Football: Returning talent offers bounce-back hopes for BG in Vlk's debut season
There will be a couple of new looks for Buffalo Grove this year.
Jeff Vlk will be taking over as head coach following Mike DiMatteo, who retired after last season. And the Bison will have a new quarterback after three-year starter Trey Cervantes graduated. Vlk has yet to settle on his new signal caller.
Vlk, who has been at Buffalo Grove for 10 years and the defensive coordinator under the last two head coaches, is excited to be on the job.
"I have been here a long time," Vlk said. "I have seen it done a few different ways and learned from each of them and I am ready to make it my own and keep the positive vibe going."
One of his first big calls will be who to lead the Bison this year. Matt Majeski, who is a junior, and Connor Adams, a sophomore, have been splitting the snaps during the preseason.
"It is a quarterback duel," Vlk said. "On Monday I will say it is one kid, and on Tuesday I will say it is the next.
"Both kids are doing a great job. Matt (Majeski) is probably a better pocket passer while Connor (Adams) is more of a scrambler."
The Bison will have 26 players who had significant playing time on last year's 1-8 squad. Vlk is hoping to cash in on that experience and turn things around.
"The kids coming up are very talented," Vlk said. "Even though we have a lot to replace with some key losses at quarterback and wide receiver, the guys who worked behind those guys have done a great job and ready to step it up."
Vlk will be looking at a trio of running backs to keep the pressure off his quarterback. Tyler Abdishi, along with Chase Marsh and Eddie Walker, will get most of the workload.
Vlk, who said that his team will stay with its spread offense, will look to Johnny Carpinelli, who is back playing after a one-year absence to help a skilled receiving corps. He will be joined by Jimmy Trieb, Tommy Trieb, Cam Adams, Thomas Kelly and Troy Nelson.
"We will be a perimeter team," Vlk said. "We have a lot of athletes on the edges."
Vlk is very high on his offensive line, which has tremendous size and depth.
It is led by senior Jack Merrill (6-foot-6, 235), Max Merriott (6-3, 220), Brian Marienau (6-4, 225) , Brendan Swanson (6-1, 255) and Eddie Morelli (6-0, 250). Junior Justin Gold (6-5, 215), who is a standout defensively for the Bison, will also see some action along with Matt Donoghue (5-10, 255) and Patrick Conlon (6-6, 275).
The defense will be led by Gold, who stepped in for an injury last year as a sophomore and was so dominant that he has already drawn interest from Illinois and Purdue. Merriott and Merrill will rotate along the defensive line, and Tyler Runquist, Tommy Konwent and Tyler Kallas will also see action.
Tommy Trieb, Walker and Jeff Hawkins will be at linebacker while Cameron Adams and Jack Pontarelli, Tim Antonetti and Troy Nelson are working at corner. Kevin Ellis and John Carpinelli are competing for one safety spot while Zach Sheasby and Tommy Trieb will be competing for the other spot.