JCA Is Ready For Some Football

Overview

The stars are aligned for the Joliet Catholic Academy football team with the return of wingbacks Malin Jones and Ty Isaac, but veteran coach Dan Sharp does not need a telescope to see the bigger picture.

The Hilltoppers begin the 2011 season with an out-of-this-world schedule, beginning Friday night at Joliet Memorial Stadium vs. Carmel in what experts are calling the East Suburban Catholic Conference title game.

True, the Northwestern-bound Jones, a senior from Naperville, and Isaac, a junior from Shorewood with offers from Illinois, Northwestern, Toledo, Arizona and Notre Dame, give JCA a boost. But what does Sharp also see?

Carmel. Notre Dame. Peoria Richwoods.

“We start off with three playoff teams, with Carmel being a premier team in Class 7A,” said Sharp, who enters his 15th season at JCA with a 151-28 record highlighted by six state titles and a runnerup finish.

“So, right off the bat, we’ll see how well we can defend speed in an option attack and we’ll be going up against a very fast, physical defense. I’m anxious to see how well we will do, and since it’s the first game, you worry about the unknown, the new wrinkles they might have.”

After Week 3, a rematch of JCA’s 17-14 loss to Richwoods in last year’s 5A quarterfinals, the Hilltoppers will head into the brunt of an ESCC schedule that should serve as a testing ground for the playoffs.

“We have some young kids who have never started a varsity game before,” Sharp said. “All of that adds up to the experience. The first three games will give us a test of how good we are, and when you play that quality of opponent, it means we’ll know exactly what we need to work on.

“I know our coaching staff is looking forward to this. Because until you get to see your team play in live situations against quality competition, you can’t begin the evaluation process. We’ll find out quickly.”

Offense

Quarterback: What once was a three-way tussle has turned into a two-way battle between Craig Slowik, a 6-4, 185-pound junior from Shorewood, and sophomore Nick Morrison, a 5-11, 165-pound sophomore from Homer Glen, for the starting spot. Both, according to Sharp, will play. Slowik shows more of a dropback style, while Morrison, a transfer from Mount Carmel, has been compared to Brad Bourg.

“We have two quarterbacks with two different skill sets,” Sharp said. “I’ve teased Craig that, ‘I’m pretty sure Tom Brady was similar at your age.’ He’s a taller, thin guy, fast growth, learning to get used to his body. Morrison gives us that fourth running back in the backfield, but he also has a very good arm.”

Backfield: OK, everybody knows about Jones and Isaac, and understandably so. The 6-1, 210-pound Jones rushed for 1,117 yards and 13 touchdowns on 107 carries last year. The 6-2, 215-pound Isaac chalked up 563 yards and 4 TDs on 78 carries. But junior fullback Tyler Reitz (Plainfield) added 281 yards and 3 TDs on 43 carries, stepping in when Isaac missed time due to a knee injury suffered in Week 3.

“Our wings, obviously, with Malin and Ty are tremendous,” Sharp said. “I know (Northwestern coach) Pat Fitzgerald is very excited about Malin. It’s his fourth year in our offense, and Ty’s in his third. He has grown by leaps and bounds in practice. And Reitz really gives us that Brandon Geiss type of fullback.”

Wide receiver/tight end: Depending on which double-wing version the Hilltoppers utilize, senior Nick Rodriguez (Romeoville) will operate as a split end. He also will be the primary go-to backup at wingback. Senior Isaac Grashoff (Plainfield) and 6-2, 210-pound Zach Rezin, a sophomore from Morris, are the tight ends. The 5-11, 220-pound Grashoff, a returning starter, can also fill in at fullback.

“We believe that Rodriguez can be our Billy Burns at wide receiver,” Sharp said. “We can use him to stretch defenses, and he gives us depth at running back. And we like both of our tight ends.”

Offensive line: As fluid as any part of the roster, as of Wednesday, Sharp confirmed that 6-1, 250-pound senior Pat Kripp (Plainfield) would start at center, flanked by senior guards Carson Smith (Monee) and Mike Giadrone (Joliet). Smith is 6-3, 220, Giadrone 6-0, 240. Jake Jankowski (Joliet), a 6-3, 250-pound senior, is the lone lineman with experience and will play right tackle. At left tackle will be J.B. Butler (Plainfield), a 6-4, 250-pound sophomore. Junior Lino Bibian (Joliet), senior Eric Vanisko (Joliet) and sophomore Jalen Hansel (Joliet) are key parts at center, guard and tackle, respectively.

