Klein more than fine with Reed-Custer gig

Updated: August 24, 2011 7:50PM

Taking over a team that finished 2-7 the previous year might not seem enticing to most, but for Nick Klein, he walked in to the opportunity of a lifetime.

Klein, a former Reed-Custer football player and defensive coordinator, takes over the reins of the Comets this season, laying the foundation for what he hopes to be a contending team in the near future.

“There are lots of varsity jobs in the state of Illinois and there isn’t one that I want more than this one,” Klein said. “I grew up in town, live in town, and will raise my kids in town. I didn’t think it would be a possibility. My biggest thing is building a program that the school and community can be proud of.”

Klein was part of last season’s 2-7 campaign as the defensive coordinator. Despite the disappointing record, Klein took some positives away leading into this year.

“We were able to move up some sophomores last night and see some juniors who will really help us this year,” Klein said. “We’re excited about them this year and glad that we were able to get them some experience last year.”

With a young roster, the Comets’ list of goals is concise: worry about the opener.

“Our expectations are to beat Peotone Week 1,” Klein said. “We’ll worry about our other expectations after that. I said we were young last year, but we’re young as heck again.”

Leading the sophomore class is quarterback Mark Harper, who won the starting job in camp. He’ll team up in the backfield with sophomore Kenny Lebeda while taking snaps from sophomore center Tony Tatroe. Klein’s expectations for his trio is high, especially Harper.

“He’s got that little bit extra that you like to see in a quarterback,” Klein said. “He’s got the intangibles to be a great quarterback and he can make all the throws. Is he going to make sophomore mistakes? I’m sure. But we’re going to live with that, and I think he gives us the best chance to win.”

Reed-Custer will hang its hat on running back Tom Cadorette, a senior.

“He really embodies what we want to do,” Klein said. “We’re going to put a lot on him to show everyone else how we want to do things.”

Cadorette is part of a backfield running behind what Klein calls the strength of the team: the offensive line.

“I think we’re going to be able to run the football a little bit,” Klein said. “Our offensive line is a strength anchored by our senior, Cody Nicholson. He really has a chance to play at the next level. He gives the most leadership on and off the field. If we get Tom and Kenny in the open field, they’re going to make plays for us.”

Since Klein’s playing days for Reed-Custer, he has seen Wilmington on top. The ultimate goal for Klein is to reach that level of competitiveness. When will that time come? He’s not exactly sure, but the time starts now for the Comets.

“That’s exactly our goal,” Klein said of overtaking Wilmington at the top of the Interstate Eight, and for neighborhood bragging rights.

“We measure ourselves against that team down the road, and that’s Wilmington. They’re the cream of the crop not only in our conference but the state of Illinois. We get to measure ourselves against them every year. I have the utmost respect for coach (Jeff Reents).

“My goal is to build this program and be in the same talk as the Coal Citys and Wilmingtons of the world. There’s no reason we can’t be there.”

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