Andrean: Backfield ‘beast’

Updated: August 18, 2011 5:25PM

Phil Mason says, without the slightest bit of hyperbole, that Mason Zurek is the best football player in Northwest Indiana.

How is that for an introduction?

“I know that is a bold statement but I know a lot of the kids in the region,” he said. “He is pretty good. And he’s smart, too.”

Zurek, at 6-0, 195 pounds, is going to carry the load this year after carrying the load last year, when he rushed for 1,454 yards and 19 touchdowns on 199 carries.

He also is ranked 13th in grade-point-average in a class of 140.

Mason can’t pile on enough superlatives about him. Zurek spent the summer at a leadership camp at Army and an offer could be in the works. He is on the recruiting board for Indiana and Vanderbilt, too. As good as he is running the ball, his college future is at linebacker, not running back.

But the immediate plans are for the 59ers to lean on him heavily in the backfield.

He is as good as any back Mason has had, and that includes Kyle Kovach, an Andrean graduate who is tearing it up for Rose-Hulman.

“People ask me to compare them but I can’t,” Mason said. “Mason brings a little bit of power and elusiveness. The elusive part is what makes him so great. He just seems to find a way to make people miss. At the same time, when he needs three yards, he gets three yards.”

Mason knew when Zurek was a sophomore that he had a very good player on his hands. Demitri Blanco, who played quarterback for the 59ers last year, was the go-to back then.

“We knew he was a beast the way he performed as a backup,” Mason said. “He was battered and bruised but he still got back up.”

He blossomed last year in the second game, when he rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown against Merrillville.

The backfield for the 59ers is loaded on paper and so is the team, which figures to be a state contender now that the school has dropped from Class 3A to 2A.

Rick Johnston, a 5-9, 185-pound bruiser, is back at fullback after rushing for 595 yards. So is Zack Kogut, a 6-0, 210-pound junior. Kogut rushed for 259 yards.

Between Johnston, Kogut and Zurek, the average yards-per-carry is around seven.

Zurek is looking forward to the season, knowing that playing in the state championship game is something this team can realistically shoot for.

He said the drop from 3A to 2A isn’t much of a topic of discussion among the players.

“A lot of our friends are depressed,” he said. “We just want to play football and have a chance to show people what we can do. And we’d like to try to win state.”

Coach

Phil Mason

Record

At school: 24-15 (fourth year)

Overall: 57-52 (11th year)

Last season

Lost 28-21 to South Bend St. Joseph’s in regional

Key returnees

RB Mason Zurek

RB Zack Kogut

RB Rick Johnston

Key losses

QB Dimitri Blanco

G/LB Dan McKenna

T Brian Sims

College prospects

RB Mason Zurek

OL/DL Jhalon Beeks

Season outlook

Andrean has 70 kids out for its team — a good number for a 4A school and an off-the-charts number for a 2A school, which Andrean now is. The 59ers have a solid running game. Their quarterback Matt DeSomer, just a sophomore, doesn’t have much experience, but Phil Mason said he is a “savvy” leader. Desomer did spell Demitri Blanco when he was injured in the loss to St. Joe’s in the regional. He also played in the defensive backfield.

Andrean must replace the left side of its offensive line. Center Dakota Beardsley is the only starter returning on the offensive line. Mason said he’s more comfortable with the defense than the offense at this point because he’s not sure how its going to work out up front. Mason Zurek and Ricky Johnson will both play linebacker as well as running back. By season’s end — if not sooner — the 59ers should be one of the best 2A teams in the state.

Postseason

Class 2A Sectional 25 (Andrean, Boone Grove, Bowman, Lake Station, North Newton, Rensselaer, River Forest, Wheeler)

