Northwest All-Area football team

Josh Baldus Palatine

Big-time schools such as Auburn are inquiring about Palatine's 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior, a two-year starter on the offensive line who became a force on the defensive side at midseason with 27 tackles. "In his first start (defensively) you said, 'Wow,' with the way he split double teams," said coach Tyler Donnelly. "Offensively he's unbelievable as far as the way he can bend, pick up kids and pancake them."

Ryan Barr Fremd

There were a lot of holes to fill on Fremd's defense but Barr did his part as one of only two returning starters. The senior linebacker led the team in tackles with 76, had 3 tackles for losses and an interception. "He's an extremely intelligent kid and a tremendous leader, especially with all of the younger kids on the varsity," said coach Mike Donatucci. "He stepped up when kids are supposed to step up."

Dejan Basara Elk Grove

Basara did many things for Elk Grove play quarterback, linebacker and tight end, kick field goals and extra points and snap on punts. Most important for the Mid-Suburban League's top point scorer with 132 was the way he lifted the Grenadiers to an East title and trip to the 7A quarterfinals. "You can't replace Dejan," said coach Brian Doll. "His leadership and personality are second to none."

Jesse Bobbit Palatine

Palatine feels pretty secure knowing the all-state safety, Mid-Suburban West defensive player of the year and Division I prospect is returning for his fourth year as a varsity starter. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Bobbit's 6 interceptions put him at 15 for his career, tying the school record by 1997 all-area captain and position coach Sergio Lund. He also had 74 tackles and 2 blocked punts. "No matter where he's at he makes plays," said coach Tyler Donnelly.

Sean Carney St. Viator

Carney was versatile and successful on Viator's offensive line and his work was recognized with consecutive all-East Suburban Catholic Conference team selections. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound senior played guard and tackle and also took some snaps on defense. "He was one of the best linemen in our league," said coach Chris Kirkpatrick. "When we had success it was because of him anchoring that line."

Artie Checchin Rolling Meadows

When Jack Milas threw the ball near Checchin he was usually catching it. The 6-foot-2 senior and Mid-Suburban East offensive player of the year had 70 catches for 1,052 yards and 14 TDs and he also had 2 interceptions. "In my mind he's one of the best receivers in the state this year," said coach Matt Mishler. "He was a great leader and had a way of putting the team on his back and getting guys to follow him."

Matt Cullen Conant

A year of starting experience made a huge difference as Cullen led Conant to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The senior completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 1,739 yards and 17 TDs and was only intercepted twice. "He had a great year making decisions with the ball," said coach Bill Modelski, "getting the chains moving and getting the ball in the hands of the people who could do the damage."

Dan Egan Elk Grove

Egan made a big jump from part-time player to full-time force on both sides of the line with 53 tackles, 22 stops for losses and 12 sacks. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound potential Division I recruit is preparing for more next year. "Dan was mentored so well by Greg (Johnsen)," said coach Brian Doll. "I'm impressed with how he's a student of the game and he's really taken over a leadership role already."

Sam Frasco Prospect

Frasco believed he could make the transition from receiver to quarterback. It turned out to be a success as he rushed for 1,095 yards and 13 TDs and passed for 919 and 8 TDs to lead Prospect to a seventh straight playoff berth. "He's a competitive kid who was going to try to make every play possible because that's his nature," said coach Mike Sebestyen. "This is a kid you want to have the ball in his hands."

Ryan Gundersen Rolling Meadows

A wild 50-49 win over York in the opener was a prelude of what was ahead for Gundersen as he forced a crucial fumble and scored fourth-quarter TDs on a punt return and catch. The versatile senior caught 41 passes for 537 yards and 6 TDs, ran for 3 TDs and had 2 interceptions. "A lot of times if Ryan had a good game we ended up having a real good game, especially offensively," said coach Matt Mishler.

Sam Handler Barrington

Handler proved he could handle a lot in his three varsity seasons. This year he caught 39 passes for 495 yards and 5 TDs, had 41 tackles, 2 interceptions and 5 pass breakups in the secondary and returned kicks and punts. "He was able to do whatever we needed and he really elevated his play," said coach Joe Sanchez. "He just came up with clutch plays for us on both sides of the ball."

