RECAP: Disappointing 2-7 end to football

The Bulldogs ended the 2011 football season 2-7. The senior stand out players were Dylan Beketic at quarterback, Alex Huffhines at wide out, Tyler Floros at running back, Chris Duplancich at tight end, Andy Suzuki at linebacker, and Mark Musial at linebacker.

The Bulldogs football team is looking forward to next year because the sophomores were 7-2 overall. The varsity team should have a good season next year. PE Teacher Jason Rech has only been the varsity head coach for one year and has found how much more competitive varsity games are than sophomore games.

Huffhines said that, in order for the team next year to be good, the juniors from the team are going to have to step up because there were a lot of senior starters in the 2011 season. Huffhines also said that this season was not what the team had hoped for. Some of the juniors that are going to have to step up next season include Luke Keller, Brad Bednar, Joe Odeh, and Kevin Garvey.

SEASON UPDATE: 49-0 loss to Lemont dims Friday Night Lights

RB played Lemont on Friday, September 2^nd, and the home atmosphere was electrifying. The stadium was packed with people.  RB won the coin flip and chose to receive so Lemont would kick off.

On RB’s first drive they went four and out. Then RB’s defense got on the field.  Little did they know that it was going to be a long day for them.  The RB defense did a good job holding Lemont on their first drive, preventing them from getting a first down. Then Lemont pulled a trick play on RB and did a fake punt for a first down and a big gain. That play put the RB defense on their heels. The Lemont offense ended up scoring their first touchdown of the night on the next play. Lemont also went for two after they scored and were successful.

The RB offense had a rough night, only getting three first downs all night.  They just couldn’t get things going. Andy Suzuki made a touchdown saving tackle in the middle of the game, showing off his athleticism and catching the opposing player from behind.

Sadly, this was one of the only good plays for RB on Friday night. They lost this game 49-0.

Last year’s Bulldog football team went 4-5. Despite a disappointing game, this year’s team looks good and has been practicing hard all summer with 3-a-days.

They also have a lot of chemistry on the football field. Alex Huffhines and Dylan Beketic have been a one-two punch since their sophomore year. Also Nick Callahan and Andy Suzuki have been on varsity since their sophomore year. They have a lot of experience all together.

The RB football record is 0-2 right now but players are looking forward to their next games and trying to put their worries behind them.

The head coach is Jason Rech and he is assisted by Tom Dignan, Marty Sloan, Mike Alberts, Kevin Turk, Mike Marotta, Tim Olson, Todd Koehler, and Dan Wojtulewicz. The volunteer coaches are Ed Lance, Brian Wilms, Noah Wiza, Dominic Senese, Kevin O’Neal, and Jim Lemmler. A couple of the new faces on the RB football team are David Swan, Luke Keller, and Hank O’Neal.

Mark Musial is notably a star on defense, playing three different positions and also acting as one of the captains of the team. Dylan Beketic is the starting quarterback and will be playing all snaps.  Last year, Beketic filled in for graduate David Skowronski, playing half of the game.  2011 Senior Watoris Slater was a key wide receiver for the Bulldogs last year and Alex Huffhines is taking his place at that position. Tyler Radek was the Bulldog’s running back and Tyler Floros will be trying to fill in his shoes.  Also gone is Jon Schraidt, a formidable offensive and defensive lineman, and Tim and Will Potts will be trying to fill his shoes. 

The biggest games of the season for RB that haven’t happened yet are against Glenbard South, Nazareth, and Fenton.

Bulldogs football season comes to an end

The football team ended their season with a tough loss to Fenton for the conference title this year. The game started with Fenton having a strong first drive and taking over the first half leading 13-0. The Bulldogs attempted an onside kick to give them the ball, but it failed. They would then score twice to knot the game up. Fenton would reply with a big run that led them to a late touchdown to secure the win. 

“I was disappointed with our end result, but not in the effort the boys put in,” Coach Jason Rech said, “we were only a few plays from changing our record to 6-3 or better.”

This was Rech’s first year as head coach for the Bulldogs, and the first change in the offense in many years. The new system was new and did quite well. Coach Dallas Till said, “ it was a good system and everyone enjoyed working and talking about it and it brought the coaching staff and the team together.”

