By Steve Robinson | August 16, 2009 - 7:20 pm
Posted in Category: Pekin Daily Times, Washington HS

FootballWASHINGTON – Entering his fifth season as head coach of Washington Community High football, Darrell Crouch believes he will spend less time teaching his team about the playing system his players will use and more time tweaking those parts they already know and can improve on.

In four seasons, he has taken the Panthers program from a work in progress when he first arrived in 2005 to two State Playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, getting as far as the second round, and in 2008 making it to the semifinals before losing to Mid-Illini nemesis, Metamora.

As the 2009 season dawns, Crouch said the players who are currently juniors and seniors have been taught the Panthers’ system of play since freshman year, and so, Crouch said he figures, there will not be as many moments he and his assistants will need to teach, and be able to spend more time refining the skills the players should already know.

“Our biggest battle is trying to find as many guys as we can who can play one way,” Crouch said, referring to players who are playing both sides of the ball most of the game. Crouch is looking to find players who can concentrate on being either solely offensive or defensive players.

He said every year, he has “six, sometimes seven guys” who have to play both sides of the ball in a game. “Those guys don’t really get a rest during a game,” Crouch said. “And, really, they don’t get to focus on solely offense or solely defense (as a result), either,” Crouch said.

Position-By-Position: For the second year, after engineering the Panthers’ 10-2 from behind center in 2008, senior Drew Schlink will be the Panthers’ starting quarterback. “He’s a very smart kid,” Crouch said of his starting passer.

Sophomore Isaac Fisher, WCHS’ backup quarterback, continues at free safety, where in the Panthers’ last three playoff games and last regular season game, was a starter at that position, earning credit for three interceptions, one of them for a touchdown.

At running back, senior Justin Riley will be looking to add more rushing numbers having rushed for over 1,000 yards last season. He’ll be joined in the backfield by senior Evan McCauley, senior fullback Colton Underwood, backed up by Aaron Jazerowski.

Washington Panthers football At the receiver position, Washington has options for Schlink to work with, too. Crouch said seniors Andrew Watson, Robert Izaguirre, and Dylan Newbury, Fisher, and Riley are the corps of receivers Crouch knows Schlink can rely on in heated situations.

“All of those guys have done a pretty good job all season catching the ball for us,” Crouch said.

“Depending on what we’re trying to get done, the thing that’s good for us is that, when you have a big fullback like Underwood, you can put four receivers out there and still run the ball, or throw the ball,” Crouch said.

He said there are some battles going on in camp for offensive line positions. But Crouch said he would consider using senior Sam Ryan as a weak side tackle and senior Randy Bertelsen at weak side guard.

A battle was shaping up in camp for the center position between senior Connor Underwood and Jake Berkean. Mitchell Brown will find himself starting at strong-side guard, senior Grant Dingledine will find himself at strong side tackle, and senior Austin Nichols at tight end.

Crouch said his team has been fortunate to have good players at center. “With the battle (for that position) right now, (Underwood) is a little more consistent on his shotgun snaps and that helps him out.”

Given his druthers, Crouch would like to use Berkean at center and move Underwood to the defense, as well as at tight end.

“(Center) has been an important position the last two years and we’ve done well,” Crouch said.

Tony Ramadani will punt for the Panthers this year. But the real question is will he be playing at the Ivy League level in college. His coach said Ramadani, a senior, has been getting recruited for football by Princeton. But Ramadani has also gotten recruited by Division 1-AA, NAIA, and NCAA Div. III schools.

On defense, WCHS has one senior who will be playing his very first high school game this fall. Connor Calabrese, a senior, had been involved in Crouch’s weight training classes, and has tried out at nose tackle.

“He was in my weight training class,” Crouch said of Calabrese. “We’ve just been talking to him about trying out and he’s done a pretty good job at nose.”

Also on the front line will be junior Dylan Koontz, Bertelsen, and Watson will be part of Washington’s defensive line.

At linebacker, senior Mitchell Brown, Jazerowski, Dingledine, Newberry, Cal Zimmerman, and Underwood would all be at that position, rotating depending on the offense being employed by the opposition.

Squib Kicks: Pekin’s Mid-Illini game at Washington is Oct. 2 at 7:30p.m…..Washington hosts Metamora on Sept. 4 at 7:30p.m…..2009 marks the last year Washington will start and end the season against Springfield schools, as the contract between the two districts expires after this season…..In 2010, WCHS will start a contract to play Peoria’s two high schools, Peoria Central and Peoria Richwoods.

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