 receptions for 365 yards, 2 touchdowns. Tackles:

Uplift leaders: Rushing: Jamal Carter, 105 carries for 886 yards and 9 touchdowns. Passing: Jameel Carter, 43 of 82 for 592 yards and 6 touchdowns. Receiving: Darnell Slaughter, 13 receptions, 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tackles: Jamal Carter, 152.

Line on St. Edward: The Green Wave go for the first playoff victory in school history at venerable Lane Tech Stadium. Last season, the team went for broke just to make the playoffs. The 2009 squad was so beaten up by playoff time two linemen dressing for the first time in a varsity game were forced to start. This year, St. Edward enters the postseason healthy and raring to go. "Everybody's healthy," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "We just need to continue to do what we've done all year. We need to fix what we did wrong last week as far as penalties and play consistent football. It's a little more laid-back attitude than last year when I think we were just happy to get (to the playoffs)."

Line on Uplift: The Titans have forged a 30-16 record in their five-year existence, all under the direction of Alboyd. They tied Collins for the Chicago Public League's Second City Conference title. Making the playoffs is a milestone for the prep school, which is part of the Renaissance 2010 project by CPS. "We actually have a young, young team," Uplift coach Rick Alboyd said. "I'm just proud of the guys for making it this far. It's going to be an experience this week." The Titans will try to use their speed to get to the outside. "They've got a couple of kids that are probably faster than anybody we've got," Rolando said. "If a kid like that breaks contain or we don't follow our disciplines on defense and fly to the ball like we normally do, a couple of these guys can get to the end zone in one play. We've been pretty good at playing a bend-don't-break style of defense. That mentality needs to hold true or these guys could easily break some long runs and score points quick."

By Erik Jacobsen ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com Oct 27, 2010 01:12AM

Credit St. Edward’s coaching staff for making a good snap decision with regard to Ben Lehman.

After playing outside linebacker and running back during junior high, Lehman got a new assignment upon joining the Green Wave program.

“I came into freshman summer camp and they just said they wanted me to play quarterback,” Lehman said. “There was no rhyme or reason to it. They just didn’t have anyone else to fill the spot and they figured they’d give me a shot.”

Four years later, Lehman is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the area as he prepares to lead St. Edward back into the Class 4A state playoffs this Saturday against Chicago Uplift at Lane Stadium in Chicago.

In his second varsity season, Lehman has completed 83 of 165 passes for 1,406 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s been intercepted only five times and also has 357 rushing yards on 48 attempts.

This weekend Lehman will likely surpass his passing yardage total from last year when he led the area with 1,417 yards through the air. While the totals are almost the same, the skills that make Lehman the player he is have evolved.

A big reason for that progress is Lehman’s ability to accept coaching. He attended no fewer than 20 college camps last summer, picking up countless tricks of the trade in addition to what he already learned from St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, a former quarterback who starred in high school and college while playing at Larkin and Valparaiso.

“Ben is a real a student of the game,” Rolando said. “Sure, he heard me give him some tips and teaching along the way, but he went out and went to 20 camps this summer and he’s heard it from a lot of different coaches. They are all teaching him different ways to fake and improve his footwork.

“He’s just had a lot of different instruction and he brings it all together, and that’s what makes him Ben Lehman. He learns from everyone who has taught him and takes the pieces he can use to kind of mold himself as a quarterback.”

The son of Mike Lehman, the golf operations director in the city of Elgin, Ben Lehman didn’t have much time to hit the links this summer.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback started his odyssey at an Eastern Illinois camp one day after St. Edward’s school year ended. He then travelled everywhere from Missouri to Massachusetts, displaying his talents along the way.

Lehman felt particularly comfortable in the company of coaches from Valparaiso, Georgetown, Southern Illinois and Indiana State. It comes as no surprise that those four NCAA Division-I Football Championship Series programs rank highest on Lehman’s list of potential destinations following this season.

Lehman is blessed with a talented offense at St. Edward that includes senior receiver Sam Pozezinski. The Wave is averaging 30.1 points per game this season, and a formidable ground attack has helped lighten the pressure on St. Edward’s passing game.

For Lehman, all the offseason work has helped make him feel more sure-handed under center.

“My mechanics have really changed a lot,” Lehman said. “Last year I was just kind of slinging the ball, and over the summer I worked with Jeff Christensen, who has a program and works with a lot of quarterbacks. A lot of it was just reading defenses and learning easy ways to get the ball moved around.”

The Wave certainly hasn’t had much trouble moving the ball this year, and as a result St. Edward claimed the outright Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title — its first league championship since 1978.

Now Lehman hopes to finish his high school career by leading the Wave to its first-ever playoff win and perhaps even greater spoils during the next few weeks.

“We’ve done a lot of good this year and I think we’re right on track to accomplish our the rest of our goals,” Lehman said.

BY R.J. GERBER rgerber@stmedianetwork.com

St. Edward’s quest to win its first postseason football game will take it the city of Chicago.

The Green Wave (7-2) earned a No. 9 seed in the Class 4A state playoff bracket and is slated to face No. 8 Chicago Uplift (7-2), a member of the Chicago Public League’s Second City Conference.

“We have a bunch of kids who are eager to make history,” said Green Wave coach Mike Rolando. “They want to be the ones to win that first playoff game. And they want to be the ones to bring playoff football to Greg True Field. That’s what’s in our control.”

St. Edward won the outright Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division championship Saturday, but that wasn’t enough to land the first home playoff game in the school’s history. St. Edward, making its fourth postseason appearance, is 0-3 in playoff games — all on the road.

The Green Wave is making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time. St. Edward also qualified in 1983 and 2003. Rolando is the only coach in program history to take multiple teams to the playoffs.

“We’ll do what we do,” said Rolando. “We’ll play hard-nosed football.”

St. Edward’s quest to win its first postseason football game will take it the city of Chicago.

The Green Wave (7-2) earned a No. 9 seed in the Class 4A state playoff bracket and is slated to face No. 8 Chicago Uplift (7-2), a member of the Chicago Public League’s Second City Conference.

“We have a bunch of kids who are eager to make history,” said Green Wave coach Mike Rolando. “They want to be the ones to win that first playoff game. And they want to be the ones to bring playoff football to Greg True Field. That’s what’s in our control.”

St. Edward won the outright Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division championship Saturday, but that wasn’t enough to land the first home playoff game in the school’s history. St. Edward, making its fourth postseason appearance, is 0-3 in playoff games — all on the road.

The Green Wave is making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time. St. Edward also qualified in 1983 and 2003. Rolando is the only coach in program history to take multiple teams to the playoffs.

“We’ll do what we do,” said Rolando. “We’ll play hard-nosed football.”

."

By Gene Chamberlain For The Courier-News

WEST CHICAGO — Special occasions call for special actions.

So with St. Edward hoping to avoid sharing its first conference football championship in 32 years, the Green Wave rolled out a new offense for Saturday’s game against Wheaton Academy. It worked so well the Green Wave got to unfurl a Suburban Christian Conference Gold championship banner and douse coach Mike Rolando with Gatorade while celebrating after a 22-10 victory.

“We put in a wishbone offense and were running it all game at them,” St. Edward quarterback Ben Lehman said. “We figured we could pound it at them and there was no need to pass it.”

St. Edward (7-2, 5-0), which had already qualified for the state playoffs, ran for 339 yards on 57 carries and very nearly had three backs ramble for 100 yards each over the West Chicago High artificial turf.

“The line did fantastic, the backs were running hard and we had a couple miscarries there with fumbles, but we picked each other up and we had just a great game,” said junior tackle Evan Finnane.

The outright conference title culminated six years of building a program from virtual ruins for Rolando and his staff. Winning it with a punishing running attack underscored how far the Green Wave had come because for more than a decade, a St. Edward team dominating the line of scrimmage seemed virtually impossible.

Saturday, though, it was Wheaton Academy (5-4, 3-2) gambling with the pass into a 25-mph wind at game’s end while being held to 34 total rushing yards.

“I think we’ve got a pretty good running game and can throw, too,” Rolando said. “I think we’re pretty well-rounded. So we figured we’d throw something in that they hadn’t seen or prepared for — some wishbone look.

“The plays are pretty similar but we got a couple extra lead blockers with this. We tried to come out with a power running game, thought we’d try that the first series or two and see how it went, and I think we pretty much stuck with it for four quarters because our O-line did a great job and the backs ran hard.”

Senior back Jon Keokanlaya rolled for 140 yards on 21 carries while Luke Duffy had 95 yards on 11 attempts and sophomore Mo Jackson 91 yards on 17 carries.

“They had five linemen trying to go both ways, so we knew they’d be tired,” said Keokanlaya.

Duffy started the barrage with a 50-yard touchdown run around right end on the first series, but Wheaton Academy countered with a 64-yard TD drive with the wind at its back, culminated by quarterback Tommy Decker’s 10-yard TD run with 4:41 left in the first quarter.

Academy managed 25 rushing yards on that drive, but after that the running lanes got clogged by the Green Wave defense. St. Edward then took control in the second quarter with the wind at its back.

Zack McQueen blocked a Sam Cote punt at the goal line back into the end zone, and Cote had to dive to swat it over the end line for a safety and prevent a TD with 8:58 left in the second quarter.

After the free kick, St. Edward took advantage of the wind and good field position to score on Lehman’s 25-yard third-and-23 pass to Sam Pozezinski over the middle in heavy coverage for a 16-7 lead.

“We hadn’t really played in that kind of wind this year,” Rolando said. “We won the toss and wanted the wind in the fourth quarter, so we elected to let them have it (first) and that proved real beneficial at times because they couldn’t throw well into it.”

St. Edward missed two chances to turn it into a first-half blowout with two lost fumbles, including one at the Academy 6-yard line. A 33-yard second-quarter field goal by Cote came after a fourth-and-one St. Edward gamble failed on Lehman’s lost fumble near mid-field.

However, the Green Wave owned the third quarter thanks to a 77-yard drive into the wind in 14 plays — including 13 runs — and Keokanlaya’s 6-yard TD burst up the middle for a 22-10 lead.

Academy had a drive end at St. Edward’s 23 on downs to start the second half and never got close to the end zone again until a TD pass was called back with 3 1/2 minutes left due to a holding penalty.

“As coaches, what we want to do is give these kids lasting memories like we were able to have,” said Rolando, who quarterbacked Larkin to an Upstate Eight Conference title. “I think we were able to do that. This is the kind of memory they’ll take with them and always cherish.”

St. Edward (6-2) at Wheaton Academy (5-3)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday at West Chicago H.S.

Last year: St. Edward 34, Wheaton Academy 28

Notes: The Green Wave owns a one-game lead on the Warriors and Immaculate Conception in the SCC Gold Division standings. St. Edward has already clinched at least a share of its first league title since 1978 and can finish as the undefeated outright champion with a victory tonight.

▪ The Wave looks to bounce back from last week’s 27-7 defeat at Marian Central. The outcome marked the lowest scoring output of the season for St. Edward, which touts a defense that is allowing an area-low 11.1 points per game. Senior QB Ben Lehman is third in the area with 1,340 passing yards. Junior LB Mark Sink has a team-best 65 tackles. The Wave will make its second straight playoff appearance next week.

▪ Wheaton Academy can clinch its second straight trip to the playoffs with a victory tonight. The Warriors are coming off a 55-0 loss at Montini which marked both the lowest scoring output and most points allowed this season for Wheaton Academy. Speedy senior RB/DB Kai Libby has more than 800 rushing yards this season. The Warriors spread offense averages 31.6 points per game.

Quote: “(Winning the outright league title) would be a huge accomplishment for the school and the program from where we’ve come. There haven’t been a whole lot of SCC championships at St. Edward in any sport, even for the teams that have done well in the state tournament. This is a big opportunity for us.”

— St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

When: 7 tonight

Last year: Marian Central 48, St. Edward 7

Notes: The Green Wave has lost to the Hurricanes seven years in a row entering tonight’s Suburban Christian Conference crossover game.

▪ St. Edward clinched a playoff berth and at least a share of the SCC Gold Division title with last week’s 31-0 victory at Aurora Central Catholic. Now the Wave turns its attention to securing a home game in the first round of the state playoffs later this month. Senior QB Ben Lehman has thrown for 1,154 yards to lead a St. Edward offense that ranks second in the area with 34.6 points per game. The Wave’s defense is holding opponents to an area-low 8.9 points per game.

