LZ Bears Football Preview: Team Looks Solid Despite Departure Of Key Players

When the Bears football team takes the field in Palatine on Friday night against Fremd High School, they will be a significantly different squad than they were a year ago when they went all the way to the Class 7A championship game before losing to the undefeated Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers, 28-17.

“Almost every year, you look at the team and wonder what identity it will take on,” said Bears coach Bryan Stortz. “Each year is different based on the players that you have. Some guys will step in and fill roles that you expected them to. Some guys will surprise you.”

A substantial number of players have moved on after graduating this spring, but none more noteworthy than Jacob Brinlee, the team’s speed merchant running back, and linebacker J.J. Raffelson, who played his position as if he was possessed. Brinlee and Raffelson were, respectively, the team’s best offensive and defensive players.

Other important players who have departed include defensive lineman Mark Tabaka; linebacker Danny Minogue; linebacker Tim Sayre; offensive linemen Mike Schnur, Mike Hembd and Gus Coon; defensive lineman Kia McGee; wide receiver Mark Dorfman; and kicker Ed Szarkowicz.

All told, the team has three returning offensive starters and six returning defensive starters. The projected top defensive player on a very defense-oriented team — the Bears share more than just their name with their pro team counterpart — is Jack Lynn, who may be so good that people won’t miss Raffelson’s electric play as much as they might anticipate.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Lynn, who was also the team’s receptions leader with 12 last season, is fast, strong and has extremely agile hands, effective for catching a football as well as grabbing onto an opponent and not letting go.

“Jack’s been with us (varsity squad) since he was a sophomore,” said Stortz. “He’s been on both ends of the spectrum. He’s been involved in some of the high points that the team has experienced as well as some of the disappointments. He’s a great leader and has a very good work ethic. He’s a quiet young man, but leads by example, by his play on the field.”

Michael Shield will take over for Brinlee as the team’s principle running back. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Shield isn’t as compact as Brinlee, and doesn’t have his explosive acceleration. But he already has proven himself to be a potential game-making star with his play last season. Shield had several big games last year where he rushed for more than 100 yards. In the Bears game against Libertyville on Sept. 24, 2010, Shield gained 114 yards. He had several other games where he also put up big rushing numbers.

Zach Till is the Bears returning quarterback, and though the Bears do not possess a high-octane air game, expect more passes generated by Till this season.

“We rely on our ground game,” emphasized Stortz. “Are we going to abandon our formation and become a different team? No. Can we get Zach more involved in a passing game? Absolutely. We’ll be running the football, but if you can bring other elements to the game, it can contribute to the team’s success.”

With Brinlee gone, Stortz and incoming offensive coordinator Brett Pearlman will be adding more passing plays to the team’s playbook. Till is in his second year as the team’s starting quarterback, and he should be that much more comfortable at his position.

Till is also one of the fastest quarterbacks to be found anywhere in prep play, so more of a developed passing game should benefit his running game. Opposing defensive players will be playing a guessing game on whether he will be gunning or running.

Senior free safety Chris Rantis (6-foot-0, 170 pounds) should continue where he left off last year, wreaking havoc on opposing teams' passing routes. Rantis is another Bears player with blazing speed who can close in on a receiver and disrupt a pass in the blink of an eye.

Rantis’ twin brother Mike (6-foot-0, 175 pounds) will line up on the other side of the line at the wingback position, augmenting the team’s triple-option offense along with Shield and junior running back Connor Schrader.

“Chris Rantis was an important part of the team last year, and I expect his brother Mike to have a bigger impact this year,” said Stortz. “He’ll be more involved as a running back and a receiver.”

Stortz also mentioned 5-foot-8, 185-pound Schrader as a player to watch in the running back position.

The Bears do not have a single member of their offensive line returning from last season. Three of the new offensive linemen on the team are projected to have an impact: Jerry Bauer (6-foot-2, 200 pounds), Jimmy Bohn (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and Matt Sherman (6-foot-2, 230 pounds). Adam Cantwell (6-foot-1, 215 pounds), Vince DiVincenzo (5-foot-10, 210 pounds) and Jack Sweeney (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) are the other new members of the o-line.

Joining Lynn at linebacker in the 3-5 alignment are Taylor Coleman (6-foot-1, 210 pounds), Blake Moskal (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) Colton Moskal (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), Robert Rossdeutcher (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) and Shield.

Jack Lynn will again be one of Till’s critical go-to receivers whenever he does elect to put the ball in the air. Other targets for Till will include Steven Kuhn (6-foot-3, 190 pounds), Brandon Marker (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) and John Orlando (5-foot-10, 165 pounds).

Up front, the Bears defense will include Will Hussey (5-foot-8, 165 pounds), Rocky Triggiano (6-foot-0, 195 pounds) and Evan Williams (6-foot-2, 210 pounds). Sean Lynch (5-foot-9, 165 pounds), Chris Rantis and Grant Soucy (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) will lead the defensive backs. Soucy became a starter last season when he was just a sophomore; he’s another player to watch.

Mike Leiva (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) replaces Ed Szarkowicz as the Bears’ kicker. Leiva got some playing time last year and could be an important part of the offense, especially in close games.

Lake Zurich also has a new offensive coordinator in Brett Pearlman. Pearlman is a huge addition to the coaching staff; he spent the last 12 years as the head coach at Prospect, where he compiled a 104-34 record, including 23-7 in postseason games. He also won three Class 7A state titles in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Pearlman enjoyed a long-standing rivalry with Lake Zurich, splitting four playoff games with the Bears. In 2002, Prospect routed Lake Zurich in the semifinal 41-18 and defeated them again in the first round in 2005, 24-15. Then, in 2006, the Bears beat the Knights 17-3 in the semi. Lake Zurich also defeated them 14-7 last year in the second round on their way to the championship game against Wheaton Warrenville South.

After last year’s loss to Lake Zurich in the playoffs, Pearlman and Stortz started talking. After 30 minutes of discussion, Pearlman had decided to join his friendly foe’s coaching staff. He officially came aboard in January.

“He’s a very successful, high-quality coach,” Stortz said of Pearlman. “He’ll bring something new to the team. He’ll suggest ‘ever try this’ or ‘ever try that,’ and that outsider’s view van be extremely valuable to trying new and different things. He’s already had a major impact on our team offensively. The players respond to him in a real positive way.”

Pearlman is another reason to expect more passing plays this year. While he and Stortz are on the same page that the Bears' bread and butter on offense is their running game, he has been working on extending their passing playbook in the preseason. Look for a more complex air attack by the Bears in 2011.

When asked how his style of coaching has changed over the five years that he’s helmed Lake Zurich, Stortz paused to consider his answer.

“Nothing major. It’s more about little things, an emphasis on the minute details. It’s about trying to see where you’re coming up short, then addressing it earlier in practice.”

Lake Zurich vs. Fremd, 1000 S. Quentin Road, Palatine

Friday, Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m.