“It will be interesting to see how they fare against live competition and at game speed,” Sharp said. “But we’re solid in that we have guys who can step in and play and we’re deeper there than other positions.”

Defense

Defensive line: The tackles are Matt Mammosser (Joliet), a 6-2, 240-pound junior, Jeremy Malec (Joliet), a 5-11, 235-pound senior, and Bibian. The Hilltoppers’ strength is on the edge, Sharp noted, with 6-5, 205-pound senior Josh Falk (Joliet) and 6-2, 230-pound senior Matt Frolik (Plainfield) at end.

“As a group, they’re physically one of the better lines as far as conditioning and strength that we’ve had,” Sharp said. “They’ve had a tremendous offseason in that way. Now, it’s about technique and learning how to play the game, but Falk and Frolik got a lot of playing time last year and that helps.”

Linebackers: The graduation of Ivy League middle linebacker Mike Mettille leaves a hole that seniors Austin Bolton (Romeoville) and Nick Collofello (Joliet), whom Sharp called “our run stoppers,” to fill inside. Collofello also can play on the line. Mike Passo (Plainfield), a 6-2, 180-pound senior who shined at The Fastest Man contest, and Matt Madrigal (Joliet), a 6-1, 195-pound junior, are established at outside linebacker. Clayton Smith (Monee), a 6-0, 195-pound junior, is in the mix and sophomore Kevin Jensen (Millington) will be a primary go-to backup at both linebacker and running back.

“Passo has had a great offseason of practice and we’re excited about Madrigal,” Sharp said. “When we go to the nickel, we had Mettille last year with that speed and skill to lead us with seven interceptions. But we can use Collofello or Bolton in those situations on the line as pass rushers.”

Secondary: Here is where the Hilltoppers appear to be in strong shape with Jones at free safety. He will play alongside strong safety Dominick Allen (Minooka), a 5-11, 176-pound senior. Seniors Brody Wilhelmi (Lockport) and Adam Collins (Plainfield) and junior Grant Harrison (Shorewood) are fighting for the pair of cornerback positions.

“We have a nice group of players there,” Sharp said. “That’s a solid group, and when you combine that with the flexibility of our inside linebackers and our depth with the defensive backs, we can do some things personnel-wise defensively to match up with different offenses.”

Two-way wrinkle: Yes, Jones will be the JCA’s only two-way starter.

“I’ve always been a two-platoon guy,” Sharp said. “You get more kids involved that way, it’s easier to coach because you’re spending all your time with one side of the ball and it’s easier on the player mentally because you only have to learn one position. But if we have to put somebody like Carson Smith at defensive end during a third or fourth quarter or to keep somebody fresh, we will do that.”

Special teams

Grashoff will handle the kicking, Reitz the punting, and a combination of Rodriguez, Jones and Isaac may not equal Devin Hester, but the Hilltoppers should be dangerous in the kickoff and punt return aspects.

“We have some speed, skill and experience,” Sharp said. “We’ll be pretty solid on special teams.”

Outlook

Judging by the IHSA’s numbers, JCA projects for the Class 5A playoffs. The Hilltoppers have winning a 14th state title as their goal, but Sharp pointed again to the start of the season and what that entails.

“We have a difficult first third of the year,” he said. “It will prepare us for the playoffs and create a sense of urgency. We need to come out of the gate quickly, we need to play well in the first third to get us in position, and if you look at our conference schedule, it has improved from top to bottom.

“We have 52 kids on the roster, which makes depth an issue that wasn’t there for us 10 years ago. If you talk to any coach of any team that has made a run in the playoffs, though, depth and health is always a big issue. But speaking for the coaching staff and our players, I know we’re ready to get things going.”

Inside the Hillmen

Offensive coordinator: Dan Sharp

Defensive coordinator: Cory McLaughlin

Base offense: Double-wing.

Base defenses: 4-3, 4-4.

Captain: Malin Jones

Co-captains: Austin Bolton, Matt Frolik, Isaac Grashoff, Jake Jankowski and Mike Passo.

Coaching staff: Dave Douglas, Jake Jaworski, Earl Jones, Chris Kinsella, Mark Mettille, Rick Raasch, Francis Ruettiger.

Trainers: Saul Ramirez, Mark Pullara.