Looking back at baseball, looking ahead to football

It's that time again.

On the eve of the 2007 high school football season kickoff, I figured this would be a good time to take a look back at one of the area highlights this past summer while also sneaking a peek at what should be another fantastic gridiron campaign.

While the Chicago Cubs are locked in a rare 3-team pennant race with September looming, a local baseball team recently concluded one of its best-ever postseason runs.

For the second time in three years, St. Charles Post 342 advanced to the American Legion State Tournament held earlier this month in Mattoon.

While St. Charles was denied in its bid to capture its first state Legion championship, the team sported a 23-18 record, compiling a 10-game late-season winning streak before being knocked off by Rock Island (6-3) and eventual state champion Arlington Heights (2-0).

"We were 13-16 at one point," said Post 342 coach Dale Wilderspin. "We were a very young team and it took a little while to mesh together.

"We really didn't have a consistent lineup until the county tournament because we had kids coming and going due to other obligations."

There was a time when American Legion baseball was the only summer option for local players.

"I played for St. Charles when there were teams all around -- in Geneva, Batavia, Burlington," said Wilderspin. "But that was before the high schools began playing summer baseball.

"Now there are so many travel teams around to contend with along with camps, clinics, jobs, college orientations, vacations and other variables, it's a lot harder to recruit kids (for Legion ball). I've already started to recruit kids for next summer."

Flanked by longtime assistant coach Greg Kowalski, Wilderspin has helped direct Post 342 to new heights in recent years.

"When Greg and I began coaching 9 years ago, we had three goals," said Wilderspin. "Our first goal was to stabilize the program and give kids a place to play ball in St. Charles. Next, we wanted to build a stronger program and eventually win a state championship.

"We're just about there."

This year's team featured a blend of Batavia, St. Charles East and St. Charles North players that included Alex Beckmann, Zach Deutscher, Mike Sentman, Chris Burgess, Tony DeMartino, Vince Frede, Mike Hoscheit, Andy Grunewald, Jordan Ask, Mike Corrigan, Brian de la Torriente, Adam Shiltz and Marmion's Hayes Cooper.

"We had a great group of kids," said Wilderspin. "When I look back at this team, we probably had two of the best catchers in the state (Corrigan and Deutscher)."

Deutscher (2.10 ERA), Shiltz (2.30) and de la Torriente (pitched 8½ innings in a 2-0 state tournament win over Belleville) anchored Post 342's pitching staff.

With 12 of the 18 players eligible to come back, perhaps 2008 will be the year St. Charles captures the state title.

Whatever the case, Legion ball is alive and well in St. Charles.

And now it's on to football…

Seven area schools -- Aurora Christian, Batavia, Geneva, Kaneland, Mooseheart, St. Charles East and St. Charles North are hoping to make return trips to postseason play in 2007, while Marmion attempts to add at least one more victory to its 5-win total from a year ago.

For the first time in 27 years, Kaneland has a new head coach in Tom Fedderly, taking over for Joe Thorgesen.

Nonconference foes Batavia and St. Charles East square off Friday night in Batavia.

St. Charles North opens on the road against perennial Class 6A powerhouse Cary-Grove Friday night, while Geneva begins the first of a 3-game home stretch vs. Dundee-Crown.

Let's get it started.