Discussions about the Stevenson defense’s dominant front seven start with senior Colin Schultz and junior Ethan Aghakhan.
The two defensive ends are at the forefront of a five-game roll that programs don’t often experience. The Patriots (6-3) have allowed just 14 points — with three straight shutouts — during that winning streak, which they hope to extend at North Suburban Conference rival Warren (8-1) in a Class 8A playoff opener at 7 p.m. Friday.
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“Those guys have played as well as anyone we’ve seen all year,” Stevenson coach Brent Becker said. “They’re similar in size but have a little different styles.”
Schultz and Aghakhan have combined for 20 of the Patriots’ 33 sacks and 15 of 24 quarterback pressures. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Aghakhan, who also starts at left tackle, stands out for his physicality at the point of attack, while the 6-2, 235-pound Schultz is easy to spot due to his nonstop motor. Schultz often is chasing someone down in pursuit.
“I think one of the main reasons we’re so good is how smart we are,” Schultz said. “We love to study the playbook, and we take the little things seriously.”
As the season has progressed, those little things have become more pronounced on film, meaning opponents began to scheme against the Patriots (6-3) differently. Schultz and Aghakhan have received more attention, but it hasn’t mattered.
“We figure one of us is going to get doubled, and if both of us do, then there will be pressure up the middle,” Schultz said.
In humble fashion, Aghakhan credits the defensive coaching staff for putting players like him and Schultz in the right positions to succeed.
Because of Aghakhan’s strong physical push, his goal in run defense is to trend toward the direction of the ball. On pass plays, it’s a matter of the two meeting at the quarterback, or so they hope.
Even though Aghakhan didn’t have a sack in Stevenson’s 43-8 North Suburban Conference win against Libertyville last week, he still came up big, making his first career interception.
“I pushed the lineman back and read the quarterback’s eyes,” he said. “I jumped up, put my arms in the air, and the ball went straight into my arms.”
Rolling with Ruscitti: With only one senior starter, Carmel’s offensive line began the season lacking both the cohesion and experience that coaches prefer to have.
Enter Anthony Ruscitti.
The senior center has helped stabilize the unit and has stood out individually with his physical stature as the ninth-seeded Corsairs (6-3) enter the Class 5A playoffs against eighth-seeded Noble-Bulls (7-2) at Lane Tech at 3:30 pm Saturday.
“He’s the only older guy in that group, so he’s been the anchor up front,” Carmel coach Jason McKie said. “He’s really helped pull those younger guys along and has played at a high level himself.”
Leading was a good fit for Ruscitti, but not only due to his status as a senior. He’s responsible for calling out the blocking assignments when the Corsairs approach the line of scrimmage. When he sees how many defenders are in the box and how they’re spaced, he yells out the scheme for that play for his line mates.
“It’s kind of fun, almost like there’s a test on every play,” he said. “It’s a lot of responsibility to be the person to make those decisions, but the coaches put us in great positions.”
The 6-0, 245-pound Ruscitti also put himself into a good position by overhauling his body in the offseason. Through a combination of better eating habits and hitting the weights, he has dropped upwards of 70 pounds in the past nine months. He said he eliminated processed sugars from his diet and every aspect of “greasy” food while largely subsisting for a time on ground beef, rice and eggs.
The difference has been very plain to see, both for Ruscitti and others.
“I remember last year hoping for passes to be called so I wouldn’t have to run,” he said. “Now I’ve got a lot more energy and more confidence. A lot of people have told me how different I look, and it makes me feel good.”
Tidbits: Senior quarterback Jacob Donohue heads into Grayslake North’s Class 6A playoff opener at home against Senn at 7 p.m. Friday tied for the most career touchdown passes in school history with 57. He has already broken the Knights’ career marks for passing attempts (367), completions (614) and passing yards (5,180). … Speaking of senior quarterbacks, Stevenson’s Matt Projansky ended the regular season on a high note, completing 18 of 25 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns against Libertyville. He connected with six receivers.