Lake County all-area football team

Mike Bilton, Stevenson

With more than 70 players on their roster, the Patriots didn't need guys to go both ways. But Bilton was too good to keep off the field. While the junior made his mark on offense, catching 31 passes for 509 yards and 7 touchdowns, he also returned kicks and was starting in the defensive backfield by the end of the season. "He's a heck of a performer," coach Bill Mitz said. "He's a great competitor and I expect to see great things from him in the future." An all-conference selection, Bilton had a key interception in the playoffs against Fremd. "He's quick," Mitz said. "He's already working hard in the weight room because he knows he's not going to leave the field next year."

John Brewer, Lake Zurich

It was obvious as soon as Brewer stepped on Lake Zurich's campus that he was going to be a force on the football field. "He was benching like 300 pounds as a freshman," coach Bryan Stortz said of his standout defensive tackle, who is just a junior. "Guys on the defensive line might not get a lot of publicity, but the guys on our team and the coaches know how good John is. Even opposing coaches have noticed him. He's a strong kid and for a big kid, he really runs well. I feel he's going to just get better and better." Brewer has been pretty darn good already. This season, he's registered 59 tackles. He also has 13 tackles for a loss. "With some of the publicity we've been getting (for going 12-1 and advancing to the Class 7A title game for the second year in a row), he's starting to get some more attention from college coaches," Stortz said. "I think he's got the potential to be a very special player."

Ray Bryant, Round Lake

What a day for Ray. Talk about busy. The senior did more than just carry the football 41 times for more than 300 yards in the Panthers' season finale against Lakes. The running back/outside linebacker also made 10 solo tackles. It was that kind of tenacity, coach Doug Moss said, that made Bryant such a special player. "He never wanted to leave the game," Moss said. "He'd carry the ball every play if you gave it to him." After playing primarily on defense as a junior, Bryant busted out on offense this season. He rushed for 1,462 yards, averaging 7.1 per carry, and scored 11 touchdowns. "He didn't go backwards too often," Moss said. "He was always falling forward when he was getting tackled and getting that extra yard." What a season for Ray.

Tommy Bychowski, Grant

Bychowski was the Devin Hester of the North Suburban Conference. In his first two games, he returned kickoffs for touchdowns. "Then teams stopped kicking to him," coach Kurt Rous said. But Bychowski, who is just a junior, was able to hurt opponents in many other ways, namely at wide receiver. He caught a team-high 56 passes for 764 yards, which worked out to 13.6 yards per reception. He also hauled in 8 touchdown passes for the 10-1 Bulldogs. "Tommy is a playmaker, that's for sure," Rous said. "He can change the course of a game in one play -- with a kickoff return, a long touchdown catch. He's exciting to watch. Whenever we needed a big play, a big catch, we were going to him. He's got great instincts, especially after he catches the ball. And he's quick. He can break away from people."

Rick Danilkowicz, Vernon Hills

His big brothers -- big guys -- left big shoes to fill. He squeezed into them just fine. Danilkowicz was the Cougars' only two-way starter by the end of the year. A first-year transfer from Libertyville, his brothers George and Jack were also good high school football players and are now college athletes. "He was our most consistent offensive lineman and very active on defense," coach Tony Monken said of his senior offensive tackle/defensive tackle. "He had a knack for making big plays when we needed it defensively." Danilkowicz earned Class 6A all-state and all-conference honors in helping Vernon Hills capture a playoff berth. He was also on Libertyville's playoff roster as a sophomore and junior. Added Monken: "Once he got used to the conditioning it takes to play both ways, the only time he came off the field was on kickoff and kickoff return."

Tom Hajnos, Warren

If the inside linebacker wasn't making tackles -- which he was doing often -- he was tackling game film of opponents. Assuming, that is, that he could sit still. "He's a guy whose motor is always running," coach Dave Mohapp said. Mohapp remembers the senior making about 20 tackles in his first varsity start last season. That proved to be no fluke. Hajnos led the 6-4 Blue Devils this season with 113 tackles, including 57 solos. He also had 3 sacks, 3 tackles for loss and an interception in an all-conference campaign. "This is a guy who really plays hard," Mohapp said. "He's one of these quiet kids, but he's a guy who leads by his actions. He's very serious about his football. He spends a lot of time on and off the field getting ready for football."

