D-line on stingy Rolling Meadows' success

Rolling Meadows senior Bubba Lockett went on the offensive to compare the bonds forged with Erick Louis-Charles and Jordan Farnum on the front line of the Mid-Suburban League's stingiest defense.

"It's like a quarterback-wide receiver type of thing," Lockett said and smiled. "But we don't like quarterbacks."

The dangerous Miles Osei will be this week's object of their disdain in Friday's 7:30 p.m. Mid-Suburban East showdown at Prospect.

But Lockett, Louis-Charles and Farnum, who all live in Mount Prospect, have also showed they don't care for a lot of quarterbacks, running backs and offensive linemen in fueling a young defense orchestrated by Tony Wolanski which has allowed only 188.8 yards a game.

"Now they're doing much better playing at the speed which allows them to have success," said Meadows coach Doug Millsaps. "The front three, they've really allowed us to get there, especially 'L-C' and Jordan."

And they've led the Mustangs to at least a share of their fourth MSL East title since 1999 and a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. The 5-foot-11, 227-pound Louis-Charles, who has 7 sacks, said what they're doing up front "started last year and has grown this year."

Louis-Charles played linebacker as a freshman but moved to the defensive line when he was promoted to the varsity as a sophomore. He had two sacks and another stop for a loss in the first half of Friday's 26-19 win over Buffalo Grove.

"He's gifted," Millsaps said of the athletic ability Louis-Charles showed later in the game on a tiebreaking 15-yard touchdown run for his third score in two weeks.

Lockett (5-10, 245) was supposed to play offensive line this year but stayed on defense after their summer camp trip to Indianapolis where the Mustangs faced perennial powerhouses East St. Louis and Indianapolis Warren Central.

Farnum (6-1, 235), who was at Prospect his first two years before transferring to Meadows, has always been on the line since he was 8 years old.

So, they all agree they're in the perfect spot to make an impact in the Mustangs' 3-4 scheme.

"Our communication is pretty good and we have a pretty good friendship on the D-line," Farnum said.

"If one person isn't there for the tackle," Lockett said, "another one of us is right there."

But they weren't completely together in their opinions of how Meadows' defense has developed this year.

"What we're doing this year isn't even close to what I expected," Farnum said. "All our guys stepped up. There isn't one person who hasn't on our defense."

Lockett said he isn't surprised.

"Before we went to summer camp in Indianapolis we were really young," Lockett said, "but going against East St. Louis and Warren, everything clicked."

Leave it to Louis-Charles to provide some middle ground.

"I think the only surprise was how fast we got it together," he said.

It became evident when Meadows led until the final two minutes of a 21-20 loss at unbeaten Fremd.

"After that game everybody knew we could compete with the best," Louis-Charles said.

They're looking for more chances to prove it the next few weeks.