NL_082417

46 | August 24, 2017 | The New Lenox Patriot Football Preview Guide
newlenoxpatriot.com
Experienced defense pairs with dynamic offense for Warriors
James Sanchez, Editor
Coaching words of wisdom
like “finish strong” or
“play all 48 minutes” go
without saying for Lincoln-
Way West’s returning varsity
members.
Having lived through the
tribulations of last season’s
disappointing second half is
enough of a reminder.
In its first season in Class
7A, West started the year by
winning four straight before
finishing the regular season
1-4 — two of those losses
given up late in games.
From what was a possibility
of a high seed and hosting its
own playoff game at midseason
turned into the Warriors
being on the bubble with a
5-4 record entering the playoffs.
They barely made the
round of 32.
Their reward? A date with
eventual state champion
East St. Louis.
Last fall was a learning
experience, to say the least,
and now the Warriors want
to make sure it does not happen
again.
“[Last year] definitely
gave us a lot of motivation
coming into the offseason,”
senior linebacker Ryan Robbins
said. “We started off
this summer knowing what
we wanted to do. Starting
4-0 was good, but we want
that good season overall.”
Last year was West’s first
time as a bubble team, after
comfortably making the
playoffs six straight years
prior with at least seven
wins or more. It will have to
bounce back in 2017 without
any returning full-time starters
on offense, as well as
losing the school’s all-time
sacks leader, Trey Telez, to
graduation.
Several returners made
spot starts, including new
quarterback Anthony Senerchia.
He filled in Week 4
against Stagg and threw a
game-winning touchdown
with less than 2 minutes and
30 seconds left, when it was
deadlocked at 0-0 up to that
point.
“It definitely gave me a
feel of what the varsity level
was about,” Senerchia said.
“It helped me progress, because
it kind of gave me a
jump-start.”
The senior quarterback
will lead an offense unlike it
has had in the past. No more
is a team tailored by a stout
ground attack that bludgeons
defenses behind 270-plus
pound, All-State linemen
Justin Witt and Bryan Brokop,
and All-State Special
Mention Nate Henry, which
led the team to the Class
5A championship game two
years ago.
With a more undersized
offensive line, speed and
athleticism at the skill positions,
and Senerchia being an
accurate pocket passer, head
coach Dave Ernst will tweak
his offense but maintain the
physicality for which West is
known.
“We have more running
backs, more receivers than
we’ve had in the past, and
they have a high skill level,
so we’re going to be a little
different in that regard,”
Ernst said.
Juniors Donte Barber, Anthony
Izzarelli and sophomore
Caleb Marconi will all
share time in the backfield.
Senior Alex Croft made big
strides from last season and
will pioneer the pass catchers,
which include tight end
Evan Weygandt, who grew
4 inches and gained roughly
20 pounds from a year ago.
Junior Nate Mahoney will
lead the offensive line. He
started five games before
suffering a season-ending
injury.
To back up the developing
offense, Ernst moved offensive
contributors Kevin Davis
and Robbins on the other
side to linebacker to fill
James Sanchez/22nd Century Media
The road ahead
• Week 1 — hosts Proviso West, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25
• Week 2 — hosts Lincoln-Way Central, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1
• Week 3 — at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8
• Week 4 — at Thornridge, 7 p.m. Sept. 15
• Week 5 — hosts Homewood-Flossmoor, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 22
• Week 6 — hosts Sandburg, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29
• Week 7 — at Thornton, 7 p.m. Oct. 6
• Week 8 — hosts Stagg, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13
• Week 9 — hosts Andrew, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20
holes after losing six of the
starting front seven to graduation.
Telez’s little brother
Jordan returns for edgerushing
duties, along with
Nick Skentzos, who earned
significant time on the interior
line.
Fortunately, in the back
end, all of the secondary
is returning, most notably
three-year starters Matt
Murphy and Jake Price, to
go along with Anthony Lullo
and Hunter Valentine.
It will be a veteran-led
defense, compared to the
offense, but Robbins said
the young players’ presence
is incomparable to previous
seasons.
“They’re hungry; they
want to play; and they bring
an energy that’s kind of unequal
to anything we’ve ever
had before,” he said.
Dave Ernst
Team: Lincoln-Way West High School
Years coaching the team: 4
2016 regular season record: 5-4
What is your favorite play to run?
My favorite play is power. I just think that it’s everything
football is supposed to be. It’s a physically
tough play. It’s violent and it’s physical. It’s a tough
play; it’s a man’s play. It’s an old-school play, and I
think it’s everything football should be.
What is one team you are looking forward to
playing?
I just want to get the season started, really. I know
we open up at Proviso West, and that’s really the one
I’m looking forward to and to just get the season
started and get the games going.
What is a team motto?
Our goal every season — I think we’re a little different
than a lot of people — is to play 14 and win
the last [game]. Which puts you in the state championship
game. Two years ago, we were fortunate
enough to get to the state championship game. We
lost, so we haven’t achieved that goal yet, but it’s
something we strive to do every year.
For more, visit NewLenoxPatriot.com.
Lincoln-Way West running back Donte Barber (right)
receives a hand off from starting quarterback Anthony
Senerchia Aug. 16 during a practice. James Sanchez/22nd
Century Media
Ernst agreed, noting this
summer’s two-a-days were
the most fun he’s had in a long
time. The hope is that these
positive signs will not elicit
just a fast start but seasonlong
success this time around.
“We didn’t have one issue
the whole time,” Ernst said of
the summer. “They all work
hard; they all do whatever’s
asked of them; they’re all
great kids. We got better every
day. It was a lot of fun.”