Kaneland believed...and great things happened

It started with a 37-22 road victory over Burlington Central Aug. 27.

It ended with last Saturday night's 27-14 home loss to Montini in the Class 5A state semifinals before a jam-packed crowd at Bruce Peterson Field in Maple Park.

While it's true that Kaneland's football team didn't reach its ultimate destination a trip to Champaign's Memorial Stadium for the right to play for the 5A state championship Saturday morning the Knights experienced a lot more thrills than spills this season.

As I approached the stadium entrance, I glanced at the scoreboard located at the east end of the field.

Flashing on it were the words, “I Believe.”

Here's what I believe occurred during the Knights' state semifinal run this season:

I believe…Kaneland head coach Tom Fedderly and his staff did a masterful job of preparing the team for every game.

Fedderly seemed intent on putting the best players on the field and wasn't afraid to elevate younger players like freshman starting left tackle Alex Snyder, sophomore starting center Nick Sharp, freshman place-kicker Matt Rodriguez, and late-season varsity call-up freshman wide receiver Danny Helm.

I believe…Fedderly's honest approach worked wonders when you consider that the Knights had a wonderful blend of third-year varsity starters like quarterback Joe Camiliere, tight end/linebacker Tyler Callaghan, offensive/defensive lineman Jimmy Boyle, wide receiver/linebacker Taylor Andrews, and receiver/defensive end Blake Serpa to go along with their youth movement.

“We went to a lot of the older guys before the season began and told them not to worry about the stats,” said Fedderly. “I told them to just worry about the wins and good things will happen.”

I believe…Kaneland enjoyed its first season as a member of the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference's East Division. After opening with 4 consecutive non-conference victories, the Knights punished 5 straight conference opponents, outscoring them by a staggering 188-48 margin.

Along the way, the Knights gained a measure of revenge with their 30-13, Week 8 triumph over Sycamore the team that handed Kaneland a 40-13 first-round playoff exit in 2009.

I believe…As tough as it is to admit, Kaneland simply lost to a better team last weekend in defending 5A state champion Montini.

Although Camiliere was 26-of-43 for 293 yards passing, Kaneland's offense did most of its damage between the 20-yard lines against Montini's speedy defense.

“It was a good team that we lost to,” said Fedderly. “They were the team that we thought they were going to be. I can't say anything other than good stuff about them.”

Meanwhile, the Knights' defense couldn't contain Broncos quarterback Matt Westerkamp (2 TDs rushing, 276 yards passing) or junior all-state receiver Jordan Westerkamp (10 catches, 186 yards).

“He made some great catches,” Fedderly said of Jordan Westerkamp. “That catch he made down there (a 26-yard TD reception in the far corner of the end zone) was unbelievable. We double-teamed him and he still went up and made the catch. What can you do? He made a great play.”

I believe…Players like Central Michigan-bound Serpa don't come around every season.

Against Montini, the 6-3, 225-pound senior did everything but sell tickets and hand out popcorn. Defensively, Serpa spent the day pressuring Montini QB Matt Westerkamp. On offense, he lined up virtually everywhere, catching passes coming out of the backfield, as an H-back and as a wide-out, plus handling blocking assignments.

In addition, Serpa entered the game as the back-up quarterback midway through the fourth quarter after Camiliere took a blow to the head and scored the Knights' final touchdown of the season on a 5-yard keeper with 2:25 remaining.

He also served as the punter, pinning the Broncos inside the 10-yard line with an angling 41-yard kick late in the first quarter.

I believe…Fedderly thoroughly enjoyed working with this group, especially the senior veterans who helped the team evolve from its 5-5 record in 2008 and 6-4 mark in 2009 into this year's 12-1 squad.

“I'm really sad to see a lot of these kids leave us,” said the coach, who owns a 4-year record of 27-15 at Kaneland. “But we'll see a few of them play on Saturdays. I just can't say enough about these kids and the character they have.

“I can't even begin to tell you how much those kids mean to me. They're almost like little brothers we've been around each other for so long. I think the world of them. No matter what the outcome of this game, these are great kids who did everything we asked of them.

“It has been an absolutely terrific season. These kids came together to play terrific football.”

I believe…With the return of starting offensive linemen Ben Kovalick, Ryan Noel, Sharp and Snyder, multi-purpose threat Quinn Buschbacher, receiver/linebacker Sean Carter, Rodriguez and Helm, among others, Kaneland will continue to be a playoff-bound team for many years to come.