▪ Marian Central looks to put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season after knocking off St. Francis 33-26 last week. Senior QB Ben Krol has thrown for 1,224 yards and 10 TDs for the Hurricanes, who can become playoff eligible for the fourth time in five years with a win.

Quote: “We’ve been playing (Marian) forever in the old SCC. We built the program playing against teams like Montini, Marian, Marmion and St. Francis. We want to be able to prove we can play with anybody, including the other side of the SCC.”

— St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

Erik Jacobsen’s pick: Marian Central

Unlike last year, St. Edward has some time to savor its status as a playoff qualifier.

Whereas the Green Wave didn’t clinch a spot in the postseason until Week 9 last season, it already has a date secured for the first week of the state playoffs later this month with time to spare.

St. Edward locked up its fourth trip to the playoffs in program history with a 31-0 victory against Aurora Central Catholic last Friday. The accomplishment marks the first time in school history the Green Wave will play in the postseason in back-to-back years.

The news got even better for St. Edward on Saturday when it clinched at least a share of the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title thanks to Wheaton Academy’s loss to Immaculate Conception. It is the first league title for the Wave since 1978 when the team was co-champion of the West Suburban Catholic Conference.

St. Edward (6-1, 4-0) owns a one-game lead in the SCC Gold standings over Wheaton Academy (5-2, 3-1) and Immaculate Conception (5-2, 3-1). The Wave can win the title outright by beating Wheaton Academy in Week 9, but before that coach Mike Rolando’s squad will face arguably its toughest test to date when it travels to play Marian Central in SCC crossover play Friday.

“We had a little bit of a chance to breathe and enjoy (the playoff berth) over the weekend,” Rolando said. “Now we can refocus. We’ve made the playoffs, but we’ve still got our goals of securing home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs and winning the (outright) SCC Gold championship.”

There hasn’t been much to complain about for Rolando this season as his team has outscored its opponents 242-62. What’s even more impressive is that contributions to the team are coming from so many different sources.

Take the offense for example. Sophomore Maurice Jackson and senior Jon Keokanlaya lead a group of four players with at least 270 rushing yards. Seniors Sam Pozezinski and Mark Olenek are tied for the team lead with 15 receptions, and four other players have six receptions. Topping it off, senior quarterback Ben Lehman has 1,115 passing yards and 11 touchdown tosses.

“We look at that as an opportunity to be difficult to defend,” Rolando said. “What are teams going to take away? With our team there really isn’t anybody that you can key on. You’ve got to be able to play well-rounded, solid football in all aspects of the game because these kids are good enough to take advantage of whatever the defense is going to give them.”

While the offense has impressed, the biggest surprise has been a defense that was a question mark coming into the season with juniors starting at eight positions. Despite that inexperience, the Wave has posted three shutouts and is holding opponents to an area-low 8.9 points per game.

Juniors Luke Duffy (team-best 63 tackles), Mark Sink (58 tackles), Zack McQueen (team-best 7 sacks) and Evan Finnane (6 sacks) headline the unit.

“They defense has played so great,” Rolando said. “Three shutouts in a year is just tremendous, and the kids want to keep throwing those up there.”

ELGIN — A week after suffering its first loss of the season, St. Edward got right back to its winning ways on Friday night by routing visiting Guerin Prep 49-14 on senior night at Greg True Field.

Senior quarterback Ben Lehman led a balanced Green Wave attack, throwing for 189 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 83 more yards and another touchdown. St Edward racked up 506 yards of total offense.

The Green Wave improved to 5-1 overall and remained undefeated at 3-0 in the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division and tied with Wheaton Academy atop the league standings.

“We did a lot of good things tonight,” said St Edward coach Mike Rolando. “I thought all of the seniors stepped up and did a great job. Ben played one of his better games. He can throw some rockets, but tonight he had some nice touch passes, too.

“Then it was great to get Sam (Pozezinski) back in the lineup at wide receiver for senior night. (Jon) Keo(kanlaya) ran the ball hard. Glenn Fortune gave us some real nice play at middle linebacker. It was just a great team effort across the board, especially from our seniors.”

St Edward scored 35 unanswered points to start the game and led 35-7 at halftime. Keokanlaya opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run that capped a short eight-play, 46-yard drive on the Wave’s first possession of the game.

Keokanlaya added a 2-yard touchdown later in the second quarter and Lehman tossed a pair of touchdowns in the first half. The first was a 48-yard bomb to Pozezinski. Lehman later hooked up on a 33-yard scoring strike to another senior, Mark Olenek. Junior Luke Duffy added a 48-yard touchdown run in the first half.

The game was physical from the start. Guerin was penalized eight times for 75 yards while the Green Wave was flagged nine times for 85 yards.

“We knew they were a very physical, aggressive team,” said Rolando. “ But I thought we did a great job of matching there intensity. I thought the O-line did a great job. We give up some size up front, but we have some outstanding seniors in Derek Porto Zach Trisella and Kevin Danikowski that give us a lot of leadership. They’ll stand right there in against anybody.”

The Wave scored on its first two possessions of the second half to go up 49-7 and get a running clock the rest of the way. Lehman had runs of 25 and 45 yards on the opening drive of the third quarter and then capped it off with a 3-yard touchdown run. Lehman later threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to Daniel Jaimes.

“We had a nice balanced attack,” said Lehman. “We are usually more run heavy, but tonight we hit them from both ways. The line has been great all year. They really give us a lot of opportunities to run and throw it.”

Keokanlaya finished with a team-high 99 yards rushing on 12 carries. Duffy had 83 yards on six carries.

Pozezinski was the Green Wave’s leading receiver with 78 yards on two receptions. Olenek had two catches for 51 yards. The senior soccer player, who is playing his first year of football, also made all seven extra points to improve to 29-for-29 on the season.

The Green Wave defense yielded just 26 yards to Guerin on its first six possessions of the game before the game turned into a rout.

ST EDWARD 49 GUERIN PREP 14

STE - 14 - 21 - 14 - 0 — 49

GUE -- 0 -- 7 -- 0-- 7 — 14

Scoring plays

STE: Keokanlaya 8 run (Olenek kick), 6:34

STE: Pozezinski 48 pass from Lehman (Olenek), 5:30

STE: Duffy 48 run (Olenek), 11:05

STE: Keokanlaya 2 run (Olenek kick), 7:24

STE: Olenek 33 pass from Lehman (Olenek), 5:26

GUE: Dabe 14 pass from Kelly (Hudson kick), 0:12

STE: Lehman 3 run (Olenek kick), 9:24

STE: Jaimes 34 pass from Lehman (Olenek), 5:10

GUE: Rangel 17 pass from Kelly (Hudson kick), 3:58

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

STE: Keokanlaya 12-99, Lehman 6-83, Duffy 7-77, Elam 8-41, Fortune 1-17, Olenek 1-2, Slizewski 1-(-2)

GUE: Williams 12-105, Kelly 3 - (-32)

PASSING

STE: Lehman 6-15-0-189

GUE: Kelly 9-30-0-120

RECEIVING

STE: Pozezinski 2-78, Olenek 2-51, Jaimes 1-34, Brockner 1-24

GUE: Rangel 3-40, Strnad 2-40

There were a number of seniors who could have been tabbed as player of the game for St. Edward.

Senior quarterback Ben Lehman threw for 3 touchdowns and rushed for another in the Green Wave's 49-14 victory over Guerin Prep in Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division play Friday night at Greg True Field in Elgin.

Senior running back Jon Keokanlaya rushed up and down Greg True Field for 101 yards on just 12 carries. The senior also punched in touchdown runs of 8 and 2 yards in the first half as St. Edward (5-1, 3-0) scored 35 straight points.

"Jon Keokanlaya ... all those runs up the middle, breaking the tackles," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "I don't think he got brought down by the first, second or third guy all night."

Rolando also pointed out the effort of senior offensive linemen Derek Porto, Zach Trisilla and Kevin Danikowski as a major reason that the Green Wave finished the first half with 190 yards on the ground on 21 carries. St. Edward finished the game with 320 total yards on the ground and had 4 different players rush for more than 40 yards.

Senior receiver Sam Pozezinski returned from injury to grab 2 passes for 77 yards and score a touchdown with 5:30 left in the first half to send Guerin (2-4, 0-3) down 13-0.

But the player who stood out most was senior kicker/receiver Mark Olenek. The senior converted all 7 of his extra points to improve to 28 of 28 on the season and added a 33-yard touchdown reception from Lehman in the victory.

Olenek's efforts allowed St. Edward to take a 35-0 advantage with 5:26 left before halftime when he took a pass from Lehman and scored and then added the extra point.

Even though Gurien Prep would score with 14 seconds left in the first half when quarterback Tom Kelly found John Dabe on a 14-yard pass, the Green Wave answered back with a pair of scores in the second half to force a running clock with a 49-7 lead.

Using a mix of running and passing, Lehman rushed in from 2-yards out to put the Green Wave up 42-0 and then found junior Daniel Jaimes on a 34-yard pass to put St. Edward up 49-7.

Lehman finished the game with 185 passing yards and rushed for 88 more.

"We've been a little run heavy this year, but today we came out and were able to hit them both ways with the run and the pass," Lehman said.

PALOS HEIGHTS -- Coming in against Chicago Christian, St. Edward found itself in the exact same position as a year ago, trying to hold on to a perfect season.

This time around, the St. Edward defense would not have a repeat performance, as the Green Wave pulled away with a diverse offensive scheme to defeat the Knights 28-6 in a Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division game.

Just as the drive down to Palos Heights took quite awhile, so did the Green Wave offense. Coming into the contest, St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said his team had to improve on the mental errors, especially the holding calls in the open field.

"It seemed like things were working in the first half, but a lot of mistakes," Rolando said. "We played the worst half of football that we played all year. At half, I told them we've just got to come out and execute.

Come out and execute they did, going back to their strength which is the running game.

The Green Wave (4-0, 2-0) exploded with three fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns, all started by a 6-yard run by senior Jon Keokanlaya with 10:41 remaining in the game.

However, as Rolando noted before the game, the Knights had a big and versatile quarterback in Jason VanderLaan. On the first play of the following possession, the senior connected with tight end Jantzen Deckinga for 67-yard TD to keep the game within striking distance.

The rest of the game belonged to the Green Wave, which is ranked 10th in the Class 4A state poll. It took only five plays on its next possession before quarterback Ben Lehman rumbled it in from 19 yards out to take a 21-6 lead.

With a 15-point lead late in the game, the perfect season rested on the Green Wave defense, which came into the game having showcased back-to-back shutouts. After the Lehman touchdown, the St. Edward defense, with the help of two late sacks from Derek Porto, forced two turnovers to seal the victory. Other than the big pass play, the Knights offense was only able to rack up 176 total yards.

With their well-rounded running attack, the Green Wave gathered 231 rushing yards from five different players. Junior Luke Duffy led the way with 11 carries for 60 yards, including the lone first half score on a 19-yard scramble to the end zone.

"Our heart changed in the second half," Duffy said. "At halftime, we kept saying it was a new half. We came out pumped up like it was a new game and took it to them."

Despite the six points given up, that only totals 19 in four games for the Green Wave defense.

With the perfect season still intact, Rolando knows the season will only get tougher from here on out.

It's four and counting for the St. Edward football team.

For the first time under sixth-year coach Mike Rolando, the Green Wave made it a 4-0 start to a season Friday night when they downed Chicago Christian 28-6 in a Suburban Christian Gold game in Palos Heights.

The Wave, ranked No. 10 in Class 4A, was 3-0 last year when Chicago Christian beat them in Elgin.

After outscoring their opponents 112-13 in the first three games of the season, St. Edward struggled out of the gate.

"We needed to put our record out of our mind," said St. Edward quarterback Ben Lehman. "We got here and you could see that guys weren't up for the game and it showed."

Rolando acknowledged his team came out flat but considers it a wake-up call.

"It's nice to get a wake-up call and get a win," Rolando said.

The first half of football for the Green Wave (4-0, 2-0) was sloppy and filled with penalties, turnovers and missed tackles.

"That was our worst half of football of the season," said Rolando. "I told them lets start fresh in the second half."

And that's exactly what St. Edward did.

Of the 5 possessions Chicago Christian (1-3, 0-2) had offensively, the Green Wave defense forced 3 punts and a turnover on downs.

"The defense as a whole played well," Rolando said. "The defensive line got to the fullback and took away their pass game. We didn't tackle well at times but we only gave up one big play."

