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.

Cheerleaders one shy of advancing to Day Two at State

Seasons come and go, but the heart and dedication put in will last forever. This year our varsity cheerleaders finished 11^th out of 88 possible teams at the state competition.  Even though they didn’t reach their final goal, they did come first in sectionals. This is the first time cheerleading has ever placed first at sectionals.

Varsity cheerleader Hannah Likness said, “This season we had a couple bumps in the road, but we came out really strong, especially at state.  This year our team got very close and worked together because we all wanted the same thing.”

Sectionals were held on January 29^th and the cheerleaders came prepared.  After working hard all season, the cheerleaders’ dedication paid off. This gave them a spot in competing at state and a chance for their overall goal. In state they placed 11^th, just one place away from advancing to the second day of competition. Even though they didn’t move on, they showed there spirit and good sportsmanship by cheering on the rest of the cheerleaders.

Senior Tyler Radek, who went along for the experience and cheered them on, said, “I thought it was awesome. As a football and baseball player, it was a different atmosphere and exciting to watch. It was intense.”

Tierney Duffy said, “This year we had a lot to overcome, but we worked really hard and continued to push ourselves. The outcome at state might not have been what we wanted, but we had a lot of fun along the way.”

Though their competitive cheerleading season is over, they are still cheering on the basketball players. They are having senior night February 22^nd at a boy’s basketball home game.

RB boasts 21 All-conference members this fall

All fall sports have concluded, but before we move on to winter sports at Riverside-Brookfield, the Metro Suburban Conference had to hand out some hardware. 21 student-athletes in eight different sports were given the All-Conference title.

Three girls’ tennis players made all conference. Becky Pendola made All-Conference for her play in singles and Joanna Keen and Madison Powers for doubles.

Both boys’ and girls’ cross country teams had runners that made the Metro Suburban squad. Keegan Buttimer was the lone boy on varsity to make the cut and Ken Sprague made it for Frosh/Soph. Maggie McLaughlin and Jacki Grisafe were the girls to get the honor.

The boys’ golf team had two members given the honor. Junior Jack Kemper and senior Kris Strnad were all-conference after the team made it to sectionals.

The 19-17 girls’ volleyball team had two girls make All-Conference. These girls were senior Kelsey Egger and junior Elena Duve.

Though the football team did not make the playoffs, they still had the most All-Metro Suburban members of any sport at Riverside-Brookfield. Seven players were given the honor. Three All-Conference juniors were Nick Callahan, Blake Beck, and Alex Huffhines. The four seniors were Tyler Radek, Watoris Slater, John Schraidt, and Zach Sollinger.

Lastly, the boys’ soccer team had three All-Conference members. Ruben Chavez was the Offensive MVP of the MSC, and seniors Alex Amaya and TJ Armic were named to the conference team.

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.

Bulldogs take the plunge

On February 27^th, 17 RB students took the plunge into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan to raise money for the Special Olympics. After facing the disappointment of the event’s cancellation last year due to dangerous waters, RB’s participants were excited to have this opportunity.

 “The Polar Plunge raises money for a good cause and it’s something you don’t get to do everyday,” said junior Rachel Powell.

 The participants had to raise a minimum of $75 in order to plunge and many RB students raised well over that amount.  Sophomore Bridget Brewer was the top person, collecting $405.

 “I’m really into Best Buddies and Special Olympics and I wanted to help out however I could,” said Brewer.

 Altogether, Team Bulldog (the group’s chosen name for the plunge) raised over $1,500 for the cause and donations are still being collected through March 24^th.

The RB participants plunged at Northwestern’s campus, one of the many sites in Illinois that hosted a Polar Plunge. 

“Plungers” ran five at a time into a dug out pool of lake water on the beach.  The participants’ family and friends, as well as the media stood around the pool to cheer them on and take pictures.

 “It was cold and it was a bigger shock then I expected,” said junior Tyler Radek, “When we got out our hair immediately froze.”

There was also a costume contest held before the plunge.  The particpants lined up to show off their creativity.  The group that won was able to plunge first.

After the plunge had concluded, all of the participants and their friends and family were invited to a pizza party at a local restaurant.  Team Bulldog is excited for the Special Olympics season that has already begun and is already looking forward to next year’s Polar Plunge.

“I’m definitely participating next year,” said Radek, “I’m hoping to get more people involved with it too.”