Corey Harris, Warren

Just call him the playmaker from Pittsburgh, PA. Coach Dave Mohapp first learned during the summer that Harris had transferred in from Pittsburgh. "He's a kid who immediately improved our overall team speed," Mohapp said. "He can really run." And make plays. Harris was more of an offensive player at his previous high school, Mohapp said, and while he played in the defensive secondary for Warren, he showed big-play ability when he touched the football. Harris scored 3 touchdowns, returning a punt, kickoff and an interception for scores. He more than adequately filled the Blue Devils' void at free safety, recording 96 tackles, including 63 solos, 3 interceptions and 5 pass breakups. Said Mohapp of the all-conference new addition: "He got better each week that he played (the position)."

Richard Hayes, Lakes

Lakes quarterback Randy Ratajczyk passed for 1,100 yards, and he'd probably be the first to give a lot of the credit to Hayes. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound lineman offered quite a bit of protection just on his own. "Richard was playing at that left tackle spot, and that's such an important position because it's the quarterback's blind side," coach Luke Mertens said. "I think our QB felt pretty confident back there, knowing (Hayes) was there." Lakes also rushed for nearly 1,200 yards with Hayes and the rest of the offensive line leading the way. Hayes, a Class 5A all-stater, will play at Northern Illinois. "Richard is really fast and athletic for his size. I think that's what college coaches liked about him," Mertens said. "He's a big guy who can run like a running back."

Jason Holst, Wauconda

Coach Glen Kozlowski calls it "senior juice." Which apparently does a football body good. Holst found that juice and chugged it. Kozlowski said Holst was on the field for about eight plays last year. This season, the senior linebacker just kept making plays. "He was in the program for four years, lifted and worked his way onto the football field," Kozlowski said. "To have a year like he had is a tribute to him and his parents." An all-conference performer in a playoff season for the Bulldogs, Holst made 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and totaled 55 stops overall. He also blocked 2 punts and was a first-down machine when he occasionally ran the ball on jet sweeps. Holst runs a legit 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Kozlowski said, and bench-presses 300 pounds. "He's, by far, the fastest kid on the team," Kozlowski said. "He's just a strong, fast and confident kid, and he developed it into his senior year."

Jon Janus, Lake Zurich

Not even two scary injuries could keep Janus down. Despite a strained knee and shoulder, Janus didn't miss a full game this season. Sure, he wasn't always at 100 percent, but you'd barely know it. Seven days after suffering a shoulder injury in the playoffs that some thought could be career-ending, Janus rushed for more than 100 yards. "Jon has a lot of speed, and that's probably the No. 1 thing that makes him such a good player," coach Bryan Stortz said of his three-year varsity starter and Class 7A all-stater. "But his toughness is close behind. He is such a tough kid. Even when he's hurting, he still finds a way to get the job done." Janus, the captain of the 2007 Lake County All-Area team, got the job done all right. He's rushed for a team-high 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also set a school record in the Bears' semifinal win over Carmel by busting a 98-yard touchdown run.

Greg Kennedy, Warren

He's 5 feet 6, 150 pounds and a sophomore. So no wonder coach Dave Mohapp was concerned about the little running back's durability over the course of a rugged varsity season. As evident by his 1,144 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, suffice it to say, Kennedy held up just fine. "We've had good running backs here," Mohapp said. "I put Greg right there with the Mitchell Moores and (Matt) Van Daeles. He has all the skills that I like in a running back. You start with speed. He'll go the distance if you give him the chance. And then he's very instinctive. He's got good vision. And the third thing I like about him is that he's a physical kid. He's not only a speed player. When he needs to get a couple of yards, he'll lower his pads." The only sophomore on the All-Area and all-North Suburban Conference teams, Kennedy also caught a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a TD. For a little guy, that's a big season.

