Montini is determined to win another

Montini worked magic a year early, by Broncos coach Chris Andriano's timeline.

This season, these seniors in the Class of 2011 this was the team he targeted to win a state football title. He called it "an expectation."

"This was a special class. A lot of talent, tough kids, very good athletically. We had high hopes for this group ever since they came (to Montini)," Andriano said.

"This was the year of the senior class that was like Garrett Goebel, Johnny Borsellino, Chuck Porcelli, Dex Jones. Those guys were special players. And this group had all the ingredients."

Those first players, the Class of 2008, had all the scholarship offers. Goebel is at Ohio State, Porcelli is at Northwestern, Jones is at Western Michigan after transferring from Wisconsin.

What they don't have these seniors already own precious rings and a trophy three feet high from the Broncos' 2009 5A championship won with guile and guts, 29-28 over Joliet Catholic.

Two-year starting seniors Frank Baer, Pat Suffield, Mac Robinson, Frank Montalto and Zech "Bubba" Tredenick and three-year starters Doug Diedrick, Alex Walters, Ross Ferraro and Matt Kersten look to heft more hardware after Saturday's 5A game against Chatham Glenwood.

"We've been looking forward to this group and pointing toward a state championship," Andriano said.

Success hasn't fattened the Class of 2011. In the Broncos' 27-14 semifinal win last week over Kaneland, all-state linebacker Diedrick was all over the place and Ferraro led the Broncos with 12 tackles from his defensive tackle position, including one he and Walters converged on to knock the quarterback out of the game.

On that field afterward Andriano said a loss would probably have been the most disappointing outcome in his 32 years as football coach.

A title game loss this Saturday, however, would be perhaps his greatest disappointment.

"This would be one of the biggest regrets of my coaching career, but also of these young guys' lives to this point," Andriano said.

They too realized the promise they held.

"Ever since freshman year we knew our class had great potential, and we knew if we worked hard enough we would be able to accomplish anything. And winning a state championship, it can't get much better than that," said Diedrick, who has played with Walters, Kersten and junior linebacker Franklin Bruscianelli since they were grade-schoolers at St. Joan of Arc School in Lisle.

Playing together that long, Diedrick said, "You really learn you're able to count on people."

That's why he couldn't back out when he felt his right knee buckle in June. Diedrick decided against season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL, which he'll take into Champaign, limping slightly.

"I don't feel it while I play," he said.

Tredenick wasn't about to quit either after tearing the meniscus in one of his knees. He sat out Week 6 against Marian Central but that was it.

"We're all going to get our surgeries together after the season," Diedrick said.

"It's your senior year. I didn't want to let my teammates down. I didn't want to let myself down. I worked so hard, even if that meant giving up my leg it sounded good to me."

What sounds good to Andriano is a quote he's memorized from the ancient Persian poet-astrologer Omar Khayyám. It helps guide him and, by extension, guides the Montini football team: On the plain of hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions who, on the dawn of victory, stopped to rest and resting died.

"We don't ever want to stop and rest," Andriano said. "We will and you can quote me we will complete our task. This is a very focused football team."