Football in June? Why not?

The arrival of the second Saturday in June means many things to many people.

Yes, it’s time to fire up that backyard grill. Yes, it’s time to dip your toes in that glistening neighborhood pool.

And, yes, it’s time to start throwing the football around again.

Football in June? Huh?

Yes, the countdown to the Aug. 28 kickoff for area prep football teams begins on Saturday at the University of St. Francis’ annual 7-on-7 passing jamboree.

Eighteen teams will participate on the first of three consecutive weekends of play at USF’s Pershing Street practice fields.

Games will run from 8-11 a.m. during the first session and from 1-4 p.m. in the second.

The roster of teams playing in the morning reads like a Who’s Who of Area Football: Andrew, Coal City, Joliet Catholic, Lincoln-Way North, Marian Catholic, Minooka, Naperville North, Pontiac, Providence and Wilmington. In the afternoon, the roll call runs the gamut from Dunbar and Harper to Lemont and Lincoln-Way Central, from Morris and Shepard to St. Edward and Stevenson.

Each team, each coach and each and every individual will have a unique agenda and/or a specific goal in mind to accomplish over the course of 21 days of sweltering summer football.

“We started lifting and speed development a week ago,” Minooka coach Bert Kooi said. “This week, we’re in camp. So, it’s double-duty with camp, lifting and speed development. The USF 7-on-7 gives us an opportunity to put some things together in a semi-competitive atmosphere, but under an environment where you’re not truly trying to win. It’s a great teaching tool. You’re seeing different defenses and different personnel packages, things that you don’t get going against yourself every day in practice.”

Kooi’s primary objective will be to get his young quarterbacks repetitions under the fire of a 7-on-7 competition. Mitch Brozovich stepped into the Minooka starting job as a sophomore last fall because of an injury that sidelined Brian Martin. Brozovich completed 31-of-90 passes for 364 yards and gained confidence in himself as he gained his footing.

He suffered a shoulder injury during the first week of baseball tryouts and subsequently underwent surgery. He has been ruled out for the summer. His status for the fall remains uncertain. And, so, Kooi is pushing up the development of Brozovich’s two primary backups — Cory Krakowski and Doug Sachtleben. Krakowski was a starter in the secondary for the Indians last fall.

He played deep safety as a junior.

“He has varsity experience — but at a different position,” Kooi said. “On the defensive side, he was running the show. Now, he’s going to get a chance to run the show offensively. Obviously, with his leadership qualities and his ability to communicate, we’re looking for those things to transcend to whatever side of the ball he ends up spending his time on.”

Sachtleben played a number of different positions for the Indians on the sophomore level last year. He is racing to get up to speed with the demands of playing quarterback in the varsity ranks.

“It’s a chance to get him some reps, too,” Kooi said.

The disappointment of losing Brozovich for the summer is not going to prevent Minooka from working toward improving on a 3-6 season, not if Kooi can help it.

“You leave last season feeling good, with a sophomore kid who gained almost a full year of varsity experience,” he said. “You know you’ve got him coming back for two more years. And, then, a non-football related injury comes up and he’s gone for the summer.

“And, as you know, the summer for skill position players — quarterbacks, wide receivers, linebackers and defensive backs — is so critical in their development. It’s when they work on their mechanics, improve their knowledge of the game, begin to recognize and read defenses, all those types of things. That’s what makes weekends like this, with coach (Mike) Uremovich and his staff as USF, so much more meaningful and so much more important.”

Kooi once worked as an assistant coach at St. Francis and enjoys the camaraderie of being around old friends whenever he returns to the Saints’ Pershing Street practice fields.

“I’ve spent a great deal of time on those fields,” he said. “It’s always great to go back and see other coaching staffs — people that you admire and hope to emulate. Man, they’ve got it going now at USF. Coach Uremovich has done an amazing job in a short period of time.”

Uremovich normally assists with the running of the USF camp and uses the 7-on-7 competition as a chance to size up prospects. Players dress in helmets and shorts, no pads. He will miss the first weekend to attend a former player’s wedding in Pennsylvania.

“It’s always a lot of fun for the community to come out and watch,” Uremovich said. “For us, it’s a day to go to work, to watch players. They all come to one place — our place. We get excited to see 20 high school teams in one day. The format is unique in a 7-on-7 setting. Speed and agility are on display.

“But, the bottom line for me, I’ve always said football is a physical game meant to be played in pads. At a 7-on-7, you can confirm some things about a kid. But I don’t ever want to rule a kid out if he’s not in pads. You can see Elliott Allen (a Minooka grad and USF recruit) on tape and then watch him at the 7-on-7 and it will confirm what you like about him.

“It’s another chance to be around the kids, to talk to them and talk to their coaches. Maybe you find out a few things you didn’t know, find out about somebody who’s had a great offseason and you might want to follow up on in the school year.”