With Camiliere back, Kaneland has a winning formula

How does one top a season like that?

How does Kaneland quarterback Joe Camiliere improve after throwing 20 touchdown passes to just 3 interceptions - all 3 coming in Week 2?

Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly can't really put a finger on it. He just knows it's happening.

"The only thing I can say is he was working really hard this offseason to improve," Fedderly said of the two-time All-Area pick who in 2009 completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 2,208 yards and scrambled for team highs of 349 yards and 7 touchdowns.

"He really wants to win some big games this year," Fedderly said. "He's really stepping up by being a more vocal leader this year now that he's a senior."

While Camiliere weighs a good 190 pounds, Fedderly said colleges are not ga-ga over his 5-foot-11 height. For better or worse - it says here Kaneland's East division opponents in the new Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference will find it to be worse - Camiliere left stature up to his receivers.

Back after finishing a game behind Geneva and Glenbard South in the Western Sun Conference finale are receivers Tyler Callaghan and Taylor Andrews plus Blake Serpa, listed as a wideout but also lining up as a running back.

Each have significant size, experience and numbers (and college interest), to succeed the graduated Ryley Bailey as a go-to receiver. Andrews caught 30 balls for 543 yards and 4 touchdowns last year, Serpa 26 had catches for 256 yards, 2 TDs (plus 244 yards, 3 TDs on the ground), and Callaghan caught 18 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown.

Fellow receiver Quinn Buschbacher (13 receptions, 196 yards, 2 TDs) doesn't have the size, but has the speed.

On defense Fedderly forecasts nine seniors starting, including third-year starting defensive tackle Jimmy Boyle.

"We always think you win with seniors," Fedderly said, "and that really excites us to think we're going to have nine seniors out there on defense."

It must also excite to consider that aside from Serpa, Callaghan, all-state track hurdler Andrews and returning starting lineman Ben Kovalick, none of the other probable starters is going both ways.

Obviously Fedderly is thinking long haul, and when he discusses Camiliere's improvement he's really discussing the whole club.

"Improvement over last year would be winning big games, winning a conference championship, getting into the playoffs and doing something. That's what we're talking about," he said. "But what we've been talking about since we started practice is just go 1-0 (each week). That's the big thing."