Munster: Ready to blow up

Updated: August 18, 2011 4:22PM

Like most safeties, Munster’s Nick Brajak relishes the big hit.

But Brajak extends his enthusiasm for the big pop to beyond the football field. When he’s not playing football or studying, Brajak works at a Krazy Kaplan’s fireworks store, indulging his affection for explosions.

He’s also an avid hunter and hopes someday to become a ballistics engineer.

“They call me a sales associate slash stockboy,” Brajak said.

“But around the Fourth of July, there’s no time to sell anything. We’re too busy keeping stuff on the shelves. It pays for all the bullets and shells I use hunting.”

To further his career interests, Brajak is attempting to enroll in one of the military academies. He’s currently working through the application process, which culminates in an interview with various Indiana congressmen in an effort to get their nomination to an Academy.

Brajak has developed a fondness for math and science in high school and would like to be able to serve his country. He’s admired armed personnel for as long as he can remember.

And then there’s that thing about blowing things up.

“I really like being in a lab, problem-solving, working with my hands, and building things,” Brajak said. “But it’s sort of weird that I’m interested in both construction and destruction.”

The youngest of four siblings, Brajak’s love of big hits might be in his genes. His father played football at Ohio University and his brother, former Munster standout Alex Brajak, is now playing football as a redshirt junior at Ferris State in Michigan.

Sister Kristin excelled at basketball and track for the Mustangs and his mother played high school basketball at River Forest.

Brajak recounted the endless football games he and his brother played in their back yard.

“He’d basically just kick off to me and then come down and tackle me,” said the 6-2, 185-pound senior. “He would rough me up pretty good, and Kristin did a good job of it, too.”

Brajak spends his down time hunting and fishing, largely with a group of fellow enthusiasts on the football team.

The hobby allows him to use his extensive collection of knives.

“I have an interest in metallurgy,” Brajak said. “People think I’m a whack job because I probably have 45 or 50 knives in my collection.”

Brajak hopes to continue his football career somewhere in college, preferably at one of the academies. If not there, though, he’ll pursue an engineering major elsewhere. With a GPA near 4.0 and good SAT scores, Brajak should have a lot of open doors.

But the first priority is his senior season, and the Mustangs have high expectations. A Northwest Crossroads Conference championship could be within reach, and Munster hopes to make some noise in the meat-grinder Class 5A Sectional 1.

“We have to have the mindset that you can’t ever believe you’re the underdog,” Brajak said. “You can’t put yourself behind before the game even starts.”

Coach

Leroy Marsh

Coach’s record

At school: 192-129 (32nd year)

Overall: 192-129 (32nd year)

Last season

Lost 28-10 to Crown Point in sectional semifinal

Key returnees

QB Mark Strbjak

FB/LB Luke Nossem

DB/RB Nick Brajak

Key Losses

DL Jack Seaman

LB Garrett Peck

FB/DB Nate Egan

CB Kyle Wargo

College prospects

LB Luke Nossem

QB Mark Strbjak

Season outlook

In the persons of QB Mark Strbjak and FB/LB Luke Nossem, Munster has two of the most physically impressive football players in the NCC, if not in the whole region. Sprinkle in some other decent athletes and the Mustangs have the recipe for a solid season.

Strbjak enters his senior season having started most of the prior two years and is poised to put up some big offensive numbers. Nossem, who carries a 4.2 GPA and is a vocal leader, added fullback duties in the second half of last season, allowing the Mustangs to keep the ball in the hands of two big, fast players.

Leroy Marsh feels pretty good about his senior class and with a little help from the junior class, he thinks the Mustangs can have a lot of success. Munster should be considered a contender in the conference, but the Mustangs need to get by someone other than Lake Central in the sectional to take the next step forward.

Postseason

Class 5A Sectional 1 (Chesterton, Crown Point, Lake Central, Merrillville, Michigan City, Munster, Portage, Valparaiso)