Schedule

Aug. 19 at Bishop Noll

Aug. 26 Merrillville

Sept. 2 West Side

Sept. 9 at Munster

Sept. 16 Hobart

Sept. 23 at Highland

Sept. 30 Kankakee Valley

Oct. 7 Griffith

Oct. 14 at Lowell

HISTORY LESSON

Season Record

2001 13-2, 5-0

2002 13-2, 5-0

2003 12-1, 7-0

2004 13-2, 5-2

2005 8-2, 6-1

2006 8-3, 5-2

2007 9-4, 4-2

2008 6-7, 1-5

2009 9-4, 4-2

2010 9-4, 4-2

Sectional titles: 1989, 1990-91, 1996-98, 2001-04, 2007-10

Regional titles: 1997, 1998, 2001-02, 2004

Semistate titles: 1997, 2001-02, 2004

State titles: 2004

Roster

No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

1 Ethan Bonta 5-10 175 12 QB/DB

2 Matt O’Brien 5-6 120 10 QB/DB

3 Matt Desomer 6-0 175 10 QB/DB

4 Jack Dugan 5-7 140 10 WR/DB

5 Tom Levenda 6-0 185 12 RB/LB

6 Codey Zurek 5-4 125 10 RB/DB

7 Ramon Guerrero 6-0 170 10 WR/DB

8 Mark Dravet 5-7 165 11 DB

9 Brandon Pavlina 5-8 185 12 WR/DB

10 Nick Serrato 6-3 205 11 QB/DB

11 Dakota Cooper 5-8 155 11 RB/DB

12 Cody Cedano 5-6 145 11 QB/DB

14 Jordan Smith 5-10 175 11 LB

16 Bobby Quinn 5-10 160 11 DB/WR

17 Matt Ericksen 5-6 115 10 WR/DB

18 Bryan O”Rourke 6-1 145 10 QB/DB

19 Michael Kaufman 6-1 185 12 WR/DB

20 Ben Buoscio 5-7 140 12 WR/db

21 Noah Pavlina 5-10 155 10 WR/DB

22 Rick Johnston 5-9 185 12 RB/LB

23 Donovan Chandler 5-6 115 10 RB/DB

24 Bruno McVey 5-9 130 10 RB/DB

25 Corey Sullivan 6-0 175 12 WR/DB

26 Rob Long 5-10 170 10 RB/LB

28 Shamir Johnson 5-10 160 11 RB

30 Zack Kogut 6-0 210 11 RB/LB

31 Mitchell Finigan NA NA 10 RB/LB

32 Dan Wirtz 5-9 155 12 LB/K

34 Brandon Barnes 5-7 140 10 RB/DB

35 Tylor Petkovich 6-3 180 10 WR/LB

36 Tim Vanbaber NA NA 10 RB/LB

37 Billy Gornik 5-8 170 11 RB/DB

38 Mason Zurek 6-0 195 12 RB/LB

40 Alec DiSanto 5-10 170 11 RB/LB

42 Kyle Lesch 6-0 190 12 WR/DB

43 Cameron Bosak 5-6 135 10 RB/DB

44 Ramzie Hayes 5-10 165 11 RB/DB

46 Mike Mestrovich 5-10 165 12 RB/LB

47 Obi Echeumuna 5-9 155 10 RB/DB

50 Nick Aloia 5-7 165 10 OL/LB

51 Curtis Hunt 5-6 160 10 OL/DL

52 Scott Maginot 5-7 165 10 OL/DL

54 Raymond Puntillo 5-8 180 10 OL/LB

56 Evan Malic 6-2 220 11 OL/DL

57 John Zemkewicz 5-10 200 10 OL/DL

58 Nick Thompson 6-1 260 10 OL/DL

59 Merritt Peterson 6-3 235 12 OL/DL

60 Dennis Fielder 6-1 205 12 OL/DL

62 Tyler Bruce 5-11 265 10 OL/DL

63 Jhalon Beeks 5-9 235 10 OL/DL

66 Jonathon Fitzgerald 6-0 255 12 OL/DL

67 Matt Kish 5-11 175 10 OL/LB

68 Dakota Beardsley 5-10 285 12 OL/DL

70 Douglas Bickel 5-11 245 12 OL/DL

71 Alex Khadivar 5-10 185 10 OL/DL

72 Adam Kopil 5-11 220 10 OL/DL

73 Jospeh Mion 6-0 270 12 OL/DL

74 Phillip Roach 6-2 205 10 OL/DL

75 Bahige Owens 5-6 185 10 OL/DL

76 Julien Beeks 6-0 255 12 OL/DL

77 Gabriel Azcona 6-2 205 10 OL/DL

80 Caleb Hinjosa 5-11 185 11 WR/DB

81 Ryan McGareal 5-8 130 10 WR/DB

82 Bryan Wojciechowski 5-10 185 12 WR/DB

83 Conner McQuilllen 5-9 145 10 WR/DB

84 Jeff Rueth 6-0 175 12 WR/DB

85 Mike Meingasner 5-9 140 12 WR/LB

89 Joel Page 6-0 175 12 WR/DB

97 Kyle Hamm 6-0 180 11 OL/DL

NA Erik Shive 5-10 150 10 WR/DB

NA Brendan Mulshine 5-11 190 10 OL/DL

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