Tyler LaFontaine, Lake Zurich

Body, heart and soul. According to coach Bryan Stortz, LaFontaine's got it all. "Tyler is one of our heart-and-soul guys," Stortz said. "He's definitely one of the leaders of our team. When we needed some leadership, he stepped into that role and other guys have kind of played off of him and his energy and emotion." But it wasn't just heart and soul that has led LaFontaine to 76 tackles from his spot at linebacker. "It's his size and physical abilities, too," Stortz said. "That is a lot of what makes Tyler the player he is. He's tall and rangy, but he runs very well. He's strong and he hits hard, too. Tyler is the kind of person who takes great pride in what he's doing and he works very hard at it."

Bob Madlener, Grant

Madlener has the perfect name for the way he played defense. He just had a mad-dog mentality and toughness about him. No wonder he started for three years. "Bob was just tenacious on the defensive line for us," coach Kurt Rous said. "The funny thing is, he's a little undersized (5-foot-11, 175 pounds), but he didn't back down to anyone he went up against. He made big tackles, big plays and hit like a truck. And his motor was always going 100 miles per hour." Madlener tallied 58 tackles, including 17 for a loss. That's a school record. He also had 2 fumble recoveries, one of which went for a touchdown. "Bob is so fast and he's good with his hands," Rous said. "He's just tough to block."

Brent Marks, Lake Zurich

The math is pretty easy on Marks. His hard work equaled lots of tackles. On a Lake Zurich defense that was the best in the northern suburbs and had plenty of star power to go around, Marks was the best of the best. The veteran linebacker leads the 12-1 Bears with 81 tackles, including 8 for a loss. "Brent spent a great deal of time in the off-season trying to develop himself and his skills so that he could make an even bigger contribution this year," coach Bryan Stortz said. "His stats speak for themselves. Brent has come up with big plays in just about every game we played this year. He got better and better as the season went on and I think he's still going to get better." Stortz says Marks has some Division I schools interested in him.

Davis Mills, Wauconda

The senior fractured his foot in the Bulldogs' regular-season finale, but not before making giant strides this year. A three-year varsity starter and first-time all-conference pick, the outside linebacker/tight end stepped up on both sides of the ball, leading the team with 71 tackles (6 for loss) and 15 receptions. "He was intelligent and he made plays," coach Glen Kozlowski said. "He was quite the player." Here's quite a stat: Mills averaged 32.6 yards per catch, with 5 touchdowns. "Part of it was 11 guys following (Brad) Wisniewski wherever he went," Kozlowski said. "But the other part of it was Davis just had some great yards after catch."

Dan Morales, Stevenson

The "S" on the helmet decal stands for Stevenson. On a sun-splashed Saturday at Lake Forest this fall, it may as well stood for something else. "He was Superman," coach Bill Mitz said of his skinny senior wide receiver on that day. "It must have been 110 degrees on the field and he made unbelievable plays." Morales caught 44 passes this season, and 4 of the most memorable came in that Lake Forest game. With 1:11 to go, the Patriots had the ball at their own 10, trailing 10-7 with no timeouts left. Morales then went to work, catching 4 passes -- a 50-yarder, one on fourth down, one on third down and, lastly, the game-winner from 4 yards out with 5.7 seconds left. "It might be one of the greatest series a kid in our program has ever had," Mitz said. "It was just unbelievable." For the season, Morales averaged 17.3 yards per catch and had 5 TD receptions. "Junior year he made some great catches against Libertyville and had gotten hit hard, and we knew we had a competitor," Mitz said. "He's sure-handed, catches the ball and makes big plays for you."