Offensively in the second half, St. Edward scored three times in the fourth quarter on runs by Jon Keokanlaya (7-yard TD run), Lehman (19-yard TD run) and Devonte Elam (3-yard TD run.)

"(Our focus) kicked in during the second half, specifically at the end of the third quarter," said Lehman. "We played as a team."

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Last year: Chicago Christian 19, St. Edward 16

Last week: St. Edward 48, Immaculate Conception 0; Aurora Central Catholic 12, Chicago Christian 0

	Derek Porto
	Sam Pozezinski
	Mike Rolando

Folks around St. Edward can't remember a time in the school's history when the football program attained statewide recognition, an amazing accomplishment considering it survived a near-death experience in 2005.

Green Wave football had to be rebuilt from scratch after the previous coach suddenly resigned in mid-July of 2005. Several top athletes abandoned ship for public schools. Only a scant few remained.

Youth football coach Mike Rolando, a former Larkin player under Ray Haley and Bob Krieger, volunteered to take the head coaching position when no one else wanted the job. The Wave went 0-18 in Rolando's first two seasons and 1-8 in 2007, a period during which 14-year old freshmen were asked to play varsity football against seniors twice their size just to keep the program alive.

Those players faced "bloodshed" and several left games with concussions and other injuries, Rolando said, but they kept the program's heart beating when it could have coded.

"I'll never forget the sacrifices players like Matt Ardiente, Jim Waclawik, Ryan Eighenhauser, Moises Quiroga and Shane Finnane made by playing four years of varsity football, and I'll never forget people telling us it was impossible," Rolando said. "That helped drive us. People saying we were crazy, that helped drive us. But we maintained a positive attitude and didn't dwell on the negatives. We took something positive out of every game and we built on that."

The fact St. Edward is now a ranked football team under its sixth-year coach is a testament to perseverance, dedication and determination, not only by the former and current players and Rolando's staff, but the entire St. Edward community.

The reward for the slow, steady rebuilding process is a healthy football program and a varsity squad now recognized well beyond the Elgin city limits. However, the 2010 team is not satisfied with a mere poll ranking. These players have their sites trained directly on earning the Gold Division title in the Suburban Christian Conference and winning the first playoff game in school history.

"We tend to downplay the ranking," Rolando said. "The first week we were ranked we didn't even talk about it until game day. We only brought it up then because the kids had heard it from everyone else. It's nice to be recognized as an up-and-coming team, but it doesn't mean anything on Friday night. "

Defense wins championships as the old axiom goes.

With that in mind, St. Edward proved itself to be a championship contender by pulverizing Immaculate Conception 42-0 on Friday at Greg True Field.

It was the second consecutive shutout for St. Edward, which made things look easy in a matchup of two state-ranked teams. Not since Week 2 and Week 3 of the 1984 season has St. Edward held opponents scoreless in two straight contests.

Elgin High and South Elgin also turned in notable defensive performances over the weekend.

The Maroons beat Streamwood 33-2 on Friday, marking the first time since Week 3 of the 2003 season that Elgin didn't allow a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Storm blanked Lake Park 48-0, recording only the second shutout in program history.

More on Elgin High and South Elgin later, but St. Edward's rout was the most impressive showing by a local team this weekend and deserves top billing.

Although five of the six squads in the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division currently own winning records, the Green Wave's dominance against the Knights is the kind of statement that solidifies its status as the favorite to win the league title.

St. Edward has zero conference football championships in school history, and finishing atop the SCC Gold is a primary goal this season.

If the Wave continues to maintain such a high level of play, there may even be some murmurs that this team has what it takes to contend for the Class 4A state championship.

South Elgin is another local team starting to be recognized among the state's elite. By allowing no points and just eight first downs against the Lancers, the Storm reinforced the fact that it has a top-notch defense to go with its high-powered offense.

Such a combination could produce an Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division title and perhaps even greater spoils in the state playoffs.

Nobody in their right mind would mention Elgin High and state football championship in the same breath, particularly after seeing the Maroons stumble to only 12 yards of offense in the first half against the Sabres.

But give Elgin credit for making big defensive plays when it needed to and for not allowing frustration to boil over.

The Maroons trailed only 2-0 at halftime thanks to a defense that didn't yield a point despite being backed up inside its own 10-yard line on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter. Those three Streamwood drives ended in a fumble, a turnover on downs and an interception.

That momentum eventually helped invigorate Elgin's offense in the second half. The defense also got even stingier after the intermission, holding the Sabres to only one first down and 69 yards in the final two quarters.

Elgin coach Dave Bierman applauded the work of defensive coordinator Kyle Rohde after the game. The Maroons have given up more than 10 points in a half only once this season, and if they keep that up they might just be able to sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

"When the offense isn't doing too good you've got to rely on your defense," said Elgin senior Jordan Dean, who had a key interception on the goal line in the second quarter against Streamwood . "Our whole team is based on defense. It can build momentum for the offense, so defense is the main priority for us."

Bad in black: St. Edward rolls over IC to move to 3-0

Published: 9/10/2010 10:38 PM | Updated: 9/11/2010 12:27 AM

St. Edward football coach Mike Rolando encouraged fans to wear black Friday night in support of the Green Wave, who debuted all-black uniforms and helmets with just a hint of green piping for their showdown against Immaculate Conception.

The "blackout" quickly became a wipeout.

In a meeting between state-ranked teams, St. Edward dominated the Knights from start to finish and made a statement with a 42-0 victory in the Suburban Christian Conference (Gold Division) opener for both teams at Greg True Field in Elgin.

"You have to come out expecting to win, and I think we did that," said St. Edward senior quarterback Ben Lehman. " But 3-0 feels great, especially against a team like IC."

St. Edward (3-0, 1-0), ranked No. 10 in Class 4A, outgained the Knights 395 yards to 113. Immaculate Conception (2-1, 0-1) entered the game ranked No. 7 in Class 3A.

IC played without senior quarterback Cody Kotlow, who sat out due to a mild concussion suffered last week. Sophomore Cody Baker started in his place. But Kotlow's absence didn't account for the 42-point scoring differential, according to IC coach Mike Alberts.

"We got our butts kicked," he said. "There's no other way to say it. They were good last year and they're good this year. We weren't very good tonight. We stunk."

The St. Edward defense forced 2 first-half turnovers and the offense scored on each of its 4 possessions before halftime.

Luke Duffy put St. Edward ahead on the first drive of the game when he capped a 6-play, 74-yard drive with a 25-yard scoring burst up the middle.

The Knights responded with their best drive of the game, a 12-play march to the Green Wave 11-yard line. However, St. Edward linebacker Jon Keokanlaya hit Baker as he was attempting to pitch the ball to fullback Jose Godinez, and the Wave recovered the fumble at its own 17-yard line.

Behind the offensive line of Evan Finnane, Derek Porto, Art Monsivais, Zach Trisilla and Kevin Danikowski, the Green Wave flipped the field by driving 83 yards in 13 plays, culminating in Lehman's 2-yard touchdown run nearly six minutes later.

The Wave led 28-0 at the half, thanks to a pair of touchdown runs-after-catches by senior Sam Pozezinski. Twice Pozezinski made receptions for 10 yards, slipped a tackle and rumbled for scores, one for 35 yards, the other for 37 yards.

"After each catch I just wanted to make a guy miss," said Pozezinski, who finished with 5 catches for 124 yards. "I had a great block by Mark Olenek on that second touchdown. He got me into the end zone, so I really have to thank him."

Last week, IC trailed Walther Lutheran 21-0 only to rally for a 28-21 win. But any thoughts of a second straight comeback victory were thwarted in the third quarter after Matt Brockner stuffed Godinez for a 6-yard loss on 4th-and-5 at the Green Wave 38.

"They use good technique," Godinez said of the St. Edward defense. "They were low on us. They're a good football team and they came at us strong."

St. Edward made it 5 touchdowns in 5 possessions 7 plays later when sophomore Maurice Jackson broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run. Jackson led all rushers with 128 yards on 9 carries. Duffy's 33-yard touchdown run with 10:02 remaining in the game made it 42-0 and started a running clock.

The St. Edward defense pitched its second straight shutout. The Wave defeated Rockford Lutheran 49-0 in Week 2. Rolando credited defensive coordinator Marc Rusinko and defensive line coach Steve McShane for their scheme, which helped limit the IC veer option to 79 rushing yards.

"We had a really good game plan going in to take away their strength," Rolando said. "Our kids stepped up and played assignment defense and did their jobs. They took away the fullback, our 'backers got the quarterback and when they did get the pitch off we were able to fly to the ball."

 

 

 

September 11, 2010By GENE CHAMBERLAIN For Sun-Times Media

ELGIN -- When St. Edward beat Immaculate Conception last year in Week 3 to go 3-0, it was a statement that the Green Wave had arrived as a playoff contender.

Friday night when the Green Wave beat IC again -- this time at Greg True Field 42-0, it was merely about complete domination.

"We've got a bunch of good, focused kids and they stepped up and played great ball today even though they were undersized at times," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said.

The Green Wave (3-0) scored touchdowns on its four first-half possessions for a 28-0 lead, then never let up to establish a running clock with 10:02 remaining in the Suburban Christian Conference Gold opener on Luke Duffy's 33-yard TD run. The Wave entered the game ranked 10th in the Class 4A state poll while IC was seventh in 3A.

"We felt we had a real good plan going in, and then at the end of the plan the kids need to step up and play," Rolando said. "And they just stepped up and made play after play after play."

The Green Wave piled up 317 yards rushing, including 142 on 11 tries by sophomore running back Maurece Jackson. And quarterback Ben Lehman threw for 125 yards on 5-of-9, with all five completions going to wide receiver Sam Pozezinski. For Pozezinski it was a big night on both sides of the ball as he recovered two IC fumbles as a defensive back and caught two short fourth-down passes that he turned into second-quarter TDs of 35 and 37 yards to take the lead from 14-0 to 28-0.

"The first one he was just sort of doing a short hitch and broke a tackle," Lehman said. "The other one we wanted to spread it out and kind of go play-action fake, and see what we could do with their defense and spread it out.

"I think we did a good job of picking them apart."

Defensively, St. Edward pitched its second straight shutout, limiting an IC team that had sophomore Dakota Baker at quarterback instead of injured Cody Kotlow to only 153 total yards and 10 first downs.

St. Edward, sporting black jerseys and helmets for the first time in school history, held bruising IC fullback Jose Godinez to 74 yards on 17 carries, although he had the ball moving early between the tackles. But the Green Wave defense stopped IC at the St. Edward 19 with Pozezinski's first fumble recovery on an errant fourth-down pitchout and IC never got inside the red zone again. Matt Brockner had an interception before suffering a knee sprain to stop another drive.

"Our line did an amazing job stopping their fullback inside in the option, our linebackers did a great job stopping that pitchout and the quarterback," Pozezinski said. "All around, it was just a great defensive game."

Despite the dominance, St. Edward was wary after Duffy had scored on a 25-yard TD run 6:07 into the game, Lehman had run in from 2 yards out 3:55 into the second quarter and Pozezinski had turned the two short passes into a 28-0 lead. After all, IC had roared back from a 21-point deficit last week and had turned a rout last year into a close loss to the Wave.

"They are a second-half team, and we wanted to play hard every quarter," linebacker Jon Keokanlaya said. "The second half was a new half, but we treated it like it was a new game."

They came out and got a 39-yard TD run from Jackson with 3:08 left in the third quarter, then Duffy's 33-yard TD run to start the running clock.

"I know we won a game, beat a good team, but we have things to improve on," Rolando said. "Chicago Christian beat us last year in a close game after we had a letdown last year when we beat IC.

"So we have to stay focused and not have another letdown."

ST. EDWARD 42, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 0

 

IC                   0     0    0     0   --   0

St. Edward      7   21    7     7  --  42

 

S -- Luke Duffy 25 run (Mark Olenek kick), 1st, 8:53.

S -- Ben Lehman 2 run (Olenek kick), 2nd, 8:05.

S -- Sam Pozezinski 35 pass from Lehman (Olenek kick), 2nd, 4:04.

S -- Pozezinski 37 pass from Lehman (Olenek kick), 2nd, :36.6.

S -- Maurece Jackson 39 run (Olenek kick), 3rd, 3:08.

S -- Duffy 33 run (Olenek kick), 4th, 10:02.

