Naperville Central eyes return to playoffs

Updated: August 10, 2011 5:52PM

Two hundred ninety two days have passed since Naperville Central’s 21-14 loss at Glenbard North last Oct. 22 left it at 4-5 to end the regular season, eliminating it from IHSA playoff contention.

Looking to rebound from missing out on postseason play for the first time since 2002, the Redhawks started their quest for redemption Wednesday with the official start of prep football practice throughout Illinois.

“This is a new year. We’ve had our best offseason since last November in 25 years that I’ve been here,” Naperville Central coach Mike Stine said. “These kids have done everything we’ve asked of them in the offseason. We had a fabulous summer. We got 98 kids here (Wednesday) and this group – they’re doing everything we ask. We’re excited about the season.”  

For a pair of key returning cogs like senior quarterback Ian Lewandowski and senior running back Matt Randolph, the wait to get to Wednesday and the first day of practice couldn’t came fast enough.

“It was really painful,” Randolph said of missing out on the postseason. “We don’t want to be the first senior class to not make the playoffs (in) our two varsity seasons. That’s another huge motivation. Sitting around here watching teams win state championships, go deep in the playoffs. That’s where we wanted to be. It was very frustrating.”

Randolph, an unanimous All-DuPage Valley Conference first-team selection in 2010 as a junior, ran for 902 yards and seven touchdowns and will be expected to do even better as a senior to help get rid of the bad taste of 2010.

After spending much of his time at wide receiver last year by recording team-highs with 20 receptions, 255 receiving yards and three touchdowns, Lewandowski will make the full-time shift to quarterback.

A year ago, in limited action behind the departed Hayden Daniels, Lewandowski completed 8-of-17 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.

But all he is focused on is getting the Redhawks back to the playoffs, an opportunity they saw slip away after taking a lead into the fourth quarter against Glenbard North.

“We’re even motivated when we come out here to work harder and have everybody focused, get everybody conditioned,” Lewandowski said, “so that in the fourth quarter we’ll be able to take those games that determine whether we make the playoffs or not.”

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