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Stars gone, but Naperville North still upbeat
Their presence at each football game was inescapable during the 2010 prep season. It had as much to do with their knowledge and leadership as their physical stature and athletic prowess.
While former Naperville North quarterback Matt LaCosse, now at Illinois, and linebacker Nick Lifka, now at Boston College, were the respective leaders for both the offense and defense, Huskies’ coach Sean Drendel is quick to point out that there are still 10 other guys on the field.
“It’s bad in a way, but it’s also good in a way that we become more of a team and there’s no focal point and there’s no target,” Drendel said.
“And no one says ‘Man, you should be good because you have two great Division I athletes.’ We’re kind of hidden a little bit, which is good at this time of year.”
The Huskies took to the numerous painted fields scattered across the Downers South campus on Saturday — each one but the stadium field, which is being redone — as part of a 16-team 7-on-7 passing competition and lineman challenge.
They played against teams like Proviso West, Marian Central and the Mustangs.
Three players got work at quarterback — senior Tyler Gehr, junior Johnny Brown and junior Bryan Sleik — and several more tried to make their presence known in other areas.
It helps that LaCosse and Lifka were mainstays during Drendel’s first year at North, but now it’s time to trust the coaches.
“We’re working hard,” Drendel said. “I think we’ll be a better team, not that those guys were individual-type guys — they were good team guys. We’re in our second year so the kids feel a little more comfortable in the things we’re doing and I think we’re going to be pretty good.”
North was 8-4 last year after losing in the Class 8A quarterfinals to Homewood-Flossmoor.
They finished 4-3 in the DVC and will miss running backs Antonio Owens and Alex Kinne.
The leadership role seems to fall on seniors defensive standouts Dan Puknitas and Nick Krejci as the Huskies prepare to start their season against Neuqua Valley on Aug. 26.
“Our middle linebacker spot, we’ll probably take Krejci who’s played two years on our O-line and D-line and move him back to linebacker and he’s got great leadership.”
Drendel seems content to mix it up in the trenches and let the toughest team battle it out as the winner.
“It looks as if we’re somewhat barren, but I don’t think we are,” Drendel said. “We’re big and physical up front. We like our line a lot. I’m a firm believer if you can’t block and tackle, you can’t win football games. High school is more of an in-the-trenches game than upper level so I think we’d maybe rather get in a fight out here than a passing game.”
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