Looking back on the season, Coach Rech said, “it was a quick, fast paced four months. I did not get as much time with the this team as I will next year.” Coach Rech will be able to develop his team in the off season in the weight room and in the summer more effectively.  Now that he assured the head coaching position for next year, he can prepare much earlier than this year.

The Bulldogs will be letting go of nineteen seniors and Rech cannot thank them enough for the hard work they put in throughout the years. The final season record was 4-5 overall (4-2 in conference) just one game short from taking conference.  Next year will be exciting with over 10 returning juniors to the lineup to hoping to take conference.

Injuries change Bulldog football season

The football team is going through some tough times as of late. They have sidelined more than six players due to injuries. This will have an impact on their upcoming game at Fenton.

Some notables names are Andy Suzuki with a concussion, Dylan Beketic with bruised ribs, Tim Potts with a dislocated shoulder, and Alfredo Torres with knee problems. Torres’ high school career ended after visiting the doctor and hearing his ACL is torn. Potts will finish his season too.

Suzuki and Beketic will be out for the week and hopefully can start practicing within the next two weeks. “Injuries happen and we take them very seriously,” Head Coach Jason Rech said, “Technology helps to have the players take tests to diagnose if they are truly injured or not.”

Some shifts on the offensive side of the ball will result. David Skowronski will take over as the starting quarterback. “It feels good to be back behind center, let’s hope for the best for Dylan,” he said. Tyler Flores will be taking the bulk of the carries.

Fenton will be a tough matchup. They are 2-0 in conference so far, on top of everyone else. “We have to limit turnovers and consistently move the ball,” Rech said. Defense is doing their job forcing turnovers to give the offense as many chances to score as possible. The Bulldogs suffered a tough loss at Ridgewood the previous week and can hopefully bounce back for a road win tonight.

Bringing home a win for Homecoming

On Friday night, September 17, the football team brought home their first victory of the season in a dominant performance at Shuey Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated Elmwood Park 61-8 for their last game before the Homecoming dance.

 The game was theirs from the very beginning, with a score on the first drive two minutes into the game.

“This was the best game they played all season. The boys were hungry and motivated to bring home the win,” coach Dallas Till said.

Head Coach Jason Rech’s offense took command scoring all 61 points without a reply until the Tigers scored in the last two minutes of the game and converted for two points. Systems for the offense and defense began to click this game, showing a relentless offense and a near-perfect defense. The defense brought in multiple turnovers, including a number of sacks.

Till was not disappointed in giving up the shut out at all. “They (Elmwood Park) strived to get the shutout but, tips to Elmwood Park for not giving up and I give them credit for giving effort throughout the whole game,” he said.

Big offense came from players like Nick Callahan totaling 147 rushing yards with a pair of touchdowns and Andy Suzuki rushed for 82 yards and also picking up two touchdowns. Other notables included Tyler Radek, Thomas Linehan, and Shelton Sharkey, who each went to the end zone.

Positions on both sides of the ball still are being moved around. “Each week there are changes we make and our coaching staff encourages competition for positions,” Till said.

“I think that this is good and that we are all pushing each other to get better and improve,” team member David Skowronski said.

The Bulldogs face Ridgewood this week and Fenton the following week. These will be tough challenges to be on top of the conference.

“We just have to take them one game at a time,” Till said.

Otto-man “empire” ends; a new era begins

There have been a lot of moves on the coaching staff for the football team in the off-season. One that has gained much popularity is long-term coach Otto Zeman being removed and having Jason Rech as the new head coach.  This also brought in a whole new system of offense, bringing in a running game that has not been seen at Riverside Brookfield in a long time.

New coaches, including Tim Brasic, Dan Monahan,  and Tom Fuller joined the team. Brasic is the new head coach for the freshmen and Monahan and Fuller are returning to the staff after taking a few years off.

“I’m excited to have them back,” Rech said.

The new offense will be running the ball more this year.  “We are going to be running the ball this year. There will be a lot more balance in terms of running and passing,” Rech said.

A greater variety of running plays will be brought in including options, traps, zones, etc. Stabilizing running backs and quarterbacks is crucial in helping this offense.  Some key players will be Nick Callahan starting at quarterback and Tyler Radek as running back/wide receiver.

Radek was quite pleased in the new systems this year. “I like running the ball, not as much passing, focusing on more people getting involved as oppose to just one or two players,” he said.

