Guess what - Wauconda will still run

Too bad. No more Brad.

Which is probably not a bad thing for Wauconda football opponents.

For the last three years the Bulldogs have given the ball to running back Brad Wisniewski and steadily improved on the field.

Wisniewski graduated, however, and is now putting on the pads at Wyoming. He rushed for nearly 4,200 yards the last three years and averaged nearly 30 carries per game the last two. Last season he was named a Class 5A all-stater after rushing for 1,602 yards and 23 touchdowns in helping Wauconda reach the state playoffs for the first time since 1998. The Bulldogs won 7 games, three more than they did the previous year.

While their workhorse has gone, the Bulldogs will still work the same way.

They'll rush the football. A lot.

"We'll always be a running team," said coach Glen Kozlowski, whose Bulldogs have increased their win total in each of the last three seasons. "It'll be different guys. We'll try to use our quarterback differently this year. But it still comes down to, we like to attack you at the line of scrimmage and run straight at you. Here we come, try to stop us."

While the offense also lost all-conference tight end Davis Mills to graduation, the returnees include senior quarterback Garrett Dorsey, senior right tackle Charlie Balfour, senior center Josh Collins and senior right guard Nick Eiserman. Balfour and Eiserman and four- and three-year varsity starters, respectively.

Dorsey, who was called up his sophomore year, qualified for the state track meet in the 400 meters last May.

What does Kozlowski expect from his senior QB?

"Big things," he said. "He's going to make the whole thing work. He's a 4.5 (speed) 40 (dash) kid. He's one of the fastest kids on the field, so we're going to use his feet and his arm. That's a tough thing to defend when your quarterback can run and throw."

Trying to replace Wisniewski's productivity in the offensive backfield will be senior Colin McKenzie (a two-time all-NSC defensive back) and senior Sean Lichterman. They're expected to share the carries, starting tonight when the Bulldogs host Huntley in their 2008 opener.

"We'll still give it to our feature back 40 times a game," Kozlowski said. "But it may be 25 to Colin and 15 to Lichterman. And they're both distinct styles. Sean is a slasher where he's straight ahead. Colin McKenzie sees the field better and cuts. It'll be a changeup for the defense, too, to see a different type of running back."

Besides McKenzie, Wauconda returns another all-NSC defensive back in Ted Litberg, who'll start at fullback, as well. McKenzie will focus on playing running back but will also get snaps on defense. Cover man Zac Dovark, inside linebackers Lichterman and Erik Blomberg and end Cody Freeman also played plenty last fall. Eiserman will line up at nose. Kozlowski anticipates a breakout season from linebacker David Meeks. Darrien Kamai also will start up front.

"The strength of our team on both sides of the ball," Kozlowski said, "is the returning D-linemen and the O-linemen."