Coaches eager for Jets-Steelers matchup

Updated: March 23, 2011 9:44AM

High school football coaches Bill Mosel (Thornton), Dan Stell (Bremen) and Earnest Sutton (Hillcrest) grew up in the Southland and are excited about Sunday's NFC championship game showdown between the Bears and Green Bay Packers.

But their intensity level will really increase later in the day when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the New York Jets in the AFC title game.

"Can you imagine a more perfect scenario than a Bears-Jets Super Bowl?" said Stell, whose best friend, Ben Kotwica, is the assistant special-teams coach on the Jets.

Sutton can't.

"That would really be something special," said Sutton, whose connection with the Jets is defensive back Marquice Cole, a former Hillcrest All-State player who wears jersey No. 34 for the Jets.

"I'm hoping to get to Pittsburgh for the game and then going to Dallas to watch Marquice in the Super Bowl."

Mosel, however, won't be rooting for the Jets. He likes the Steelers, where former Thornton All-State player Antwaan Randle El is a star wide receiver and kick returner with 82 on his jersey.

"Antwaan is still amazing," Mosel said of Randle El, now in his ninth season in the NFL. "He still has the same talent and energy he showed when he played three sports at Thornton."

The dream of having one of his former players in the Super Bowl is nothing new for Mosel.

In 2001, the Wildcats were represented by Sammy Williams (Baltimore Ravens) and Jack Golden (New York Giants). Mosel hit the jackpot again in 2003 when Thornton grads Golden (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Napoleon Harris (Oakland Raiders), both playing linebacker and wearing No. 58, met in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Mosel, who has coached a total of 10 NFLers in his more than two-decade tenure in Harvey, was in Detroit's Ford Field in 2006 when Randle El threw a touchdown pass to help the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks.

"Every time I see one of our guys out there it makes me so proud and

fortunate that we were able to help them reach their dreams," Mosel said.

Like Mosel, Sutton has been able to rub shoulders with the NFL's best. A best friend of retired All-Pro defensive back and current NBC football analyst Rodney Harrison, Sutton was able to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the spotlight that engulfed his pal and the New England Patriots when they won Super Bowl crowns in 2004 and '05 and barely missed the gold in a loss to the New York Giants in '08.

"Rodney and I grew up in Markham and he made it possible for me to share three Super Bowl experiences with him," Sutton said.

"Now Marquice, who has always helped Rodney at his summer youth football camp at Hillcrest and admires him so much, has another chance to reach the Super Bowl (the Colts beat the Jets in last year's AFC title game).

"Marquice is a role model for kids to follow. He graduated from

Northwestern, and despite getting cut by three teams never gave up in his dream to play in the NFL.

"Sure, he was disappointed when he got cut, but he kept learning how to play in the NFL and finally made it. When I watch the Jets on TV I look for No. 34 making a big tackle on special teams or covering a receiver in the Jets' secondary. He looks like an NFL player."

Sutton and Stell were in Indianapolis two weeks ago, rooting for the Jets during their win over the Colts in the wild-card round.

"Ernie, Marquice, Ben and me were all able to see each other after the Indy game. That was pretty neat!" Stell said.

Kotwica, a graduate of Andrew High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point, was a decorated officer in the Iraq war before becoming an NFL coach.

"I don't think I've ever seen a bigger smile on Ben's face than after the Indy game," Stell said. "Though I am sure he had an even bigger smile when they beat the Patriots on Sunday."

So while the Bears and Packers are on everybody's minds, the families and friends of Randle El, Kotwica and Cole will be eagerly awaiting the start of Sunday's "other" big game.

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