Making a big impact

St. Charles North's Matt Mautone celebrates after a penalty is called against Elk Grove toward the end of the Nov. 6 game; the NorthStars won 20-14.
(Michael Smart/Staff Photographer)

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Every good football team needs a rock up front, and senior left tackle Matt Mautone provides the steady presence on the offensive line for St. Charles North.

The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Mautone is in his third season as a varsity starter for the North Stars. That experience is paying off in many ways for North, which makes its first-ever appearance in the state quarterfinals when it travels to play Glenbard West on Saturday in the Class 7A playoffs.

Mautone's big frame, nimble footwork and versatility helped him land All-Upstate Eight Conference honors and has helped the North Stars enjoy offensive consistency all season. But beyond his physical skills, Mautone plays a crucial role as the veteran voice within a unit that starts a junior quarterback, two junior running backs, a junior receiver and two junior linemen.

"Matt has stepped up being a leader not only with the linemen but with the whole team," North coach Mark Gould said. "He was not necessarily a real vocal guy in the past, but he has kind of become our vocal leader this year. He's really stepped it up as far as being a total team contributor."

Mautone has been a jack-of-all trades this season. He moved to right guard to start the year after starting at center as a sophomore and junior. When it became apparent that the North Stars needed help on the left side of the line, Mautone switched to left tackle.

An offseason emphasis on improving speed and footwork have helped Mautone thrive. He's now attracting attention from the likes of Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois and learning that his versatility can be pretty attractive.

"I am getting D-I looks, so being able to tell them that I've played all three positions on the offensive line and that I can do whatever they need me to do is a big plus," Mautone said. "It's comforting to know that wherever I go, I'll know what I'm doing."

Mautone and his mates on the offensive line have helped North average 28.5 points, close to 300 yards of offense per game and just shy of five yards per rushing attempt.

Senior right tackle Ryan Brown started alongside Mautone on the line last year. The 6-7, 260-pound Brown is the younger brother of former North lineman Pat Brown, who went on to play at Central Florida before spending some time with the Carolina Panthers earlier this fall.

The North Stars are also getting contributions up front from junior guard CJ Van Petten, senior center Matt Huffman and junior guard Sam Reese.

"We're in really good shape for a football team," Mautone said. "In the first half we wear (opponents) down as much as possible up on the line. Towards the second half we just use our size and strength and speed to really take it over."

Watching team captains raise the level of their game as seniors the past two years left an impression on Mautone, who said he decided it was his time to be a leader this season.

He particularly wanted to help bring along junior Jake Bergren, who won out in a three-player competition for the starting quarterback job prior to Week 4. That effort didn't go unnoticed by Bergren, who appreciates his big left tackle's role with the team.

"Mautone has been one of the big leaders," Bergren said. "He was really pushing in the offseason for guys to get in the weight room. He served as a great example because he was in there everyday working out. It's just carried over into this year."