An early start has football off and running
Early in the morning or late in the afternoon, it's already time for high school football.
Joey Roy set his alarm nice and early Monday morning. It wasn't to get to school or to head to summer job, but rather for the start of the 2015 season.
Roy was just one of 55 players to arrive at Palatine High School for the first day of practice. Palatine, like the other 11 schools from the Mid-Suburban League along with St. Viator, Maine West, Leyden and Christian Liberty, began their training for opening day on Friday, Aug. 28.
"It wasn't that hard to get up this morning," Roy said. "We have been practicing at this time when we have had practices this summer.
"But this is different. The first couple days will be difficult to get through, because it is helmet-only. But once we get the pads on it will be better and much more fun."
Palatine coach Rick Splitt, whose Pirates are defending champions of the Mid-Suburban West, was excited to greet his players.
"I don't look at that," Splitt said. "Ever year is different. This a fresh group. Half the guys were here last year, and they are all ready to work hard."
Teams used to begin practice on Wednesday. But new Illinois High School Association guidelines limited summer practices and gave coaches an extra two days to prepare for the upcoming season.
"It's fun starting a couple days early," Splitt said. "But since there is no one in the building over the weekend, it is tough on the paperwork."
Wide receiver Jovone Stricker was also happy football began. Stricker, who also plays on the Pirates' basketball team, said he can now just focus on one sport.
"It will be just easier to do one sport," said Stricker, who has bounced between football and hoops this summer. "It is great to be back out here. I am excited to see what we can do this year."
Matt Lamm, who has played on the Palatine varsity for three years, said that experience will be key for him heading into the season.
"It is a lot nicer being a leader out there," Lamm said. "All the other players are looking up to us since they know we have been there before, and they will follow us."
This figures to be a banner year for Division I players in Northwest suburban Cook County. Last season, the area produced just one Division I player in Barrington's Scotty Miller, who is playing at Bowling Green . This season there could be as many as 10 Division I players.
Fremd leads the way, with with Kenny Lyke verbally agreeing in spring to play at Michigan State, while teammate Matt McCabe selected Yale last Friday after having offers from Columbia, Cornell, Toledo, Wyoming and Southern Illinois.
St. Viator junior tight end Cole Kmet has caught the eye of some of the top college programs in the country. Kmet has 10 offers, including Notre Dame and Ohio State.
St. Viator which qualified for the playoffs last season, waited until the afternoon to get its team started. Coach Brandon New and his Lions had to dodge some rain, which delayed practice, but the team eventually got outside to work out.
"I can't believe how fast the summer went," said New, who welcomed his first child late in late spring. "I am excited. It is always good to get back in. I am really excited because the kids worked really hard in the off-season.
"This is the first year that they really dedicated themselves for 12 months. And it all begins to pay off today."
The Lions' Patton Fitzpatrick said the light drizzle wouldn't diminish his enthusiasm.
"It just delayed us getting outside," Fitzpatrick said. "But we were ready to go. We had a really good summer. We worked hard in the winter and had a good off-season. I think we have looked preset good so far."
Adam Kujawa, the Lions' 6-foot-3, 260-pound linemen, said rain never bothers linemen.
"It's what what we like," Kujawa said. "We love playing in the mud."