Greg Johnsen Elk Grove

The Mid-Suburban East defensive player of the year and all-state two-way lineman was a regular visitor in opposing backfields with 25 tackles for losses and 12 sacks among his 101 tackles for the 7A quarterfinalist. "He was a game-changer for us," said coach Brian Doll. "He's extremely hard to block up front and he changed what a lot of teams were comfortable doing offensively."

Frank Kalble Hersey

Anyone who had the ball near Kalble was going to know the senior was there for the Huskies. "He was our hardest hitter and a physical guy," said coach Dragan Teonic. "He made guys around him tougher and brought the standard of physicality up at Hersey." Kalble had 39 solo tackles and 25 assists, forced 2 fumbles and had 4 interceptions for a much-improved defense.

Cam Kuksa Palatine

An electrifying 50-yard interception return for a TD in Week 3 made an impression on what Kuksa could do offensively. The junior started getting the ball in his hands regularly two weeks later and rushed for 594 yards and 7 TDs, caught 30 passes for 437 yards and 4 TDs and had 63 tackles and 5 interceptions. "He plays like he has a chip on his shoulder," said coach Tyler Donnelly. "He's out to prove something on every single play."

Fernando Lozano Elk Grove

Lozano was the complement to Jeff Miceli at receiver and in the secondary and the senior was also the Grenadiers' most dangerous speed threat. He caught 44 passes for 660 yards and 4 TDs and was also a running threat. "He was a quiet leader," said coach Brian Doll. "He spent a ton of time making sure he maintained his footwork and ran his routes the best way he can."

Nelson Lugo Leyden

Having a defensive coordinator (Tony Zitzka) who loves to blitz was perfect for Lugo. The third-year starter and repeat all-area pick wound up with many of his 91 solo tackles and 110 total stops behind the line of scrimmage. "He was a great blitzing linebacker," said coach Tom Cerasani. "He got into the backfield better than I've seen anybody do it. He was just a playmaker and a great leader."

John Maevski Conant

Maevski fit right into Conant's tradition of linebackers who aren't imposing but leave a big impression. The 6-foot, 175-pound senior fueled an improved defense with 68 solo tackles and 15 assists and had 170 and 46 respectively for his career. "His ability to diagnose (plays) and run things down was pretty special," said coach Bill Modelski. "We knew if we were out of position somewhere he would run it down."

Tim Manczko Conant

Coach Bill Modelski thought Manczko could be his best player and the 6-foot-3 junior ended up as the Mid-Suburban West offensive player of the year. He caught 59 passes for 752 yards and 7 TDs three on bubble screens he took 65 yards or longer rushed for 5 TDs and had 2 interceptions. "His intelligence and fire are what really sets him apart," Modelski said. "There's nothing on the field this guy can't do."

Jeff Miceli Elk Grove

The Grenadiers' man for all seasons had a big one in football after an all-area volleyball spring. The senior, who also plays basketball, caught 27 passes for 463 yards and 3 TDs and intercepted 3 passes. "He was a vocal leader and he got people going when things were down at times," said coach Brian Doll. "He was by far the most athletic kid on our team and a great personality on our team."

Jack Milas Rolling Meadows

Milas' magic touch on 66 percent of his 309 passes led to prolific results for the junior and Meadows. Milas threw for 2,670 yards and 29 TDs with only 8 interceptions after starting half of the games as a sophomore. "We knew after last year he had a chance to be pretty special," said coach Matt Mishler. "He's incredibly accurate for a high school quarterback for as many times as we threw it."

Jake Mueller Hersey

Mueller's improvement mirrored that of the Hersey defense as the senior cornerback's 6 interceptions doubled the team's total from 2010. He also had 33 tackles and 9 assists. "He did everything we asked and became bigger, stronger and faster than the year before," said coach Dragan Teonic. "His hard work showed up on the field and he became a good player at stopping the run and defending the pass."

Chase Murdock Barrington

It was no secret Murdock was going to carry the offensive load for Barrington. The senior did with 1,536 yards rushing and 20 TDs in his third 1,000-yard season. But the Division I prospect also added full-time linebacker duties and had 52 tackles, 7 tackles for losses and 2 sacks. "That's where I'm most proud of him," said coach Joe Sanchez. "It was something he wanted to and we needed him to do and he did it very well."

