All Glenbrook North needs is a quarterback

Updated: June 28, 2011 6:36PM

When Glenbrook North opened its summer camp recently, head coach Bob Pieper looked at his team and was most excited about one thing — just how many of them there were.

Fifty-two to be exact, and that number could grow.

“Our goal is to have 50 on varsity. We’re really encouraged about the numbers,” Pieper said. “(With so many kids) you have guys pushing for spots, and it allows us to do a lot more at practice. We can do 7-on-7 at one end and work with linemen at the other. You can break it up and work on drills. Plus, you just have more depth at certain positions.”

The Spartans are coming off a season when they went 8-2, captured the program’s first CSL North crown since 2007 and advanced to the Class 7A playoffs, where they lost 31-21 to Machesney Park Harlem.

Though only nine of 22 starters are scheduled to return for GBN this fall, the Spartans will bring back perhaps their two best players in junior running back Grant Rushing, who was the CSL North Offensive Player of the Year, and two-way lineman Mike Ermel, who was the conference’s lineman of the year as a junior.

The team also brings back two top receivers in 6-foot-3 Trevor Ponticelli and 6-4 Chad Bruce, both seniors.

The Spartans enter the summer looking to identify the quarterback who will hand the ball to Rushing and find the big receiving targets.

Four players come into camp vying for the QB spot, which was held by the graduated Zach Hilgendorf last season. They quarterback candidates are seniors Curt Petty and Matt Hoyer and juniors TJ Tedeshi and Cody Bolan.

With the starting signal caller spot up in the air, Pieper said this summer’s 7-on-7 passing competitions take on added significance.

“They are more important and harder on the coaches because they have to rotate all the (quarterbacks) in,” he said. “Last year, we knew Zack would play a lot of the 7-on-7s and we just had to get the backup some reps. Now, we have to get (all four) kids an equal amount of time and evaluate as we go.”

The Spartans participated in their first 7-on-7 shootout Thursday at Stevenson. They were scheduled to compete in similar events at New Trier and Prospect this week. On July 12, GBN will participate in the CSL Shootout.

The camps also will give Glenbrook North’s inexperienced defensive backs a chance to hone their skills. Petty is one of the players likely to be counted on in the secondary, if he doesn’t win the quarterback job.

Up front on defense, Glenbrook North returns lineman Paul Boidanis, who will be a junior, and senior linebackers Alex Griffin and Jason Scholl.

Pieper said the team will enter the 2011 campaign with the same three goals as every year: win the first game, win conference and win a playoff game. The Spartans are looking to capture the school’s first back-to-back conference crowns since 2004-05.

The season begins on Aug. 26 when Hersey comes to Northbrook. There is a trip to Lane on Sept. 2 and Glenbrook South visits Sept. 9.

At the next level: Four players from last season are scheduled to play college ball this fall: wide receiver/defensive back Armin Batang (St. Ambrose), running back/linebacker Nick Freund (John Carroll), running back/linebacker Phil Crawford (Claremont McKenna) and running back/linebacker D.J. Spooner (DePauw).

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