On the defensive end, the systems will basically stay the same. Many juniors will be added in the mix on defense.  Other notable defense players are David Skowronski as defensive end and Radek in the secondary.

Expectations are never at a low for the football team. “We can make playoffs. We all are striving to get there and I think we can this year,” Callahan said.

Radek expects similar goals as well. “I truly we can finish the season off strong and make playoffs, then take it one game at a time,” he said.

The Bulldogs are off to a rough start of 0-2, losing to Lemont the past Friday, but if the systems will kick in, fans can hope for some Bulldog victories.

Wrestlers finish with solid season

The 2009-2010 Wrestling season has come to a close, but not before experiencing a huge amount of success. RB wrestlers finished with a dual meet record of 11-4 and completely dominated their conference with a record of 4-0.

One of the high points of the season was when the team beat powerhouse Fenton for the first time in seven years. Fenton has been the conference champions for the last seven years, but RB was able to pick up a victory against them in the end.

They finished in the top 3 as a team in three separate tournaments including 3^rd against Mundelein, 2^nd against Lisle, and 3^rd in the Regionals.

Head Coach Jason Rech feels that the season as a whole went very well this year.

“This season was highly successful for the team and individuals.  We won the conference for the first time in 7 years, so that was a big goal achieved by our team. We are young in many spots and I think our young wrestlers learned a great deal from their experiences” Rech said.

Besides their 3^rd place finish as a team in Regionals, individual wreslters were also able to earn a lot of points and recognition. A total of six wrestlers qualified for Sectionals.

Sophomore Mike Abbatacola finished with a 27-7 record and placed fourth in Sectionals in the 103 pound weight class.

Junior Keegan Buttimer finished with a 21-15 record and placed fourth in Sectionals in the 112 pound weight class.

Junior Eduardo Orihuela finished with a 21-13 record and placed fourth in Sectionals in the 125 pound weight class.

Senior Chris Russell finished with a 27-11 record and placed fourth in Sectionals in the 140 pound weight class.

Senior Juan Gomez Velez finished with a 27-7 record and placed fourth in Sectionals in the 189 pound weight class.

But the biggest accomplishment was Junior John Schraidt, who finished with a 27-8 record, placed second in Sectionals, and qualified for State in the 285 pound weight class. This represents the end of a very successful season for the talented junior.

“John is a tireless worker and since the end of last year he has worked for everything he has achieved,” commented Rech.

“I was upset with my performance at State, but it was great to make it. The Semi-Final match was the biggest match of the year and I won 8-3 qualifying for state so I was really happy with that.” Schraidt added.

With another season in the books, Rech feels that next year holds a lot of opportunities for the team.

“We lose four senior starters and return 4 wrestlers who will be seniors and a solid group of underclassmen, so I feel like we can reload for next year and be even better.” said Rech.

Both Schraidt and Rech seem very confident about Schraidt’s chances to go back to State again next year.

“This year was good to get down there and get his feet wet, but next year’s goal is bring home the school’s first wrestling state championship in 28 years.” Rech said.

“I am really confident that I can go back to state. And I have a realistic goal of winning state.” Schraidt added.

Wrestling expecting success this year

Wrestling is about ready to pick up where they left off after a very successful season last year. Although many of the state qualifiers have graduated, there are still a handful of wrestlers who have a chance to make this year a successful one.

Of the four state qualifiers last year, only Chris Russel returns this year. Seven of the sectional qualifiers (Sophomore Sam Weiss, Juniors Keegan Buttimer, John Schraidt, Eduardo Orihuela, and Nick Rohm, and Seniors Juan Gomez and Alberto Cotto) are returning this year as well.

New head coach Jason Rech is very hopeful to continue the success built from last year. And he’s not worried about there being any changes now that former head coach Neil Dughetti is no longer there. He says that things will be very similar.

“Our philosophies are very similar, although I will focus more on conditioning. And we got a new room dedicated to wrestling this year which is a huge plus for us,” Rech said. 

Senior John Schraidt thinks the team is very well rounded this year. 

“I think it’s going to be a great year because we have good leaders from last year returning and newcomers to round out the team. I think we’re really solid.”  said Schraidt. 

Another big addition to the team this year is new assistant coach Bill Kucinski. 

“He wrestled at the University of Iowa so we’re very excited about having him on the staff this year,” Rech said.    

The first 2009-2010 Wrestling season started with the first practice on Monday November 9^th.