South Elgin gains home-field advantage

There’s no place like home to the South Elgin football team.

Thanks to the hard work of multiple boosters and school administrators and the generosity of private donors, the Storm will play football in a new, on-campus facility for the first time this fall.

“It’s going to be great,” senior Zach Marotta said. “It’ll be a first for the school. We’re just so happy to have this happening to us. We’re going to take pride in it and come out there ready to play every day.”

Playing a true home game will be different experience for South Elgin coach Dale Schabert. He spent his career at Larkin bussing to home games at Elgin High’s Memorial Field. His South Elgin teams played their first five seasons at Streamwood’s Millennium Field.

“I’ve known one game-day procedure most of my career,” Schabert said. “I’ve teased the administration by saying I still might ask for a bus to do a lap around the building and then pull up to the stadium right before we go on the field.”

Marotta (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) will play inside linebacker alongside junior Chris Bingham (6-1, 210), who started several games last season.

The only other players who saw significant playing time on defense were seniors Zach Werba (6-1, 165) and Michael Bahena (5-9, 170). Werba moves from corner to tackle to corner this year. Bahena was starter at cornerback who missed time due to injury but returned for the playoffs.

Younger players will fill in at several spots, including a pair of sophomores with potential. Nathan Marotta (6-2, 200) will play linebacker and tight end and Kyle Kumerow (6-2, 190) will play defensive end and receiver.

“We lost nine starters on defense so there are a lot of new faces there, but I think those guys have made some really good strides since the first day of doubles,” Schabert said. “It’s a really quick unit. The guys are playing real fast and they’re physical kids.”

There’s a chance — gasp! — this Schabert-coached offense might actually accumulate more yards via the rush than the passing game he is known to prefer. That’s because the offensive line is South Elgin’s greatest strength. Returning are all-UEC Valley bookend tackles Jonathan Slania (6-2, 275) and Christian Guerrero (6-4, 285), a third-year starter, as well as left guard Kevin Jakowitsch (6-1, 250).

The team gains addition size in the form of junior right guard Nicholas Zimmerman (6-3, 240). The center position was up for grabs during camp between seniors Ron Coletta (6-0, 205) and Nick Skoczylas (5-9, 175) and junior Jacob Bergroschtje (6-1, 245).

The offense boasts even more girth at tight end between junior Zachary Saldivar (6-2, 230) and Nathan Marotta.

“Running the ball is probably the main focus of our game right now,” said senior quarterback Zach Gross, who started one game last year, a 48-0 win over Lake Park. “We have some big boys to run the ball behind.”

Gross (5-10, 175) can run the ball himself. He’s a shifty runner who qualified for the state track meet last spring in the 200 meter dash. Gross will hand the ball off to hard-nosed runner Adolfo Pacheco (6-0, 200). The talented senior moves to tailback full time after lining up partly as a slot receiver last year. Geno Passarelli (5-7, 200) and Bingham both return at fullback.

Senior receivers Andrew Weedman (6-4, 185) and Tommy Asa (5-10, 165) were each part of the receiving rotation last season.

South Elgin retains one of its top weapons in kicker David Reisner, who has 50-plus-yard range and routinely kicks the ball through the end zone.

The Storm played its first three games at home last season, won all three and went on to reach the playoffs for the second straight season. They’ll have to weather three road games to start the year at Downers Grove South, Metamora and Lake Park before playing that long-awaited, inaugural home game against Metea Valley on Sept. 16.

“Those will be three tough games so that fourth game at home will be a real shot in the arm,” Schabert said. “It’ll make coming home to that new stadium even better.”