Looks like Carmel’s lookin’ good
Clad in his sparkling brown home jersey with gold trim, with his last name and jersey number in white, a Carmel Catholic football player walked proudly on picture day.
The Corsairs debuted the flashy jerseys last year.
“We still got the same road uniforms, though,” the player said.
The Corsairs’ starting offensive backfield is new, at least.
Gone are fullback Jordan Kos (Winona State), the school’s all-time leading rusher, speedy Mike Panico (Northwestern), savvy quarterback Brian Brennan and rugged blocker Matt Maher. Kos, an all-stater in his third varsity season last year, graduated with 3,868 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns (second most in school history). He, Panico and Brennan rushed for a combined 3,126 yards last season and scored 41 TDs. Panico also had a school-record 3 kickoff returns for scores.
With all due respect, however, coach Andy Bitto doesn’t sound concerned about whether his perennial state power will score points in 2012.
He expects his Corsairs will put points on the board and look good, no matter what uniforms they wear.
“Over the last 12 years, we’ve scored 34 points a game,” Bitto noted. “I don’t know that it’s reloading, but we’ve developed a system where we have certain types of athletes that we work in, and they start as freshmen.”
Josh Walinski, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior, takes over at quarterback and will run the Corsairs’ always effective option attack. He was the sophomore team’s QB two years ago but missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. He got into some varsity games as a sophomore in blowouts and rushed the ball effectively.
“Good athlete. Awesome kid,” Bitto said. “He runs a 4.59 40 (yards). He’s an excellent runner, and he’s a good thrower on the run. So it’s good for our offense — sprint-outs, bootlegs. It plays right into what he’s good at.”
Senior Tim Serio, who will be playing his third varsity season, replaces Kos at fullback. Junior Mitch Zovnic will start at slotback, while 5-5 senior Sean Brennan moves to wingback. Brennan, the brother of Brian and fellow former Corsairs signalcaller John, also has been on varsity since his sophomore year. He’s played mainly in the defensive secondary.
The offensive line returns a pair of starters in senior tackles Matt Crisp (6-3, 275) and Jake Cochrane (6-3, 290). Junior Matt Braun (6-1, 193) will anchor one guard spot, while senior Ryan Glogovsky (6-3, 230), junior Ben Turner (5-11, 255) and senior Austin Fenger (6-3, 230) are the other starting candidates on the O-line. Senior Max Johnson (6-0, 215) will play tight end. Senior Joe Perrelle and junior Tommy Palczynski are in competition at wide receiver.
Defense is typically a strength of the Corsairs, but they have to replace one of their all-time best linebackers in Tyler Lees (St. Norbert), a two-time all-area and All-East Suburban Catholic Conference choice who led the team in tackles each of the last two seasons.
The Corsairs run a three-man front, so the fact that seniors Grant Stredler (6-1, 215), Billy Dolan (6-2, 216) and Mike Falger (5-10, 186) all return is good news. Bitto calls all three defensive linemen good athletes.
Senior Brett Blum (6-1, 206) moves from outside linebacker to middle linebacker. Fellow seniors Connor Lynde (6-1, 192) and Boo Simmons (5-10, 205), the youngest of three talented Simmons brothers to play for the Corsairs, will anchor outside linebacker spots.
The secondary still features Brennan, who will be one of the few Corsairs to play on both sides of the ball. Juniors Nickai Poyser (6-1, 210) and Mark Amick (6-0, 175), who also can play linebacker, will see the field plenty as well.
Junior Ronald Cox (6-1, 185), the son of former Bears linebacker Ron Cox, will play strong safety. A late-season call-up last year, Cox intercepted two passes in his varsity debut.
“Real smart kid,” Bitto said. “Real, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir.’ He’s going to be a good player for us the next couple of years.”
Junior Nick Grandolfo (6-1, 145) will play free safety, and senior Derrick McLean (5-9, 165) is another skilled player in the secondary.
Carmel also returns one of the area’s best kickers and a real weapon in senior Steven O’Block, who booted 8 field goals last season.
“I’m real excited about this group,” said Bitto, whose team faces a typical rough schedule, especially early, starting with tonight’s opener at Lincoln-Way East (10-1 last season), followed by next week’s home game against 2011 Class 8A state semifinalist Glenbard North. Carmel visits Joliet Catholic is Week 7.
“The good thing,” Bitto added, “is right off the bat we’re playing some good teams.”
CARMEL
HEAD COACH: Andy Bitto (15th season, 121-43)
LAST SEASON: 7-4, 6-2 in East Suburban Catholic Conference, lost to Crystal Lake in second round of Class 7A state playoffs
HOMECOMING: Friday, Oct. 12 vs. St. Patrick, 7:30 p.m.