Paul Perschon Conant

Perschon was a big success story as the 6-foot-5, 303-pound senior left tackle went from the freshman "B" team to earning a scholarship to Toledo. "Paulie might be the best offensive lineman I've seen in all the (25) years I've been here," said coach Bill Modelski. "He really stepped up and wore the hat of a guy who was going to dominate the line of scrimmage at his position. He lived up to his billing."

Lucas Rago Palatine

Another of Palatine's group of juniors who used the education they received as sophomore starters. The 6-foot-2 Rago moved from outside linebacker to the middle to lead the Pirates in tackles with 95 while also seeing a lot of time on offense. "He was our run stopper and he's very, very athletic," said coach Tyler Donnelly. "He runs guys down sideline to sideline. He really came into his own this year."

Dan Riddle Palatine

Solving this Riddle was much tougher in the cornerback's second year as a starter on the Mid-Suburban League's top defense. The junior had 70 tackles and 3 interceptions and played a more prominent role at receiver late in the year. "He really came on as the season went on," said coach Tyler Donnelly. "He's got the hardest job on our defense of our secondary guys because he always gets matched up 1-on-1."

Cole Reyes Schaumburg

Schaumburg hopes Reyes' junior year is a prelude to even bigger things as the safety had 100 tackles and 3 interceptions. "If you watched him perform for any significant amount of time it was pretty obvious the potential he has to be a difference-maker," said coach Mark Stilling. "I don't think there's any limit to how good he could be next year and we're looking to find ways to get him more involved."

John Serio Palatine

Teams are going to see more of Serio next year after his performance at linebacker in the second round of the playoffs. They've already seen a lot of the 6-foot-1, 221-pound junior with the ball as he rushed for 921 yards and 13 TDs and showed the ability to pass as well. "He's going to be a standout two-way player," said coach Tyler Donnelly. "He's a complete player and he's very competitive."

Stefan Skoneczka Elk Grove

To say Skoneczka played bigger than 5-foot-4 is a big understatement. The senior rushed for 763 yards and 6 TDs, caught 28 passes and was regarded as the best blocking running back assistant Mike Mullaney saw in 42 years of coaching. He also had 11 tackles for losses at linebacker. "He was the heart of our team," said coach Brian Doll. "He cared so much about the game and the team."

Austin Tixier Prospect

Teams tried their best to take away Tixier but the third-year starter and 6-foot-3, 242-pound senior inevitably took control up front. Tixier had 8 sacks, 24 quarterback pressures, 5 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries while also playing much of the season on the offensive line for the first time. "He's an athletically gifted kid who worked his tail off to get better," said coach Mike Sebestyen.

Dan Voltz Barrington

The Wisconsin-bound Voltz has established himself as one of the standard-setters for Barrington's impressive legacy of offensive lineman. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Voltz is a two-time all-area pick who helped pave the way for all-area running back Chase Murdock. "The tradition was already high and he was able to come in and set the bar even higher," said coach Joe Sanchez, "with the way he does things - and gets after it every single snap."

Rich Zirngibl Buffalo Grove

Zirngibl did a lot as he passed for 1,156 yards and 5 TDs, rushed for 686 yards and 11 TDs and was second on the team in tackles with 82 at safety. But a 103-yard fumble return TD against Hersey exemplified what the senior meant to BG. "If there was going to be any play to be made out there, Rich put himself in the best position to make his teammates successful," said coach Jim Farrell.

Dylan Zyzda Barrington

Zyzda wasn't fazed by any phase he was involved in this year. The senior caught 23 passes for 345 yards and 2 TDs, returned 28 kicks and punts for 490 yards and a TD, set three school kick return records and was a key in the secondary for the second straight year. "This year he became a triple threat," said coach Joe Sanchez. "When we needed big plays on offense, defense and special teams, he made them."

2011 Football All-Area Roster

Player School Pos. Yr.

Josh Baldus Palatine OL-DL Jr.

Ryan Barr Fremd LB Sr.

Dejan Basara* Elk Grove AP Sr.

Jesse Bobbit Palatine DB-WR Jr.

Sean Carney St. Viator OL Sr.

Artie Checchin Rolling Meadows WR-DB Sr.

Matt Cullen Conant QB Sr.

Dan Egan Elk Grove OL-DL Jr.

Sam Frasco Prospect QB Sr.

