North Stars' fast start highlights first third of regular season
While the National Football League officially kicked off its season this past weekend, our local high school teams began their respective conference campaigns last Friday night.
Believe it or not, they also already reached the one-third mark of their regular seasons. It still may be a little too early to start talking playoffs but two-time defending Western Sun Conference Geneva and St. Charles North each own 3-0 records and are halfway to that "magic" number of 6 - wins needed to earn an automatic postseason berth.
Four other squads, Aurora Christian, Kaneland, Marmion and West Aurora, are off to 2-1 starts. Batavia and St. Charles East are both 1-2 but have shown they can compete against top-notch competition - and play solid defense at the same time.
My observations at the one-third mark:
• St. Charles North is the real deal.
For the first time in their 8-year history, the North Stars have won their first 3 games and have looked mighty impressive in doing so - having outscored their 3 opponents by a staggering 132-32 margin.
OK, maybe beating East Aurora 55-6 wasn't that much of a shock and the combined record of their first 3 opponents is 2-7 but remember that coach Mark Gould's North Stars had been without the services of top tailback Jordan Huxtable until last weekend. Huxtable, who scored 12 TDs last year, certainly has a way of making an entrance, evidenced by his 33-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the season last Friday against East Aurora.
Give the North Stars' coaching staff credit for not rushing Huxtable along - he only carried the ball twice against East Aurora - so he should have fresh legs for Friday night's home clash with Waubonsie Valley (2-1, 1-0).
I'm not sure when or if Gould will decide to stick with one quarterback - the North Stars have used all 3 QBs (senior Connor McShane and juniors Jake Bergren and Matt Shiltz) in their first 3 games - but we'll probably learn what they're made of this weekend against Waubonsie Valley and again during the final 3 weeks of the regular season when they face Neuqua Valley, South Elgin and St. Charles East.
You might want to circle Friday, Oct. 16 on your calendars - the Upstate Eight Conference title may be on the line when St. Charles North faces South Elgin at Millennium Field in Streamwood. The North Stars and Storm are the UEC's lone 3-0 teams.
• St. Charles East first-year head coach Mike Fields refused to say that last Friday's game with Streamwood was a must-win situation but the Saints couldn't afford to slip to 0-3, especially considering they're set to embark on a rare 4-game road trip that begins Friday night against South Elgin at Millennium Field.
"It wasn't a make or breagame by any means," Fields said after the Saints' 41-7 victory over Streamwood. "I inherited the nonconference schedule (games vs. Geneva and Naperville North) from (former) coach (Ted) Monken. You can't worry about what you can't control.
"One game doesn't make or break our season. Our goal is to win the Upstate Eight and we took a step in the right direction (against Streamwood). It's a 6-game season from here on out."
• Emerging stars/game-breakers: Jeff Stolzenburg, WR/KR, St. Charles North; Ryley Bailey, WR/DB, Kaneland; Jay Graffagna, RB, Geneva; Michael Santacaterina, RB/DB/PR, Geneva; Leon Spears, RB/KR, West Aurora; Matt Payne, DB/RB, St. Charles East; Sheldon Magee, WR, Aurora Central Catholic; Joe Camiliere, QB, Kaneland.
• Young quarterbacks growing up in a hurry: Noel Gaspari, sophomore, Batavia; Grayson Roberts, sophomore, Aurora Christian; Jake Bergren, junior, St. Charles North; Stewart DeWaard, junior, Aurora Central Catholic; Nolan Possley, senior, St. Charles East; Malcolm Wood, senior, West Aurora. Possley and Wood are both first-year varsity starters.
• Two-way players who could use a break once in a while: Payne, St. Charles East; Jess Striedl, TE/DE, St. Charles East; Bobby Winkel, RB/LB/P, Marmion; Bailey, Kaneland; Santacaterina, Geneva; Nick Scoliere, RB/DB, Marmion.
• Defensive stalwarts: Bret Shannon, LB, Geneva; Frank Boenzi, DT, Geneva; Santacaterina, Geneva; Jon Voytilla, DL, St. Charles East; Phil Bucaro, LB, St. Charles East; Payne, St. Charles East; J.J. Weaver, Ben Dvorak, Dom Imbordino, LBs, St. Charles North; Mike Greco, LB, Batavia.
• Sophomores not just filling a roster spot: Danny Seiton, RB, Batavia; Alec Lyons, DE, Batavia; Gaspari, Batavia; Nate Zinzer, DB, West Aurora; Roberts, Aurora Christian; Matt Williams, WR, Geneva.
•Underrated and invaluable: Nolan Block, DB, Geneva; Brandon Beitzel, QB, Geneva; Jack Delabar, TE/P, Geneva; Bryce Barry, DB, St. Charles East; Connor Mohs, DB, St. Charles North; Spencer Swarts, LB, St. Charles North.
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