Young talent gives Rams future hope

Talk about a versatile player.

How about 913 rushing yards for running back Joey Valdivia? And don't forget about those 15 touchdowns. Plus on defense, this Grayslake Central freshman registered 100 tackles.

"Joey is one of the most talented football players I've been around," noted Central freshman football coach Ryan Feeney. "His work ethic is second to none, and the sky is the limit in terms of his potential as a football player. The football record books at Grayslake Central could look a lot different in four years."

The Nick Goshe era at Grayslake is all about weightlifting and making kids stronger. The Central head coach wants all of the players in the program to be as strong as they can be.

He hopes the strength will translate into victories. The Rams collected one victory this season, and Goshe believes his regimen will be beneficial to the school's other sports.

"I can guarantee the kids they are getting from football are faster and stronger," Goshe said. "It's on it's way here. It's a process. It worked for the sophomores. It worked for the freshmen."

Valdivia and Co. won 7 of 9 games on the freshman level. Both losses came at the hands of conference champions: Huntley (FVC Fox) and Antioch (NSC Prairie).

And, keep an eye out for defensive end Jake Paust. Playing for that gifted freshman team, he notched 16.5 tackles-for-loss. He also recovered a stunning 10 fumbles. Ray Beckman was the starting QB and he threw 8 TD passes.

The sophomore team went 6-3. Goshe was most impressed with the way that club performed in the second half of ballgames. The Rams outscored their opponents 70-7 in the final two periods.

"They were far more defensive than anything else," Goshe said. "They were really good."

Some of the sophomores to watch include linebackers Kevin Hein and Chris Loeffl.

For a team which only won one game, there were some things to feel good about. There was that 210-yard rushing game from Cassidy Melton in the win over North on Oct. 17. In that same game, defensive tackle Angelo Gargano intercepted 2 passes.

Justin Squillo caught a shocking 63 passes for 632 yards.

And quarterback Kevin O'Rourke just missed the 1,000-yard mark throwing the ball (954).

Who does Goshe build around next season? Mike Gentile will be back after finishing third on the club in total offense.

"It's up to him to keep his spot," Goshe said. "I can't imagine not having him in the game somewhere."

The sophomore team' QB, Cam Neely, will give Gentile some healthy competition.

Goshe is hoping some of his wounded players come back next season. Both Mike Katona (DB) and Nick Mandich (DL, RB) were lost to injuries this fall.

Mick Daly (WR-DE) and the gifted Gargano will also be back.

Evan Jones' college career continues to shine. The former Central QB has thrown 360 passes for the 5-4 Carthage College. He's completed 224, good for 2,639 yards and 25 touchdowns. Last weekend in a victory over Hope College, Jones fired TD passes of 13, 16, 23 and 29 yards.