 

                           IC             STE

First downs         11              17

Rushing               34-119       37-317

Passing yards      34               125

Total yards         153             442

Passing              4-10-1         5-9-0

Penalties            6-60            8-65

Fumbles             3-2              1-1

Punts                 1-31              0

 

Rushing

IC -- Dakota Baker 9-33, Jose Godinez 17-74, Kyle Siranovic 3-(minus)1, Joe Iavarone 5-13.

STE -- Lehman 4-54, Duffy 7-73, Jackson 11-142, DeVontae Elam 6-14, Olenek 2-1, Sean Richmond 1-0, Bob French 2-(minus) 4, Jon Keokanlaya 4-37.

Passing

IC -- Baker 4-10-1-34.

STE -- Lehman 5-9-0-125.

Receiving

IC - Siranovic 4-34.

STE -- Pozezinski 5-125

 

Suburban Christian Gold

Game time: 7:30 p.m. today.

Last week: Immaculate Conception 28, Walther Lutheran 21; St. Edward 49, Rockford Lutheran 0.

Last year: St. Edward 46, Immaculate Conception 38.

Outlook: Visiting Immaculate Conception will try to upend the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division favorite. In 2009 St. Edward led 32-7, then it got interesting. Walther Lutheran led IC 21-0 after a quarter before Jose Godinez followed big Ron Rivera for 172 yards, 3 touchdowns and QB Cody Kotlow added another 87 yards and a score. "Raised our energy level," coach Mike Alberts said. They'll need more of that against Green Wave quarterback Ben Lehman.

St. Edward is ranked No. 10 in Class 4A; IC is ranked No. 7 in Class 3A. The winner of this clash gains the inside track to a division title. "There's no question this is a huge game to see where we stand," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. The Green Wave snapped a five-year losing streak against the Knights last season with a victory in Elmhurst. Last week, IC overcame a 21-0 second-quarter deficit against visiting Walther Lutheran with 28 unanswered points. Senior running back Jose Godinez ran for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns and senior quarterback Cody Kotlow carried 20 times for 89 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown run. The Green Wave will try to contain the Knights' veer option. "We have to play disciplined assignment football on the defensive side," Rolando said. "Their triple option, split-back veer option attack is very difficult to stop. You might stop it nine or 10 times in a row, and then they'll bust one for 60 yards. They're methodical about running it. We can't assume it will be a pass on 3rd-and-long. We have to take away their strength and make them do things they're not comfortable doing." St. Edward attacks on the ground with senior Jon Keokanlaya (14-124, 2 TD), sophomore Maurice Jackson (21-132, 2 TD) and freshman DeVonte Elam (12-43, 2 TD). Senior quarterback Ben Lehman has completed 17-of-35 attempts for 290 yards and 3 TD and has been intercepted three times. Senior Sam Pozezinski has 6 receptions for 128 yards and 2 TD.

Notes: The Green Wave looks to open the season with two straight wins for the third year in a row after edging Hampshire 21-13 last week. St. Edward climbed to No. 10 in the Class 4A state poll with the triumph. Sophomore RB Maurice Jackson led the team with 72 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jackson, junior CB Ryan Johnson, junior DB Sean Richmond and senior LB Bobby Waclawik will all see expanded roles tonight after excelling last week as reserves.

• The Crusaders rolled to a 62-0 victory against Noble Street Rauner College Prep last week in the debut of new coach Bruce Bazsali. RB Bran Esparza ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns during the rout. Bazsali is a 1963 Elgin High graduate who during his Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame career spent one season as an assistant to former St. Edward coach Greg True. He takes over a Lutheran program that has only four wins since the start of the 2006 season and hasn't reached the playoffs since 2002.

• The Crusaders are the Wave's second straight opponent from the Big Northern Conference.

Quote: "Rockford Lutheran is running four or five receivers, throwing the ball deep and running a little spread. Their competition probably wasn't the greatest last week, but you don't put up 62 points on accident."

-- St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

St. Edward's football team is getting a greater measure of respect, and if you don't believe it just check the rankings.

The Green Wave climbed into the 10th spot in the Associated Press Class 4A state poll this week.

"It's nice to be recognized as at least a competitive football team," Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "In years past we were everybody's homecoming, but now at least we've won enough games and played in a tough conference long enough and turned a couple heads.

"(Being ranked) is great, but it really doesn't matter on Friday night. We just need to keep our nose to the grindstone and continue to strive towards our goal of getting better every year."

The Wave is coming off a Week 1 21-13 win against Hampshire in which its defense made several key plays in the second half.

That was an unexpected turn of events in that St. Edward expected a prolific offense to lead the way.

"We've obviously got a lot of work to do," Rolando said. "We were fortunate to get out of Hampshire with a victory last week."

The Green Wave will visit Rockford Lutheran (1-0) on Friday.

HAMPSHIRE -- St. Edward is confident that its high-profile offense will pile up points as the season goes on.

But to kick off the 2010 season, the Green Wave used key back-to-back scoring drives at the end of the first half and beginning of the third quarter to fend off an athletic Hampshire team and come away with a 21-13 win Friday night in front of a large crowd.

Each team featured a plethora of newcomers to varsity football, and it showed. The Whip-Purs fumbled away the ball three times in the first half, while St. Edward had two interceptions in the first half and a key fumble in the fourth quarter.

"(Hampshire's) got a young team and we have a lot of first-year varsity kids, even our seniors, a lot of them are first-year varsity kids," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando. "Some mistakes on the field but also some big plays. Big plays and mistakes kept both sides in the game."

After watching the Whips go on an 11-play, 99-yard scoring drive to tie the game at 7 with 4:55 left in the first half, the Wave answered right back with 13-play, 63-yard drive that culminated with a Maurice Jackson 2-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal, giving St. Edward a 14-7 lead with 23 seconds remaining in the half. Jackson, a sophomore, finished with 80 yards on 15 carries to lead the Wave on the ground.

"We felt like we could move the ball pretty well," Rolando said. "We were running up the middle pretty well. They wouldn't let us get around the outside so we had to keep pounding it up the middle. We couldn't get much going in the passing game. They were brining in some pressure from the outside."

St. Edward got the ball to begin the third quarter and went on a 5:08 scoring drive to open up the lead to 21-7. The Wave sustained the 53-yard drive by converting on a fourth-and-five from the Whips 30-yard line after quarterback Ben Lehman found Matt Brockner for a nine-yard gain down to the 21-yard line. Lehman capped off the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Sam Pozezinski in the front corner of the end zone.

Despite those two scoring drives from St. Edward, the Whips were up to the challenge of stopping Lehman, who led the area in passing last season. Lehman was picked off twice in the first half – once by Chase Lundry and another by Abdul Akel on a pass that hit off the receiver's hand before Akel pulled it down inside the Whips' 1-yard line.

Lehman completed 1 of 9 passes in the half for 23 yards. The second half was a different story as Lehman completed all four passes and finished the game with 84 yards on 5-of-13 passing.

"As a team I think we're all excited to get going. Sometimes you come out here and you're playing too excited and you don't really know where your head's at, and that was the case with me today," Lehman said. "Today, from the first half to the second half, I think everyone came together and it was a team effort."

In his game as the Whips starting quarterback, senior Bryan Roberts put together an impressive performance. He helped the Whips to 328 yards of total offense compared to the Wave's 223 yards and completed 9 of 22 passes for 125 yards. He also ran for a game-high 92 yards on 17 carries out of the shotgun.

"As you can see, he can do a lot of things," said Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh. "He can run with the ball, he can throw the ball well. We're spreading the ball a little bit. We have some different weapons and we did a nice job running the ball."

Hampshire senior Lorenzo Brandon (6 carries for 79 yards) had a 37-yard run during the Whips 99-yard scoring drive before senior Mike Kuefner ended it with a 1-yard dive up the middle.

The Whips cut the lead to 21-13 after Kuefner rushed for his second touchdown of the day on a 5-yard scamper up the middle. Roberts hit Nick Holze for a 24-yard gain down to the 11-yard line on fourth-and-10 to keep the drive going.

After St. Edward fumbled the ball, Hampshire got it back at its own 49-yard line with a chance to tie. The Whips passing game continued to connect, but they turned the ball over on a fourth-and-six from the St. Edward 15-yard line.

St. Edward's Jon Keokanlaya scored the first touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run.

"If we get rid of those early game jitters … we played hard. St. Edward played hard. They have a good football team," Cavanaugh said. "We just need to get over those early mistakes, but we learned and the thing I was most impressed with is most of these guys don't have varsity experience and they refused to fold when the pressure was on them. It shows a lot of character. We have a lot to build on."

St. Edward 21, Hampshire 13

St. Edward     7       7     7     0   --    21
Hampshire       0      7     0     6   --    13

St. Edward – Keokanlaya 5 run  (Olenek kick) 5:52
Hampshire – Kuefner 1 run (Roberts kick) 4:55
St. Edward – Jackson 2 run (Olenek kick) 23.4
St. Edward – Pozezinski 21 pass from Lehman (Olenek kick) 6:45
Hampshire – Kuefner 5 run (kick failed) 7:09
Team stats                  St. Edward             Hampshire
First downs                         15                       18
Comp. att- int                   5-13-2                9-22-0
Passing yards                      84                     125
Rush att- yard                     35-139             37-203
Total yards                         223                      328
Fumbles-lost                       2-1                      3-3
Penalties-yards                   4-20                   4-20
Individual stats
Rushing
St. Edward – Lehman 9-29, Keokanlaya 6-14, Olenek 2-7, Pozezinski 2 – (-2), Duffy 2-11, Jackson 15-85
Hampshire – Roberts 17-92, Kuefner 14-32, Brandon 6-79
Passing
St. Edward – Lehman 5-84
Hampshire – Roberts 9-125
Receiving
St. Edward – Pozezinski 3-48, Brockner 1-9, Olenek 1-27
Hampshire –B.  Waterworth 3-44, Wilson 3-34, Brandon 1-9, Holze 1-24, C. Waterworth 1-14

Early on, Hampshire and St. Edward played like it was the first game of the season. Both teams made some mistakes early on, but the game turned into a pretty good one. In the end, the Green Wave took advantage of Hampshire's mistakes and came away with a 21-13 nonconference victory in Hampshire.

Sam Pozenzinski's touchdown on the Wave's opening drive of the second half made it 21-7. But the Whips weren't finished. Mike Kuefner scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run with 7:09 left to make it 21-13.

The Whips got the ball back on a fumble recovery. Quarterback Bryan Roberts led Hampshire to the 14-yard line with less than 3 minutes remaining. However, the Wave defense stiffened and stopped the Whip-Purs on downs. St. Edward was then able to run out the clock.

"The thing that I was most impressed with is that most of these guys don't have varsity experience, but they refused to fold when the pressure was on them," said Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh. "They came back. That shows a lot of character."

Maurice Jackson ran for 81 yards and a touchdown and Jon Keokanlaya also scored for St. Edward.

Wave quarterback Ben Lehman was just 1-for-9 for 24 yards in the first half. But he completed all 4 of his throws in the second half, including 3 straight on the Wave's scoring drive. He finished 5-for-13 for 90 yards.

"The big plays and mistakes kept both teams in the game," said St. Edward coach Mike Rolando. "But we feel like we can move the ball. We were moving the ball pretty well up the middle."

Roberts completed 9 of 22 for 126 yards, and also ran for 91 yards for Hampshire. Lorenzo Brandon added 81 rushing yards on just 6 carries.

Each team had 3 turnovers, but also made some big plays. After Keokanlaya put the Wave ahead, Hampshire drove 99 yards for the tying score. Brandon broke a 38-yard run, then Roberts ran 25 yards to the 1, from where Kuefner took it in.

"This is the lowest we should go, we should improve from here," said Lehman. "And I look forward to improving from here along with the team."

Hampshire had a 334-225 edge in yardage, but 3 first-half fumbles proved costly. A botched handoff at their own 24-yard line led to the Wave's first touchdown.

After Hampshire tied it, the Wave moved down the field, taking the lead on Jackson's 4-yard run with just 23 seconds left in the half.

By ERIK JACOBSEN ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com

When: 7 tonight

Last year: St. Edward 32, Hampshire 6

Notes: Tonight's game will likely be the last meeting between the Green Wave and Whip-Purs for the foreseeable future. The teams are not slated to play each other next year when Hampshire moves into the Fox Valley Conference. This is the 12th straight year that the rivals will collide. The Whips own an 8-3 advantage in those matchups, but St. Edward won the past two years.

