Batavia's 'O' primed for monster season

Offense fireworks that would rival most Independent Day celebrations are expected at Batavia this fall.

But snuffing out those of the opponent looks to be a big concern for a Bulldogs team that aims to improve on a .500 finish a season ago and make a sixth consecutive playoff appearance.

The Bulldogs' offense, which is likely to start 10, if not all, seniors, is led by the return of quarterback Jordan Coffey (109-of-228, 1,626 yards, 15 TD passes), evasive running back Bai Kabba (104 carries, 857 yards, 8 TD runs) and Erich Zeddies and Ryan Webb, who combined for 51 catches and 906 yards in 2007.

"No question, our biggest strength is our offensive team," Batavia coach Mike Gaspari said. "We're very senior-dominated on that side of the ball with a number of returning starters and guys who played key roles in our scoring."

Coffey showed signs of brilliance last fall, but also struggled at times. Gaspari believes Coffey is ready for a great year as a senior, especially with the threat of the elusive Kabba, fullbacks Evan Olexa and Mike Greco and returning linemen, such as Alex Berg and Phil Livingston.

"After having a pretty good game in the state championship (in 2006), it probably set some unrealistic expectations by people outside the program and I think he felt some of that last year," Gaspari said. "This year he's grown in leaps and bounds in his leadership and demeanor and seems much more comfortable. And, we're going to need him and the offense to score some points early and hope the defense matures as the season goes on."

Keeping defenses in the Western Sun Conference from being comfortable shouldn't be a problem for the Bulldogs, but developing their own defense that isn't constantly crushed and steamrolled has Gaspari and his staff concerned.

"We're younger defensively with less experience and nowhere near as many returning starters," he said. "To help shore that up we'll probably play a few kids both ways earlier in the season and then that could help build some depth."

Look for Zeddies, Webb and Berg, all standouts in their own right on offense, to be called on for defense, especially as the Bulldogs see a mix of attacks from the diverse Western Sun.

"The unique aspect at this level is the variation of offensive attacks you have to prepare for each week," Gaspari said. "Rochelle's is smash mouth, run-oriented and Kaneland spreads you all over, so you have to do a lot of changing on the fly."

While many of the defenders might not be well known, they have experienced their share of success. Last year's junior class went 8-1 as sophomores. They'll be working overtime to strengthen themselves into a well-built, fundamentally sound unit.

"The nice thing is that with the number of kids we have it's been very competitive in practice and will make us stronger," Gaspari said. "We've improved every day since summer camp and hopefully the same happens this season. I think we'll be a lot better in Week 9 then in Week 1."

When they'll visit Geneva.