Crystal Lake South aims to answer questions
Now comes the test.
After a trying off-season that resulted in the resignation of 10-year coach Jim Stuglis in mid-June, the question surrounding the talented Crystal Lake South football team in 2010 is whether they can put distractions behind them and win football games.
New coach Chuck Ahsmann, the program's defensive coordinator for the past 10 seasons, says the answer is an emphatic yes.
"Our seniors have been great," he said. "Our leadership has been just outstanding and I'm really proud of them in the transition that they've made. It put the onus on the kids to get to work, and they did.
"The idea is to make the transition for our kids as easy as possible and keep things as similar as we can. We've made some changes, but for the most part it's going to be the same. Jim did a heck of a job and left a heck of a legacy to follow. So we're going to try to keep that going in the won-lost column."
The Gators will vie for their 10th straight playoff appearance and first Fox Valley Conference title since 1984, armed with a formidable offense.
It all starts with the offensive line, which features bookend Division-I tackle recruits Jake Bernstein (6-4, 279) and Fahn Cooper (6-6, 300). Bernstein is a returning all-FVC pick who committed to Vanderbilt Tuesday and "there's hardly any fat on the kid," Ahsmann said. "He's just a monster."
Cooper is committed to Bowling Green. He makes the switch to right tackle this season after starting at defensive end as a junior.
Phil Hespen (6-4, 290), a senior with interest from South Dakota, plays left guard. Right guard Andy Garces (5-11, 250) is a bright student who is considering playing at the University of Chicago, according to his coach. Two seniors and a junior battled for the center position well into fall practice. Senior Kevin Rogers (6-3, 215) moves from linebacker to tight end this season, though he will still see some time on defense.
"We are big, and that's a great thing for a new coach coming in," Ahsmann said. "Those guys aren't big, fat guys; they're big, strong guys."
The intimidating line will protect third-year quarterback Drew Ormseth (5-11, 175) and create running room for second-year running back Bolek Mikulec (6-1, 225).
Ormseth, a senior, already has six games of postseason experience under his belt. He gained all-FVC honors as a junior after completing 65-of-124 attempts for 1,018 yards and 15 touchdowns. The mobile quarterback also rushed for 278 yards and 7 scores.
"It's great to have a kid with his knowledge, his patience, his athletic ability running your team," Ahsmann said.
Mikulec, a tough runner to bring down, will be the single back in a double wing. The senior was the Gators' second-leading rusher last season with 392 yards and 4 touchdowns in 70 attempts. He is also a strong-legged kicker, who last year connected on 4-of-5 field goal attempts and 46-of-50 extra points. Mikulec has 50-yard range in practice and was 1-for-1 from beyond 40 yards in 2009.
Speedy senior Kenny King (6-1, 170) will run the ball out of the slot. He was the backup quarterback last year. Junior Joe Coriaci (5-9, 170) may play the other slot, and junior Brad Walovitch (5-11, 175) "has great hands" at wide receiver, his coach said.
Junior Steve Forner returns at middle linebacker to lead a defense with less experience overall than the offense. He's joined by returning senior end Brett Barchard (6-2, 240).
Physical junior nose tackle Brandon Mitchell (6-0, 205) and junior end Josh Beveridge (6-0, 205) round out the defensive line. Senior Kean Loupee (5-11, 180) returns to play rover. Several players may rotate in the secondary. A junior and a promising sophomore may fill roles at linebacker.
"We're young on defense because we're moving a lot of those guys to offense," Ahsmann said. "But we're really happy with our speed and athleticism on defense."