Lots to look back at from entertaining opening weekend

After a summer filled with coaching baseball and softball games for my two youngest children, another high school sports season has arrived.

While I thoroughly enjoyed watching my daughter’s team capture her tournament championship, and getting an up-and-close and personal look at the continued improvement of my son’s team as a first-base coach this past summer, it is time to turn my attention to the 2011 high school football season.

In no particular order, here are a few things that I noticed during last weekend’s season-opening contests:

It was a memorable Friday night for local first-year varsity head coaches Dennis Piron (Batavia) and Nate Eimer (West Aurora). Piron’s Bulldogs handed defending Class 6A second-place finisher Marmion a surprisingly lopsided 36-7 defeat, while Eimer’s Blackhawks earned their 11th consecutive victory over cross-town rival East Aurora, 48-6.

Both Batavia and West Aurora got off to fast starts, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 30-0 halftime advantage, while the Blackhawks cruised to a 41-0 lead at the intermission, prompting a running clock for the entire second half of play.

It was a mixed bag of results for first-time varsity starting quarterbacks. While Aurora Central Catholic’s Kyle Clechenko (21 carries, 176 yards, 1 TD) and Kaneland sophomore Drew David (14-of-20, 201 yards, 2 TDs) played vital roles in their teams’ victories, St. Charles North’s Collin Peterson (17-of-31, 270 yards, 2 TDs) probably deserved a better fate during the North Stars’ 27-26 overtime loss to Hinsdale Central. Marmion’s Dan DiBartolo and Charlie Faunce (combined for 4 interceptions), and St. Charles East senior Dean Bowen (6-of-13, 41 yards, 1 interception) were harassed repeatedly during their debut defeats.

Saints coach Mike Fields, whose team struggled to move the ball against Cary-Grove’s stingy 3-3-5 defensive alignment, knows Bowen will learn from the experience.

“It’s almost like he’s going in as a sophomore quarterback experience-wise,” Fields said of Bowen, whose sophomore and junior seasons were cut short by injuries. “He’s got to get some things figured out, but we’ve got to fix some things up on our offensive line, too.”

Coaches love having veteran quarterbacks around. Aurora Christian’s Anthony Maddie, Batavia’s Noel Gaspari, and Geneva’s Matt Williams combined for 5 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing TDs during their teams’ season-opening victories.

“It’s nice having a three-year starter (at quarterback) instead of having a guy playing his first game,” Piron said of Gaspari. “It’s so difficult playing quarterback at the varsity level. If you’ve never played it before, that first game can be tough for a kid.”

Following a long list of highly successful tailbacks that includes Michael Ratay and Connor Quinn, Geneva senior Parker Woodworth proved his worth with his 17-carry, 104-yard, 3-TD performance during the Vikings’ 27-14 triumph over Rock Island.

Kaneland’s Quinn Buschbacher and West Aurora’s Nate Zinzer certainly lived up to their pregame hype as big-play performers.

Buschbacher, who accounted for 1,617 multipurpose yards as a junior receiver last season, rushed for 3 TDs and took a middle screen 67 yards to the house during the Knights’ 44-0 rout of Chicago Brooks.

Zinzer, a 5-5 speedster, scored on a 48-yard reverse during the Blackhawks’ win over East Aurora.

Here’s hoping last weekend’s 27-26 overtime loss to Hinsdale Central isn’t a sign of recent times for St. Charles North. A year ago, the North Stars’ 8-year playoff qualifying run came to an end during a 4-5 campaign that included an 0-3 finish in games decided by 7 points or less (35-34 vs. Geneva, 26-19 vs. Elgin, 16-14 vs. St. Charles East).

Kaneland sophomore place-kicker Matt Rodriguez helped the Knights gain invaluable field position with his 4 touchbacks on kickoffs and added a 43-yard field goal and 5 PATs.

Batavia’s Brandon Clabough booted 3 field goals (23, 40, 31 yards), while Aurora Central Catholic’s Brian Bohr blocked a punt that was recovered by teammate Patrick Marcoux for a touchdown.

On the downside, Marmion had several long-snapping problems on punts that helped shorten the field for Batavia’s offense, and St. Charles North coach Mark Gould elected to go for a 2-point conversion (run failed) in overtime after losing place-kicker Michael Schroeder to a second-quarter injury.

And finally a little coach-speak.

“We talk to the kids all the time that mistakes lose first games. Unfortunately, there’s no preseason in high school football,” St. Charles North’s Mark Gould said.

“I didn’t see this coming,” Marmion’s Dan Thorpe said.

“I think we’re capable of having some nights where we explode offensively and we have a fast, aggressive defense,” Batavia’s Dennis Piron said.

“No one said it was going to be easy. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish,” St. Charles East’s Mike Fields said.

Contact Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com