Sports
IC Football Team Sports New Coach, Same High Goals
Chris VanDyke takes over as head coach for the Immaculate Conception football team, which seeks playoff berths in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the early 1990s.
New Immaculate Conception head varsity coach Chris VanDyke is in the process of adjusting, even after 11 seasons as an assistant football coach at Naperville Central.
“One coach has told me in the past you never know what it’s like being a head coach until you are a head coach. The difference is the paperwork and all of the other things you don’t think about,” said VanDyke, 34. “It’s like managing a small business. And then once you get to football, it’s just football.”
One aspect has remained the same. VanDyke was used to success as a player and coach at Naperville Central. So are the Knights.
IC owns two state championships over the past nine seasons (Class 2A title in 2008 and Class 3A in 2002) but still is trying to make some program playoff history this season. The Knights are seeking their first state playoff berths in consecutive seasons for the first time since three straight trips from 1990-92 with legendary coach Jack Lewis.
Under previous two-year head coach Mike Alberts, the 2010 Knights finished 7-4 and second in the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division with a 4-1 mark. They lost to eventual state runner-up Stillman Valley 43-21 in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs after beating Byron 35-27 in the first round.
This season’s tri-captains are seniors James Peachey, IC’s lone returning 2010 All-SCC Gold selection, Mike Lestina and Dan Vatch.
“Our expectations are high,” VanDyke said. “With having two state championships, you have to set the bar high, but we’re going to take it game by game and win each week. That’s kind of more our goal, win each week. If we do that, good things will happen. Just besides being great football players, we want them to be great men. One of our goals is for them to be impact men.”
IC returns 13 full- or part-time starters and underclassmen that helped the sophomore team capture the 2010 SCC Gold title.
Peachey returns as the starting center for the offensive line and middle linebacker in a new 4-3 base defense (4 linemen, 3 linebackers) under new defensive coordinator Bill Krefft after running a 3-5. A member of the 2002 state title team, Krefft has coached the varsity lines the past two seasons.
VanDyke will double as the offensive coordinator after being in that role for Naperville Central’s sophomore team the past seven years. He also was a offensive coordinator for the junior varsity and a varsity-level running backs coach.
Regardless of the level, VanDyke was used to 55 to 75 players on the sophomore level and 90 on the varsity at Naperville Central. IC’s current varsity roster is 31.
“The biggest difference is having to share kids (players). I’m used to having a player behind a player – just for offense. The same on defense,” VanDyke said. “That was an adjustment, but other than that, everybody’s been great and welcoming. It seems like a tight-knit community. It’s everything I expected.”
The offense boasts a veteran line that VanDyke said will average 235 pounds. Besides Peachey, senior Brendan Flaherty and junior Christian Lopez, both 300-plus pounds, and junior Adalberto Suarez are returning full- or part-time starters. Andrew Vitek, a 6-foot-5 senior, will play tight end, while other candidates at tackle are juniors Danny Michel and Sean Fenton.
Vatch and junior Demetrius Carr, a transfer from St. Joseph, are battling at quarterback. Last season, Vatch was the backup to graduated Cody Kotlow. Carr was the starting varsity quarterback for winless St. Joseph from the Chicago Catholic League White Division.
Whereas the Knights recently have relied on a ground-oriented attack, VanDyke hopes to throw more. In 2010, IC rushed on 84 percent of its offensive plays behind graduated running backs Jose Godinez, named the team’s Most Valuable Player, and Conor Hendricks.
“We’re going to be balanced, pass when we need to and pass when we want to,” VanDyke said with a laugh. “If we can run the ball, we’ll run it, but we also need to pass when you get in those situations.”
Returning junior starter Tim Hipskind and Vitek lead the passing targets, along with senior Patrick Kirby and junior Cody Baker. Hipskind shared last year’s team lead with 10 catches for a team-best 178 yards and one touchdown.
“There may be a chance he’ll catch 10 (passes) in a game,” VanDyke said. “Demetrius and Dan can both throw, and they’ve got a lot of weapons. As long as we’re healthy, they’ll have plenty of targets to throw to.”
