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Rolando believes St. Edward can get back to playoffs

Play hard, stay healthy, win five games.

That’s the blueprint for a playoff return for the St. Edward football team, a 21-man squad with talent but little depth.

“We have some of our lowest numbers since I’ve been here, but the strength is there,” said eighth-year St. Edward coach Mike Rolando, whose team finished 4-5 last season on the heels of consecutive playoff appearances in 2009 and 2010.

“We’ll be a very tough team as long as we stay in shape and play four quarters,” Rolando said. “We have to avoid being hit by the injury bug. If we can stay healthy, I think there are 5 wins out there for us.”

Rolando called the Green Wave schedule “tougher than last year” on balance, which presents a challenge for a team with multiple athletes expected to play both ways and on special teams.

Last year, the Green Wave blew out Genoa-Kingston, Iroquois West, Wheaton Academy and Walther Lutheran by a combined score of 155-21. In turn, St. Edward was thumped by Marmion, Marian Central, St. Francis, Class 3A state champion Aurora Christian and Class 5A state champion Montini by a combined score of 248-66.

The good news? Montini is off the schedule in 2012. But so are Iroquois West and Walther Lutheran. St. Edward will instead play Immaculate Conception (Week 4), Aurora Central Catholic (Week 5) and Chicago Christian (Week 6).

The sledding is always tough in the rugged Suburban Christian Conference regardless of the draw, but the Green Wave hope to better compete with the big boys in the Blue Division by running the ball effectively and controlling the clock. And Rolando thinks they have the weapons to do it.

Returning to the backfield is junior Devontae Elam (5-10, 190), now in his third varsity season but in his first as the team’s featured tailback. Elam could carry the ball 25-30 times a game, according to his coach. Junior fullback Will Bothwell (5-9, 175) could get 10 carries a game.

Elam and Bothwell will aim for holes opened by an offensive line averaging 220 pounds from tight end to tight end, anchored by juniors Collin Holte (6-1, 240) and Zach West (6-0, 245). Each started as sophomores. Seniors Nick Plazewski (6-3, 250), Pat Berlin (6-4, 240) and Sean McShane (5-7, 180) step into starting roles for the first time and lend the line decent size.

“If they perform we’ll perform,” Rolando said of the offensive line. “It’ll really rest on their shoulders. “We’ve always been a run-heavy team. We need to be able to run the ball to open up the pass.”

Two junior quarterbacks who previously never played the position, Michael Castoro (5-6, 145) and Tighe Koehring (6-1, 190), have taken equal reps since the start of summer camp and will see equal playing time in the opener against Genoa-Kingston, according to their coach.

The Wave will line up in double-tight end formations “about 50 percent of the time,” Rolando said. Burlington Central transfer Andrew Yarwood (6-4, 205), an all-Big Northern East last season, will play tight end. So will Tighe Koehring when not at quarterback.

Senior Jacob Koehring (6-1, 205), returns to anchor the defensive line at one end with Yarwood manning the other. McShane, who missed time last season due to injury, returns to play defensive tackle.

The linebacking corps is led by returning starters Joe Stump (6-1, 200) in the middle and Bothwell on the outside.

Elam returns at cornerback. He’ll be joined in the secondary by athletic sophomore free safety Danny Favela (6-3, 170) and the speedy Castoro at strong safety. Senior Alex Arregquin (5-7, 140) didn’t play last year after transferring in, but he should see plenty of action.

Is it enough for St. Edward to make a run at its third playoff appearance in four seasons?

“I think so if we stay healthy,” Rolando reiterated. “We’re just deep enough to get guys off the field and get them a blow. There won’t be any easy games, but I do think we’ll play hard and be competitive in every game.”

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