Coach: Dave Inserra (18th season)
Last season: 11-2 (5-0 Central Suburban South), lost to Lincoln-Way East 24-14 in Class 8A state semifinal.
First-and-10: A week before the season, seniors Cole Dow and Bobby Inserra were still vying for the starting quarterback position. The graduation of all-time leading rusher Fotis Kokosioulis, now at Northern Illinois, leaves a big void in the backfield, which seniors Danny Wolf and Jimmy Bartell will look to fill. Junior Ryan Kilburg, senior Brian Barry and junior Michael Velazquez are expected to be the top receivers. The Hawks will count on left tackle Peter Skoronski, who was one of the state’s best as a sophomore. “He played like a senior (last year),” Dave Inserra said. “He is a tremendous person and athlete and really understands the game. He works his rear end off, executes on the field and provides tremendous leadership. You couldn’t ask for more from a kid.”
Three-and-out: The defense returns seven starters, including All-CSL performers Jonny Halvorsen, a senior defensive tackle, and Luke Preston, a senior linebacker. Bartell, who plays linebacker, is the team’s top returning tackler (57 last season), while Kilburg had 44 tackles and two interceptions in 2017. Maine South will have to see how much Bobby Inserra (four interceptions) plays at cornerback if he gets regular reps at quarterback. Plus, it remains unknown how much Skoronski will play on the defensive line. “We have about nine or 10 guys coming back (on defense) who played a lot. They are hungry and like that the spotlight is on them,” Dave Inserra said.
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Keep an eye on: Skoronski, Bobby Inserra and Clay Cichowski, a linebacker/offensive lineman on the sophomore team. Those three players share a special bond: Their grandfathers all played together at Indiana in the 1950s, and each served as a team captain.
Game to watch: Aug. 24 vs. Glenbard West. Two of the state’s top teams meet in Week 1 for the second straight season. The Hawks won 62-34 last year.
2018 schedule
8/24 GLENBARD WEST, 7
8/31 at Mount Carmel, 7:30
9/7 BARRINGTON, 7:30
9/14 at Conant, 7:30
9/21 at Evanston, 7:30
9/28 NILES NORTH, 7
10/5 at Glenbrook South, 7:30
10/12 NEW TRIER, 7
10/19 NILES WEST, 7