Preview capsule: Minooka football

"Three-and-six is not good enough, not acceptable," he said. "And last year that was the second year in a row for us to hit that mark. Nobody is happy about it.

"But, to be honest, we went into each of the last two seasons feeling good about the direction of our program. For one reason or another -- injuries have been a part of it -- we didn't have the kind of seasons we expected. We're right back now in the same boat. We're coming off our best offseason. We have a positive outlook."

Kooi points to an improved commitment within the ranks that has led to great gains in speed and strength departments. He also points to a defense that returns four starters on the line as reason for his optimism.

Backfield: Quarterback Brian Martin went down with an injury last season. Then-sophomore Mitch Brozovich stepped in to fill his shoes. He completed 31-of-90 passes for 364 yards and gained confidence as he gained his footing. He went down with a shoulder injury last spring. In stepped Corey Krakowski and now the starting job is his heading into fall camp.

"Mitch (Brozovich) is on the mend," Kooi said. "He'll be a factor at some point for our football team, I know that. Another guy to watch is junior Doug Sachtleben."

Garrett May, Kyle Banks and Blake Montella will share carries in the Indians double-wing set. Steve Pullara, Jake Bukovina and Brandon Collofello are battling for playing time at fullback. Bukovina is a move-in from Ohio. Montella could become a mover and shaker.

"He has great vision," Kooi said. "You hate to compare people, but you remember the Dergo kid from Morris (John Dergo). He was an impact player in our conference for several years. He wasn't the fastest guy in the world. But he had great vision, and he was a great football player. Blake (Montella) is nowhere near as big, but he has those same characteristics, that toughness and ability to see a little hole. He'll add a different dimension when he carries the ball for us."

Linemen: On the O-line, Minooka returns left tackle Kenny Smith (6-3, 240) and Matt Bee, who will move from center to left guard. Alex Hank, Mike Melone, Brandon Wozniak, Nick DeRango, R.J. Budde and Cody Jones also will work into the mix up front, though Jones could play predominantly on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.

Receivers: Cody Carter returns to play as a wideout and tight end. Eric Martin moves up after emerging as leading receiver on Minooka's sophomore team. Pete Ruther, Dakota Sheetz and Xavier Crump also will be called on to contribute. Crump brings sprinter's speed from the track team to the football field.

Linemen: Jones, Collofello, Zach Colvin and Brandon Babic all were starters a year ago. Colvin is a junior who already is starting to attract the interest of college coaches. Kooi said Tim Wright (6-5, 300) will be a factor, too.

"People are going to take one look at him and say, 'Why didn't he play as a junior,' " Kooi said. "He's just one of those kids who grew so fast it took him a while to catch up to his body. You didn't see that explosiveness out of him last year. He's another guy who is a wrestler. I think that really helped him with his footwork."

Linebackers: Brandon Haase returns for his third year as a regular on the inside. He'll be flanked by Matt Powers. Tim Meyer and Parker Parzych are pegged as the starters on the outside. Parzych played varsity basketball as a sophomore for the Indians.

Secondary: Tyler Hoeg is a returning starter at one corner slot. He led the Indians in interceptions a year ago. Cameron Thwaites is the guy to beat out at deep safety. Sheetz and Montella likely will split time at the other corner.

A.J. Zalewski returns to handle most of the placekicking and punt duties. Adam VanDolson is another candidate to punt. Jason Lizalek likely will be used in situations to help on kickoffs. Montella, Sheetz, Crump and Banks give the Indians speed and versatility in the kick return ranks. Minooka has the pieces in place to fight for a spot in the top half of the Southwest Prairie Conference race and a berth in the state playoffs.

Much will hinge on the development of Krakowski and how the Indians get out of the gates. They open on the road against Glenbrook South, a team that took eventual 8A state champ Maine South to the wire last season. Then, Minooka takes on Zion-Benton, Plainfield East and Plainfield South in rapid-fire succession.

The Minooka-Plainfield South rivalry has turned into a dandy of late.

"My guess is that game will tell us something about how our season is going to go," Kooi said.