Austin Powell, Libertyville

He put the "pow!" in Powell. "Austin was one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs that I have coached at Libertyville," coach Randy Kuceyeski said of his senior safety. "He always seemed to be around the ball, whether it was a run or a pass." A rare three-year starter in the secondary for the Wildcats and an all-conference pick, Powell had 65 tackles, including 36 solos, as well as an interception, a tipped pass and fumble recovery. "He was our most versatile player this year, as he not only returned punts and kickoffs but also carried the ball in short-yardage situations," Kuceyeski said. "He has truly epitomized Wildcat football with his work ethic, character and integrity. He will be very hard to replace next year."

Chris Salvi, Carmel

Carmel coach Andy Bitto thinks he knows exactly why his team elected Salvi team captain. "I think our kids have an awful lot of respect for Chris," Bitto said. "He had kind of an average junior year and then came back this year and was a star. And most of that had to do with how much he worked. This kid was always in the weight room. He was always working out. And he had an amazing year because of it. I think kids have a lot of respect for that." Salvi ranked second on the team, which finished the season with a 10-3 record, in tackles with 107. He also had 3 fumble recoveries, 1 sack and 4 interceptions. "Chris was so confident out there this year," Bitto said. "And he hit like a ton of bricks."

Joe Semple, Mundelein

For Semple, it was simple: Stay healthy. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive tackle did this season. Simply put, Semple gave a sample of his potential that has several Division I schools interested in his services. "Joe's very good at pass-blocking," coach Dave Whitson said. "A lot of colleges like his pass-blocking. He has very good feet." A three-year varsity starter, Semple had surgery on his shoulder after his sophomore season. He had his knee operated on following his junior year. Said Whitson: "He's overcome a lot of adversity." Simple enough.

David Venegoni, Carmel

At the start of the season, only two offensive players at Carmel had ever started a varsity game. Venegoni was one of them. "I told David that a lot was going to be on his shoulders to help us win games," coach Andy Bitto said of his quarterback. "I think he responded to that pretty well." Venegoni was named the co-offensive player of the year in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, led the 10-3 Corsairs to the Class 7A semifinals and became the first quarterback in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,055 on 198 carries) in a single season. Venegoni also had 19 touchdowns. "Once David gets to a seam, he can hit it and he's hard to bring down," Bitto said. "You should see him in the weight room. He's strong and he was able to break a lot of tackles."

Cameron White, Antioch

New Antioch coach Brian Glashagel quickly learned to become a man of few words around White. "I started off yelling at Cameron to just run to the open areas," Glashagel said. "And then by Week 2, I just shut up and let him do his thing. He's got this amazing ability to plant, change directions, get back to full speed again in two to three strides and cut all the way back across the field. Cameron just has incredible vision. Most guys can only see the guy in front of them. Cameron can see the whole field and can see openings that no one else sees. And he's got the speed and elusiveness to get to them." White, who is just a junior but earned all-conference and Class 6A honorable mention all-state honors, racked up 1,166 yards on 106 carries for an 11-yard average.

Ryan Williams, Carmel

Carmel has won a lot of games in the last three years -- which means that Williams, a three-year starter in the defensive secondary, has been busy. "It seems like any game we won over the last three years, Ryan has made a huge play -- or a couple of them," said coach Andy Bitto. Bitto cited Williams' 60-yard fake punt for a touchdown this season against Glenbrook North, his 11 tackles against De La Salle and his 2 fumble recoveries against Joliet Catholic last year as a few. "He's just a big-play guy," Bitto said. "Ryan is also a wrestler and has been downstate so he's mentally tough. He's just got this razor-edge mentality." The East Suburban Catholic Conference's co-defensive player of the year and a Class 7A all-state selection, Williams led the 10-3 Corsairs with 128 tackles. The safety also had a fumble recovery, 2 interceptions and 6 tackles for loss.

