Round Lake eager to taste victory
As his Round Lake football team seeks to avoid a dreaded "3-peat," coach John Coursey is encouraged by this:
It's Year 3 of his regime.
"Here's what's always happened everywhere I've been," said Coursey, whose 28-year college and high school coaching career includes stints at Concordia College, Carthage College, Illinois Wesleyan University and Evergreen Park High School.
"Our third year has always been our breakout year. It might have been just having a winning record. It might have been playing for the conference championship. It might have been going to the playoffs. But our third year has always been our big improvement year.
"And I feel the exact same way about this year."
Coursey isn't expecting a North Suburban Prairie Division championship this fall, nor necessarily a winning record or playoff-clinching 6 wins. But the freshmen who started with him at Round Lake in the fall of 2008 are now varsity football players.
They didn't win every week as freshmen and sophomores, but unlike the varsity, which went 0-9 in 2008 and repeated the record last year, they did win football games.
"They're the kids that started with me, so they've kind of bought into what we're trying to do," Coursey said. "They're good kids. They're good students. I have no discipline issues with them."
Coursey knows he has some good football players, even without senior center Zack Peterson, a Division I prospect, who tore his ACL and will sit out the season.
A pair of juniors named Anthony will play quarterback.
Coursey said Anthony Burton will start tonight's season opener against Westosha Central in Wisconsin, but that Anthony Gutierrez will also play a lot and might even take more snaps. Burton - described by Coursey as "a tough kid whose motor never stops" - is more of a runner. He's so tough, in fact, that he'll also start at nose tackle. Gutierrez, who started after being called up early last season, is more of a thrower.
Coursey likes his backfield, which also includes Jacoby Griffin, Jorge Venegas, Danny Vega and Edgar Rivera.
"I think our running backs are going to be special," Coursey said. "What we've done in the off-season, strength-wise, I just see our kids with an extra burst. I see our kids running with more power, and all four of those guys (Griffin, Venegas, Vega and Rivera) worked their tails off."
Since Peterson will not play this season, senior Bernard Husk is the only returning starter on a line that will feature five newcomers, all of whom are juniors, as well as junior tight end Andrew Parnell.
The Panthers could have as many as eight players starting on both sides of the ball. Those players include Burton, Venegas (linebacker), Husk (line), junior Erick Cortez (line) and Griffin (safety).
Senior cornerbacks Mecca Griffin and Gerald Williams started last season.
"I feel very confident that we're going to be more competitive," said Coursey, whose Panthers haven't won since Week 2 of the 2007 season. "Will that show up in wins and losses? I certainly hope so."
History is on his side.
ROUND LAKE
Probable starters
OFFENSE
Pos. Name Yr.
QB Anthony Burton Jr.
FB Edgar Rivera Sr.
RB Jacoby Griffin Sr.
RB Jorge Venegas Jr.
T Bernard Husk Sr.
G Louis Aceves Jr.
C Erick Cortez Jr.
G Stephen Degraffenreid Jr.
T Danny Ceja Jr.
TE Andrew Parnell Jr.
WR Antonio Farley Jr.
DEFENSE
Pos. Name Yr.
DL Bernard Husk Sr.
NT Anthony Burton Jr.
DL Erick Cortez Jr.
OLB Jorge Venegas Jr.
ILB Arturo Lopez Sr.
ILB Danny Vega Jr.
OLB Eddie Acevedo Jr.
CB Mecca Griffin Sr.
S Jacoby Griffin Sr.
S Robert Smythe Jr.
CB Gerald Williams Sr.