Rams feel like they're ready

Coming into his first season last year, Grayslake Central coach Nick Goshe didn't have much preparation time.

He was hired in late July, just a few weeks before the official start of the season.

That meant that he didn't have a chance to implement much of a summer weightlifting or conditioning program. And he says it showed on the field and in his team's 0-9 record.

"We got pushed all over the place last year," Goshe said. "We may have been the weakest team in the state of Illinois. Definitely top five."

That's changing.

With a full year to implement his system and ideals, Goshe is happy with his team's evolution, particularly in the weight room.

Goshe measures his players' strength by tracking four different lifts: the squat, clean, bench and dead lift. He adds up what the player lifts to determine an overall weight lifted.

Last year, the Rams had five players in the "1,000-pound club."

"This year, we've got over 20," Goshe said proudly. "Our strength should be a strength this year if we use it to our advantage. It's one thing to be strong, it's another to play strong.

"If we play strong, we won't just be trying to hold our ground, we should be gaining ground."

The Rams' offense could make a lot of big gains with an experienced offensive line, some explosive running backs and veteran quarterback Kevin O'Rourke, whose top targets include receivers Mick Daly and Michael Katona.

Overall, Grayslake Central returns six starters on offense, including linemen Angelo Gargano, Kevin Reynolds and Phil Nicodemus.

O'Rourke is now completely healthy after limping through his junior year with an injured knee.

"He looks really good," Goshe said of O'Rourke. "He's a three-sport athlete so he's never out of shape and he's always competitive. He's got a big arm, a big gun, and we're expecting a lot of good things out of him."

Ditto for the team's stable of running backs.

Goshe says that at least five players will be getting consistent reps out of the backfield, including newcomers Nick Mandich, Mike Gentile, Doug Pate and James Sinclair. Fullback Cassidy Melton, a starter last year, will also be in the mix.

Defensively, Grayslake Central returns five players, including linebackers Brian Valdivia and Melton, linemen Bobby Traske and Kendall Smith and Pate, a cornerback.

"We've gotten stronger, we have a different attitude, this is a different team," Goshe said. "I can't see 0-9 happening again. I think we're going to go into every game with the mentality that it's a winnable game for us. I don't know if we could say that very often last year."