Wheaton North’s ground game grinding down defenses

Max Serbick didn’t know exactly what he had done until he saw the paper the next day.

The Wheaton North running back read that he had carried the ball 48 times for 308 yards, with touchdown runs of 19, 6 and 21 yards in a 30-20 victory over Lake Park early this season.

“I had a lot of texts from people that I barely knew, and my parents got a lot of texts from people I barely knew, saying how good a game it was,” Serbick said.

Good enough that his parents, Ray and Ann, “bought me a giant steak,” Max Serbick remembered.

He shared that steak with fellow senior two-way starter Ryan O’Connor, who had the lead blocking assignment against Lake Park, behind an offensive line Falcons coach Joe Wardynski said “had a really good night.”

As with many position groups featured in Team Within the Team, how one uses and executes the running back position is determined by scouting what an opponent shows and the conditions surrounding one’s own team.

Serbick took lots of direct shotgun snaps out of the Wildcat formation that night from Falcons center Rob Razzino. Starting quarterback Jake Johnson got knocked out of action the week before and while junior Burke Neibch accounted well for himself, it was a matter of, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“It took him a lot of carries,” Wardynski said of Serbick reaching 300 yards rushing, “but it was working so we just kept riding him that night.”

The Falcons’ 18-year head coach had hoped to go with a one-back set this season, but injuries to key skill players like Johnson forced his hand into two-back schemes. That also gave more touches to top athletes Serbick and O’Connor in more of a traditional halfback-fullback look.

Though both are listed at just 5 feet, 8 inches and 175 pounds, they bring the wood. Serbick also starts on the defensive line at nose tackle while O’Connor starts at linebacker.

“I get speed through the hole, but then right as I get through the hole, power,” Serbick said.

“He’s not scared of contact, either. He’ll lower his head no matter who he’s going against,” O’Connor interjected.

“I feel like this year we’re more of an inside run team, like right through the line. Getting the ball and just lowering a shoulder if you have to,” O’Connor said.

“For me, when I get the ball, I feel like just hitting the right gap first and then making contact and finishing going forward, not falling back, stuff like that.

“I would just say, running through people is a big part of our offensive plan,” O’Connor said.

Wardynski said Wheaton North’s had backs with greater balance and speed, but he likes Serbick’s vision and primarily his strength, the type of player who doesn’t go down on first contact. On the season Serbick has run for 865 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The son of a college wrestler who went into power lifting — even Max’s older sister, Ally, got into power lifting, as well as running track at the University of Wyoming — Max Serbick is No. 5 all-time on Wardynski’s “Ironman” list comprised of weight room lifts, vertical jump, 40-yard speed and shuttle run. Senior defensive end Andy Gonzalez is No. 1.

“I would say that Max’s strength for a running back for us is literally his strength,” Wardynski said.

Versatility is key to the position. Wardynski touted Serbick’s ability to serve as a receiver out of the backfield and also his willingness to stay in the pocket and block in pass protection.

“He does a really good job at being a sixth lineman for us, basically,” Wardynski said.

As running backs, Serbick and O’Connor have at least one more responsibility — to know where their bread is buttered.

“We don’t yell at the linemen if they miss a block or anything, because their position is so hard,” O’Connor said.

They didn’t get a giant steak, but after Serbick’s 308-yard game the backs rewarded the Falcons linemen with another classic favorite.

“Every Saturday when we watch film the next day after the game we give them doughnuts,” Serbick said, “so when we watch film they’ll be eating the doughnuts.”