Eight months before the season opener, Libertyville lineman Colten Siebert already felt a sense of urgency.
The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Siebert had a solid junior season in his varsity debut, playing well at left guard and center. But the Wildcats’ loss in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs didn’t sit well with him, and he vowed to do something about it.
“I remember saying to myself, ‘I want to be a captain. I want to be a leader on this team and be the best player I can possibly be,’” Siebert said. “I got the message in my head, and my dad and I talked about filling the shoes of those before me.
“It started in the weight room, never missing a lift and doing extra lifts, and then guiding the younger guys and the people in my age group and truly pushing them forward.”
The push that Siebert initiated still has legs late in his senior season. Libertyville (6-2, 6-0), which will take a six-game winning streak into the regular-season finale against Zion-Benton on Friday, has clinched at least a share of the North Suburban Conference title after a last-minute 14-10 win over Lake Zurich last week.
Siebert’s burgeoning leadership skills were tested after the Wildcats lost the first two games of the season, and his imprint is all over the turnaround.
In the hours after the Week 2 loss to Naperville North, Siebert went to the other three captains and organized a players-only meeting for the next day. The team met at nearby Butler Lake Park, talked about what needed to happen and even watched film for about two hours.
“The tone of the meeting was, ‘How do we fix this?’” Siebert said. “It flipped a switch for a lot of us. The next day, the captains met with the coaches, and ever since then we’ve been playing with more of a sense of urgency. We had to get over that hump of being 0-2 and get that first win.”
To do that, Libertyville had to get past perennial conference power Warren in a game that had to be finished the next morning due to persistent lightning.
“That week, we all heard about having to play Warren, but it didn’t faze us because we all knew what kind of team we can be,” Siebert said. “We knew we had to dial in the physicality to win that game, and we did.”
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As a two-way starter, Siebert has been instrumental in shaping that hard-nosed identity. So he appreciated the Wildcats’ physical win over Lake Zurich.
“We lost to them badly last year, so we’ve had this game on our minds all year,” Siebert said. “I think it was the most prepared we were all season, and as a lineman, I live for games like this — in the trenches, where every single yard counts.
“To get a win in a game like this, with a touchdown with 19 seconds left to secure a conference championship, it’s something to remember for the rest of your life.”
That memory might not have been possible if players like Siebert hadn’t done so much behind the scenes, as well as on the field, to support a winning culture.
“He’s the leader of our offensive line, helps with setting up our blocking schemes,” Libertyville coach Tim Budge said. “He’s also played a lot of defensive line for us this year and is an anchor in the middle. He’s a great player but also a great leader for us, one of our most vocal leaders.”
Doing something as seemingly minor as making sure all of the linemen gather for a celebratory picture, like Siebert did after the win over Lake Zurich, makes a difference.
“We call the defensive line the yetis and the offensive line the mules,” he said. “We even have an Instagram account and post things. My goal is to always be the most prepared position group, and to be considered a leader of either of the groups is a privilege.”
Being a yeti is new for Siebert. During the offseason, he made clear that he wanted to add defense to his responsibilities.
“Back in December, I went to the coaches and said that I’m ready to play both ways,” he said. “Defense is a little new to me, but I told myself that I’m going to learn how to do it and be the best defensive player I can be.
“I don’t care what it takes. I’m going to condition myself, I’m going to get stronger, I’ll learn the techniques and go out there and do my best. It doesn’t matter how tired I get. I can rest tomorrow, but during games it’s all gas, no brakes.”
That mantra fits Siebert well. On offense, his play up front, primarily at left guard, has been instrumental in the Wildcats’ offense, which has accumulated more than 1,000 rushing yards and more than 1,000 passing yards. Five players have gained at least 100 yards on the ground.
On defense, Siebert started the season at defensive tackle but has moved to the nose and has recorded 17 tackles with four for loss and 1 1/2 sacks. He has found small advantages in knowing the tendencies of offensive linemen.
“My favorite part is blowing up a double team,” Siebert said. “If two people come at me and I can get underneath them and get past them to get the tackle, that’s about as good as it gets playing football. The point is to take on those double teams and make sure they can’t get to my linebackers.”
Siebert’s teammates know his commitment to team success runs deep, even when there’s a harder edge involved.
“Sometimes he’ll get in people’s faces in practice, but he’s doing it out of love, and he wants to make sure we’re giving the right looks,” Libertyville senior linebacker Mason Roe said. “People know how much he cares about the team and that he’s trying to make everyone better.
“He has an ability to push others to get the best out of them. Everyone looks up to him because he backs up his words with his actions.”
There aren’t a lot of individual accolades for Siebert, but he has grown comfortable with that.
“In my whole life, I’ve never had the ball, run the ball or really had any stats,” he said. “It’s always about doing the best job I can so our team can succeed.
“I may not get glory for that, but I know in my heart I’m doing the job, the coaches know I’m doing the job, and that’s all that matters to me.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.