Taking over at running back are juniors Sam Antes (151 yards on 18 carries, 4 TDs in 2010) and Danny D’Angelo and senior Matt Mesnard (511 yards on 77 carries, 5 TDs).
On defense, the Knights return plenty of experience on defense with Peachey and junior Joe Iavarone at linebacker, seniors Coleon Leverson and Matt Hornstra at defensive end, junior strong safety Adam Muellers and cornerback Baker. Leverson started on the offensive line last season.
Peachey led IC last season with 55 solo tackles and 60 total tackles. Iavarone had 42 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries and Baker, Hornstra and Muellers had 26, 24 and 19 tackles, respectively.
Junior Diego Herrera, Fenton and Vitek will play defensive tackle. Lestina, senior Kevin Lamborn, Antes and junior Ben Goworowski also will play linebacker, and Vatch is at free safety. Other defensive backs include Kirby and seniors Charlie Pulkownik, who did not play last season, Anthony Iavarone and Nick Mrugacz.
In 2010, Vatch had two interceptions and a forced fumble, Lamborn had 28 tackles and Kirby had a fumble recovery.
Muellers returns as the placekicker after converting 27 extra points last season. Punter Vatch split time in 2010 with graduated Patrick Burke. Kirby had a team-high 15 kickoff returns for 223 yards.
Although IC is small in numbers, VanDyke said he hopes to use as few two-way players as possible.
“If we can have as many guys go one way, we will. And try to develop other players that may not have had the opportunity to start in the past,” VanDyke said. “We have to count on everybody so everybody contributes and not one person is more important than the other. Everybody’s expected to play special teams.”
The Knights’ season opener is at 1 p.m. Aug. 27 against Ridgewood at Lewis Stadium. They will have their annual pre-season scrimmage at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lewis Stadium.
2010 SCC Gold champion St. Edward has moved up to the SCC Blue Division. Joining the SCC Gold this season are Aurora Christian and Walther Lutheran, which were fourth and fifth respectively, in the SCC Blue in 2010. IC’s home game with Walther Sept. 16 will be played at Serpico Field in Melrose Park.
IC plays three 2010 playoff teams (Aurora Christian and Marmion and St. Francis from the SCC Blue) while Week 2 is a trip to Edwardsburg, Mich. Last season, the Eddies were 11-2 and reached the Division 4 state semifinals in Michigan’s eight-class playoffs. The 2010 Knights were 1-3 against its four regular-season playoff-bound opponents, beating Wheaton Academy while losing to St. Edward, Marian Central and Aurora Christian.
VanDyke said he hopes to add a mother-son brunch for the players as well as a dad’s day, in which fathers of varsity players will share the sidelines and be with the Knights at halftime to get more of a feel of the game experience.
“When I was interviewing for the job, I said I’m not coming in here to change everything. I want to keep a lot of traditions the same but bring some fresh ones,” VanDyke said. “I’m never afraid to ask for help. It’s not just me running the show.”
VanDyke, who teaches at Aux Sable Middle School in Plainfield, is a 1995 graduate of Naperville Central, which plays in the powerful DuPage Valley Conference. His senior year, the Redhawks reached the Class 6A state semifinals but lost to DVC rival Naperville North after beating the Huskies during the regular season.
That kind of competition can have its rewards. The Knights’ 2008 state title came following a 5-4 regular season.
“Just like the SCC, the DVC is a tough conference,” VanDyke said. “You’re like, ‘That’s a pretty tough schedule,’ but if you make it through it, hopefully that makes the playoffs a little bit easier. It’s just that you’ve got to get through that gauntlet.”
(at Serpico Field, Melrose Park) 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 23 at Marmion 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 30 at Chicago Christian* 7:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 7 Aurora Christian* 7:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 15 St. Francis 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 22 Guerin* 1 p.m. * -- Suburban Christian Conference
Gold Division game
