Standing at attention

Ryan Fejedelem and Ryan Ferry have been the cornerstones of Lemont's defense

Ernest Hemingway wrote "The Sun Also Rises" at the start of his fabled career. Facing the end of their high school season, best friends Ryan Ferry and Ryan Fejedelem, the Ryan hopefuls of Lemont's senior-laden defense, stand ready at attention for their authorship of "The Sun Also Sets."

Last year, Ferry and Fejedelem followed the road behind Eastern Illinois University-bound Gordon Kickels and North Central College recruit Willie Hayes, a pair of experience-driven inside linebackers. This year, Ferry has flown higher as a clampdown cornerback and Fejedelem as the linebacker flexible enough to play inside and out.

Along with senior inside linebacker Kyle Cummins and senior strong safety James Westferro, Ferry and Fejedelem function as the Indians' defensive captains, capable of guiding future lights like junior inside linebacker Connor Nagel. And as Lemont heads into the final week of a dream season, the sky's the limit for Ferry and Fejedelem.

This is their sunset.

"They are awesome, both of them," Nagel said. "Ryan Ferry does a great job of shutting down the pass, and Ryan Fejedelem is all over the quarterback when he's containing and blitzing. And when he's playing inside, he does a great job of stopping the run."

A great run for Ferry, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior, and Fejedelem, his 6-1, 210-pound classmate, continues Saturday afternoon at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium with a 1 p.m. kickoff in the Class 6A football state championship game -- a matchup that pits memories of the past with stunning shades of a sunlit present.

Ever since last fall's 49-7 loss to Joliet Catholic in the 6A title game, Lemont (13-0) has eclipsed opponents at a school-record pace. The Indians now roll into a realm held by Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (12-1), the proud owners of back-to-back 5A state titles in 2005 and 2006 as well as 4A runnerup finishes in 1982 and 1994.

Still, a year ago, Ferry and Fejedelem started in the 6A championship game, with that stormy moment serving notice for a group determined to bask in the warmth of togetherness.

"I think our biggest difference is playing as a team," Ferry said. "Last year, we put our backs on Gordie and Willie on the inside and we learned from them. But this year, it has been a team effort, and everyone is always there for each other on every play."

"We want to win it," Fejedelem said. "We're not going to be timid. We're going to play our hardest as a team."

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Even with Kickels and Hayes in the middle of Lemont's 3-4 defense, Fejedelem found the way to make an impact in last season's title game by totaling 7 tackles on 6 solos as an outside linebacker. He also recovered a fumble, showing the type of swift playmaker style that earned him a promotion to the varsity as a sophomore.

For 2008, Michaelsen and defensive coordinator John Howell envisioned more of a hybrid role for Fejedelem. With Nagel and Cummins -- who played on the outside a year ago -- penciled in for the inside spots and 6-5, 215-pound giant Luke Anderson set opposite of Fejedelem, Lemont looked at the interchangeable factor.

He can defend the run.

He can defend the pass.

He can catch the quarterback.

"Well, 'Fejie' has started for almost three years, so he has always been a really good player," Michaelsen said. "But the experience has allowed him to play even smarter and with more instinct. He's in the right place, he's physical, he makes plays for us, and he does a nice job wherever we put him."

"Ryan's a really hard-nosed player," Ferry said. "He's always willing to hit somebody, he's always filling in his holes and his gaps, and he's just great to play with. He's always excited out there, pumping up guys and making the big hits. He's a great teammate."

Great teams have versatile players like Fejedelem. He has the size to wrap up tailbacks in the middle, plus he has the speed to chase down slot receivers, a fact that becomes paramount against Sacred Heart-Griffin's shotgun spread formations of double slot, trips and some motion into an empty backfield.

"Sometimes I'll play inside, sometimes I'll play outside, depending on what other teams usually do," Fejedelem said. "Last week, it was a lot about closing down that 'C' gap because they had that good running back. This week, I'm going to play outside again because of that spread offense, and they're going to drop me off into the flat and into the curls."

"He gives us a lot of flexibility," Michaelsen said of Fejedelem. "He has been an outside 'backer all his life, and this year, he learned the inside. That flexibility allows us to do many more things because we don't have to switch up our personnel with him in there."

Personally, Fejedelem rates among the Lemont's leaders in tackles (118), solos (73) and tackles for loss (18). Only Nagel's 119 tackles and 75 solos and Anderson's 20 tackles for loss via a team-best 10 sacks are remotely better. What Fejedelem offers to the defense is the equivalent of an offense's duality.

