Kaneland looking to light up scoreboard

It's a good thing that three of Kaneland's five returning all-conference players also happen to be academic all-staters.

After all, you are going to have to be good at math to keep track of all the Knights' points this year.

Those five all-conference returnees, led by three-year starting quarterback Joe Camiliere, big lineman Jimmy Boyle and skill position threats Blake Serpa, Taylor Andrews and Tyler Callaghan, figure to make Kaneland's debut in the Big Northern 12 Conference a memorable one.

"We have a lot of guys with experience but not just that we have young guys coming up who can make plays," said Callaghan, one of three players coach Tom Fedderly expects to start two ways. "They can hit the home run on any play.

"Hopefully we can light it up. That is everybody's goal. We should be able to score."

Callaghan and his teammates - along with the rest of the area teams - opened practice Wednesday. Teams have a little more than two weeks to get ready for their Aug. 27th season openers.

Kaneland will be one of the more experienced teams around when the Knights open at Burlington Central.

"We have a lot of weapons, a lot of guys who can do something with the ball," said Camiliere, who threw for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions last year. "We'll keep doing what we've been doing, what we are good at. When we line up all five of those guys I look at them and have confidence. I can go to any of them at any point of the game and they will do something."

All that returning talent makes the graduation of Camiliere's favorite target last year, Ryley Bailey, easier to take. Serpa is a threat both at running back and as a receiver while Callaghan and Andrews give Camiliere two big, athletic targets to find.

Add in Boyle, who Fedderly hopes to just use on the defensive line this year, and these five provide an experienced, talented core.

"We started out together as sophomores, we've all matured and gotten better over the years and now we are ready to be leaders on the team," Camiliere said. "We think the sky is the limit. We have a lot of talent and just have to put things together and do the best we can."

Fedderly is excited not only with the 45 players on varsity - up from 36 - but also the biggest freshman class Kaneland has had.

The Knights will run the spread again this year and hope to keep the scoreboard operator busy.

"We'll throw the ball, throw the ball down the field," Fedderly said. "Joe is looking really good. We really worked hard this summer with conditioning. They are really ready to go. We brought them up as sophomores and said can't wait until they are seniors. It's here now."