Brad Wisniewski, Wauconda

Wauconda was a combined 1-26 from 2002-2004. Then he arrived. No one carried the football more for the Bulldogs the last three years. No player was more responsible for their remarkable turnaround. With their workhorse running back leading the way again this season, the Bulldogs improved their win total for the third straight year. Wisniewski capped an impressive three-year varsity career by rushing 279 times for 1,602 yards and 23 touchdowns. "The kid has been a winner, and he's 90 percent of our offense," coach Glen Kozlowski said. In the last two years, Wisniewski averaged nearly 30 carries per game -- and never tired. "He's remarkable in that way," Kozlowski said. "He's just a kid who plays with heart. He practices the way he plays in a game. He's never taken a practice off, he's never missed a practice. He's been there sick." Wisniewski was named a Class 5A all-stater and is a repeat all-area/all-conference performer. For his career, he rushed for more than 4,200 yards. "He's a pleasure to coach, and I'm going to miss him," Kozlowski said. "I'm going to miss all the seniors, but I'm especially going to miss Wisniewski."

Zach Wujcik, Stevenson

The quarterback can dish it. During the Patriots' regular-season finale against Warren, Wujcik gave his offensive line a bit of a tongue-lashing. Which was OK. "It was a good time for it," coach Bill Mitz said. "He was ticked. It was good because he's got to be the leader of the show." With Stevenson's show off to an 0-3 start this season, Wujcik was on the receiving end of tongue-lashings, but he turned around his season and so did the Patriots. "He took it pretty good from me at times," Mitz said with a laugh. "But he persevered through that." Wujcik wound up completing 119 of 257 passes for 1,704 yards and 16 touchdowns in helping lead the Patriots back to the playoffs for the 19th straight year. "He's a pure thrower," Mitz said of the junior all-conference QB. "He wants to step up in the pocket and throw it."

Pavel Zurkowski, Grant

In Grant's best season in school history -- a 10-1 record and a spot in the second round of the playoffs -- it's probably not a coincidence that the team's quarterback was the best the program has ever had. Zurkowski went to work on the Bulldogs' record books in a big way. "He's definitely the most prolific quarterback we've ever had here," coach Kurt Rous said. Zurkowski got the most wins, the most yards by a quarterback and was the first QB in school history to run and pass for 1,000 yards. He rushed for 1,144 yards, completed 84 of 141 passes for 1,132 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. "I was impressed with everything Pavel did this season," Rous said. "He made good reads with the option and he was tough to bring down because he is so strong. And he threw the ball well, too."