• The Green Wave finished 6-4 last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2003. St. Edward now turns its attention to contending for the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title and making back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in program history. Senior QB Ben Lehman is back after leading the area in passing yards last year.

• The Whips went 4-5 in 2009 and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Senior RB/DB Matt Kuefner headlines a small group of returning starters for coach Dan Cavanaugh's inexperienced squad. In an interesting side note, Hampshire defensive coordinator Rod Sink is the father of St. Edward junior G/LB Mark Sink.

Quote: "If we're going to make the playoffs we have to win our first two games, and that starts with Hampshire. I know they're a big school and they're working hard, so they're not going to go down easy."

-- St. Edward coach Mike Rolando

Erik Jacobsen's pick: St. Edward

	Mark Olenek (10) breaks upfield past Bobby Waclawik and Sean Richmond during the St. Edward Green and Gold game at Greg True Field.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Bobby Waclawik, 29, during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Maurice Jackson, 4, is brought down by Bob French, 11, during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Maurice Jackson, 4, breaks past Matt Gotsch, 7, during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Luke Duffy, 8, is hit by Sean Richmond, 5, and Bob French, 11, during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	DeVonte Elam, 34, looks for running room during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	DeVonte Elam , 34, breaks outside during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer
	Jon Keokanlaya, 36, looks for running room during the St. Edward High School Green and Gold Game at Greg True Field Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Elgin.   Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

Moving on and moving up. That's what the St. Edward football program appears to be doing.

After posting a 6-4 record and qualifying for the postseason for just the third time in school history last season, sixth-year coach Mike Rolando has bigger and better goals heading into 2010.

"We hope to put the doubters behind us," said Rolando. "We want to win playoff games. It's time to take another step and fight for a conference championship.

"The only thing that's acceptable is to get better."

And that all starts with returning quarterback Ben Lehman. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior is drawing Division I interest and is back after leading The Courier-News area in passing yardage last season, completing 87 of 193 passes for 1,417 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Rolando says Lehman's dedication to improving his skills as a runner could boost his production.

"He was pretty efficient and impressive as a junior," said Rolando, who played QB at Larkin. "And he's worked really hard to improve his athleticism. I think we'll be able to utilize the running aspect a little more."

Lehman should have plenty of targets to choose from with a deep pool of receivers. Leading the way is senior Sam Pozezinski (6-3, 190), who joins a handful of others with speed and good hands. Luke Duffy (5-11, 185), a running back as a sophomore in 2009, will make the move to receiver. Also among those expected to contribute are senior Mark Olenek (5-9, 155), junior Matt Brockner (5-11, 160), sophomore Maurice Jackson (5-9, 195) and junior Danny Jaimes (5-10, 155). Junior Mark Sink (6-0, 175) moves from fullback to guard.

The running back crew includes senior Jon Keokanlaya (5-11, 190), who backed up the graduated Jordan Torres and is coming on strong, said Rolando. Freshman DeVontae Elam (5-11, 180) could also make a splash.

The offensive line is anchored by junior Division I prospect Evan Finnane (6-1, 250) at guard, senior Derek Porto (5-10, 195) at guard and senior center Zach Trisilla (5-10, 255). Senior Kevin Danikowski (6-0, 175) will man a tackle position.

Just three returning starters are back on defense. Jon Keokanlaya will play a linebacker spot, Finnane is back at tackle and Pozezinski plays safety.

Sink and Duffy will play linebacker, junior Zack McQueen (5-11, 175) will hold a defensive end position opposite Danikowski and Porto will compete at tackle.

Lehman could see time at free safety while Brockner and Olenek will join juniors Sean Richmond (5-8, 150) and Ryan Johnson (5-11, 160) at secondary spots. They helped the sophomore team to a 9-0 record last season.

Rolando expects his team to compete for a Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title.

"We're trying to do it the right way here," he said. "And that's with academics, discipline and respect. We poked our noses in the playoffs last year. I think these kids expect to be there every year now."

That's because a junior class that is loaded with talent arrives at the varsity level this season brimming with confidence after compiling an 8-1 record at the sophomore level and 9-0 record as freshmen.It was clear at South Elgin's first official practice of the season on Wednesday that no job is safe going into what could be a big year for coach Dale Schabert's program.

"We kind of let all the guys know that were starting last year know that they are in a competition for their job," Schabert said. "We made it very clear to all of them.

"There's some real good competition right now, and that's exactly what we need if we're going to get better. There shouldn't be anybody feeling comfortable."

Senior running back Bradley Birchfield returns for his third varsity season, but juniors Adolfo Pacheco and Geno Passarelli are breathing down Birchfield's neck for a spot in the starting lineup.

Even senior quarterback John Menken, who threw for 1,404 yards and earned All-Upstate Eight Conference honors last year, is feeling the heat. Schabert says he likes what he's seen from junior Zach Gross and that both quarterbacks might get time under center.

"This is the first time I've had a quarterback competition here that's this serious," Schabert said. "It's a treat right now. I've got two good athletes back there and they're going at it. I think they're both going to see playing time."

Some of South Elgin's seniors who started last season could be irritated with their uncertain job status, but those returners genuinely seem to embrace the competition from their younger teammates.

"We've got a lot of talent coming up this year and there's a guy that is always going to be on your back," Menken said. "So you need to get after it in practice."

Added senior linebacker Justin Wright: "I think knowing what the (juniors) did as freshmen and sophomores gives us maybe even more confidence than we had last year. The (juniors) kind of fill the holes that we had last year."

South Elgin might need to use all of its depth and talent this season against a grueling schedule that begins with a home game against St. Charles North on Aug. 27 at Millennium Field. The North Stars beat the Storm in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs last year, adding a little extra fuel to the fire.

While last year represented a breakthrough for South Elgin, there will be no flying under the radar this season. And that's fine with this year's seniors, who will take on whatever role necessary to take the program to the next level.

"We set the bar high last year," Menken said. "We want to go into this year trying to do better and get better and just keep it going."

Green Wave right back to work -- St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said his players didn't seem to miss a beat as they returned to the practice field after a productive summer camp.

"For us it almost feels like we're picking up where we left off at the end of July," Rolando said. "For the first time we had excellent participation over the summer. We used 24 of our 25 days and we went to five passing tournaments, and almost every one of our kids was at all 24 days.

"We were able to put a lot of our passing stuff in and a lot of our offense in, so we can use these non-padded practice days to get ourselves back in shape."

The Green Wave looks to improve on last season's 6-4 finish, which included the program's first trip to the playoffs since 2003. Now St. Edward's focus is not only to reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time, but also to finally notch the program's first-ever postseason victory.

"Obviously a playoff win would be huge for the program," senior quarterback Ben Lehman said. "Every year we're looking to improve, and we've been doing that every year."

The Green Wave's quest begins Aug. 27 when it travels to play Hampshire for what will likely be the final time. The Whip-Purs move into the Fox Valley Conference in 2011, and that will end a rivalry between Hampshire and St. Edward that has played out every year since 1999.

Scianna takes over at Larkin -- A new era began at Larkin on Wednesday as new coach Mike Scianna led his first official practice.

Scianna, who served as a varsity assistant to Matt Gehrig the past two seasons, relished the opportunity to get to work as the head of his own program.

"Life seems to be coming full circle," Scianna said. "My first year was 1990 with Glenbard North as the freshman 'B' team coach. All the experiences since then at Montini and Rolling Meadows have led to an opportunity here, and it's been great so far."

The Royals had roughly 45 players at varsity practice, and Scianna said maintaining those numbers will be important. Junior quarterback Kyle Newquist and senior receiver Trevor Whitehead are two key returners.

Ten of those players at practice Wednesday were sophomores, signaling a departure from last year's senior-dominated team that finished 5-4 but didn't qualify for the postseason.

"We've got to make sure our numbers stay up and we stay healthy," Scianna said. "We're still a little thin number-wise. We're very young, we don't have a lot of seniors and we had a good group that went out last year.

"We're hoping to have a more of a balanced attack this year. We don't want to be one dimensional and we don't want to have to be chasing teams down."

Larkin begins its season at home against McHenry on Aug. 27.

Maroons looking for commitment -- Elgin coach Dave Bierman had a simple message for the younger players in his program at the end of Wednesday's first practice session: "See your hard work through."

With players from all levels of the program gathered around, Bierman implored his charges to stick with the program through thick and thin this season. He knows he won't have to worry about getting ample dedication from his seniors.

"The leadership has gotten better and grown," Bierman said. "Every year we've always had a couple (leaders), but now we're getting more and more. The kids have stepped up and the senior captains are taking on more responsibility. It's nice to see some of that leadership coming from the inside out."

Senior two-way threat Jordan Dean, senior linebacker/lineman Adrian Martinez, senior quarterback Jake Meyer and senior lineman Toby Schimel are among the players Bierman will lean on most. The Maroons, who finished 3-6 last season, open their season at Dundee-Crown on Aug. 27.

One practice under his belt and new Larkin football coach Mike Scianna's voice was already shot.

"I don't think I was yelling at kids; I was yelling at coaches," said a smiling Scianna, a Streamwood graduate who in April was tabbed as the sixth coach in Larkin's 47-year history. "Great first day. We're all learning our roles, who's the good cop and bad cop and that kind of deal.

"But it's been a lot of fun so far. You can tell because I'm already hoarse."

Previously an assistant at Glenbard North, Montini, Rolling Meadows, Benedictine University and Larkin, Scianna directed his first practice as a varsity head coach Wednesday, the first day football teams throughout Illinois could begin gearing up for the Aug. 27 kickoff.

The new coach liked what he saw from his roster of 40, a 25-percent increase in participation over last season.

"We've got good numbers out and we're having some fun," Scianna said. "I'm a little worried about the numbers on the sophomore level, but we're going to make it work. We've got 40 freshmen and we're shooting for 100 in the system overall. We haven't hit that number in a long time. Things are definitely going in the right direction."

The Royals adjusted to Scianna's new systems during summer camp workouts, four a week from June through late July. Junior quarterback Kyle Newquist, a second-year starter, said he was excited to hit the practice field despite the 90-degree afternoon heat compounded by humidity.

"The weather's a little hot, but the breeze isn't bad," Newquist said between double sessions. "I'm more comfortable back there this year. I know what's going on. A year of experience helps. It's completely new systems and a little more yelling this year, I guess you could say, but I think it's going good."

And that's the beauty of the opening day of football practice: "it's going good" for every team in the Fox Valley area. Hopes for a good season are higher than thermometer readings on Day 1.

­In Cary, the defending Class 6A champions began working toward what they hope will be a seventh straight Fox Valley Conference title. In Algonquin, Illinois Football Coaches Association hall of famer Bill Mitz directed practice at Jacobs, which seeks to improve upon its five playoff appearances in 35 seasons. In Bartlett, the Hawks began work to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2009 for the first time in nine years. And in Hampshire, the Whip-Purs commenced preparations for their final dance through the Big Northern Conference before they switch to the Fox Valley Conference in 2011-12.

In Elgin, St. Edward began tuneups for a season it hopes will yield a second straight playoff appearance. Like most teams these days, the Green Wave didn't start from scratch. Every summer camp practice was attended by every member of the varsity for the first time since Mike Rolando took over as coach in 2005.

"Today was like we took ten days off after camp and hit the ground running where we left off," said Rolando, whose team practiced at the Elgin Sports Complex from 4-8:30 p.m. "We feel like we're in a pretty good place for the first day of doubles. For the whole team to be at every single summer practice means a lot and it's put us in a good place."

In Huntley, former Larkin coach Matt Gehrig oversaw his first August practice as coach of the Red Raiders, a team coming off consecutive playoff seasons.

"The feeling is really just one of pure excitement," said Gehrig, clad in bright red, which he called his favorite color. "We had a really good first day, I think. All of our guys are really prepared for the season. They really put in a lot of consistent hard work throughout the summer program, and I think they were really anticipating getting out here to start the official practice sessions and have it be the real thing.

"You could sense the enthusiasm and there was an energy about the kids when they lined up to warm up today. They pushed through a pretty intense practice."

Huntley players began their day with a morning classroom session that featured film from the final day of summer camp. The Red Raiders hit the practice field in shorts and helmets between 1-3:30 p.m.

