Stay Connected with YourSeason
North Newton: Passing the torch
Updated: August 18, 2011 4:30PM
When you have a running back gaining more than 2,100 yards — Jake Schuitema actually gained 2,147 to set a school record — passing the ball isn’t going to be a big part of the offense.
But now that Schuitema has graduated, North Newton’s offense definitely will change, and that means more drop-backs for senior quarterback Ray Thomas.
“We don’t have the same type of smash runner we had last year, so we’re going to have to count on Ray to open things up a little bit,” said first-year head coach Pat Brown, who took over for Marc Hall a couple weeks before practice officially began.
“(Starting running back Chad Schultz) is more of a speed runner, so we’re going to need to throw the ball more to open up the run.”
It’s not like anyone on the team is happy that the school’s all-time leading rusher isn’t around anymore, but you can’t blame Thomas for loving the philosophy change.
“I’m very happy about that,” he said. “Throwing three times a game wasn’t that much fun.”
So Thomas, who was the starting junior varsity quarterback as a freshman and sophomore before being promoted, has been working on making sure he’s ready for the increase in passing.
“He’s accepted his role through summer camps,” Brown said. “He’s in the weight room every day and his work ethic is second to none.”
One of those camps was the Bishop Dullaghan camp at Hanover College, with which Brown, a North Newton graduate, is very familiar.
“I went to that camp as a quarterback here,” he said.
As an assistant under Hall for three years, Brown worked with the offense.
So he’s developed a rapport with Thomas.
“I expect things out of him — to read defenses like I read them,” Brown said.
“We definitely think the same and that’s a good thing,” Thomas added.
Brown also likes Thomas’ leadership ability, on and off the field. It’s something Brown will count on in his first year leading the Spartans.
“If I need something done, I can go to him as the senior captain and it will be done,” Brown said. “He has to command respect on the field; he needs to know all the plays, all the blocking assignments and check-downs.”
That’s the on-field aspect. How about off the field?
“He’s very much a vocal leader,” Brown said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that when (the coaches) aren’t around, he’s still keeping kids in line.”
Thomas was pretty modest about his coach’s assessment.
“I just try to keep everyone positive,” he said.
And he also has a positive outlook, which is a nice added trait for your prototypical leader.
Some players would have a pessimistic view of the season after a coaching change so late in the summer. Not Thomas, who has those team goals set high.
“We know all these coaches, so it’s just a speed bump,” he said. “We want to definitely be in the race to win conference.”
Coach
Pat Brown
Record
Overall: 0-0 (first year)
Last season
Lost 46-2 to Wheeler in sectional semifinals
Key returnees
QB Ray Thomas, Sr.
WR/S Cody Balog Sr.
S/WR Jim Rambo Sr.
FB/LB Jeremy Jones Jr.
RB/DB Chad Schultz Jr.
Key Losses
RB Jake Schuitema
FB/LB Josh Walter
OL/DL Danny Voss
College prospects
WR/S Cody Balog
FB/LB Jeremy Jones
RB/DB Chad Schultz
Season outlook
Even though Marc Hall moved on to another teaching job less than two weeks before the official start of practice, that doesn’t mean his plan for North Newton football over the last three years has halted. Most of the coaching staff remains, including new head coach Pat Brown, and the plan to keep improving continues. It started with simply winning more games than the previous season. It led to winning the sectional opener last season. The Spartans were 5-6 last year, but three of the losses were by a combined eight points.
“Our seniors have set some high expectations for themselves” Brown said. “We want to be on an upswing and finishing with a winning record.”
After graduating the school’s top rusher in Schuitema, Brown will add a little more passing to the offense in hopes it will help achieve another goal — winning the GSSC title.
Postseason
Class 2A Sectional 25 (Andrean, Boone Grove, Bowman, Lake Station, North Newton, Rensselaer Central, River Forest. Wheeler)
Schedule
Aug. 19 at South Newton
Aug. 26 Rensselaer
Sept. 2 at Calumet
Sept. 9 Wheeler
Sept. 16 River Forest
Sept. 23 at Whiting
Sept. 30 South Central
Oct. 7 at Lake Station
Oct. 14 Bishop Noll
HISTORY LESSON
Season Record
2001 2-8, 0-0
2002 4-6, 0-0
2003 3-7, 0-0
2004 6-4, 0-0
2005 3-7, 0-0
2006 1-9, 0-0
2007 2-8, 2-5
2008 4-6, 4-3
2009 5-5, 4-3
2010 5-6, 3-4
Sectional titles: 1987, 1993
Roster
No. Name Yr. Pos.
2 Chris McKeown 10 RB/DB
3 Cody Balog 12 WR/DB
4 Matt Nelson 12 FB/DL
5 Jim Rambo 12 WR/DB
6 Ray Thomas 12 QB/DB
7 Juston Grevers 11 WR/DB
9 Brady Halliar 12 WR/DB
11 Sam Thomas 10 QB/DB
12 Schyuler Gargano 10 QB/RB
14 Harry Klisiak 9 QB/DB
18 Tyler Smith 11 RB/LB
20 Vince Duminie 11 RB/DB
21 Andrew Harwood 9 WR/DB
24 Robert Grant 10 RB/DB
25 Chad Schultz 11 RB/DB
27 Nick Jones 10 WR/DB
34 Jeremy Jones 11 FB/LB
36 A.J. Mendoza 11 RB/LB
43 Steven Gibson 12 RB/LB
44 Tyler Richardson 9 TE/DE
52 Mark Richardson 12 OL/DL
54 Bobby McClain 11 OL/LB
55 Trenton Mashburn 10 OL/DL
56 Tim Brown 10 OL/DL
57 Casey Schultz 9 OL/DL
58 Rex Deal 11 OL/DL
60 Jordan Johnson 12 OL/DL
65 Jesse Bigger 11 OL/DL
66 Danny Baldauf 11 OL/DL
67 Steven Beseke 12 OL/DL
70 Kyle Flanigan 9 OL/DL
71 Jacob Abernathy 12 OL/DE
72 Tristan Johnson 9 OL/DL
74 Joe Switalski 9 OL/DL
77 Brent Midkiff 11 OL/LB
79 Dillon Simonton 11 OL/DL
80 Blake Hooks 9 WR/DB
83 Tyler Crawford 12 TE/DE
85 Conrad Hartnig 10 WR/DB
87 Austin Olive 11 WR/DB
© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Cell Phone Alerts
Comments Click here to view or make a comment