Scouting the Streamwood Sabres
The returning Streamwood football players spent the off-season focused on culture change.
The Sabres have qualified for the playoffs just once in the last 15 years. That happened in 2011-12, the only season in that span in which they won more than 4 games.
Last season was a character builder. Streamwood went 0-9 for the first time since 2005-06 and was outscored 383-34.
Led by senior Elijah Beach, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound lineman committed to North Dakota, the Sabres have since made a stronger commitment in the weight room.
"It takes off-season lifting to get better and I think we did that and carried that momentum right into summer camp," said fourth-year coach Don Guindon, whose first two Streamwood squads each finished 3-6. "Then it's day by day, just being as competitive as possible whenever we practice."
Practices have been more productive this summer, thanks to an uptick in participation. The Sabres count approximately 55 players combined between the senior, junior and sophomore classes, up from 45 last year. The modest personnel bump has allowed the coaching staff to institute a two-platoon system. Beach is the only player who will play on both sides of the ball regularly. Scrimmaging was difficult last season since so many played both ways. The trade off is a young team.
"I have 28 sophomores," Guindon said. "They have created enough depth for us to be able to practice offense and defense with only one person that needs to flip sides. It also means we are very, very young."
The defense should be improved with eight starters back. Leading the way is third-year varsity linebacker Adrian Rico. "He will run the show back there," Rico's coach said. Returning junior linebackers Joey Calo and TJ Phan both started as sophomores. Senior safeties Leo Marin and Zion Council also return.
Beach is flanked on the defensive line by returning starters Cameron Rogers (6-0, 185) and Emigdio Mayo (6-1, 225), both seniors.
Joining Beach on the offensive line is junior center Josh Leathers (6-1, 215). He started last year.
The two candidates for the quarterback job are junior Piotr Jania and sophomore Omar Negron. They will hand the ball off to starting running back Tre'Meyon Sanders, a 5-foot-10 sophomore. Junior Sirrion Dixon will also get carries.
Senior Austin Rose returns at wide receiver. Add Josh Morris to the skill mix at that position. He is a track athlete who the staff convinced to try football.
The Sabres are hoping a better off-season commitment and an injection of youth from a large sophomore class allows them to be competitive in the new-look Upstate Eight. Streamwood's schedule includes both Bartlett and South Elgin for the first time in years.
"I think it will be fun to get all the U-46 rivalries back together," Guindon said. "We've been playing Elgin and Larkin the last couple of years, but this will be the first time since I've been head coach that we've played South Elgin. And playing Bartlett Week 9 will be a lot of fun. I think it will be fun for all of those schools to play against each other."