Next year is here for the Minooka High School football team.
Shortly after Minooka wasted a 17-14 fourth quarter lead in a 21-17 loss to Belleville East in the quarterfinal round of the Class 7A playoffs last year, the Indian nation started to salivate over the thought of the 2011 season.
Minooka returns plenty on both sides of the ball and will feature a young but talented offensive line in the hopes of taking the season a step further than a year ago.
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Last season, the Indians went 10-2 overall and 6-1 to tie with Plainfield North and Plainfield South for the Southwest Prairie Conference championship.
They open the season Friday, Aug. 26 at Morris.
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“We are very excited and optimistic about the 2011 season,” said Minooka coach Bert Kooi, who is 36-32 entering his eighth season. “It has a lot to do with the excitement that was generated by our 2009 and 2010 teams. They laid the foundation and gave us a blueprint
for future success.”
Minooka’s strength will be its wealth of experience on defense and skilled offensive weapons, not the least of which is senior running back Kalvin Hill. The 160-pound wrestling state champion rushed for nearly 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago.
“Everyone will try to stop Kalvin Hill,” Kooi said. “We do have other weapons on offense that can hurt opposing defenses if they commit too many guys to stopping one man.”
They include senior running back Taylor Salazar and junior wide receiver Max Brozovich. He is the younger brother of 2011 graduate and three-year quarterback Mitch.
The questions surround the Indians’ inexperienced offensive line and quarterback, who is yet to be determined.
Seniors Ken Creasman and Cody Cloud and junior Joe Carnagio are all capable of commandeering the Indians’ revamped offense, which could feature a more balanced attack this season. Senior Alec Vesper is the only returning offensive lineman for the Indians.
Vesper and classmates Jake DeGraaf and Alex Hamilton anchor the defensive front for Minooka, which allowed just 159 points in 12 games last year.
Seniors Jake Petrovic and Dillon Haase at linebacker and Luc Carey and Tyler Grigus at defensive back head those respective positions.
Minooka’s top newcomers include senior offensive linemen Jordan Brod and Hank Gronlund and senior running backs Nate McGuire and Darrien Thompson. Leading the juniors making the jump to the varsity are offensive lineman Blake King, receiver Luke Stoval, running back Josh Pullara and defensive backs Dan Ingram and Chris Hise.
The SPC race could be just as exciting as a year ago when the championship was shared after Plainfield North beat Plainfield South in week nine. Minooka rallied to beat Oswego 27-21 in the season finale to earn a share of the league title.
