Waubonsie looking to overtake Bartlett in UEC Valley

Bartlett, two-time defending champion of the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division and winner three of the last four years, will be pushed hard by Waubonsie Valley to continue its streak.

“You can never count Bartlett out,” said Waubonsie Valley coach Paul Murphy. “They’ve got a good program, good coaching and good players.”

Murphy conceded his club was “probably” the favorite in the UEC Valley based on who returns. It is a solid cast off back from last year’s 8-2 squad, motivated by a loss to Belleville East in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs, a No. 16 seed over a No. 1.

The Warriors return senior quarterback Dylan Warden, at least as dangerous running the ball as throwing it. Behind him Warden has 1,000-yard rusher Austin Guido, tough and quick. Troy Fumagalli is a 6-foot-6, 225-pound tight end with about a dozen scholarship offers and will figure more in the offense this season.

The front seven of Waubonsie’s defense is stocked, headed by senior linebacker Austin Lacke, like Guido an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association honorable-mention selection in 2011. Opportunistic linebacker Hugh Griffin returns after making a huge impact as a sophomore call-up, and he’ll run behind a large defensive line featuring the likes of 6-foot-3, 310-pound Tyrone Hatchett and 260-pound Trevor Hardin.

One big key to Waubonsie Valley will be how its offensive line comes together after graduating all five starters.

A pivotal battle in the UEC Valley will take place Oct. 5 at North Central College when Waubonsie plays Neuqua Valley. Wildcats all-state senior Joey Rhattigan ran for 1,271 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. He’s got 6-7, 275-pound Andrew Geers at one tackle and 6-5, 270-pound J.P. Quinn, who has committed to Central Michigan, at the other.

On defense Neuqua must rally around returning lineman Michael Casas and three-year starting linebacker Sam Norgaard.

“It’ll be a dogfight every week, I truly believe that,” said new head coach Bill Ellinghaus, directing players who went 8-1, 6-0 on the sophomore level the past two seasons.

Lake Park knocked off Neuqua in Week 9 last year for its fourth straight win. The Lancers return three-year quarterback Zach Gehant, who has experienced receivers Kevin Teglia and Scott Filip to target and a stout offensive line for support. Youth resides on the Lancers’ defense, though, anchored by three-year linebacker Ronnie Castaldo.

Metea Valley — headed by former Neuqua Valley quarterbacks coach Ben Kleinhans — looks to catch stride in its third varsity season. South Elgin welcomes all-state 400 runner Jeff Broger at tailback, but the Storm graduated its entire defensive line. The main excitement at East Aurora is former Chicago Bear and Tomcats alumnus Kurt Becker taking over the beleaguered program.

The 800-pound gorilla in the Valley remains defending champion Bartlett.

Annually the most physical of any team in the league, coach Tom Meaney’s Hawks plow forth following the graduation of three-year starting quarterback A.J. Bilyeu, last year’s Valley offensive MVP. Somewhat inexperienced offensively, Bartlett will ride tailback Aaron Everson. On defense three-year linebacker Kevin Kirchoff and defensive end Chris Kantzavelos, a Central Michigan recruit, intend to create mayhem.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Meaney said. “Lake Park is pretty solid and South Elgin will be pretty good. And East (Aurora) has a different coach and a different look so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.

“But Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley seem to be our big competition every year, and I’m sure they’re out to get us after we beat them both last year. Neuqua has a new coach, and they’ll be preparing to attack us when we play them in the last game of the season.”

In the Upstate Eight Conference River Division, Batavia looks to continue its resurgence and hold off Geneva, St. Charles North and Elgin.

Batavia returns key players from a Class 6A semifinalist, the first Bulldogs team to finish a regular season unbeaten in its 100-year history. Batavia’s sophomores went 9-0 as well.

“I would guess we might be (the favorite),” coach Dennis Piron said.

He guesses right.

Rushing defensive end Marquise Jenkins brings more speed than graduated Illinois High School Coaches Association all-stater Cole Gardner, and he’s supported by returning starting linebackers Mickey Watson, Cullen Rokos and Anthony Thielk, an all-around talent with the capacity to improve upon the 337 yards rushing he gained last season.

The Bulldogs return defensive backs Michael Moffatt and Matt Bowman, who recorded a respective 5 and 3 interceptions last season, and while the defensive line lacks experience, on offense starting linemen Ben Link, Sebastian Vermaas and Adam Hunger all return.

If Batavia can resolve a quarterback battle between junior Micah Coffey and senior Dan Albrecht the juggernaut could continue.

“I think Batavia is the team,” said Geneva coach Rob Wicinski. “They got their swagger back. I think they’re a handful.”

What Wicinski’s got is a handful of starting experience. In fact you can count the Vikings’ returning offensive starters on two fingers — college prospect tackles Jacob Bastin and Connor Chapman, a pair of three-year starters. Defensively, it’s just as green.

Sophomore Daniel Santacaterina will lead the offense onto the new turf surface at Burgess Stadium, where tailback Bobby Hess can fully utilize the speed that earned him 505 yards rushing and 365 yards returning kicks as a junior.

A difficult opening three games against Oswego, Wheaton North and Batavia may — or may not — indicate the Vikings’ fortunes as they get attuned to varsity speed particularly on defense. But Wicinski and his staff have a good thing going at Geneva.

“Right now I think they deserve it, they’ve earned it — Batavia and Geneva on the top,” said St. Charles North coach Mark Gould.

It’d be nice to send Gould out a winner in his last season before retirement. After losing games in “Twilight Zone” fashion in 2011 and starting 0-5, it can’t help but get better for the North Stars.

Seems it will. Gould returns most of last season’s best players, including 275-pound junior tackle Chase Gianacakos, leading tackler Reece Conroyd, junior tight end Garrett Johnson, linebacker Alec Datoli and running back George Edlund, who ran for a program-record 286 yards against Elgin and followed with 178 against Larkin in the North Stars’ sole victories. An intangible: retiring coaches always earn their team’s best efforts.

Cross-town rival St. Charles East likewise started out 0-5 and aims to move up from a pack that includes Larkin, Streamwood and Elgin, which drew kudos from Gould, Piron and Wicinski for its skilled positions stocked with track athletes.

St. Charles East coach Mike Fields complimented Dave Bierman’s Maroons as well, and they’re a team the Saints must beat to get out of the River Division’s second division. St. Charles could be difficult should three-year starting linebacker-fullback Joe Hoscheit remain healthy, junior quarterback Jimmy Mitchell work well with a line that includes returning starters Nick Asquini and Tommy Wilson at the tackles, and the Saints can beat the teams it should and steal a win from the likes of a Batavia, Geneva or St. Charles North.

“It’s year four for me,” Fields said, “and we’re still a work in progress, still trying to get to the point where we can be a perennial playoff team like those teams are.”