2007 All-Area roster

Mike Bilton, Stevenson, 6-0, 175, Jr., WR

John Brewer, Lake Zurich, 6-3, 240, Jr., DT

Ray Bryant, Round Lake, 5-11, 170, Sr., RB

Tommy Bychowski, Grant, 6-0, 175, Jr., WR/DB

Rick Danilkowicz, Vernon Hills, 6-3, 240, Sr., OT/DT

Tom Hajnos, Warren, 6-0, 200, Sr., LB

Corey Harris, Warren, 6-0, 170, Sr., DB

Richard Hayes, Lakes, 6-3, 275, Sr., OT

Jason Holst, Wauconda, 5-10, 194, Sr., LB

*Jon Janus, Lake Zurich, 5-10, 185, Sr., RB/LB

Greg Kennedy, Warren, 5-6, 150, So., RB

Tyler LaFontaine, Lake Zurich, 6-2, 215, Sr., LB

Bobby Madlener, Grant, 6-0, 175, Sr., DE

Brent Marks, Lake Zurich, 6-1, 225, Sr., LB

Davis Mills, Wauconda, 6-0, 210, Sr., TE/LB

Dan Morales, Stevenson, 6-1, 170, Sr., WR

Austin Powell, Libertyville, 5-10, 180, Sr., S

Chris Salvi, Carmel, 5-10, 185, Sr., S

Joe Semple, Mundelein, 6-4, 285, Sr., OT

David Venegoni, Carmel, 6-0, 190, Sr., QB

Cameron White, Antioch, 5-8, 161, Jr., RB

Ryan Williams, Carmel, 5-11, 175, Sr., S

Brad Wisniewski, Wauconda, 6-2, 230, Sr., RB

Zach Wujcik, Stevenson, 6-3, 205, Jr., QB

Pavel Zurkowski, Grant, 6-3, 200, Sr., QB

* All-area captain

Honorable mention

Charlie Balfour (Wauconda, Jr. Ol/DL), Dylan Becker (Lake Zurich, Sr. OG), Jerome Brown (Round Lake, Sr. WR), Brandon Bushing (Grant, Jr. WR/DB), Jimmy Butler (Grayslake North, Jr. TE), Brandon Cartwright (Round Lake, Sr. OL), Brett Collier (Wauconda, Sr. OL/DL), DaVaris Daniels (Vernon Hills, Fr. WR), Bobby DeLeo (Lake Zurich, Sr. QB), Scott Diamond (Stevenson, Jr. DB), Justin Dietz (Libertyville, Sr. LB), Nik Ebert (Libertyville Sr. TE), Tayler Erbach (Warren, Sr. TE/DL), Geoffery Fields (Carmel, Sr. RB), Bill Fischer (Libertyville, Sr. OL), Ryan Flis (Vernon Hills, Sr. WR/DB), Steve Fox (Warren, SR. K/P), John Gage (Lake Zurich, Sr. OG), Josh Gaido (Lakes, Jr. RB), Tim Gehrke (Lakes, Sr. OL), Tom Gerstner (Antioch, Jr. LB), Anthony Gianaras (Mundelein, Sr. TE/LB), Andre Gidney (Lakes Sr. LB), Brent Gruber (Lakes, Sr. WR), Larry Guerrero (Vernon Hills, Sr. RB/LB), Kevin Guirand (Lakes, Sr. WR), Brad Harper (Libertyville, Sr. OL), Mike Hiestand (Carmel, Sr. LB), Kevin Johnson (Lake Zurich, Sr. S/K), Lance Johnson (Grayslake North, Jr. DE), Dan Kalcsics (Lake Zurich, Sr. RB), John King (Grant, Jr. DL), Andy Kloster (Antioch, Sr. OL), Will Koukal (Lake Zurich, Sr. DL), E.J. Lannon (Vernon Hills, So. LB), Kent Liederbach (Carmel, Sr. OL), Ted Littberg (Wauconda, Jr. DB), Joe Loris (Grant, Sr. WB/DB), Ryan Lund (Grayslake Central, Sr. FB), Patrick Lyons (Carmel, Jr. OL), Ryan Maguire (Warren, Jr. WR/LB), Mike McGlauchlin (Lake Zurich, Sr. LB), Colin McKenzie (Wauconda, Jr. DB), Kurt Mellor (Mundelein, Sr. OL/LB), Dan Michael (Carmel, Sr. LB), Ryan Michel (Vernon Hills, Sr. RB/DB), Aaron Montgomery (Warren, Jr. LB), Tyler Mooney (Vernon Hills, Sr. RB/DB), Robbie Nesbitt (Grayslake North, Sr. RB), Tom Nield (Libertyville, Sr. DL), Steve Palade (Grayslake North, Sr. LB), Luc Pielet (Stevenson, Sr. LB), James Poliquin (Warren, Jr. OL), Lamarr Pottinger (Antioch, Sr. WR), Jarrid Puzes (Stevenson, Sr. LB), Randy Ratajczyk (Lakes, Sr. QB), Izzy Rodriguez (Grant, Jr. RB), Jamell Ross (Mundelein, Sr. RB), Ben Samson (Stevenson,. Jr. OL), Sean Santiago (Mundelein, Sr. OL/DL), Kevin Savage (Grant, Jr. OL/LB), Michael Schafernak (Carmel, Sr. OL), Bill Shaffstall (Warren, Sr. DL), Adam Simpson (Lake Zurich, Sr. RB/LB), Rich Smith (Grayslake Central, Sr. RB), Josh Vravick (Stevenson, Jr. DB), Jordan Welter (Grant, Sr. DL), Charlie Wifler (Carmel, Sr. DL), Jimmy Williams (Wauconda, Sr. WR), Mike Zielinski (Grant, Jr. DL)