Life in the trenches suits Vernon Hills senior Max Accettura quite well.
During his three varsity seasons, he has been a mainstay on the Cougars’ offensive and defensive lines. It hasn’t mattered where. Accettura’s coaches and teammates can always depend on a high level of play.
“He’s been the heart and soul of our defensive line for three years, and he might be the best offensive lineman in the conference,” Vernon Hills coach Bill Bellecomo said. “His versatility allows us to do a lot of different things with him.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the 6-foot-1, 270-pound Accettura is back at right guard, where he has gained a reputation for carving out space against whichever defenders cross his path.
“We run right behind him or get him out pulling, and he’s good at getting to the second level,” Bellecomo said.
Accettura did some of each in the Cougars’ 50-34 Central Suburban North road win against Highland Park on Friday.
Their ground game was in prime form, as Vernon Hills (2-6, 2-2) rushed for 249 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries. One of senior running back Ben Choi’s two touchdown runs was a dive into the end zone following Accettura.
Senior quarterback Nolan Lazor recalls at least two pass plays for first downs attained by rolling out toward Accettura’s side.
“I always go to his side on sneaks,” Lazor said. “He’s a big dude who’s incredibly strong. I’ve never seen Max give up on a play. You give him a job to do, and he does it at a really high level.”
That’s true on the defensive side too. Accettura was the Cougars’ nose tackle for two seasons before moving outside in the team’s 3-4 alignment. Even though that involved shifting only a couple of feet over, the roles vary widely. There’s no more occupying multiple offensive linemen so teammates have a path to the ball. In his current spot, Accettura checks other boxes.
“I think, because of my size, people underestimate my speed, and I can definitely use it more on the outside,” he said. “Being on the outside shoulder of the tackle has been fun being in space and getting to rush the quarterback.”
Accettura’s play on the defensive line has received a boost at home this season. His brother Vito was a three-year starter on the defensive line for the Cougars and played at Augustana in 2021. But his career was cut short due to injury. He’s taking classes at College of Lake County, which affords him the opportunity to help his brother with some of the finer points.
“It’s easy with him because he’s a good listener,” Vito Accettura said. “We go over what some of the little things look like and offensive line tendencies. He’s his own person, but I hope it helps.”
What was gleaned from the brothers’ film session before the game against Highland Park led to Max Accettura blowing up a quarterback sneak in the second quarter.
“The guard across from me got off the ball slowly, so I knew I could shoot into the B gap before him,” Accettura said. “I beat him off the ball, and by the time the quarterback was starting to run, I was already tackling him.”
Some of the same body movements Accettura uses in football are replicated on the wrestling mat. He was a regional runner-up in the 285-pound weight class last season. He and his brother are also workout partners, incorporating drills that focus on quick hands and swift foot motions.
It’s that kind of family bond that makes it easy for Accettura to identify what he’ll remember most fondly about playing at Vernon Hills.
“Sophomore year was definitely my favorite because it was so fun playing with Vito,” he said. “He would calm me down. He had the same feeling as I have now.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.