Off and running for football season

Area high school teams take field for first official practices

As area football teams kick-started the season with their first practices on Wednesday, Elgin High ended its day huddled together.

First, the team shouted its customary "East side, Maroon pride!" chant but then did something a little less customary, breaking the huddle with a cry of "Playoffs!"

After a disappointing 1-8 season, the Maroons are setting their goals high and coach Dave Bierman believes that there's no reason Elgin High can't be eyeing the postseason.

"We feel as a staff that it would be a disappointment if we didn't make (the playoffs), honestly," Bierman said. "I think we raised our expectations a little bit this year.

"The seniors want to get the taste out of their mouth from last year and prove some things."

Bierman was pleased by the turnout of 40 players, which was about 10 more than last year, and the competitiveness on Day 1.

"Just impressed with the way they worked today," Bierman said. "They were working hard."

Of those 40 players, 13 were with the varsity team last season, including senior Ryan Parks, who has the inside track on the starting quarterback position after the transfer of junior Lee Jackson to Larkin.

"It's good (to be practicing)," Parks said. "I'm working to get a leadership role and making sure everybody knows that they can look up to me for anything."

Parks will battle for the starting QB spot with junior Jake Meyer. Senior wide receiver Tim Newcombe figures to be the main passing target.

• On the west side of Elgin, second-year Larkin coach Matt Gehrig was getting his team focused on a postseason run of its own, after having just missed out on the playoffs at 4-5 last year.

"A lot of the groundwork for that has already been laid starting from back at the start of the second semester of last year," Gehrig said. "The mindset was established for what it was going to take for us to be competitive in the Upstate Eight this year. We've got a lot of guys that have made gains in strength and have become better football players overall."

Gehrig noted senior defensive linemen Cody Schue and Cameron Martin, as well as senior Alex Wahl (tight end/linebacker) and senior Reid Ellis (wide receiver/defensive back), as those who've made big improvements since last season.

Larkin's squad boasts 16 seniors but the team is likely to rely on an underclassman at quarterback, as sophomore Kyle Newquist has the upper hand in the QB battle.

"He's done nothing but improve since June and has done some things that have been really positive, showing qualities including maturity and leadership," Gehrig said. "You want to make sure you have that from a sophomore quarterback coming up to varsity."

Jackson, formerly of Elgin, will be looked at as a quarterback option and will play wide receiver and defensive back.

• After a 12-1 season that ended in the Class 8A state semifinals, Bartlett went back to work on Wednesday with a very different look.

Gone are eight members of The Courier News All-Area Team -- including five on offense. Those losses will do little to keep the bull's-eye from being squarely on the backs of the reigning UEC champs and coach Tom Meaney knows it.

"People are going to be out to get us," Meaney said. "We want to continue our success. We've been in the playoffs nine years straight and want to make it a decade. That's what we're fighting for."

Meaney described Wednesday's practice as "short and sweet," as the team worked on conditioning and the coaching staff reviewed some schemes with players.

Meaney has lots of experience on the defensive side of the ball. Seniors Jim Crain (LB), Mike Banks (LB), Joe Quartillo (defensive tackle) and Eric Moreno (defensive end) are among those returning.

On offense, Bartlett will look to leadership from All-Area senior tight end Greg Partyka and senior offensive lineman Brendan Bauers to guide a young group.

"We're awfully young on offense," Meaney said. "We definitely have some holes to fill but we're working hard."

Sophomore A.J. Bilyeu will battle junior Joe Scaminaci for the starting quarterback spot.

• Spirits were high after the first day of practice at South Elgin.

"I left energized," coach Dale Schabert said. "It was a great day. Tons of enthusiasm. We threw a ton at them and they handled it like champs."

The varsity squad will tilt young, as Schabert estimates that there are 24 seniors in the program to 40-plus juniors. After the first day, he's seeing the two classes meshing well.

"There was great camaraderie," Schabert said. "The seniors here have had ups and downs but they are good kids. They work hard and they busted their tails last year. The juniors went 7-2 as freshmen and 9-0 last year. They really want to win."

Returning seniors on offense include tailback Trevor Hansley, tight end Sean Kolber, wide receiver Jake Kumerow and lineman Jack Viverito. Junior John Menken has the inside track at starting quarterback.

"He's playing really well," Schabert said. "He's a leader, a real competitor."

Schabert is also excited by the foot of sophomore kicker David Reisner.

On the defensive side of the ball Kolber and junior Jake Randich will headline the linebacking corps and seniors Anthony Mastropieri -- who comes over from the now-defunct Driscoll -- and Nathan Reichhold will figure prominently up front. Senior Michael Oskorep leads the secondary.