Schlueter expects Jacobs to improve every week
Jacobs football practices were characterized by a heightened sense of urgency this month as position battles raged for 16 vacant starting jobs.
To what degree such a highly competitive camp has battle hardened the relatively inexperienced Golden Eagles will be a determining factor in their ability to contend for the title in the Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference.
The all-FVC backfield of quarterback Kyle Magnuson and running backs Darius Bowers and Bobby Molinaro graduated along with five other seniors who together combined for 2,535 of the team's 2,557 total yards from scrimmage last year and 30 of its 33 touchdowns.
Jacobs returns two starters on offense: senior split end Nathan Mohlman (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) and junior guard Eric Becker (6-2, 220).
Four senior starters return on defense: cornerback Jason Wilwerth (5-10, 160), linebacker Joe Kordecki (5-10, 190), strong safety John Bolz (5-10, 170) and defensive lineman Scott Baumbich (6-0, 190).
Kordecki was the team's fourth-leading tackler last season with 25 solo and 25 assists. Wilwerth made 34 solo tackles with 6 assists while Bolz finished with 19 solos and 6 assists.
The other 16 positions will be filled by players who emerge from what coach Dean Schlueter said was a healthy preseason battle between the other 48 varsity players.
"We think we have good competition at each spot, and we think that's one of our strengths because competition makes you better," Schlueter said. "We think we can make improvements every day and we can play a lot of guys. We're counting on that to get us to where we want to get."
To get to the end zone this season, some unproven players at the varsity level will have to develop into playmakers, starting with the quarterback in the wing-T offense. That position will be played either by senior Collin Carter (5-9, 165), senior Chris Zaio (5-11, 155) or junior Alec Starr (6-2, 185).
"It's pretty close, so we'll just see if one emerges," Schlueter said on of the quarterback competition on Monday. "We want to play a lot of guys, but we have a standard of performance we expect, so we'll see how it goes."
Running backs will include seniors Jai Bradford (5-5, 175) and Adam Dybeck (5-10, 180), junior Dale Cook (5-9, 170) and senior Scott Crescenti (5-7, 150), who transferred from Naperville North.
At fullback will be senior Jay Garfield (5-8, 190), Kordecki and junior Ruben Balleno (5-8, 210).
Expected to play alongside Becker in the trenches are seniors Sean Cook (6-4, 235), Matt Miguel (6-0, 220) and Abdullah Syed (5-8, 205), junior Jason Cha (5-11, 220) and sophomore call-up Erik Hansen (6-1, 260).
Without a roster rich in household names, Jacobs enters tonight's season opener at Moline under the radar. The Eagles will learn what works and what doesn't right away against a program that has qualified for the playoffs the last four seasons. The Maroons lost to East St. Louis in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs last year.
"Every year has its own challenges, but we're looking at this in a positive way," Schlueter said of the many new starters. "We're looking at this like we can get it done. After the time we spent over the summer and through doubles, we think we can get it done if we have a high desire. And it seems like this team has a high desire."