Aurora Central wants to finish job
Aurora Central coach Brian Casey has a basic reason why he thinks the Chargers will be improved.
“It’s just year two,” said the second-year head coach.
Increased familiarity between players and coaches, and coaches with each other, greater understanding of program expectations as well as offensive and defensive schemes — it all makes a difference.
So do speed and attitude. Casey believes this team has both.
“The expectations are high in our program. The kids certainly believe they can have a lot of success. We’ll have a lot more team speed than we have had in years past,” Casey said.
“I think we’ll be ... more explosive. On defense we should have a lot more team speed, so we feel we should be able to get a lot more pressure on the backfield and limit the big plays we were victim to in the middle and end of (last) year.”
Nearly a two-platoon squad, ACC returns linebacker Nick Holzer, last season’s second-leading tackler with 74. Linebacker Luke Dickerson and defensive backs Kyle Clechenko and Kyle Ritli have the burst to come off the edge.
Casey welcomes back junior defensive end Jake McCarthy, who didn’t play in 2010 but ruled on the sophomore level as a freshman; the coach sees junior Anthony Andujar as a lockdown cornerback, if healthy.
Defensive linemen Joe Anger (285 pounds), Nick Tansor (220) and Adan Corberia (265) aim to at least create a stalemate so the speed guys can operate.
“We have a number of guys that can run and have a nose for the football,” Casey said.
Clechenko, last season’s top wingback with 523 yards and 5 touchdowns, will shift full-time to quarterback, where he played some last season. Casey noted Clechenko is mainly a running threat, but has been impressed by his improved passing. To avoid opponents crowding the line against the double-wing set the Chargers will need a semblance of balance even fielding returning starting linemen A.T. White, Izzy Rosa, Joe Cisneros and Alex Karafiat.
Last season Aurora Central scored only 3 touchdowns of 30 or more yards, 2 by Marcus Jefferson and 1 by Steven Amoni. Each returns to the backfield, joined by Dickerson and sophomore Brian Bohr.
To nab their first playoff slot since 1997, the Chargers must avoid the second-half lapses Casey said plagued them last season. They’ll need to score more than 59 percent of the time in the red zone.
Finishing is the mantra.
“If we can finish as well as we can start we’re a playoff team,” Casey said. “Our players believe it, our staff believes it, and now it’s time to go out and prove ourselves right.”
Aurora Central breakdown
Coach: Brian Casey (second year, 3-6).
2009 record: 3-6, 2-3, fourth place in SCC Gold.
Postseason: Last playoff appearance in 1997.
Last five years (starting in 2006): 1-8, 2-7, 0-9, 1-8, 3-6
Total: 7-38
2011 Enrollment: 529
Schedule
Date Opponent Time
8/26 Rockford Luther. 7:30
9/3 Marengo 4:00
9/9 I. Conception 7:30*
9/16 Chicago Christ. 7:30*
9/23 at Marian 7:00
9/30 at Guerin 7:00*
10/8 at Walther Luth. 1:00*
10/14 Wheaton Acad. 7:30
10/21 at Aur. Christian 7:00*
* denotes conference game
Probable starters
Offense (Double-wing)
Pos. Name Ht/Wt Yr.
QB Kyle Clechenko 6-1/200 Sr.*
FB Marcus Jefferson 5-8/175 Sr.*
WB Steven Amoni 5-11/195 Jr.*
WB Brian Bohr 5-9/160 So.
LE Jesse Valenzuela 5-11/180 Sr.
RE Matt Nass 6-3/160 Jr. LT A.T. White 6-2/230 Sr.*
LG Izzy Rosa 6-2/215 Jr.* C Joe Cisneros 5-8/180 Jr.*
RG Alex Karafiat 6-1/220 Sr.*
RT Luke Faltz 6-4/225 Jr.
PK Kevin Bond 5-9/145 Sr.*
Defense (Multiple)
Pos. Name Ht/Wt Yr.
DE Jake McCarthy 6-3/190 Jr.
NT Nick Tanzor 5-11/220 Jr.
DT Joe Anger 6-5/285 Sr.*
DE Pat Marcoux 6-1/190 Jr.*
OLB Steve Belovich 5-9/185 Jr.
MLB Nick Holzer 6-0/180 Sr.*
OLB Kyle Ritli 6-1/170 Sr.*
SS Cody Ekstrom 6-0/155 So.
FS Tyler Nelson 5-11/145 Jr.*
CB Javier Liz 5-10/155 Jr.
CB Anthony Andujar 5-7/135 Jr.
P Michael O’Donnell 6-1/155 Jr.
* denotes returning starter