Intensity with a master plan

Ever wonder what coaches tell their players before, during and after games? That was my job Friday night, as I got inside the huddle of Ted Monken's St. Charles East football team before, during and after the Saints' Upstate Eight Conference game against South Elgin.

Just what exactly was said? How did the Saints prepare for Week 7? Just how "intense" does Monken get in preparing his players? Did they follow the itinerary Monken printed up for his team? I found out.

Why does the word "intense" keep popping up every time a St. Charles East football player is asked to describe their coach, Ted Monken?

Pat Friel, Wes Allen and Dan White all agreed - in the best way possible - their coach is one intense guy.

Well, most of the time.

"You just never know what you are going to get with Coach Monken," Friel said.

Friel, along with the rest of the Saints, gathered in room B196, also known as the high school's weight room, for Monken's pregame speech against South Elgin on Friday. Monken, in his white and orange visor, has the volume on his voice turned up loud. Students passing by thought he was yelling at the Saints because of something bad, but if they had stuck around long enough, they would have realized Monken was just firing his guys up for another Upstate Eight Conference opponent.

It's 6:25 p.m., and already, the Saints have been together for almost four hours. Right after school, the team began preparing for the Storm with a pregame meal of pasta, homemade sweets and bananas, team stretching, walk-throughs, film and meeting in groups by different positions. For about 10 minutes, Monken talks.

"We are going to win tonight," Monken told his players with authority. "Let's go out there and show them what a football program is all about."

If he doesn't lead the pack in firing up his players, there are plenty of assistant coaches who will, but Monken does a pretty good job on his own.

Monken said that if he doesn't display intensity himself, he's concerned his players won't get up for their opponent, no matter who it is. Sure, the South Elgin is not one of the best teams in the conference, but he just wants his players prepared for anything.

"Football is for four quarters," Monken later said after the Saints beat South Elgin 42-3 in St. Charles at Norris Stadium. "You can't do it lightly. You have to be ready to play, and I try to make sure the kids understand that. It's hard to get up for certain teams, but we try to be intense."

The intense approach was installed in Monken as both a coach's son and as a player at Wheaton North. Monken's father, Bob, was a coach, and his speeches were intense. The same applied when he was a Falcon under coach Jim Rexilius.

"I watched a lot of my father's speeches, which were intense," Monken said. "Then playing for Jim Rexilius ... we weren't allowed to talk in the locker room from Thursday after practice until after the game Friday. The locker room was a place for solitude, quiet and getting ready for the game. Game preparation was everything for us at Wheaton North. There was an era there where we won three state championships in 6 years, and I attributed our success to coaches who knew how to prepare the kids the right way."

At the break, the Saints lead 28-0, so it's a given Monken's halftime speech isn't going to be that intense.

Almost.

After the players run into the heated field house, one assistant coach talks to the offense players and reminds them to "keep a smile on your face." The players are pretty loose. Monken then walks in and begins his talk directly at the offensive linemen.

"We've got to be better," he says. "We are not blocking to our ability."

In a lower tone of voice, he then goes over the plays. There's no real pep talk or need to yell. He doesn't think that's necessary at this point.

"In certain situations, you try to get a feel for where the kids are," Monken said later. "If they aren't doing really poorly, you don't need to jump in their face, screaming and yelling. There are times you need to pick and choose. If you always yell, they will tune out sooner or later."

No need to yell this game, as the Saints finish strong win by 39 points - which is a surprise to Monken.

"I really thought South Elgin was better ... maybe they are better and we just played really well," said Monken, whose Saints improved to 5-2, 4-1. "We are fortunate things bounced our way. Whoever we are playing, we want to be prepared the same way."

Monken kept his postgame speech fairly short. Monken asked the Saints to give a collective "thank you" to Allen, who finished with 4 touchdowns. He then went down a list of things the team didn't do, but then said he was "very pleased with the win." He joked to the Saints that they needed a shower, which one of the players replied, "That smells like a win, coach."

He then reminds all injured players to see the trainers.

"Rest alone isn't all you have to do," he said.

Monken then caps his speech by reminding the Saints who they are playing next week.

Like they really need a reminder.

They are playing St. Charles North, their cross-town conference rival, which is in possession of the key to the city.

"You lost to North last year," Monken reminds them. "They got the key."

White, the Saints' quarterback, knows what's to come in preparing for the North Stars.

"It will be a lot more intense," White said, repeating that "i" word, once again. "It's going to be a tough week of practice, but we'll need it."

Tough week of intense practices and speeches, indeed.

• Do you have a unique or fun idea that involves high school varsity football players? Share your ideas with me at cbolin@dailyherald.com or via phone at (630) 955-3515.