Hasenberg opts for football

Bartlett senior Josh Hasenberg decided to continue his athletic career on the gridiron instead of the pool.

A Daily Herald all-area selection at quarterback as well as a two-time state qualifier in swimming, Hasenberg signed a National Letter of Intent last week to play football for Division I-AA Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.

Hasenberg (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), who holds a 4.1 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, had been recruited by multiple Ivy League schools for football. Indiana and Iowa were among several Big Ten schools that pursued him for swimming.

The deciding factor, he said, was a visit to Colgate the last weekend in January.

"I'm very excited about the academics," said Hasenberg, who received a full scholarship and intends to study law. "I felt that was the place I wanted to be. I just loved it there. The football players were real nice, the coaches got along with them great and they were really excited about me becoming a part of their program."

Known for his accuracy and mobility as a passer, Hasenberg threw for nearly 4,000 yards in two varsity seasons. As a senior he completed 146-of-252 attempts (57.9 percent) for new Bartlett records of 2,121 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He also rushed 97 times for 165 yards and 10 touchdowns in leading the Hawks to a 12-1 record and their first appearance in the Class 8A state semifinals.

Cook to Valpo: Jacobs center Sean Cook will continue his football career at Valparaiso University.

Cook moved from tackle to center out of necessity a week before the 2008 season began.

"I went on a visit during the season and I got the best feel from Valparaiso and from Butler," said the 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior. "I had other interest from smaller schools, but I really wanted to go to Valpo because of their engineering program."

Cook's goal is to become a civil engineer.

"I'm looking forward to it a lot," he said Monday while recovering from a case of strep throat. "I'm very excited. They told me they're looking for me to play at a tackle spot because both of their starting tackles graduated. They're looking for freshmen to come in and play, which excited me."

Aiello to Concordia: Bartlett senior Mike Aiello, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound left tackle for the 2008 Class 8A semifinalists, committed recently to play college football at Division II Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"I feel very excited and very blessed to be able to continue to play," Aiello said. "I can't wait to get out there. They told me I have a good chance of playing, and my older brother, Sam, lives 30 minutes away in Minneapolis. It's a good fit."

Sam Aiello, who graduated from Streamwood, went on to play in college at the University of Iowa.

Mike Aeillo plans to study criminal justice with the long-term goal of becoming a police officer.

Aiello is the fifth member of the 12-1 Hawks to commit to a college football program, joining fellow Daily Herald All-Area selections, middle linebacker Kyle Zelinsky (Central Michigan) and quarterback Josh Hasenberg (Colgate), as well as lineman Dean Brady (Lake Forest) and safety Steve Seeman (Loras).

Kissack to Elmhurst: Dundee-Crown quarterback Logan Kissack will continue his career at Elmhurst College under second-year coach Tim Lester.

Kissack visited the campus three weeks ago, took a tour and made his commitment at the end of the visit.

"I liked the location," Kissack said. "It's close to the city, and there are a lot of opportunities to do internships there.

"Head coach Tim Lester played quarterback at Western Michigan. He's all about his offense, so that was a huge thing for me. I think I'll have a good opportunity to play, maybe not right away in my freshman year, but once I get a grasp as to what they do offensively there will be an opportunity to play. I'm excited."

Kissack is part of Lester's first recruiting class. The senior plans to major in computer science and minor in business with the aim of becoming an IT specialist for a large company.

Kissack, who holds a 3.7 grade-point average in honors courses at Dundee-Crown, received a partial academic scholarship.

Juns to Trinity: St. Edward left tackle Joe Juns will continue his football career at NAIA Trinity International in Deerfield. The Elgin resident intends to make the commitment official this week.

Juns (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) sat out his junior year due to injury problems, but returned to a starting role for St. Edward in 2008.

"I missed my junior year and really enjoyed playing as a senior," Juns said. "I just want to keep playing."

Juns received a partial athletic scholarship. He intends to become a police officer or detective.

Approximately six members of the 2008 Green Wave are expected to commit to various colleges in the coming weeks, St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said Monday.

Scholly to Ferris State: St. Edward senior defensive back/wide receiver Josh Scholly committed to Division II Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. on Feb. 4.

Scholly, who led the Green Wave in tackles in 2008, was recruited as a defensive back.

"I'm the first one from my family to go to college, so it's a new experience for us," Scholly said. "I can't wait to play college football. I've heard a lot about the intensity being that much higher, and I look forward to that. I'm really stoked and I'm ready to play."

Scholly intends to study chemistry and eventually work in the medical field.