Lake Zurich Bears homing in on redemption

As Lake Zurich's football team awaited access to its stadium - the new, home-side bleachers were still being tweaked two weeks into camp this month - other construction took place on the grass field north of the high school.

While not in rebuilding mode, the Bears have work to do, especially since they open the season with three road games. Their new stadium, which also includes new artificial turf that replaces the old surface, is expected to be ready for the Sept. 18 game against Zion-Benton.

"Traveling circus," coach David Proffitt joked.

Not necessarily the greatest show on earth in recent years but certainly one of the best in the state, the Bears weren't as ferocious last season. They finished 5-4, needing a Week 9 win over Vernon Hills to secure an at-large berth, and failed to win a playoff game for the first time since 2008. Mind you, from 2009-2013, Lake Zurich won 17 games in the postseason, reaching the state championship game in both 2010 and 2013. The Bears won the Class 7A state title in 2007.

"Are we angry (about last season)?" Proffitt said. "Not angry. We're just disappointed ... and anxious to redeem ourselves."

So there's the Bears' motivation.

"They're really a fun group to coach," Proffitt said. "There's emotion. There are some guys with a chip on their shoulder. But I think they're that way all the time. I don't think it has anything to do with last year. I think that's just their mentality."

If the Bears are to be better, they need to score more than the 195 points they produced in 10 games last season.

"We didn't score enough, especially in the red zone," Proffitt said. "We need to be able to score, and I think we will. The kids have been working really hard."

The good news is, the Bears return their quarterback, 6-foot-3 senior Joey Lindstrom, and leading rusher, senior Ben Klett. Lindstrom completed nearly 50 percent of his 89 passing attempts last season, throwing for 750 yards and 8 touchdowns.

"I expect him to be much better, mentally, than he was last year," Proffitt said. "Joey's working hard on it. I've seen some positive signs."

As he did last year, the speedy Klett will play defense, too. The plan is to play the three-year varsity regular at cornerback. Klett rushed for 807 yards and 9 TDs last season.

"He needs to be on the field all the time," Proffitt said. "We put him at corner where we don't have to do a lot of coaching, just (let him) play. We can utilize his talents there without him taking hits, as he would at linebacker."

Proffitt said junior Kyle Roth had a good season running the ball for the 8-1 sophomores, and Roth will get more opportunities on the varsity this season. Senior Peter Baldaccini is another running back and serves as a captain.

Junior Alex Miller started at wide receiver last season. Seniors Nick Zanichelli and Jacob Carlson return on the offensive line, which graduated 6-7 Zach Wallace (Wyoming).

Miller was one of four sophomores who played all last season on varsity. The others were linebacker Ryan McGeever, cornerback Matt Lawson and defensive lineman Blake Bransky. Lawson moves to safety this season. McGeever's 66 tackles ranked second on the team, and he serves as a captain this year.

As usual, the Bears' defense last season was a strength. Lake Zurich allowed just 159 points, holding four opponents to single digits. Also back is senior cornerback Jeremy Brown (3 interceptions). Sophomore linebacker Jack Sanborne started the Bears' playoff game. The other returning seniors include linebacker John Strojny, trusty kicker Jake Kubin and long snapper Camden Boyle.

Proffitt said he never saw a five-win season coming last year.

"I thought the reason why we were 5-4 (during the regular season) was we never really were together," Proffitt said. "We didn't mesh as a group. No disrespect to our seniors."

Proffitt pointed to losses to Warren and Libertyville, when the Bears didn't execute late in either game, as examples of his team not being together.

"It happens," Proffitt said. "This year, we're really working hard on that mental frame of mind of everyone being together."

The Bears' three road games to open the season are all against perennial playoff teams: Fremd, Cary-Grove and Stevenson.

"Experience-wise, we're young," Proffitt said. "We got a tough opening schedule. But I think by the middle of the season, if we can get together, we can be a dangerous team. Because we got so many new guys, we're still evolving into that team mentality, (which) takes time. When you got a veteran team, they're right on it."