Excitement Abounds for 2011 Season at Minooka

JOLIET – Football season is just around the corner and Minooka’s trek into the Class 7A quarterfinals last year sent Indian Nation into a frenzy.That was just a taste of the excitement planned for this season, which is less than two months away.Minooka, 10-2 in 2010, opens at Morris and returns home to host Providence Catholic before heading into Southwest Prairie Conference play.Morris, which went 6-4 last year and qualified for the Class 4A playoffs, and Minooka were members of the SPC until 2008. Providence went 2-7 a year ago after taking second in Class 6A in 2009.That’s one of many reasons coach Bert Kooi is brimming with anticipation for the 2011 season. Kooi got a good look at the Indians during the University of St. Francis 7-on-7 football jamboree earlier this month at Joliet Memorial Stadium.The annual passing workout features a host of area teams in advance of the start of football practices across the state Aug. 10. That's six weeks away.“We open up with Morris, which dominated our league for so long, so the Indian Nation is excited about that,” Kooi said. “They left the league and we didn’t get a chance to compete against them the last few years. "If that isn’t good enough, we have Providence coming to our home for week two. It’s a great opportunity for our fans, kids, coaching staff and community. We’re really excited about that.”Although it was squelched during a 21-17 upset postseason loss to Belleville East, the Indians are using the home playoff defeat as motivation for the 2011 campaign.“That’s stuck in our craw and it has to be motivational for these guys,” Kooi said of a 17-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. “Maybe if we were better at throwing the ball, the game might have been different. But those are wouldas, couldas and shouldas.” “It’s a great opportunity for our fans, kids, coaching staff and community. We’re really excited about that.”Although Minooka is in the midst of revamping its passing attack, it will still lean heavyily on the run. Senior-to-be Kalvin Hill, the 160-pound state wrestling champion, rushed for 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns during the Indians' 2010 season. “What we’ve been known for is our running game,” Kooi said. “To bring a passing dimension to our offense is something we hope can get us over the hump, past the quarterfinals and who knows after that.”