Maroons open a new era
A new era in Elgin's 102 years of varsity football dawns tonight when alum Dave Bierman leads the team he once played for into action at Plainfield Central.
The new coach excels at teaching the spread offense, a scheme that works well for teams that possess speed and talent at the skill positions but not much size up front.
That description fits Elgin's roster of 32 aptly, says the new coach.
"The big question mark is going to be up front," Bierman said. "How well can we handle the physical part of the game? I think if you don't have a lot of big kids, fundamentally, you have to play with leverage."
Elgin has the skilled building blocks of a potent offensive attack, beginning with a true cornerstone in three-year starting quarterback Tom Roth (6-foot, 170 pounds).
Roth was a key member of the school's supersectional basketball team last winter and its most valuable baseball player in the spring. He directed a version of the spread offense last year under former coach Tom Kim and completed 75-of-165 passing attempts for 1,686 yards and 16 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions.
Wide receiver Tim Newcombe (6-2, 170) and tight end Joe Wade (6-0, 177) have been the most consistent pass catchers in camp, but Roth will also throw to senior Matt Webb (5-8, 158), junior Alan Walker (5-5, 130) and Jamal Cook (5-9, 173), when the latter isn't lined up in the backfield.
The Maroons will feel the loss of three-year starter Kenny Williams, who accounted for 884 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing and 440 yards and 3 touchdowns receiving. The opportunity now falls to Cook (12 carries for 53 yards last year), junior Cory Michalik (5-10, 180) and senior fullback Cody Thomas (5-5, 201).
Spreading the field could make it easier to run block for an offensive line manned by tackles Brad Kruse (6-2, 198) and Adam Jazwiec (5-10, 225), guards Hector Hernandez (5-10, 205) and Erik McGinn (5-9, 186) and center Erik Thiel (6-0, 170). McGinn is a senior who started last year and Hernandez, a junior, saw significant playing time.
Cook and Thomas are also key players on defense. Cook was a force at safety last year. He led the Maroons with 9 sacks - more than the rest of the team combined - recovered 4 fumbles, made 6 tackles for a loss and ranked third on the team in tackles (39 solo, 6 assists). He'll be part of a secondary by committee that includes Wade, Walker and Roth sometimes playing both ways.
"We have to be smart about our substitutions," Bierman said. "We have to get some kids a drink here and there to get them going."
Thomas returns 30 solo tackles and 11 assists to the middle linebacker position. Hernandez and senior Jake Juarez (5-11, 210) will try to plug the middle from their tackle positions while ends Julian Smith (6-0, 176) and Kruse attempt to string pitches out and steer plays back toward Thomas and outside linebackers McGinn and Michalik.
"We just can't have gashes straight ahead," Bierman said. "We have to make sure we can divert the ball so we can have bodies running to it and do what we do best, which is run to the ball.
"We have to stay healthy, but skill-wise I think we can compete, based on my experience the last few years, with just about everybody we're going to see,"