Schedule

Aug. 19 Lake Central

Aug. 26 at Chesterton

Sept. 2 Highland

Sept. 9 Andrean

Sept. 16 at Morton

Sept. 23 at Griffith

Sept. 30 at Hobart

Oct. 7 Lowell

Oct. 14 at Kankakee Valley

HISTORY LESSON

Season Record

2001 8-3, 3-2

2002 7-3, 3-2

2003 8-3, 5-2

2004 4-6, 2-5

2005 3-7, 1-6

2006 5-5, 3-4

2007 3-7, 2-4

2008 7-4, 4-2

2009 7-3, 5-1

2010 7-4, 5-2

Sectional titles: 1985-87, 1993, 1996

Regional titles: 1986

Roster

No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

3 Mark Stbrjak 6-4 195 12 QB

4 Gio Murillo 5-7 155 12 RB

5 Jacob Helmer 5-7 140 9 QB

6 Travis Frank 5-7 150 11 RB

7 Adam Ostoich 6-0 155 9 QB

8 Oliver Sutter 5-9 155 12 CB

9 Matt Childs 5-11 169 9 K

10 Nick Milkovich 5-6 145 11 RB

11 Trace McCarthy 5-11 165 11 QB

12 David Osborne 5-8 160 10 SS

13 Saam Mojtahed 6-1 145 10 WR

14 Colin Mudroncik 5-10 185 12 SS

15 Mike McGrath 5-10 165 10 FS

17 Josh Shalen 5-9 150 10 K

18 Lukas Nossem 6-3 220 12 LB

20 Darius Flores 5-11 150 12 CB

21 Nick Brajak 6-2 185 12 RB

22 Michael Jurkash 5-8 160 10 RB

23 Austin Etter 5-8 155 10 LB

24 Kyle Hansen 5-9 165 10 LB

25 Brett Szafasz 6-0 160 12 WR

27 Alec Roquena 5-8 140 10 RB

28 Ernest Carter 6-0 190 11 RB

29 Matt Gill 5-11 160 11 DE

30 Karanpaul Multani 5-11 185 12 DE

31 Zac Rinehart 5-10 175 10 FB

32 Zach Kennedy 5-9 175 10 LB

33 Kye Tratar 5-10 150 11 CB

36 Cody Baker 5-9 145 11 CB

37 Scott Shaner 5-9 160 11 WR

38 Anthony Giannini 5-9 150 11 WR

40 Chimez Okolocha 6-0 190 12 FB

41 Nick Powell 5-10 155 10 RB

42 Joe Kmak 5-10 150 10 CB

43 Zach Eisman 5-5 125 10 CB

44 Zachary Cherogan 5-10 185 11 TE

45 Nick Marlow 5-10 195 11 DE

46 Luca Candelaria 5-6 145 11 CB

47 Chrisian Leonakis 5-10 190 12 OLB

50 Tony Cress 6-1 215 12 C

51 David Watts 6-1 240 11 DT

53 Luke Hilbrich 6-1 205 12 OG

54 A.J. Jurick 5-10 220 12 OT

55 Sam Helmer 6-1 210 10 OG

57 Chris Kritzer 5-9 204 12 OG

58 David Straka 5-9 170 12 LB

59 Marko Popovich 5-10 180 11 LB

60 Daniel Swaitek 5-6 225 12 NG

61 Jason Brown 6-2 260 10 OT

62 Thomas Kim 5-10 205 12 DT

63 Niko Ingoglia 6-0 195 10 OG

64 Kyle Wilkinson 6-0 205 10 OT

65 Ethan Witting 5-8 180 11 OG

66 Sam Bell 6-3 220 10 OT

67 Daniel Kerrick 6-3 225 11 DT

68 Daniel Straka 5-10 230 10 C

69 Marco Hernandez 5-10 235 12 DT

70 Steven Swingler 6-3 275 12 OT

71 Adam Pluard 6-0 210 11 OT

72 Thomas Sowinski 6-2 240 11 OT

73 Jim Foster 6-2 180 10 DT

74 Elliott Maul 6-0 195 10 DT

75 Paul Cristo 5-10 295 12 DT

76 Alex Crowe 6-0 190 11 LB

78 Eric Swingler 6-3 220 10 C

79 Ernest Caston 6-3 240 12 DT

80 Brandon Hoekstra 6-4 160 12 WR

81 Ryan Wilkens 5-9 180 11 TE

82 Anthony Conroyd 6-1 165 10 WR

83 Robert Flanagan 5-10 140 12 WR

84 Mine Dafiaghor 6-0 175 10 DE

85 Jamal Jenkins 6-1 205 10 DE

86 Alex Reinsma 6-4 225 12 TE

87 Alex Collison 5-11 160 11 WR

88 Zach Strbjak 6-1 185 12 OLB

89 Paul DeRolf 6-0 194 10 DE

90 Dylan Pierie 6-3 215 9 TE

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