Super 25 countdown: Prairie Ridge

Updated: August 7, 2011 6:34PM

Nick Nissen is a National Honor Society member with a 4.3 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, so he's smart enough to know he could be part of something special this fall.

Nissen, a senior quarterback, takes over the reins of Prairie Ridge's option offense in a season that could be the best ever for a school that's had a lot of good ones lately.

The Wolves have made the IHSA playoffs five straight seasons and are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Class 6A semifinals. Each time, Prairie Ridge lost to the eventual 6A champ: Fox Valley rival Cary-Grove in 2009 and Boylan last season.

With many of the key cogs on last year's club returning, this could be the year Prairie Ridge - No. 19 in the Sun-Times preseason Super 25 - makes it to Champaign to play on Thanksgiving weekend.

"For all the seniors ... we know what we want to accomplish," Nissen said. "And we know what that takes. We're looking for a really big playoff run. It takes a lot of hard work in the summer."

It also takes talent and experience, two things the Wolves have plenty of.

Nissen has plenty of playmakers to turn to, including senior fullback Connor Greenwald (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), wide receiver Sean Valentine (6-4, 180) and running back Jordan Getzelman (6-2, 195).

"The great thing about him, he's always had some great size," coach Chris Schremp said of Greenwald. "He came up and played for us as a sophomore. He was still learning how to run the ball with his frame. He's gotten a lot more agile."

Valentine will make opponents respect the Wolves' passing game. "He's kind of a dimension we haven't had much on our football team," Schremp said. "We can throw it up to him and he can jump up and catch it."

Getzelman, also a mainstay for Prairie Ridge's summer state runner-up baseball team, figures to make a bigger impact this season after being slowed by injury the first half of last year.

Tight end Nick Margiotta (6-4, 240), who had some clutch postseason catches in 2011, and guard Tom Evans (6-5, 260) are a couple of big bodies up front who will help open holes for the runners and provide pass protection for Nissen.

There's talent on the other side of the ball as well.

"We play a 3-5 and it's by far the best group of linebackers we've ever had," Schremp said.

That group includes Collin Corcoran (6-4, 220), Josh Hrudicka (5-10, 185), Brad Simms (6-1, 210) and Corey Peterson (6-2, 195).

"He's been working really hard in the weight room," Nissen said of Simms, whom Schremp said is the strongest player on the team. "He hits like a truck."

The talent will come in handy for the Wolves, whose schedule has gotten tougher this season. With the Fox Valley realigning after adding Hampshire, Prairie Ridge moves to the Valley Division. That group includes two teams that made the 6A quarterfinals last year (Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South) along with up-and-coming Jacobs. And the Wolves' FVC crossover is against Crystal Lake South, another 2011 playoff qualifier.

"We think it'd be good for us to have better challenges during the season," Nissen said.

After all, they can only help prepare the Wolves for whatever tests they might face in the playoffs.

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