Two days after his team’s 2014 season ended with a Class 8A first-round loss to eventual Class 8A runner-up Homewood-Flossmoor, Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus immediately pointed to a 2015 strength.
Potency at the skill positions in the form of wide receivers Isaiah Robertson and Owen Piche.
“That will be huge for us. I think with (Robertson and Piche) coming back, I think that will really help our incoming quarterback, whoever that’s going to be because we do have two very good receivers in Isaiah and Owen,” Ellinghaus said last November.
The presence of Robertson and Piche, who are both juniors, is as big a reason as any to be optimistic about Neuqua Valley’s chances in 2015 as it begins life in the DuPage Valley Conference.
Robertson, who caught 30 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns, and Piche, who hauled in 14 passes for 207 yards and four TDs, gave quarterback Broc Rutter consistent production alongside Evan Moore.
But with the Indiana State-bound Rutter gone after his two-year varsity career saw him throw for a combined 4,131 yards and 52 touchdowns, the biggest question Ellinghaus will have to answer is who succeeds Rutter.
Three quarterbacks—seniors Jack Stankoven, Riley Foran and junior Jack Bastable—each took snaps for the Wildcats during the Red Grange 7-on-7 tournament last week.
Both Stankoven and Foran saw time last year behind Rutter, albeit limited, as Foran played in four games while Stankoven played in three.
Neuqua Valley went 5-0 in pool play last Thursday during the first day of the Red Grange 7-on-7 before losing twice on Friday to bow out of the double-elimination tournament.
“I took the majority of the reps and I was pretty comfortable with the reps that I took at the Red Grange Classic,” Stankoven said. “Happy with the amount of reps I’m getting, but I know Coach Ellinghaus is going to make it a competition between us three because I know he believes competition makes us better. I certainly believe it does too.
“I think the more Bastable and Foran push me, the better quarterback I’ll be when it comes to August.”
Robertson, Piche and senior tight end Brett Borske will give whoever emerges from the quarterback derby come Aug. 28 when the Wildcats open the season at Metea Valley an opportunity to do damage.
Borske’s four touchdowns placed him tied for third on the team with Piche while his 10 receptions for 180 yards were both fifth on the team.
Borske, who’s hoping to eventually receive a scholarship offer from a Big Ten program, figures to have a much more prominent role in the offense with consistent defensive attention being paid to Robertson and Piche.
“Defenses are going to have to start to key on certainly Isaiah and Borske and Owen,” Stankoven said. “They’re going to know their name. They’re going to key on (Borske). They’re going to have two people guarding him because he’s 6-7. He can go up and make plays. Isaiah as well and same with Owen.”
In a conversation last Thursday, Ellinghaus singled out a pair of juniors, safety Anthony Ippolito and linebacker Jon Rhattigan, as two who excelled on defense on Thursday during the 5-0 record in pool play at the Red Grange 7-on-7.
But as important as defensive coordinator Rodney Jones’ unit jelling quickly is, how the winner of the quarterback competition fares early could dictate the Wildcats’ fortunes.
The first three weeks feature road games at Metea Valley and Naperville Central and an on-campus home game with Waubonsie Valley on Sept. 11.
The loss to Homewood-Flossmoor marked the end of a 6-4 season for the Wildcats in 2014, which marked the first time they had failed to reach at least the state quarterfinals under Ellinghaus’ stewardship.
Whoever gets the call under center when the Wildcats open play on Aug. 28 knows eyes will be on them, given the program’s success under Ellinghaus and the weaponry they’ll have at their disposal.
“It’s going to be crucial that we get off to a good start,” Stankoven said. “Opening up with Metea, that’s going to be a big game. They’re one of the Valleys. It’s always a big game against Metea and Waubonsie. But we got to get past that first game.”
