Kaneland wants to stay on top
Asked his team’s weaknesses, Kaneland coach Tom Fedderly hesitated a long while before speaking.
When a team returns four of five starting offensive lineman, a quarterback who passed for 39 touchdowns as a sophomore, a 1,000-yard rusher and a seven starting defenders from a Class 5A semifinalist, there’s not much to say.
“A big concern for me as a coach — it’s always this way — is preparing for the team that we’re having that week, not looking ahead, not reading in the papers what everybody’s saying about what’s a big game, what’s not a big game,” Fedderly said.
“We’re not one of the dark horses. Everybody knows us. We’re not going to sneak up on everybody, so we’ve got to prepare for everybody’s best game.”
Behind returning linemen Zach Theis, Shane Jorgensen, Nick Sharp and Alex Snyder — none lighter than 240 pounds and joined by 275-pound Joe Komel — last year shotgun quarterback Drew David completed 192 of 323 passes (59 percent) for 3,306 yards, 39 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Drew also ran for 408 yards and 5 touchdowns, second only to running back Jesse Balluff’s 1,095 yards with 18 touchdowns. Balluff added 36 catches for 530 yards, most among returners.
“We’re expanding his role a little bit as far as being able to call audibles and change plays out there,” Fedderly said of David. “He’s really a smart kid. After having all that experience last year he understands what we’re trying to do and what we’re looking for.”
Returning receivers Zack Martinelli and Kyle Pollastrini will be joined by great athlete Dylan Nauert, who started at linebacker last year as a sophomore, 235-pound tight end Tyler Slamans and speedy Brandon Bishop. It could be better only if Quinn Buschbacher and Sean Carter were granted fifth years of eligibility.
“We think we’re going to be pretty fast offensively,” said Fedderly, who even returns kicker Matt Rodriguez after he nailed 65 extra-points and 6 field goals as a sophomore.
Defensively the Knights will miss the graduated Ben Kovalick and Jacob Razo, a 10-interception man, but have a bevy of returnees.
Snyder, Nauert, top tacklers Ryan Lawrence and Blake Bradford at linebacker, safety Kory Harner all are in the mix, while seniors such as Tanner Andrews look to solidify the secondary. Fedderly hopes the experience gained last season will limit big plays by opponents, who averaged 168 yards rushing to Kaneland’s 146.
Having won the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference East Division both years running, Fedderly sees the league improved from top to bottom. But there is a definite target on Kaneland’s back not only in the Big 12 East but in Class 5A.
“We want to obviously win a conference championship or be in the running, and we want to have a good enough record where we get a home playoff game and see where we go from there,” Fedderly said. “Obviously we’ve got a lot of people coming back and people are talking about us.”