This season has been all about the future for Dundee-Crown.
It hasn’t kept Chargers junior Ricky Ibarra from injecting a bit of the past at running back.
Ibarra and his classic, hard-nosed style have accounted for 800 yards on 129 carries with five touchdowns as Dundee-Crown (1-5, 1-4 Fox Valley) builds toward next season with a only eight seniors on a 64-man roster.
“The way our offense has always been set up is we’re more of a smashmouth, straight-ahead team and I really think I fit into that well because of the way our linemen block and the experience I’ve had,” Ibarra said.
A hard runner at 5-foot-10, 178 pounds, Ibarra was on varsity last season when undersized senior Greg Williams ran for 1,130 yards using a similar direct style.
“An extra year on varsity, and playing with Williams definitely taught me a lot,” Ibarra said. “The experience I had last year as a sophomore molded me into this year.
“It’s made it so I can see everything the way I do right now when I’m carrying it.”
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The Chargers host McHenry (2-4, 1-4) Friday and have taken some lumps against a powerhouse Fox Valley schedule. While still learning, they’ve managed to score at least two TDs on every opponent and at least 20 points against the last three.
“We take a lot out of scoring against really good teams because it’s molding our offense into something better for next year,” Ibarra said.
Dundee-Crown could have its entire backfield return. Quarterback Josh Raby and running back Ryan Lascano are juniors and breakaway threat Kareem Dunner is a sophomore.
“It’s been a process for us being as young as we are,” Raby said. “But every game I feel like I’ve gotten better and we have as an offense.”
Raby is 72-of-123 for 800 yards, with nine touchdowns.
“Josh is a good leader and we’re going to build off him,” Dundee-Crown coach Mike Steinhaus said. “I’ve told them the rest of this season is about who wants to play for our seniors and prove they want to be a part of our Chargers family for next year.”
Full deck: Three recent additions bolstered a Huntley defense that was already deep.
Senior Tyler Koss was a big-play defensive back last year with three playoff interceptions, and missed the first four games this year with a shoulder separation. AJ Henkle is a 6-1 junior defensive back who made 12 tackles in his debut two weeks ago.
“AJ is a physical, big kid who normally plays corner but can play safety,” Huntley coach Matt Zimolzak said. “He was contemplating just sticking to baseball, but his friends are football players and eventually he came back to us. He had to go through an acclimation period before we could use him.
“Both AJ and Tyler are versatile and we can put them wherever we need them.”
The third player was linebacker/receiver Ryan Antonsen, who missed only the Cary-Grove game and returned in a limited capacity from an ankle sprain last week against West Aurora. Antonsen is among Huntley’s tackles leaders (33) despite missing time, and he leads the offense with 19 catches for 212 yards and three TDs.
Missing Wave: St. Edward (4-2, 1-1) will be without center James Estes for a key Metro Suburban Blue game at 7 p.m. Friday at Glenbard South (4-2, 2-0) after an ejection from last week’s 55-21 win over Fenton.
“Somebody’s going to have to step up and get us through the next game,” St. Edward coach Mike Rolando said.
Starting left tackle Brett Kruska will move to center, where he played two years ago. Ryan West will step in at tackle.
Twitter @genechamberlai2
Mike Clark’s Chicago-area rankings
With records and previous rankings
1. Lincoln-Way East 6-0 (1)
Up next: vs. Lockport Friday
2. Maine South 5-1 (2)
Up next: vs. Glenbrook South Friday
3. Prairie Ridge 6-0 (3)
Up next: at Hampshire Friday
4. Phillips 6-0 (5)
Up next: vs. Raby at Mandrake Friday
5. Loyola 5-1 (9)
Up next: vs. Leo Saturday
6. Glenbard West 5-1 (8)
Up next: vs. No. 15 Hinsdale Central Saturday
7. Marist 6-0 (11)
Up next: vs. No. 13 Nazareth Friday
8. Naperville Central 5-1 (4)
Up next: vs. Naperville North at North Central Friday
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9. Homewood-Flossmoor 5-1 (6)
Up next: vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais Friday
10. Lake Zurich 6-0 (10)
Up next: at No. 12 Stevenson Friday
11. Barrington 6-0 (12)
Up next: vs. Hoffman Estates Saturday
12. Stevenson 5-1 (13)
Up next: vs. No. 10 Lake Zurich Friday
13. Nazareth 6-0 (14)
Up next: at No. 7 Marist Friday
14. Huntley 5-1 (16)
Up next: vs. Crystal Lake Central Friday
15. Hinsdale Central 5-1 (15)
Up next: at No. 6 Glenbard West Saturday
16. Neuqua Valley 5-1 (19)
Up next: at Wheaton North Friday
17. Batavia 6-0 (17)
Up next: vs. South Elgin Friday
18. Bolingbrook 5-1 (18)
Up next: vs. Thornridge Friday
19. Lyons 5-1 (7)
Up next: at Downers Grove North Friday
20. Providence 4-2 (20)
Up next: vs. Fenwick Friday