Caravan on a mission

Mount Carmel's Anthony Battle goes through a lineman drill.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)

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Perennial area football power Mount Carmel is the No. 1 team in the Chicago Sun-Times' preseason Super 25 again, but it's not unanimous.

''This is one of the most absurd things I've heard in 25 years,'' said Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti, whose team will be looking for its 11th state title in football. ''We have no idea who our starting offensive line is going to be; we have no tight ends or tackle. We have good kids coming back, but I thought we'd just be in the top 10.''

The first task for Lenti and his coaching staff is to make sure the Caravan is consistent in practice and playing up to expectations.

But this edition of the Caravan might be unlike those in years past. Mount Carmel is smaller in stature, and has only one player taller than 6-3 in 6-4 senior lineman Mike O'Brien.

''People have this delusion that everyone at Mount Carmel is 6-4, 280 pounds,'' Lenti said.

Mount Carmel's defense is a big bright spot for Lenti. He refers to them as the ''RH Factor.''

''They run and hit,'' Lenti said. ''They run after you, and then they hit you.''

Senior defensive lineman Anthony Battle is one of three players to have made a Division I commitment. Battle is headed to Northwestern, senior quarterback Jordan Lynch to Northern Illinois and linebacker Dimitrius Carr to Indiana.

Battle is one who is not taking Mount Carmel's preseason No. 1 ranking for granted. He thinks the Caravan has a lot of work ahead of it.

''We didn't finish last year like we wanted to [losing to Glenbard North 28-21 in the Class 8A semifinals], and this year our defense has some good returners,'' Battle said. ''Practice-wise, our coaches are stressing to us that fumbles are not acceptable, so we keep working on that.''

Lynch said the Caravan also has to cut down on turnovers if it is to advance to the state championship game in Champaign.

Turnovers are what proved to be the Caravan's downfall in the loss to Glenbard North.

''We can't turn the ball over,'' Lynch said. ''I turned it over three times in the state semifinals. Turnovers are our biggest concern.''

The 6-1, 205-pound Lynch will start for the second consecutive season, and he finds himself as one of the leaders on an offense that still is trying to find the right combination on its offensive line.

''We're coming together every day and working hard,'' Lynch said. ''The option offense has taken some time to learn, but I am more confident this year.''

Mount Carmel opens the season at 10 a.m. on Aug. 30 against Curie in the first game of a tripleheader at Soldier Field.

takouris@suntimes.com 

MOUNT CARMEL BY THE NUMBERS

Conference: Catholic Blue

Coach: Frank Lenti 25th Season (274-44)

2007 Record: 12-1 (4-0) Class 8A Semifinals

2007 Final Rank: 7

2008 Schedule

August

30 Curie at Soldier Field

September

5 St. Ignatius

12 @ Providence

19 @ St. Rita

26 Brother Rice

October

3 @ De La Salle

10 Loyola

17 @ Homewood-Flossmoor

24 Hales

Key Game: September 19 at St. Rita Mount Carmel's biggest game of the season will come in the fourth week when it travels to rival St. Rita.

Phil Barnes