Staring down the Valley

With a powerful O-line, Blackhawks confident DVC will be less daunting

Twelve years ago, the West Aurora athletic administration made the decision to join the DuPage Valley Conference for the good of all of its athletic programs -- boys and girls of all levels, major and minor sports. There was concern then about the impact the move would have on the football program, and 67 losses later, those concerns were well-founded.

Every year the team has searched for answers against the upper echelon of the conference, and every year it comes up short [see box].

What can make 2009 different? It is the sixth straight year in which the Blackhawks have started 2-0, yet they won more than four games just once, in 2004. In 2002, a Week 3 victory over Glenbard North pushed them to 3-0 before dropping six straight.

If there can be hope, if there is a difference, it can be found on the offensive line with Mike Kim (right tackle), Cal Wagner (right guard), Zach DuSell (center), Marcos Hernandez (left guard) and Matt Gorges (left tackle). The five average 6 feet, 3 inches and 263 pounds.

Through two weeks, teams have been able to move the ball consistently against Naperville Central's defense; West takes on the Redhawks on Friday. Waubonsie Valley rolled up 227 rushing yards in the opener and Neuqua Valley controlled the ball for 18 minutes, 11 seconds in the first half.

"In past years, we didn't have the whole line over 6 feet and 260 (pounds). Some of them were usually smaller," said Kim, who checks in at 6-5, 310 pounds. "With our line being bigger and taller, I think we have a good chance against Naperville (Central)."

The Redhawks have been compelled to play tight end Cam Brate, a 6-5, 230-pound tight end, on both sides of the ball, and he has been a disruptive force pressuring the quarterback. Both of the Redhawks' games came down to the final play, and they got stops when needed. Now, at 2-0, they're eyeing another run at a DVC title.

The Blackhawks, on the other hand, are looking for a measure of respect -- they have lost to the top four squads in the conference by an average of 26.5 points over the last 12 years.

There have been no "signature" victories in West's tenure in the league. And in the years the Blackhawks have managed a 5-4 record (1998, 2004) they didn't get into the playoffs because of a weak nonconference schedule.

"Going into this week is pretty tough because the first two weeks, we've beaten (East Aurora and Elgin) -- the last three years and those are easy games," Kim said. "These are the real teams in the DVC. And I think all the other years we always thought that we might have trouble with these games, but I think this year we're confident that we should be able to beat them."

Part of that confidence comes from the line, but also who is running behind it: senior tailback Leon Spears. One of the state's top returning sprinters, Spears' talent has given coach Buck Drach the ability to change up the offense.

"This is the most speed I've ever coached in my life," Drach said. "I've never coached a team in the I-formation. We've always been offset because we've never been fast enough to get to that edge. Now they don't know which way we're going."

Spears, who Drach says runs at a level he's never seen, has scored five touchdowns and chewed up nearly 300 yards the first two weeks while showcasing multiple gears in the open field. Drach hopes this brings some added benefits, especially in the passing game.

"I don't know if we've really had that much of a run threat in the past as far as pure speed," he said. "They're going to have to catch him and tackle him. Then they'll have to be very careful if we fake to him and don't give it to him; you've still got to honor that."

How effective the line and Spears will be Friday will directly impact whether the Blackhawks can finally get over the hump against Naperville Central.

"We don't stack up real well defensively with them, that's for sure," Drach said. "It's going to come down to if we're able to move the ball and control the ball and keep it away from their offense. They're pretty high powered. It's going to be a lot of responsibility on those offensive linemen. We've got to get people off the ball and we've got to make first downs. And as long as we have it, they can't score a ton."

Part of that responsibility began this week, when two starters on that line did not show up for Monday practice. Drach was stunned and hurt by the unexplained absences.

"That doesn't bode well for where were at as far as a program goes. They need to make some priorities and understand what it means to play football, especially at the DVC level," Drach said. "It certainly left a mark on me as far as the trust factor goes. They're going to have earn the trust back."

Kim said the line, and the team as a whole, responded to a passionate challenge from the coaching staff following Monday's practice and felt the team is in the right frame of mind heading into Friday.

"It definitely hit us hard, hit everybody hard," Gorges said. "(It) made everybody think a little bit harder about the situations that we've been in the past years."

And just like in past years, Week 3 looms as a potential turning point for the Blackhawks' season.

"We're definitely taking it one game at a time. We're definitely working a lot harder," Gorges said. "Knowing in the past that we've gone 2-1 after our third game, we're all trying, striving and doing our hardest not to come out like that. I think going into the DVC I think we'll have a few surprises."

Sun-Times News Group writer Pat Mooney contributed to this report. Prep Football In Focus