Lake Zurich ready for more wear and tear
There is urgency for change.
Not to the football team, mind you. Heck, Lake Zurich has never been better.
But, oh, those bleachers. Oh, that beaten artificial turf, which is almost 10 years old.
A big-time program needs a big-time renovation for its stadium.
“We’re pushing to try to get a new stadium built,” said Bears coach David Proffitt, who understands it’s a big-time endeavor. “That (turf) gets a ton of use, by the community and of course every sport. The life expectancy under regular usage is 10 years, and we’re above that regular usage.”
Blame the football team, in part.
After all, every November, the Bears are still playing on it. Spirited student fans celebrate touchdowns, big plays and postseason victories by shaking the bleachers. The Bears’ Class 7A state semifinal berth last season was their sixth in seven years.
Call it the price of success.
“Right,” Proffitt said with a laugh. “We play a season and a half.”
The Bears, who will be led defensively by Syracuse-bound linebacker Colton Moskal, pound the turf with a strong option game. They will look to do so this season behind returning senior quarterback Noah Allgood, who’s not your conventional QB.
Allgood’s varsity career started during his sophomore year when the Bears were banged up about midway through the season. A linebacker on the sophomore team, Allgood moved into a starting spot on the varsity offensive line and even saw regular action in the state playoffs. He started at linebacker in the Bears’ semifinal loss at Rockford Boylan.
At the start of last season, Allgood was still a starting linebacker. But after senior quarterback Jake Stauner suffered a midseason injury, Lake Zurich switched Allgood to QB, and there he stayed, while also continuing to play linebacker. He wound up making the all-conference team.
“He’s a very intelligent football player,” Proffitt said. “He knows the game, and he’s obviously a very tough kid. He’s willing to do whatever is necessary for the team to be successful. Which is a great quality in any individual.”
The offensive line returns all but two starters, as seniors Matt Michael, Aaron Hussey and Luke Yankoe give the Bears ample experience in front of Allgood.
With Connor Schrader (1,222 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns) having graduated and earned scholarship dollars to Northern Michigan, Lake Zurich will look to run the ball with seniors Dylan Schassler and Joey Holtz. Schassler missed about half of last season with an injury. Holtz gained 187 yards on 36 carries.
Senior Brent Sweetwood will play wide receiver, while 6-7 junior Zach Wallace is a former lineman who has been moved to tight end.
The Bears have moved sparkplug Sean Lynch from cornerback to free safety, which is a key position in the Bears’ 3-5 stack defense. Lynch (578 rushing yards, 9 TDs last year) continues to get reps at running back, but the Bears want him focusing on the defensive side of the ball. Lynch had 4 interceptions as a junior and nabbed all-conference honors.
Seniors Dominic McNeil and Chris Lehtinen return up front on defense. McNeil had a strong year (56 tackles, 3.5 sacks), but Lehtinen missed about half the season with an injury.
Moskal, who led the team with 93 tackles (6.5 sacks) last season and verbally committed to Syracuse this summer, will anchor the middle, with Allgood possibly still getting downs next to his Division I-bound teammate. Colton Wagner is another inside linebacker whose 2012 season was cut short due to injury. Sam Walstrum (49 tackles last season) returns at an outside linebacker spot. Athletic senior Matt Moon started all last season at a corner.
Strong-legged A.J. Trittschuh is back to kick and punt.
“We feel pretty good, although we’ve lost some very important people,” said Proffitt, whose team also graduated three all-conference linemen in Jerry Bauer, Rocky Triggiano and Matt Schirmann. “This group here, the seniors have really been great examples to the underclassmen. As everybody would say right now, we just need to play somebody other than ourselves.”