Lynn, Lake Zurich look for memorable ending

Updated: August 24, 2011 6:43PM

Some athletes enjoy the recruiting process, but not Jack Lynn.

It ended well for the Lake Zurich High senior, who committed to Minnesota. But he didn’t appreciate how the texts, phone calls and college visits distracted him from his primary goal: making sure the Bears have another memorable November.

“I think a lot of pressure for him is relieved, to be honest, because of his recruiting [being over],” coach Bryan Stortz said. “I don’t know if I saw him happy till that was done.”

That might have been a bit of a carry-over from last season. Lake Zurich reached its third state-championship game in five years and settled for its second runner-up trophy after losing 28-17 to Wheaton Warrenville South.

“It’s great we got that far,” Lynn said. “But coming up empty-handed is motivation in a way.”

Lynn, a 6-3, 205-pounder, is one of several two-way regulars returning from last year’s 12-2 team. He’ll do so again, starting at linebacker and wide receiver. Fellow senior Zach Till, who started at quarterback and defensive back last season, again will call the signals, but his defensive action will be more limited.

“The way we adjusted our offense, a lot of the responsibility is on his shoulders,” Lynn said.

“This year we’re going to put a little more on him.” Stortz said of Till. “He’s shown he can handle more.”

“We did change our offense up a little,” Lynn said. “We’re going to our strength now ... in our receiving corps.”

And Till will have to play a bigger role now that workhorse back Jacob Brinlee has graduated. Brinlee’s departure also means more touches for senior Mike Shield and Connor Schrader, a transfer from downstate Dunlap.

“He just plays fast,” Stortz said of Shield. “He goes hard; he doesn’t have regard for his body.”

The Bears graduated their entire starting offensive line. But while this year’s group is less experienced, Stortz said, “we are a little bigger this year. The smallest guy is 200 (pounds).”

Lynn will be the leader of a veteran defense that includes tackle William Hussey.

“If you look at what our team strength is, it’s definitely at our skill spots and Hussey on the D-line,” Stortz said. “We’re going to have to count on those guys.”

That’s fine with Lynn, who doesn’t want this to be the year that Lake Zurich slips from the state’s elite teams.

“You only have one senior year,” he said. “This is it. You need to leave something with the program.”

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