St. Viator aims to surprise some people

St. Viator took a surprise football field trip back in June.

Head coach Chris Kirkpatrick didn't let his players know where they were going as they piled into a few vans and started traveling south.

The destination was the place every high school football player and coach in the state wants to be on Thanksgiving weekend. The University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

"I was kind of surprised," said Viator senior linebacker Sean Conerty before his team's second session on Wednesday's first official day of practice around the state. "We went on the field and checked out the facilities. I thought it might be something we might do."

It is also something Viator believes it can do to finish this season. Play for and win one of the eight grand prizes awarded - most likely in Class 6A - to the state's top football teams.

Similar optimism reigns throughout the state right now before it eventually gives way to reality. And the reality is Viator is coming off a pair of 4-5 seasons.

"After the last two years we've had there's no reason to believe we should," Conerty said of outsider skepticism on the Lions' high hopes.

"Which is fine," said Viator senior quarterback and third-year varsity player Julian Sipiora.

Believing in what others might not see is fine with Kirkpatrick as he enters his eighth year in charge. He's never been one to pump up his team when it's unwarranted just to garner some attention.

So his belief in the Lions this year is attention-getting.

"I'm going to take some criticism for this, but why set your goals low?" Kirkpatrick said. "Set your goals for the highest level and if you don't reach them, you don't reach them.

"I told the kids you open yourself up to some criticism when you say things like that. But you also have to believe and expect that and let the naysayers say what they will."

Even when some of them are within your own walls.

"When he (Kirkpatrick) made a T-shirt about us winning state and hung it in the weight room," Sipiora said, "he received a lot of ridicule, and so did we. It motivates us to prove everyone wrong."

But Kirkpatrick already saw the kind of motivation he wanted last winter and through the rest of the off-season. Nobody was blowing off workouts or other crucial preparation time.

"The expectations and goals we've set with this group, we know we can reach it," said third-year varsity starting wide receiver Richard McLoughlin. "It's definitely the most committed group I've been around.

"Everyone (in every class) has bonded and that hasn't happened since I've been on the varsity."

There is no shortage of talent starting with the multi-talented Sipiora helping set the tone for success.

"He's a good leader and I think he has the mindset of the goal of the team first in mind," Kirkpatrick said. "He's very competitive and I think he's one of the best quarterbacks in the area."

Sipiora has experienced targets in McLoughlin, Jake Mastrangeli and David Alameda. Senior offensive tackle Aaron Shuff started last year and junior Pat O'Malley moves from receiver to provide the running game.

The defense has speed with Conerty, nose tackle Connor Ptacin, junior end Anthony Pensa and linebackers Jack Etchingham and Matt Barry back.

And one of best parts is having 67 of them - the largest roster in Kirkpatrick's tenure - so guys such as Sipiora, Mastrangeli and Alameda shouldn't have to be on the field all 48 minutes.

"With the depth and experience we have, we feel someone else can come in and do the job as good as a first-stringer," Sipiora said.

It won't be easy in the East Suburban Catholic Conference. The Lions miss Carmel on this year's schedule but still have a trip to perennial power Joliet Catholic and matchups with playoff qualifiers St. Patrick, Marist and Notre Dame.

The Lions hope it all prepares them for a nice, long postseason run. Even head basketball coach and former football assistant Joe Majkowski probably wouldn't be disappointed if one of his top guns is a late arrival.

"I hope we miss out on that tournament," McLoughlin smiled of Viator's annual Thanksgiving tourney. "That's what we keep saying - we won't be home for Thanksgiving."

Which would also be pretty historic for a program which has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

"If we did that and beyond, that would be unbelievable," Conerty said.

It actually seems believable to the players who gathered together and chanted "One-two-three, state" before starting their late-afternoon practice Wednesday.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com