"It feels good getting out here finally," second-year quarterback Tim Lycos said at the conclusion of the afternoon session. "The hot weather's tough, but it feels good. At least we're not in pads right now." That comes Monday.

In the Huntley parking lot after practice, offensive tackle Addison Erb relaxed on the bed of his pickup truck, sipping a red sports drink to rehydrate. Linemen can't get enough electrolytes.

"We're working hard," said Erb, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior. "Being a biggun - that's the most hard work, I think. Growing up being a lineman, you're in the trenches all day, sweating all day. It's a lot of fun, though. That's why I chose to be a lineman. I love pushing people around. It's hard work, but that's what I love."

Erb said the Red Raiders have taken quickly to their new leader.

"Coach Gehrig definitely brought a sense of urgency to the program," he said. "In the weight room, even in films he brings it. It's a really good feeling. It gets us motivated and now we're all jacked up for practices all the time."

By ERIK JACOBSEN ejacobsen@stmedianetwork.com

High school football practices kick off all around the state today.

The Storm and Green Wave both enjoyed breakthrough seasons in 2009. Now they'll try to carry that success into 2010.

South Elgin finished 7-3 last year, reaching the playoffs for the first time in program history. Meanwhile, St. Edward went 6-4 and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2003.

The Storm returns several talented starters this fall, including senior quarterback John Menken, who earned All-Upstate Eight Conference honors last season. All signs point to South Elgin competing for the UEC Valley Division title and reaching the playoffs once again.

The Green Wave welcomes back senior quarterback Ben Lehman, who led the area in passing yards last year. St. Edward faces one of the area's toughest schedules and has a few holes to fill after losing some key players from last year to graduation, but it appears coach Mike Rolando's team might be able to secure back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time in program history.

2. How will St. Charles North fare without Bergren?

Quarterback Jake Bergren helped lead the North Stars to the Class 7A state quarterfinals as a junior last season, but North likely won't have his services until late September this year.

That's because Bergren recently underwent surgery after breaking his left (throwing) hand in a summer baseball game last month. North coach Mark Gould said the prognosis calls for Bergren to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Senior Matt Shiltz was in the running for the starting quarterback job last year and will likely be called upon to carry the load until Bergren is cleared to return. If he and his teammates can navigate a tough three-game stretch to start the season that includes games at South Elgin and McHenry and a home date with Neuqua Valley, North should have no trouble returning to the playoffs for the ninth straight year.

3. Will Bartlett be able to bounce back?

The Hawks are back at the drawing board after finishing 3-6 and having their streak of nine straight playoff appearances snapped last year. The outcome was especially tough to swallow considering Bartlett went 12-1 and reached the Class 8A state semifinals in 2008.

Junior A.J. Bilyeu is back for his second season as Bartlett's starting quarterback, but a return to the postseason is definitely in question as the Hawks face a tough schedule as they move into the UEC Valley this season.

4. How will the area's three new coaches fare?

There will be a few new faces on the sidelines this year as Matt Gehrig takes over as Huntley's coach, Bill Mitz takes the reins as the coach at Jacobs and Mike Scianna steps in as Larkin's new coach.

Gehrig is no stranger to the area after spending the past two years coaching Larkin. He now brings his hard-nosed approach to the Fox Valley Conference, and don't be surprised if a Red Raiders team that returns several key players thrives under its new field general.

Mitz arrives at Jacobs hoping to inject some life into a program that has reached the postseason only once in the past five years and compiled a 4-14 record the past two seasons. If his impressive body of work over the last 28 years as Stevenson's coach is any indication, Mitz could have the Golden Eagles back in playoff contention this fall.

Scianna likely faces the toughest task of the new coaches as he tries to guide the Royals to their first playoff appearance since 2006. Larkin lost several key contributors from the team that went 5-4 last year, and matching that win total could be difficult despite the return of junior quarterback Kyle Newquist. With that said, Scianna is familiar with his charges after serving as an assistant to Gehrig the past two years.

5. Can Dundee-Crown, Elgin and Streamwood end their long playoff droughts?

Success on the gridiron has been hard to come by lately for the Chargers, Maroons and Sabres.

Streamwood hasn't reached the postseason since 2002 but does welcome back junior quarterback Dalton Lundeen, who showed some promise last year before breaking his collarbone in the fourth game of the season. Considering that the Sabres have finished no better than 1-8 every year since 2003, simply notching a few victories in 2010 will be a step in the right direction.

Elgin enters the season hoping to secure its first trip to the playoffs since 2001. Talented playmaker Jordan Dean is back for his senior season after scoring 13 touchdowns last year, but the Maroons will likely need a few good breaks to go their way in order to land a spot in the postseason.

D-C is in the midst of the area's longest playoff drought, having not reached the postseason since 1994. Senior quarterback Tanner Kotlan is one of several players returning to a high-flying offense that piled up lots of yards last year, but the Chargers won't sniff the five-win mark if they don't improve defensively after allowing an area-worst 41.4 points per game in 2009.

6. Will Hampshire, Burlington Central be factors in the BNC East?

The 2009 season marked a departure from the norm as neither the Whip-Purs nor Rockets seriously challenged for the Big Northern Conference East Division title.

Hampshire has a little extra incentive to try and rebound from its lackluster 4-5 record last year because this marks the Whips' final season in the BNC East before departing for the Fox Valley Conference in 2011. Leaving the league on a high note would be a fitting way for the longtime BNC titan to exit.

Meanwhile, Central is simply trying to find some traction after failing to reach the postseason in each of the past two years. Quarterback Tim Maroder and tailback Tre Llanes are both back for their senior seasons as the Rockets try to avoid their first three-year playoff drought in a decade.

7. Which QB will finish as the area's top passer?

Only so much stock can be put in statistics, but one interesting race to watch will be among the area passing leaders in what is shaping up to be a banner year for local quarterbacks.

Seven of the area's top eight quarterbacks in terms of passing yardage are back this year, including the top six on that list.

Lehman led the area with 1,417 passing yards in 2009, but Menken wasn't far behind with 1,404. Those two figure to pile up the yards once again, but Bergren, Kotlan, Bilyeu and Genoa-Kingston's Craig Billington also return after throwing for at least 800 yards last season.

Coming off a breakthrough season in 2009, St. Edward's football team is hoping that all the sweat it pours this summer will translate into even more success this fall.

Opening night of the high school football season is six weeks from Friday, and the Green Wave is hard at work preparing for its Aug. 27 showdown at Hampshire and the rest of a grueling nine-week schedule that will follow.

In addition to the team's regular camp, St. Edward coach Mike Rolando is also using the 25 days of contact the IHSA allows coaches to have with players during the summer by entering his team in a number of summer tournaments.

The Green Wave competed with close to 20 schools in a seven-on-seven tournament last weekend at Eisenhower High in Blue Island. Prior to that, St. Edward went toe to toe with bigger schools such as Stevenson and Sandburg during a pair a seven-on-seven events at the University of St. Francis in mid June.

Coming up later this month the Green Wave will take a two-day trip to Washington High near Peoria. Rolando's team won the lineman challenge last year at the event, which also includes a seven-on-seven tournament and features close to 30 teams from all over the state.

The hope is that all the hard work will help St. Edward take another big step forward in 2010. The Green Wave finished 6-4 last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2003. With that accomplishment in the bank, the focus is now on claiming the program's first-ever playoff victory.

"The goal every year is to get better and I think the kids have kind of all caught on to that," said Rolando, who is in his entering his sixth season leading the program. "They want to get better, they want to improve and they want get a little farther than the last team and do something that nobody else has ever done. For us that means we have to win playoff games and a conference championship."

The seven-on-seven passing tournaments are especially important for the Wave, which will continue its transition from a run-oriented offense to a predominantly aerial attack this season.

Quarterback Ben Lehman is back for his senior year after leading the area with 1,417 passing yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Rolando said the Wave will throw even more this fall, and he likes what he's seen from his 6-foot-1, 190-pound signal caller.

"Ben has been really busy and he's probably visited 20 colleges this summer," Rolando said. "He's been all over the place, which is good because he gets to learn from a bunch of different coaches that way and picks up things he can bring back and apply to our offense."

Rolando said Iowa State, Colorado, Yale, Valparaiso and Eastern Illinois are among a big group of schools Lehman has on his list of potential college destinations.

Lehman will have plenty of opportunities to show off his talents this fall as the Green Wave will primarily use a shotgun formation. The days of bruising running backs at St. Edward like Jordan Torres and Moises Quiroga are gone, with a crop of fleet-footed players such as senior receiver Sam Pozezinski dominating the offense this year.

"It's a little different than the old days where we had 220-pound running backs and it was all north and south," Rolando said. "Our line will probably be a little more athletic but probably not as big. It's up to us as coaches to find a way to bring the strengths out of these guys and utilize what they can do."

Pozezinski looks to take on a bigger role after finishing second on the team and fourth in the area with 429 receiving yards as a junior. The 6-3, 190-pounder also hauled in seven touchdown receptions and averaged 25.2 yards per catch last year.

Another key returner will be junior lineman Evan Finnane. Meanwhile, junior Luke Duffy and sophomore Mo Jackson are a pair of running backs who headline a big group of players that will look to make an impact at the varsity level after leading St. Edward's sophomore team to a 9-0 record last season.

"We've just got a lot of hard workers," Rolando said. "These younger kids are coming off a 9-0 season and they don't want to sit on the bench. They're used to success, they look good and they work hard. They are all pushing each other and this is probably one of the hardest working groups that I've coached."

The son of Jim and Susan Finnane of Elgin, Shane was a four-year starter on both sides of the ball who helped lead St. Edward to the state playoffs in 2009 for the first time in six seasons.

The 6-foot, 240 pound linebacker/offensive lineman was named Class 4A all-state honorable mention, earned all-Suburban Christian Conference honors and was a member of the 2009 Daily Herald All-Area Football Team.

He finished his senior season at middle linebacker with 100 total tackles, 2 sacks, 7 defended passes, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. As a right guard he helped pave the way for an offense that gained 3,676 total yards.

Finnane was nominated to West Point by Illinois Representative Bill Foster (D) of the 14th District. He will have to earn his way onto the Army football roster, but proving himself is nothing new.

"I've always been kind of underestimated as a player, so it's a challenge to me," Finnane said. "I've always wanted to play football at the highest level possible. After schools like Indiana and Colorado dropped off, one school kept talking to me and that was Army. I looked at it and I thought, 'Wow, this is the best school I could possibly go to anyway.'"

Finnane said Army coaches envision him as an inside linebacker, a rush end or a flex tackle, the latter of which requires the speed of a linebacker and the strength of a defensive lineman. Finnane was clocked at 4.56 in the 40-yard dash last summer. His coach at St. Edward said Army is getting a leader and a winner.

"This is a huge honor for a kid like Shane, who has worked harder in the weight room than any kid I have ever seen," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "That's pretty awesome. It couldn't happen to a better kid."

The appointment to West Point requires five years of active military service and three years in the reserves after college.

"Service is something I know comes with going there, and I'm sure I'll be ready

for it," Finnane said.

He will report to West Point in June.

And then there was one.

That's all that's left of the area football contingent going into the second round of the state football playoffs after St. Edward, South Elgin, St. Charles East and Huntley all saw their seasons end last weekend.

St. Charles North is the only team still standing as it prepares to host Elk Grove in the Class 7A playoffs at 7 p.m. on Friday.

For St. Edward and South Elgin, the quick postseason exits brought an end to the area's two biggest feel-good stories from the gridiron this fall.

The Green Wave reached its main goal for the season by reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Advancing to the second round for the first time in school history proved too much to ask, though, as St. Edward lost at Mendota 27-13 on Saturday to end the year with a 6-4 mark.

While the disappointment of defeat likely still lingers for the Wave's players, they can hold their heads high after becoming the first St. Edward team since 1994 to finish with a winning record.

South Elgin's players also have plenty to be proud about after ushering their young program into the upper echelon of the Upstate Eight Conference with a 7-3 season and the first playoff appearance in school history.

The Storm won five games thanks to second-half comebacks this year, but a sixth wasn't in the cards as St. Charles North avenged a Week 8 loss to South Elgin with a 28-16 win at Millennium Field on Saturday.

After the defeat, Storm coach Dale Schabert said his program plans to make trips to the postseason a regular occurrence. Judging from the personnel he has to work with going forward, it shouldn't be a problem for South Elgin to live up to those expectations next year.

