Sandburg plans busy summer

Updated: June 21, 2011 2:55PM

When it came to getting ready for the football season, former Wheaton-Warrenville South coach John Thorne always was looking for more competition.

“His philosophy was he was going to sign up for every 7-on-7 he could,” Sandburg coach Dave Wierzal said. “By the end of the year he realized his kids had played 70 games. He thought, ‘Oh, my God, what have I done.’ But ultimately he said it worked out very well.”

Thorne coached four state championship teams and compiled a 181-64 record before moving on to North Central College in 2002. Not a bad example to follow.

“It seems like this has become the thing to do,” Wierzal said of the 7-on-7 camps. “The nice thing about this one, it’s Mount Carmel, Lemont and Thornton. These are good schools. No matter what happens, no matter how bad we look, we’re going to learn from it and face good competition.”

Sandburg was among 12 teams competing Saturday at the Richards 7-on-7 passing camp. The camp was run at two locations, with each team facing three schools in separate scrimmages.

Next month, Sandburg will travel to Bloomington for a four-day camp at Illinois Wesleyan with seven other schools. The camps give coaches a chance to evaluate players and help fill open positions.

“We graduated all our skilled kids,” Wierzal said. “Running backs, receivers, quarterbacks, defensive backs, linebackers, they’re all new. We’re going to get a look at everybody. We don’t have a true first group yet. We’re starting to get there.”

Senior Anthony Adams has the inside track at quarterback.

“We’re giving him the first look,” Wierzal said. “He has that senior leadership and authority right now.”

Ron Johnson, a junior, will also get a chance to impress in the 7-on-7 scrimmages.

“We get to see a lot of different defenses and get ready for what we might see during the season,” Adams said of the 7-on-7 events. “It helps you in making your reads. Certain defenses, you know what pass routes will be open.”

Although skill positions will be inexperienced, the offensive line should be a strength with tackle Dan Feeney, guards Mike Thornton and Jerry Blake and center Jon Egan all returning. The top receivers likely will be seniors Nick Lehnerer and Maher Ayyash.

“We’re still trying to fit them into the right spot,” Wierzal said of the offense. “They’re not returning starters so we need to give them a chance to learn the offense, the specific technique and skills involved to execute it. The same thing on defense.”

Linebacker Mike Rago and linemen Brendan Pindel and Feeney return on defense to a team that was 8-3 last year, losing 21-20 to Lyons in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs.

“It was a very, very close heartbreaking kind of game,’’ Wierzal said.

Sandburg opens the 2011 season against Andrew, followed by a game vs. Stagg before the SouthWest Suburban Blue schedule starts.

“We feel good about our personnel,” Wierzal said. “Last year we had all kinds of concerns about our personnel. This year we know we’ve got the kids. It’s just a matter of giving them the chance to develop.”

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