Teonic says Larkin will be improved
Larkin football is pointed in the right direction, according to coach Dragan Teonic.
Following an 0-9 season in which the Royals started as many as eight sophomores in a given week, the second-year coach said the program is poised to return to respectability.
"We're definitely better than last year," said the charismatic Teonic, the former Harper College coach who transformed Hersey from a 1-8 team in 2009 to a playoff team in 2013. "The entire program is better. We have around 100 kids playing football now at Larkin. That hasn't happened here in a long time. And it's the second year in a row with over 45 freshmen, so we're excited about that."
Like he did at Hersey, Teonic successfully recruited the hallways of his own school during the off-season. That resulted in 15 additional Royals, including some talented multisport athletes who join a nucleus of returnees.
An offense that averaged 211 yards and 12.1 points per game should improve with the return of junior quarterback David Hibbler, all-Upstate Eight River wide receiver AJ Hunter, senior running back Chevelle Clements and three senior offensive linemen: Roy Lara (5-11, 195), Ty Former (5-11, 250) and Kordell Thomas (5-11, 290).
Hibbler stepped into a starting role midway through last season and completed 52 of 112 attempts for 608 yards and 7 touchdowns. A year of experience in Teonic's system should put a dent in his 2014 interception total of 13.
Hunter, a returning all-area football pick who also plays guard for the basketball team, made 53 catches for 722 yards and 7 touchdowns as a junior. He averaged 13.6 yards per catch.
Clements changed his body in the off-season, his coach said. The running back now benches 300 pounds, squats 400 and dead lifts 500. He rushed for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns in 51 attempts a year ago.
A newcomer expected to be a difference-maker and leader on offense is Keion Adams, a basketball player Teonic convinced to try football as a senior. The speedy Adams lines up at wide receiver opposite Hunter. That athletic duo is joined by promising sophomore Kindrel "Nomo" Morris, who can play multiple skill positions on either side of the ball.
Defensively, the Royals return three full-time starters: senior outside linebacker/tackle Kevin Roberts, senior outside linebacker/end Will Lopez; and Hunter, who grabbed 4 interceptions last season.
Offensive linemen Lara, Former and Thomas will each see time on the defensive line as well, but because of added depth they won't be forced to start on that side of the ball as they did as juniors. Two reasons for that are Maurice "Mo" Griffith (5-9, 210), who sat out last season after transferring from Elgin, and senior newcomer Nayan Sallis (6-0, 230). Another is developing sophomore lineman Max Wiskerchen.
Soccer and rugby player Leo Martinez gives the Royals another athletic outside linebacker, a position where juniors Jeremy Weaver and Hector Perez will also see action.
Adams joins the secondary alongside Hunter and sophomore DJ Ball, who also plays wide receiver.
Teonic said the program has improved both tangibly and intangibly. He credited principal Jon Tuin and the school's administration for completing an upgrade to the weight room facility and for the purchase of a new sled and other equipment.
"The kids are enjoying the changes they're seeing around the high school and the football program has felt the benefit," Teonic said "In practice they're more focused this year and the attitude has been very good. We haven't had a lot of breakdowns and we're not wasting practice time on discipline. This group is more invested.
"We're still young overall and we're a little undersized. We're not where we want to be yet, but we're significantly better than we were last year."