The Storm will welcome back a junior class that played a big part in lifting the program to new heights this fall. Quarterback John Menken, receiver Domico Failla and running back Bradley Birchfield are among the many talented contributors in the group, which has known nothing but success since coming into high school.

The juniors will only be bolstered by the arrival of a sophomore class that went 8-1 this fall at the sophomore level.

"There's some talent here," Schabert said. "The cupboard is not empty and we've got some kids coming along."

St. Edward is in much the same situation. The Wave will miss a number of key seniors who helped get the program back to respectability, but this year's junior class is more than ready to lead the program to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time.

Among the key returnees will be quarterback Ben Lehman, receiver Sam Pozezinski and safety Nick Scholly. Plenty of reinforcements are also on the way from a sophomore team that enjoyed a 9-0 record this year.

While next year looks bright for St. Edward and South Elgin, the immediate future is the primary concern for St. Charles North.

The North Stars shook off overtime losses in the final two weeks of the regular season to knock off the Storm for the fourth time in five meetings between the schools. According to junior quarterback Jake Bergren, the tough defeats in Week 8 and Week 9 may have helped the team regain its focus.

"It's one of those things where you don't know what you've got until you don't have it anymore," Bergren said. "To lose a couple and then come into (the playoffs), it's a whole different mind set."

For North, the triumph marked only the second postseason win in nine tries for a program that throughout its history hasn't seen consistent regular-season success translate into postseason advancement.

"This was great to get off that one number," North coach Mark Gould said of picking up career playoff win No. 2. "Couple that with the way things have gone the last two weeks with the two overtime games, it makes it feel especially good."

Now the North Stars have a home game against Elk Grove and a chance to go where no team in school history has gone: the state football quarterfinals.

MENDOTA — Armed only with a defense and passing attack, St. Edward hung tough as long as possible against Mendota in Saturday's Class 4A state playoff game.

Then the Green Wave's fading chances for the school's first postseason football victory completely vanished when running back Kurtis Knapp broke a counter off right tackle for a clinching 60-yard fourth-quarter touchdown in Mendota's 27-13 victory.

"I thought our defense did a great job to keep us in a one-point game in the first half with all the situations we put them in," Green Wave coach Mike Rolando said. "We really couldn't have played any worse in the first half.

"We got put into a must-pass situation and got taken out of our game there. Then their running game really got some traction there in the second half and busted a couple big plays. But our defense played great."

St. Edward (6-4) trailed just 14-13 at halftime after Ben Lehman capped off a perfect two-minute drill with a 3-yard TD pass to Sam Pozezinski in the back of the end zone, but the extra point proved an omen for the second half when Jim Cholewa's boot barely got head high.

"Too many bad breaks in bad situations," Rolando said. "The missed extra point hurt. Anything that could go wrong — a blown pass coverage — went wrong for us and we were just fortunate to be in that game in the second half.

"Then their big guys really took over in the second half."

Mendota rushed for 139 of its 201 yards in the second half, including Knapp's 20-yard TD on a counter play right only four seconds into the fourth quarter that provided a 21-13 edge. Knapp finished with 123 yards on 19 carries, including three TDs.

The Trojans defense fiercely protected that eight-point advantage until Knapp broke a run on a play similar to his 20-yarder, behind the block of 6-foot-5, 285-pound tackle Nick Green for the 60-yard TD that iced the win with 3:12 left in the game.

"He's a big dude," St. Edward senior linebacker Nathan Gaige said about Green. "And (Knapp) was a hard runner who didn't go down easy. None of them did.

"They were a very good team. I think we bottled it up pretty good except for a couple plays when (Knapp) got through."

St. Edward's defense gave up one score which irked Rolando and actually helped account for the winning points. Down 7-6 after St. Edward's David Hoebbel caught a 46-yard TD pass from Lehman and Cholewa made the conversion kick, Mendota went to a rare pass on first down from its own 23.

Travis Martinson got behind Pozezinski downfield and caught a high-arcing pass from quarterback Jordan Fritz, then ran to the end zone for a 77-yard score. The two-point conversion run by Knapp provided the decisive points and a 14-7 lead.

"They threw up a floater, kind of a wounded duck that we blew the coverage on," Rolando said. "The guy kind of waited on it, it was almost like catching a punt, and he ran it in."

A surprise play had set up Mendota's first score. Martinson caught a 44-yard pass on a fake punt on Mendota's first possession, leading to Knapp's 1-yard, third-and-goal TD plunge.

St. Edward had its passing game to counter with, but not much else as Mendota's defense held the Green Wave to 25 rushing yards on 25 attempts.

"It's always tough going through a season where we had such a balance of running and passing and they came in and were ready for the run," Lehman said. "They had some good coverage on the passes, so it was tough to get some points on the board today."

Lehman finished 15 of 26 for 184 yards, including 10 for 109 yards to 6-foot-7 senior Zack Von Ahnen. But without a running attack to worry about, Mendota (8-2) came after Lehman and held him to 68 yards throwing in the second half.

Without starting offensive linemen Derek Porto and Zach Trisilla due to injuries, the Green Wave (6-4) had trouble protecting Lehman once Mendota went up eight points.

"We played a great season," Lehman said. "We came in here, nobody expected us to win six games and make the playoffs. It's tough now, but we had a great season with lots to be proud of."

St. Edward was making its first playoff appearance since 2003. The Green Wave is 0-3 in program postseason history.

"We did take another step, and it was good getting these juniors out here on the field, these sophomores, too, so they know what playoff football is about," Rolando said.

MENDOTA 27, ST. EDWARD 13

St. Edward    0   13   0    0   --   13

Mendota        6    8    0   13  --   27

M -- Kurtis Knapp 1 run (pass failed) 7:39, 1st

S -- David Hoebbel 46 pass from Ben Lehman (Jim Cholewa kick) 7:39, 2nd

M -- Travis Martinson 77 pass from Jordan Fritz (Knapp run) 2:05, 2nd

S -- Sam Pozezinski 3 pass from Lehman (kick failed) :02, 2nd

M -- Knapp 20 run (Fritz kick) 11:56, 4th

M -- Knapp 60 run (kick failed) 3:12, 4th

                                         S               M

First downs                      13               12

Rushing-yards                25-25         44-201

Passing                         16-27-1        3-5-0

Passing yards                  199              127

Total yards                      224              328

Fumbles-lost                    2-1              1-1

Penalties                         4-40             1-4

Punts                             5-37.6          3-31.3

Individual statistics

Rushing

St. Edward: Jordan Torres 7-8, Hoebbel 11-46, Jon Godfrey 1-2, Lehman 6-(minus)31.

Mendota: Knapp 19-123, Alex Caruso 13-52, Martinson 4-(minus)2, Robert Watson 7-21, Fritz 1-7.

Passing

St. Edward: Lehman 15-26-1-184, Pozezinski 1-1-0-15.

Mendota: Fritz 2-4-0-83, Knapp 1-1-0-44.

Receiving

St. Edward: Zack Von Ahnen 10-109, Pozezinski 3-32, Hoebbel 3-58.

MENDOTA -At first glance, several big plays by Mendota beat St. Edward in Saturday's Class 4A playoff matchup. But Green Wave coach Mike Rolando was more concerned about the little things: penalties, missed assignments and blown coverages that contributed to Mendota's 27-13 win at Doenier Field in Mendota.

"We get a 3-and-out to start the game and then we don't cover a guy," he said. "We get another 3-and-out and we rough the kicker. There were just too many bad breaks and bad situations," Rolando said. "A missed extra point hurts, just about anything that can go wrong - a blown coverage - went wrong for us. We were really fortunate just to be in that game in the second half."

Despite the mistakes, the Green Wave trailed only 14-13 at halftime. The Wave defense generally held the Trojans in check, with several notable exceptions.

A fake punt on the Trojans' first possession led to their first touchdown. They later scored on a 77-yard pass and a pair of long runs. Kurtis Knapp finished with 120 yards and 3 scores for No. 5 seed Mendota (8-2), who will play at No. 13 Morris in the second round.

"I thought the defense did a great job to keep us in a 1-point game in the first half with all the situations we put them in," said Rolando. "We really couldn't have played any worse and we were still in a 1-point game."

St. Edward quarterback Ben Lehman completed 15 of 27 for 185 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown to David Hoebbel to put the Wave ahead in the second quarter, and a 3-yarder to Sam Pozezinski following a masterful hurryup drill. Zack Von Ahnen had 10 catches for 117 yards.

But Lehman threw for just 52 yards in the second half as the Trojans were able to consistently put pressure on him. With the Wave missing 2 starting linemen, center Zach Trisilla and left guard Derek Porto, the Trojans sacked Lehman 4 times and forced him into some hurried throws.

The Trojans shut down the Wave running game, holding St. Edward to 25 yards on 25 carries.

"It's always tough after going through a season where we had a completely balanced offense, and then we come in and they were really ready for the run and had great coverage on the passing, so it's tough to get it done," said Lehman.

Still, it was tough for the 12th-seeded Green Wave to be too disappointed after just the third playoff appearance in school history. Although the Wave failed to win its first-ever playoff game, it finished 6-4 just 3 years after an 0-9 season.

"It's tough now, but we had a great season," said Lehman.

After the fake punt resulted in a 33-yard pass from Knapp to Travis Martinson, Knapp finished off the drive with a 1-yard run for a 6-0 Mendota lead.

The Wave answered with Lehman's strike to Hoebbel, one play after Von Ahnen recovered a fumble.

The Trojans came right back, with Jordan Fritz hitting Martinson for a 77-yard touchdown with 2:03 to go before halftime.

The Wave might have been content to run out the clock, but instead Lehman led 67-yard drive, finally hitting Pozezinski in the end zone with 3 seconds left in the half.

However, the Wave couldn't generate much offensively in the second half. Mendota finally broke the game open with 20 and 60-yard runs by Knapp in the fourth quarter. The last, off a counter play, came with 3:12 left and sealed St. Edward's fate.

That's because for all the pride there is in athletics on the corner of Elm and Locust streets in Elgin, there hasn't been a whole lot of success on the football field named for Greg True over the years. Let's face it, 12 winning seasons in 65 years of varsity football and a .333 all-time winning percentage does not qualify one for juggernaut status. Heck, only one time in those 65 years has the program had an unbeaten season, that when the Green Wave went 6-0-1 under True in 1960, long before the IHSA sponsored football playoffs. What some feel was St. Edward's best team ever, the 8-1 Tim McVey bunch of 1978 didn't even make the playoffs because in 1978 there were five classes and you had to be more than just good to get into the postseason.

Neither of the Green Wave's two playoff teams, not John Pergi's in 1983 nor Rich Sanders' 20 years later, won their first-round playoff games.

No, football and St. Edward are not two things commonly confused with equaling success.

But Mike Rolando is leading the charge to change all that.

Now in his fifth season as St. Edward's head coach, the 1991 Larkin graduate has resurrected a program that has not had an above .500 season since Jim Hoffman went 5-4 in 1994, long before the IHSA invited 5-4 teams to the postseason party unless they won a conference championship. Sanders' 2003 team finished 5-5.

Enter the 2009 Green Wave, a solid 6-3 team that will travel to Mendota Saturday afternoon for the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. From 0-9, 0-9, 1-8 and 4-5 to 6-3 and a playoff berth in five years. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

"It's uncharted territory for us," Rolando said earlier this week. "It's a pretty cool time. The boys are excited for the opportunity to do something special. It's been a great season but now we're excited for the opportunity in front of us. Once we got on the practice field this week it was business as usual. We're going against an unknown. After being on Cloud 9 and getting that sixth win and that being so special, now we've shifted back and we're working hard."

But, boy, that sixth win sure didn't come easy. After a 5-1 start, the Wave needed just one win its final 3 games - all home games -to etch its place in the 256-team playoff field. First up was Aurora Christian. Tough 23-18 loss. Then Marian Central came to town. Ouch, a 48-7 whoopin'.

"Aurora Christian was just a tough game but then we came out flat against Marian and we weren't expecting that," said Rolando, who led the 1990 Larkin team to a state quarterfinal appearance before the Royals lost 49-42 to East St. Louis in one of the best high school football games ever played in Elgin.

"We just didn't show up to play and that was discouraging," Rolando said of the Marian Central loss. "It put our backs against the wall. But the kids knew if they didn't back down we could beat Wheaton Academy."

They had to. With a paltry 30 playoff points heading into Week 9, everyone in Green Wave Nation knew they weren't goin' dancin' at 5-4.

