Athletic approach suits Grant
Forget cheerleader push-ups after touchdowns.
How about a standing backflip from senior Luis Echeverria after each TD scored by Grant’s football team this season?
Echeverria, mind you, stands 6 feet and weighs two-cheerleaders-plus (250 pounds). After starting at right offensive guard last fall, the big Bulldog bounced, performing for the cheerleading squad during the winter.
“I don’t know if he can anymore — he bulked up after cheerleading season — but he could do a standing back flip before,” coach Kurt Rous said. “He’s pretty athletic.”
Senior Kyle Whitman and junior Jonathan Wells are two more athletic Bulldogs worth watching. Whitman (1,169 rushing yards, 16 TDs in 2011) moves from running back to quarterback, replacing the graduated Alex Villa, who had a fantastic season running Rous’ option attack last fall. Villa rushed for 1,042 yards and 10 scores and also threw for 768 yards. Wells returns at fullback after gaining 1,051 yards on the ground and scoring 12 TDs as a sophomore.
“(Whitman) is good in the open field, and so is Johnny,” Rous said. “If our line can create some holes — and get them in the open field — I think they’ll do some good things.”
The offensive line is an experienced group with Echeverria, 2011 all-conference right tackle/three-year starter Dan Haeffele (6-3, 280), center Jared Lalanda (5-10, 205) and left tackle Tyler Reynolds (6-1, 230). Lalanda missed most of last season with a knee injury suffered in Week 2. Reynolds played guard last season. Echeverria, Haeffele, Lalanda and Reynolds are all seniors.
Kris Smith, a 5-5 senior, plays the “rabbit” position in the backfield, while senior Andy Cacchione serves as blocking back. Senior veteran Keion Miller gives Whitman a 6-3 target at wide receiver.
“Our offense is what everything is going to revolve around,” Rous said. “Our offense is where it should be right now with four weeks of summer camp. We’ve repped it out thousands and thousands of times.”
If the offense does what the coaching staff thinks it will, it will eat up the game clock and keep the Bulldogs’ inexperienced defense off the field. Only one player returns to a defense that graduated Quinton Quarles (Eastern Illinois), Nick Jones, Charles Williams and Steven King, as well as its entire starting linebacking corps and safety Dillon Watters. The lone returnee, junior Billy Sullivan, is moving from strong safety to outside linebacker. He had 3 interceptions last season.
“We moved some guys around on defense,” Rous said. “We took some of our linemen and put them at linebacker, like we did with Nick Jones (last year). So I think we got our 11 guys.”
The 11 could include a pair of sophomores whose last names will be familiar to Grant football fans. Outside linebacker Jake Lostroscio is the brother of former Bulldogs Eric and Dom. Defensive tackle Collin Stefanowski is the brother of Travis, who also was a standout for the Bulldogs. Junior Jake Bychowski is healthy after missing a good portion of last season with a knee injury. When he isn’t playing wide receiver, Miller will likely line up at safety.
The Bulldogs earned a share of the North Suburban Prairie Division title with Antioch and Lakes last season. They host Lakes in Week 7 and close the regular season with a road game at Antioch.
GRANT
HEAD COACH: Kurt Rous (seventh season, 39-24)
LAST SEASON: 7-4, 5-1 in North Suburban Prairie Division, lost to Lakes in second round of Class 6A state playoffs
HOMECOMING: Saturday, Sept. 22 vs. Vernon Hills, 1 p.m.