Ryan Gundersen Rolling Meadows AP Sr.

Sam Handler Barrington WR-DB Sr.

Greg Johnsen Elk Grove OL-DL Sr.

Frank Kalble Hersey DB Sr.

Cam Kuksa Palatine WR-RB-DB Jr.

Fernando Lozano Elk Grove WR-DB Sr.

Nelson Lugo Leyden LB Sr.

John Maevski Conant LB Sr.

Tim Manczko Conant WR-DB Jr.

Jeff Miceli Elk Grove WR-DB Sr.

Jack Milas Rolling Meadows QB Jr.

Jake Mueller Hersey DB Sr.

Chase Murdock Barrington RB-LB Sr.

Paul Perschon Conant OL Sr.

Lucas Rago Palatine LB Jr.

Cole Reyes Schaumburg DB Jr.

Dan Riddle Palatine DB Jr.

John Serio Palatine RB Jr.

Stefan Skoneczka Elk Grove LB-RB Sr.

Austin Tixier Prospect DL Sr.

Dan Voltz Barrington OL Sr.

Rich Zirngibl Buffalo Grove QB-DB Sr.

Dylan Zyzda Barrington WR-DB Sr.

*Honorary captain

Special mention

Kurt Becker (Palatine, LB-WR., Sr.), Tyler Brady (Wheeling, QB-DB, Sr.), Keith Browning (Fremd, DB, Sr.), Mike Catino (Buffalo Grove, LB, Sr.), Mike Etchingham (Prospect, LB, Sr.), Leo Giordano (Wheeling, DB, Sr.), Justin Jobski (Hersey, WR, Sr.), Josh Jyawook (Fremd, WR, Sr.), Sam Mazukelli (Prospect, RB, So.), Devin O'Hara (Prospect, WR-DB, Jr.), Ethan Olles (Palatine, QB, Jr.), Eric Saubert (Hoffman Estates, DL-TE, Sr.), Ryan Schumi (Buffalo Grove, WR, Jr.), Stacy Smith (Schaumburg, QB-WR, So.), Adam Starks (Conant, DL, Sr.)

Honorable mention

Johnny Assimakopoulos (Elk Grove, DL, So.), John Balas (St. Viator, WR, Jr.), Mike Baumhart (Schaumburg, OL, Sr.), Tyler Bobowski (Rolling Meadows, WR, Sr.), Mark Bennett (Barrington, QB, Sr.), James Burke (Fremd, OL, Sr.), Sean Caffe (Barrington, DL, Sr.), Dan Cardamone (Maine West, OL-LB, Jr.), Daniel Davidson (Barrington, RB, Sr.), Jake Demars (Palatine, DB, Sr.), Joe DiFronzo (Leyden, QB, Sr.), Luc Dimaso (Elk Grove, DB, Jr.), Ben Dworkin (Fremd, OL-DL, Sr.), Joe Faso (Conant, LB, Jr.), Aaron Foley (Barrington, LB, Sr.), Teddy Ford (Prospect, WR-DB, Sr.), Nathan Gerdes (Palatine, OL, Sr.), Kevin Hammarlund (St. Viator, WR-DB, Jr.), Jack Kellner (St. Viator, LB, Sr.), Layne Kirch (Palatine, OL, Sr.), Nick Leidecker (Rolling Meadows, OL, Sr.), Jesse Lopez (Leyden, OL, Sr.), Mike Lurigio (Leyden, WR, Sr.), Mickey Macius (St. Viator, QB, Jr.), Mike Mallet (Schaumburg, WR, Sr.), John Manicke (Maine West, FB-LB, Jr.), Josh Marchok (Schaumburg, DL, Sr.), Mike Mayreck (Prospect, OL-DL, Sr.), A.J. McGhee (Fremd, RB, Sr.), Greg Money (Fremd, LB, Jr.), Kishan Patel (Elk Grove, DB, Sr.), Scott Purcell (Rolling Meadows, LB, Sr.), Dru Richardson (Schaumburg, DB, Sr.), Joe Rodgers (Hersey, LB, Sr.), Dan Schoedel (Leyden, WR, Sr.), Mike Smith (Leyden, DB, Jr.), Bill Tomaszewski (Schaumburg, OL, Sr.).

All-area selections and capsules by Marty Maciaszek