Plano looking to rebound from down season

Updated: August 19, 2011 7:58PM

PLANO — Since 2005, Plano’s football program had become one of the best small-school programs in the state.

Punctuated by state championships in 2006 and 2007, the Reapers had gone from a team that had made only one playoff appearance in school history (1980) to a state power.

That continued into last season, as they got off to 2-0 start behind dynamic running back Joseph Jones. On the third play of the third game of the season in Mendota, however, it all came crashing down.

Jones, the Northwestern recruit, broke his leg. Quarterback Devin Ambrose suffered a concussion. And the season went into a spiral, seeing the Reapers finish a 2-7 with an 0-5 mark in the Interstate Eight.

“The moment I knew my leg was broken, it wasn’t even the pain, I knew that I wasn’t going to play again (that season),” Jones said. “I just started crying. Everybody was just down and they didn’t get back up. Practices were horrible. It was not the same. But this season, things will be good.”

The key to that is a healthy Jones. After recovering from his injury, Jones went on to win the Class 1A state championship in the 110 hurdles. Now, he’s ready to show the reasons why Northwestern tabbed him to be a future Wildcat.

“We’re excited, especially because he showed glimpses as a sophomore of what we can do and then last year, he had the injury,” Plano coach Jim Green said. “Our conference knows who he is. He’s terribly athletic, terribly smart, just a great all-around kid.”

With Jones out last year, Angel Castellanos saw plenty of time at running back and will contribute to the Wing-T attack of the Reapers this year. Sophomore Weslye Brown, who went to the state meet on a relay team with Jones in the spring, will enter the mix. Fullback Alan Vega is quicker than most traditional fullbacks and will see action as well.

But Plano may pass more than in years past, thanks to senior transfer Trevor Rea. Rea arrives at Plano via Benet Academy and is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with a strong arm. Ambrose will move from under center to a hybrid role as a receiver and running back to be one of Rea’s weapons, along with receiver Devin Haws.

“Trevor is a big kid at quarterback,” Green said. “He’ll offer us a lot of different options. He’s got a strong arm. He will offer us a chance to put the ball up a little more often than we have in the past. With his size, he’ll be tough running the ball, too. He’s tough to bring down.”

Green is hoping that last year was just a hiccup for the Reapers, who had gone 51-12 in their previous five seasons and first two weeks of last year.

“We had some tough games, but we just kind of fell apart,” Green said. “We have a bad taste in our mouths. We were 0-5 in the conference last year, so we’ve got something to prove. We’re looking forward to getting things going next Friday in Lisle.”

Plano Reapers

Coach: Jim Green

2010 record: 2-7

Top returners: Luke Campbell (Jr., DB); Angel Castellanos (Sr., RB/LB); Andy Christensen (Sr., OL); Devin Haws (Sr., WR/DB); Joseph Jones (Sr., RB/DB); Alan Vega (Sr., RB).

Key newcomers: Weslye Brown (Soph., RB); Trevor Rea (Sr., QB).

Outlook: The Reapers lost their last seven games after Jones, a Northwestern recruit, broke his leg. Only 10 seniors graduated, however, and Jones is healthy, so the Reapers are looking to return to the playoffs. They had reached the playoffs the previous five seasons, with state championship runs in 2006 and 2007.

Schedule

Aug. 26 at Lisle 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 2 Seneca 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 9 Manteno 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 16 at Coal City 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 23 Herscher 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 1 Peotone 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 7 at Sandwich 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 at Reed-Custer 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 21 Westmont 7:30 p.m.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.