Loris' effort adds up for Grant
Joe Loris is just a fraction of Grant's offense, and he's not alone.
Under Kurt Rous, head football coach/math teacher, no one is No. 1. The Bulldogs are all about doing their "1-11."
That actually should be written as a fraction -- the "1" over the "11" -- but these Daily Herald computers can't do fractions. Kind of like me in school.
"There are 11 guys out there; do your one (assignment)," Rous explained.
Loris understands. He's a Rous kind of guy, actually. He loves football and math, and does them both well.
Take Friday night at Wauconda. Loris had his best game of the season running the football. Asked primarily to block in Grant's option offense, the senior wingback got the chance to rush the football 12 times and responded by gaining 100 yards in Grant's 21-17 win that kept the Bulldogs undefeated through five weeks.
"He does his ‘1/11' out there," Rous said. "Whatever he has to do, he does it."
Do the math and you'd have to agree with Rous.
Actually, let Loris do the math for you. This bright guy took AP calculus last year. Heck, he and several other kids attended Grant as eighth-graders to take Rous' geometry class because a local grade school didn't offer the subject.
On the football field, Loris knows positive yards is a good thing, so he doesn't mind blocking.
"I don't mind it at all if we're gaining yards," Loris said. "It's all about the team. They don't say that one kid won the (game). They always say Grant won as a team or Grant lost as a team."
"He's probably one of the best blocking wings we've ever had," Rous said.
On paper, Loris' numbers don't necessarily wow you. He stands maybe 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. Rous calls him an honorary lineman.
"He is a rock," Rous said. "He can block like a champ, and we finally threw him a bone (against Wauconda). He is just doing a heck of a job for us. Offense, defense, you name it. He does it."
Loris sure helped Grant's offense register some good numbers Friday night. The visiting Bulldogs rushed for 327 yards, as Loris, quarterback Pavel Zurkowski, fullback Izzy Rodriguez and running back Jim Liles all ran the ball effectively.
"We got some horses back there -- the Polish horse (Zurkowski) and Izzy, and Joe Loris is a god," Rous said. "(Wauconda) could not stop our trap. We ran our trap left side, right side. Our line was relentless."
Loris can tell you what the numbers 53, 56, 67, 72 and 77 mean.
Those are the jersey numbers of offensive linemen Chris Maxedon (53), Kevin Savage (56), Mike Bessette (67), Nick Fontaine (72) and Eric Joern (77).
"You got to credit the linemen," Loris said.
Truth is, the numbers usually add up for Grant's running game. It's been that way for years.
"We take a lot of pride in it because everyone knows what we're doing, and we still go out there and get yards," said Zurkowski, who rushed for 146 yards and all 3 Grant touchdowns. "It's fun to go out there and run the ball. Obviously I like to pass the ball, but running the ball is doing the job."
He just has to do his "1-11."
"Come to homecoming; you'll see it on our homecoming T-shirt," Rous said.
That'll be a plus.
jaguilar @dailyherald.com