BELVIDERE – What a difference 12 months make.
A year ago at this time, Belvidere North was kicking off its inaugural campaign. The Blue Thunder had to scramble to get ready for the season: There was no offseason program and coach Curt Tobin wasn’t hired until August.
And yet North was respectable, finishing 3-6 with wins against Machesney Park Harlem (a forfeit because of a Harlem teachers’ strike), East and Jefferson. They also lost to Auburn 20-19 in OT.
“We would have liked to have won a couple more games,” linebacker Andrew Hildebrand said. “We’re going to come back this year and definitely redeem ourselves and surprise some people.”
JOHN F. ELBERS II | RRSTAR.COM
Keith Watson (center) is a senior
and team captain for the Belvidere
North defense.
To get ready for this year, players began workouts last November. As many as 25 players a day spent time lifting weights and working on speed drills. “Everyone is in shape, working a lot harder,” tight end Doug Traceski said. “Everything is so much better than last season.”
The offseason time together gave Tobin and his staff a chance to really get to know the players.
“Last year, we were hiring coaches a week before the start of the season,” Tobin said. “We were just getting acquainted, and that was ongoing the entire season.”
The coaches will have many more players to become familiar with this time. The Thunder has 65 players on its varsity roster compared with 32 a year ago. “Having depth and being able to practice against good players means so much,” Tobin said.
It also means not having to rely on key players going two ways. Running back Kenny Anderson, who rushed for more than 500 yards, will forgo his position in the defensive backfield. “He is the perfect tailback for our spread offense,” Tobin said. “We expect him to carry the ball between 20-25 times a game.”
Junior Keith Larson will get about half the snaps at quarterback, said Tobin. Corey Wennmacher, the team’s MVP and starting QB a year ago, will still play some there, but will also see time at receiver and defensive back. Junior RB Alex Tripp could also see action at quarterback. Jake Billon, who scored six TDs, rounds out a talented backfield.
Steve Russo, who played tight end, moves to offensive tackle. Ethan Geishert and Mitch Aragon join Russo on the line. Traceski, who sat out last season with an injury, returns to play tight end. Tyler Nelson, Alex Gomez and Stan Park are the top receivers.
North has also changed its defensive scheme this year. The Thunder will use a 3-5 front instead of a 4-3. The new defense is based on quickness and slanting by the line, freeing up the linebackers to run to the football.
— Paul Anthony Arco