And with a little over 2 minutes to go in that Week 9 game last Friday, they were getting ready to ring the bell. But wait. Wheaton Academy erased a 12-point St. Edward lead quicker than you could yell "Playoffs!!!" and suddenly, with less than 30 seconds to play, the game was tied and St. Edward's postseason was in jeopardy. Then, boom, senior David Hoebbel ran back a kick 79 yards for a touchdown, the final seconds ticked away and the party was on.

"In the huddle before the kickoff we talked about making something happen," Hoebbel said this week. "We knew time was running out and we wanted to make something happen. We got more than we thought. There was relief and it felt good."

Worried? Who was worried?

"I had full confidence we were going to pull it out," said senior lineman Shane Finnane, who has been a varsity player for four years. "We wanted it real bad."

Rolando, who played his college football at Valparaiso, points to two key plays before Hoebbel's TD as being equally as important in the biggest win at Greg True in, well, a long time.

"Luckily our special teams came up big and blocked two extra points," he said. "It was quite the roller coaster game. The kids' backs were against the wall and they responded."

Finnane more than any single player can remember well when things weren't so exciting around St. Edward.

"It's been four tough years," he said. "The 0-9s, getting beat up. But then we stepped it up last year and this year has been amazing. We've never gone to the playoffs. It felt good to be on the field (this week)."

What's behind the evolution of the program is no question to the 6-foot, 240-pound Finnane, who would love to play college football at Indiana or Colorado.

"The first thing is the coaching," he said. "They've been with this senior class since we were in seventh grade. They know us. They've taught us how to be football players and how to be men. The most important thing they've taught us is heart. No matter how you play, just bring the heart."

Rolando, who has also taken the St. Edward softball program to new heights the last two years, has no intention of this being a one-year thing. The Green Wave's sophomore team was 9-0 this season, and the Crusader feeder teams claimed Super Bowl championships at the middleweight and heavyweight levels last weekend.

"This is not just a flash in the pan," Rolando declared. "We played solid football last year, we added a nice junior class this year and we did more offensively. But it's not just one great class. We only brought one sophomore (Evan Finnane) up this year and our sophomores went 9-0. We've got some good freshmen, and the Crusaders won two Super Bowls. We want to sustain this and do it right away."

Rolando is also rightfully proud of the way St. Edward has rebuilt. The program earned the Suburban Christian Gold sportsmanship award this season, something Rolando says tells him that he, his staff and the St. Edward community are doing things the right way.

"We are doing it right and we're doing it with respect," he said. "The other schools and their fans appreciate the way our kids play and the way our fans and student body act. We focus on academics. Our players have mandatory study halls and we give them college exposure. When you build a program that way and sustain it, winning becomes a byproduct and kids want to come play for you."

And win or lose on Saturday or whenever in this postseason, something tells us St. Edward is going to be an easier name to find on the IHSA's football Web site in years to come.

jradtke@dailyherald.com

For St. Edward seniors Shane Finnane and Nathan Gaige, a long varsity football odyssey reaches uncharted territory this weekend.

No two players represent the Green Wave's progression from woebegone program to playoff qualifier more than Finnane and Gaige, who have been through every step of the transition the past four years as varsity starters.

As freshmen, the duo was part of a 2006 team that hardly stood a chance from week to week while finishing 0-9. They helped St. Edward break through and end its 26-game losing streak as sophomores and played a part in leading the Wave toward respectability with a 4-5 finish as juniors.

Now comes the climax of the journey as Finnane and Gaige lead St. Edward into its first postseason game since 2003 on Saturday at Mendota in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

"Going 0-9 my freshman year, then 1-8 and then 4-5, I feel like I've been through the whole progression," Finnane said. "Ending my senior year like this is definitely a great thing to do."

The contributions of Finnane and Gaige have been enormous this season as St. Edward matched its highest win total since 1992 with a 6-3 regular season.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Finnane leads the defense with 91 tackles to go along with two sacks. In addition to his middle linebacker duties, he's also helped the Wave offense rack up 236.9 rushing yards per game with his play at left tackle.

Meanwhile, Gaige is second to Finnane with 87 tackles. The 5-11, 205-pounder is also tied for the team lead with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in his fourth season at outside linebacker.

"(Gaige) is just a great athlete, his motor is always going and he practices hard," St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said. "(Finnane) is the strongest kid in the program. For a high school boy, he's got a work ethic like no other."

Rolando is the reason Finnane and Gaige decided to attend St. Edward in the first place. He coached the duo to a championship in 2004 when Finnane and Gaige were seventh-graders with the Crusaders youth football team.

The following year Rolando took over at St. Edward. When it came time for Finnane and Gaige to enroll in high school, the opportunity to play for their former coach outweighed the prospect of enduring a rebuilding project with the Green Wave.

"This group of seniors right now, a couple of us played with these coaches since seventh grade," Finnane said. "They've been like another set of parents for us. They brought us up and made us who we are today.

"(Rolando) is the reason we came to St. Ed. We knew he could turn the program around as fast as he did."

Finnane is in his fourth season as a two-way starter, and Gaige started both ways the previous three years before focusing more on his linebacker duties this fall.

While that service is impressive, it's not exactly ideal to have players three and four years younger than most opponents never leave the field.

Yet that's the reality St. Edward faced when Rolando took over a program that was left in shambles following former coach Rich Sanders' abrupt departure a month before the 2005 season.

"I knew when coach Ro needed guys like me and Shane to play on varsity as freshmen that we weren't going to be that good," Gaige said. "But I knew we were just growing as a program."

That growth is evident now as the Green Wave counts only one sophomore as a regular varsity starter. St. Edward could barely field a sophomore team when Finnane and Gaige arrived, but this year the Wave fielded a full sophomore squad that rolled to a 9-0 record.

"Back in Shane and Nathan's day they were two-way starters as freshmen, but those days are kind of over," Rolando said. "We've got a sustained program where juniors and seniors play varsity with maybe an exceptional sophomore here and there. But for the most part we want to have juniors and seniors on the field."

And therein lies what may be the most lasting legacy Finnane and Gaige will leave behind at St. Edward.

While both players have aspirations to play in college -- Finnane is drawing considerable interest from Army while Gaige has been in contact with NAIA Quincy University -- their sacrifices and hard work have helped create an even brighter future for Green Wave football.

"We don't want to look at this good year as a flash in the pan," Rolando said. "We want to sustain this for the long run."

St. Edward's first postseason bid in six seasons

ELGIN – St. Edward's postseason-clinching sixth win of the season bordered on the surreal on Friday night at a muddy Greg True Field.

After seeing a double-digit lead slip through its grasp in the final two and a half minutes, the Green Wave needed a blocked extra point try and 79-yard kickoff return touchdown to finally knock off Wheaton Academy 34-28, securing the sixth win that had been eluding it the last two weeks and giving the school its first playoff berth since 2003.

With 33.1 seconds on the clock and the score knotted at 28, Jack Cholewa blocked Wheaton Academy's ensuing PAT try to keep St. Edward from falling behind. The Warriors kickoff then sailed out of bounds, giving the Green Wave (6-3, 3-2 Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division) the opportunity to take the ball from the 35.

Instead, the coaching staff declined the penalty and had Wheaton Academy (5-4, 3-2) re-kick.

"We saw a lot of clean jerseys on their kickoff team," coach Mike Rolando said. "Worst-case scenario, they onside kick it, we recover it on hopefully a short field or they kick it deep and something good can happen. I asked (special teams) coach (Mike) Childers which way we were going and he said, 'Left. There's a lot of clean jerseys over there.' "

Childers' instincts paid off.

David Hoebbel took the return 79 yards on a criss-crossing run that put the Green Wave ahead 34-28 with 15.7 seconds left.

"We worked so hard," said Hoebbel, who ran for 89 yards on 14 carries. "I had confidence in all of my teammates when we started that play. Coach called a return to the left. I knew as soon as I touched the ball that I was going to score a touchdown."

After a missed extra point try, St. Edward kicked off and three plays later, Nathan Gaige came away with an interception to seal the heart-stopping victory. The turnover was Wheaton Academy's only of the night. St. Edward turned the ball over four times.

"As soon as Nathan caught that ball I went straight into tears," senior lineman Shane Finnane said. "It's been four really, really long years. I've worked hard. Seven in the morning every day in the weight room, just trying to make me and my team better. It finally paid off."

The heavy drama began to unfold just two minutes after Jordan Torres (19 carries, 134 yards) galloped into the end zone to put St. Edward up 28-16. A Wheaton Academy TD reception less than a minute later might have put a little doubt into the final result but a Torres fumble with 1:24 remaining definitely did.

The Warriors completed their miraculous comeback with 33.1 seconds remaining, when Academy's Brian Pell hit Anthony Ritchie for the score to tie the game at 28.

"Anything that could happen on a football field seemed like it was going to happen there," Rolando said. "I think I already forgot the whole first half already. The second half was so stressful. The seniors, the boys, all the players, stepped up and got it done when they had to.

"They never quit. We talked about playing with enthusiasm instead of emotion, because emotion, you can get down when something bad happens. Enthusiasm, you stay up, it's always positive."

With the extra point looming, the Green Wave faithful was in a hysterical panic. But with brutal field conditions crippling both sides' special teams units, the Green Wave kept the score all square at 28. Jack Cholewa became the second St. Edward player of the night to block an extra point.

"It was huge," Rolando said of the block. "(If it's good), then you're in desperation."

What led to the frenzied finish seems pedestrian by comparison. After a Jim Cholewa 35-yard field goal and a 50-yard Torres run, St. Edward led 9-0 with 3:47 left in the first.

A Sam Pozezinski fumble on a punt late in the quarter set up the first of Pell's four touchdown passes, with St. Edward's lead trimmed to 9-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Wheaton Academy capitalized off another St. Edward turnover late in the second, as a Ben Lehman pick led to a Warriors field goal that gave them a 10-9 halftime lead.

St. Edward went ahead 15-10 on its opening drive off the third on a 5-yard Hoebbel run but fell behind again 16-15 with 1:48 left in the quarter.

In what was the biggest play of the game up until that point, the Green Wave went back up with 6:17 left when a newly gloved Zach Von Ahnen made a quick catch up the middle, rambling 69 yards to put St. Edward up 21-16.

"He (went to the sideline and) put his gloves on," Rolando laughed. "I'm like, 'Nothing like giving it away.' We had been pounding the ball. First (Wheaton Academy) is bringing six and then they're bringing eight, then 10. As long as he wasn't getting jammed at the line, we were pretty sure he was going to be open."

Torres' TD run with 2:32 left put the Wave up 28-16, prompting what turned out to be some premature celebrations.

St. Edward was penalized seven times for 55 yards.

ST. EDWARD 34, WHEATON ACADEMY 28

Wheaton Academy       7    3    6    12   --  28

St. Edward                   9    0    6    19   --  34

STED – FG Cholewa 35, 5:11

STED – Torres 50 run (kick failed), 3:47

WA – Libby 30 pass from Pell (Cote kick), 1:07

WA – FG Cote 25, 1:22

STED – Hoebbel 5 run (run failed), 9:14

WA – Johnson 4 pass from Pell (pass failed), 1:48

STED – Von Ahnen 69 pass from Lehman (run failed), 6:17

STED – Torres 15 run (Cholewa kick), 2:32

WA – Ritchie 32 pass from Pell (kick blocked), 1:42

WA – Ritchie 5 pass from Pell (kick blocked), :33

STED – Hoebbel 79 kickoff return (kick failed), :15

Team statistics            WA        STED

First downs                     11            10

Comp.-att-int.              11-25-1     2-5-2

Passing yards                 187            88

Rushing-att-yds.            29-70       39-248

Total yards                     257           336

Fumbles-lost                   0-0           4-2

Penalties-yards               5-43         7-55

Individual statistics

Rushing

WHEATON ACADEMY — Pell 17-34, Libby 10-38, Cote 2-(minus)2.

ST. EDWARD — Torres 19-134, Hoebbel 14-89, Lehman 5-23, Godfrey 1-2.

Passing

WHEATON ACADEMY — Pell 11-25-1 187.

ST. EDWARD — Lehman 2-5-2 88.

Receiving

WHEATON ACADEMY — Ritchie 7-135, Johnson 2-12, Libby 2-40.

ST. EDWARD – Von Ahnen 1-69, Hoebbel 1-19.