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Dundee-Crown’s goal: Playoffs

Losing third-year fullback Cody Lane to a torn knee ligament in June was a blow to the rising Dundee-Crown football program, but third-year coach Vito Andriola firmly believes his Chargers remain capable of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1994.

Though D-C will undoubtedly miss Lane’s production of a year ago — 1,247 yards and 18 touchdowns on 161 carries — Andriola says senior halfback Cordero Parson, junior fullback Caleb Parson, senior halfback T.J. Moss and a veteran line can pick up the slack and a maturing defense can keep the Chargers in every game.

“This is the best backfield I’ve ever coached,” Andriola said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs. That’s a fact. I like the way this team goes about its business for the most part. They’re going to have a chance to be in position to be a playoff team.”

Caleb Parson has experience stepping into Lane’s big shoes. When Lane left the Jacobs game last season with an injury, Caleb rushed for 63 yards. Cordero Parson, a senior, is an above-average athlete who also plays varsity basketball. Moss has the most experience in the backfield. As a junior he carried 50 times for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns (5.3 avg.). All three will take handoffs from junior quarterback Jeff Atherton, a player his coach calls “a work in progress.”

They’ll run through holes opened by guards Jeremy Marshall and Mike Utley and tackle Trent Hanselmann, each a returning starter. The open spots on the line are filled by senior center Brad Spandenberg and sophomore Josh Mosley.

“The line has been a real strong point,” Andriola said. “It’s been a real good summer. We won the Glenbrook North lineman challenge against Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Libertyville and Cary-Grove. It’s beginning to look like an Andriola-coached team, which means we’re physical, we’re really strong and we’re really tough.”

Such toughness translates to defense, where the Chargers return three starting linebackers. Senior Tim Schanmaier is in his third varsity season and gets better with each passing week, according to his coach. Senior Jordon Linson is among the best players on the defense but has been slowed by injuries in each of his first two varsity seasons. Zach Thelen returns after starting the final four games of last season as a sophomore.

The defensive line boasts two returnees in seniors Xzavier Torres and Christian Ochoa.

An already strong secondary that returns senior safety Sam Francowiak (2 interceptions), cornerback Fabian Gutierrez and part-time corner Fabian Ramirez gets a huge boost from the return transfer of junior Malik Dunner. Dunner spent his freshman season at Dundee-Crown but last year attended Elgin High, where he played varsity football and basketball.

Andriola calls Dunner “a great kid” who can make open-field tackles as a safety. Dunner will face his former Elgin teammates in the season opener in Carpentersville.

Dundee-Crown, which won 3 games last season for the first time since 2008 and only the second time since 2005, will remain a full platoon team with a varsity roster of 48 that includes sophomore running back/defensive back Jeff Kieltyka.

“We have to stay healthy, no doubt about that,” Andriola said. “We have great senior leadership. I think it’s not far fetched that we could have been 6-3 or even 7-2 last year had we not lost 3 games by 3 plays. I still have to remind these guys they are better than they think they are. It’s hard when they’ve never won to understand they can do this, but I believe they can. This is a pretty good group of football players.”

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