Streamwood Falcons 83 see bright future after strong '13 season
Even after a season-ending loss on a windy afternoon in Palatine, the Streamwood Falcons 83 team walked off the field with their heads held high.
Falcons 83 – Streamwood's first-year tackle team – dropped a hard-fought 12-7 game to the Panthers on Oct. 26 to finish a season that began informally with weekly spring conditioning in April before kicking into high gear for three months beginning in mid-July.
“Each one of our boys is a better football player than they were when we started. Just as important, they each have become a better teammate to one another,” Falcons 83 Head Coach Regan Earl said.
The Falcons finished the 2013 season with a 6-3 mark, good enough to be tied for the league's third-best record. Out of 15 teams in the Pac-10 Blue division, Streamwood ranked second in offense and seventh best on defense.
With an offense focused on the run, Streamwood racked up 1,400 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Adyn Avina was the team's leading rusher with 548 yards in just eight games. He scored seven touchdowns, with Brett Phillips adding five of his own. Seven different Falcons reached the end zone on offense. Miller Meinicke had a team-high three catches for 45 yards.
On defense, 10 players finished the year with at least 10 tackles. Ryne Campana topped all defenders with 29 tackles followed by Avant Winters (23.5); Joseph Kidd (20 tackles, three fumble recoveries); Elijah Earl (19); Anthony Tovar (18.5); David Petreikis (18); Phillips (17); Avina and Nick Durante (14); and Giovanny Garcia (10.5). Alex Calo had a team-high two sacks.
“We got so many contributions from so many kids,” Coach Earl said. “It was a total team effort.”
Earl also praised the work of the team's lineman on both sides of the ball - Winters, Kyle Faro, Kidd, Isaiah Gomez, Taro Ishikawa and Petreikis on offense; Calo, Ishikawa, Kidd, Durante, Petreikis, Jose Martinez, Ricky Delgado, Garcia, Zack Meade and Carlos Avila rotated on the defense front.
“The kids were great, as were all the parents and my assistant coaches Vince Durante, Shane Cameron, Kevin Meade and Vaidas Petreikis,” Earl said, adding it won't be long before planning for the 2014 season begins.
For more information on the Streamwood Falcons, visit www.streamwoodfalcons.com. Contact Falcons 83 Head Coach Regan Earl at falconshc85@yahoo.com.