"We know 'Fejie' can do both," Michaelsen said. "He has real good closing speed and the ability to cover and he's physical, too. He's someone who can cover and stop the run and also be able to rush the passer effectively."

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Junior defensive tackles Angel Cabral and Pat Driscoll, senior nose guard Matt Anzalone and junior free safety Nick Forzley joined Ferry and Westferro as Lemont's other defensive returnees. James Tuscher, a senior, moved into the open strong-side cornerback position. A 10-pound heavier Ferry handled the weak side.

Bulking up without losing quickness developed into Ferry's offseason goal, especially after a blockbuster junior year. He entered the 2007 title game with 49 tackles and 38 solos and added 5 solos in the setback to JCA. Through 12 games this year, Ferry has recorded 36 tackles and 5 pass breakups, proving the points.

He can defend the pass.

He can defend the run.

He can catch the speedsters.

"You know, Ryan has played our cornerback to the weak-side position for the past two years and he has really improved his technique," Michaelsen said. "He has a better understanding of the defense this year and he always seems to be in the right position at the right time for us."

"Ryan is probably one of the best defensive backs," Fejedelem said. "We put him on the best receivers that the offense has, and as you can see, we're 13-0 and teams have not been able to throw in big games. We have a good D-line for the pass rush, too, but Ryan is always there on the deep guys."

With Ferry on the corner, Lemont has managed its deepest playoff forays. Being back at Champaign provides the payoff, and Ferry expects to line up this weekend against either senior wide receiver John Lantz (64 catches, 1,194 yards, 17 touchdowns) or senior wideout Dominic Walton (47 catches, 623 yards, 8 TDs).

"I've been a cornerback ever since I came here and one of my biggest things is I try to shut down the man in front of me," Ferry said. "Coach Howell puts me on the team's best receiver, so I try to do my best in keeping that guy from catching the ball."

"Ryan is an example of a kid who has spent a ton of time in the weight room, and that time in the weight room has made him stronger and more physical," Michaelsen said. "And he hasn't lost any speed whatsoever."

That progression is an element Ferry described as a "maturity jump. All of us have matured from last year, playing those games in going downstate. I believe that it has helped me cover well and to understand our defense better from last year to this year."

Without an interception, Ferry lacks the statistic cornerbacks crave to reach the spotlight. It is a facet Fejedelem related does not truly matter.

"He doesn't always get the recognition that he should," Fejedelem said of his namesake. "But he has been playing unbelievably this year and he has been shutting down the big receivers that could have been a problem. He just has played really well."

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Students on and off the field, Fejedelem has attracted the interest of Saint Xavier with a 3.2 grade-point average. Ferry, with a 3.1 GPA, has been considering Augustana and North Central. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin then represents a final exam of sorts for a duo that has elevated Lemont's football program to new heights.

Much like the second game of a doubleheader, the Indians approach the meeting against the Cyclones with eyes on a championship split after learning the downstate lessons of a year ago. This time, in the last game for Ferry, Fejedelem and Co., the concept of team shines on Lemont's side.

This is their twilight.

"Coach was telling us today the story of how we came out for that game last year and the whole week like, 'Oh my God, we made it to state, we made it to the championship game,' " Fejedelem said. "Coach told us to be happy again, but he gave us a long speech about, 'Don't just be happy to make it to state.' We want to win it this year."

"A lot of people didn't expect us to get this far," Ferry said. "I don't think they expected us to come out as a team like we did this year. I think in the past it has been about individuals from Lemont, but we brought our team chemistry and our team together and I believe that's why we're doing so well."

Defensively, Lemont has done equally well against the run (856 yards allowed) and the pass (842 yards allowed). Fejedelem noted Sacred Heart-Griffin's "condor" three-wide side attack and empty backfield set as dangerous and a limit to his pass-rush chances.

"It depends on their motion," Fejedelem said. "Getting after the quarterback is always fun, and it's always fun bringing that rush. It's also good to get out there and reroute some kids, get on the pass, deflect some balls and get some picks. But whatever helps the team win I'm perfectly fine with."

Likewise, Lemont has been fine with Ferry and Fejedelem as the main characters of the Indians' defensive novella. Another chapter is in the offing Saturday, with team as the theme.

"That's one of our biggest things," Ferry said. "We try to play as a team. If someone misses a tackle, there's someone else right there to make up for the mistake. It's never an individual thing on our team. It's always about how our team makes plays."