2024 season preview: Scouting the Interstate 8

Team Previews

Kaneland Knights

Coach: Michael Thorgesen

2023 record: 7-4

Worth noting: For four seasons, Troyer Carlson has played quarterback while rewriting the Kaneland record books. But there will be a new QB for the Knights this year for the first time since before the pandemic, although Thorgesen said it’s still early in the process. Whatever that position looks like, there’s some talent back for the Knights. Dylan Sanagustin is an explosive senior target ready to step into the spotlight, and Jake Buckley proved himself on both lines as a sophomore. Sophomore Ryan Majerus could turn heads at wide receiver, as well. Even with a lot of new faces, the Knights still look to make the playoffs for the seventh straight postseason. They’ve missed the playoffs only three times this century, but they face a tough nonconference schedule that features three playoff teams from a year ago along with a renewed rivalry against Class 7A DeKalb.

Schedule: Aug. 30 at Washington; Sept. 6 Wauconda; Sept. 13 DeKalb; Sept. 20 at Ottawa; Sept. 27 at Morris; Oct. 4 Sycamore; Oct. 11 at Rochelle; Oct. 18 LaSalle-Peru; Oct. 26 at Belleville Althoff.

La Salle-Peru Cavaliers

Coach: Jose Medina

2023 record: 4-5

Worth noting: The Cavaliers will rely on a strong defense this fall, led by an experienced linebacking corps. Seniors Andy Medina, Danny Beavers and Joshua Bickford return at linebacker. “Defense is going to be one of our strongest areas,” 10th-year L-P coach Jose Medina said. “I do feel like we have three down linemen who can really put some pressure on, can really move, are strong and fast and can cause some issues for the offense. Our linebacking crew is pretty solid, and we have a lot of kids back at corner and safety. We have solid defensive guys and we have depth in certain areas, so that’s a big plus.” L-P’s offense is inexperienced, as it lost its quarterback, top running back and leading receiver to graduation along with four starters on the offensive line. Freshman Marion Persich takes over at QB, senior Richie Santiago anchors the line as the lone starter back, and seniors Mikey Hartman and Noah Zebron return at receiver. “We’ve got a young guy back there who’s going to be starting for us this year,” Jose Medina said. “I think he is a very mature young man. We’re looking to see great things out of him this year. I’m looking for him to be a leader in that offense. The kids have really accepted him.”

Schedule: Aug. 30 East Moline (United Township); Sept. 6 at Metamora; Sept. 13 Ottawa; Sept. 20 Morris; Sept. 27 Rochelle; Oct. 4 at Ottawa; Oct. 11 Sycamore; Oct. 18 at Kaneland; Oct. 25 at O’Fallon.

Morris

Coach: Alan Thorson

2023 record: 11-1

Worth noting: Morris saw significant graduation losses in quarterback Carter Button, receiver/defensive back AJ Zweeres and running back Jacob Swartz from last season’s Class 5A quarterfinal team, but the cupboard is hardly bare. Dakota Goff and Brogan Kjellesvik give Morris an excellent start on the offensive line, while Griffin Zweeres will be a physical presence on both sides of the ball. ... Junior quarterback Brady Varner will have several dangerous weapons at receiver, including Jack Wheeler, Ximi Baftiri, Brett Bounds and Ethan Mumbrue. Wheeler (Illinois) and Baftiri (Evansville) are Division I baseball recruits. ... “It’s never easy replacing players like Carter, AJ and Jacob, but we have a lot of guys back that got a lot of playing time last year and learned a lot from that experience. Losing our last game last year the way we did [49-7 to Joliet Catholic Academy] left a bad taste in the mouths of the kids that are returning, and they want to get rid of that taste.”

Schedule: Aug. 30 Coal City; Sept. 6 at Joliet West; Sept. 13 Peoria; Sept. 20 at LaSalle-Peru; Sept. 27 Kaneland; Oct. 4 at Rochelle; Oct. 11 Ottawa; Oct. 18 at Sycamore; Oct. 25 at Byron Center (MI).

Ottawa Pirates

Coach: Chad Gross

2023 record: 3-6

Worth noting: Last season, the Pirates were a relatively young group with many sophomores gaining valuable experience. This season, those players are back as juniors and hope to combine efforts with a relatively small senior class. Senior WR/QB/S Weston Averkamp (a state medal winner in the 300 hurdles last spring) and junior QB/CB Mark Munson are expected, at least early on, to share time at QB. Juniors Archer Cechowicz (RB/WR, Times All-Area second team), Owen Sanders (WR), Andrew Vercolio (WR) and Jack Pongracz (RB) will anchor the other skill spots. The O-line will feature three-year senior starters Payton Carretto and Miles Fredrickson, along with juniors Jax Carrier, Evan Paris (Times All-Area second team) and Cooper Smith, with all also seeing time on the defensive line. Seniors Cody Green and Hector Valdez, as well as junior Stephon Patrick, also will see D-line action. The linebacker corps in part will be senior Jace Veith, juniors Ethan Poutre and Charlie Woodyer. The secondary will be made up primarily of Archer and Averkamp on the corner or safety, and senior Corwin Diaz and Bryson Valdez. Junior Lucas Farabaugh will handle kicking duties.

Schedule: Aug. 30 Plano; Sept. 6 at Streator; Sept. 13 at La Salle-Peru; Sept. 20 Kaneland; Sept. 27 at Sycamore; Oct. 4 La Salle-Peru; Oct. 11 at Morris; Oct. 18 Rochelle; Oct. 25 at St. Bede.

Rochelle Hubs

Coach: Kyle Kissack

2023 record: 7-3

Worth noting: The Hubs return a talented roster from last year’s Class 5A playoff team, which includes 10 starters back on both sides of the ball and 10 players who received All-Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Conference Blue Division honors last fall. RB/FS Grant Gensler was Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 5A All-State honorable mention last fall, while G/DT Kaiden Morris is a three-time all-conference player who was Kishwaukee River Linemen of the Year last season. Other returning all-conference players are RB/CB Dylan Manning, RB Roman Villalobos, OT/DT Alex Pemberton, G Jack Carmichael, C/DT Colton Czekala, TE/DT Jack Pavlak, CB Xavier Villalobos and SS Elijah Harley. “We return six three-year starters, we have a physical O-line paired with explosive RBs, and we’re long and athletic on the defensive perimeter and back end,” Kissack said about his team’s strengths. TE/OLB Brode Metzger, OLB Ethan Goodwin and ILB Brandyn Metzger will step into larger roles this fall, while OT Adam Cobos and DT Markell Pogue are newcomers to watch. Rochelle recently lost its Week 9 opponent and is seeking a replacement.

Schedule: Aug. 30 Woodstock; Sept. 6 at Morton; Sept. 13 Highland (at Illinois Wesleyan); Sept. 20 Sycamore; Sept. 27 at La Salle-Peru; Oct. 4 Morris; Oct. 11 Kaneland; Oct. 18 at Ottawa; Oct. 25 TBD

Sycamore Spartans

Coach: Joe Ryan

2023 record: 9-2

Worth noting: Burke Gautcher headlines a deep returning group for the Spartans. The senior will handle duties at safety and quarterback with an array of targets, including Carter York, Aiden Wyzard and Colton Sharpness, returning. Senior Dylan Hodges will handle most of the ball-carrying duties. The line took some hits to graduation, but senior Ethan Keicher brings back a lot of experience as does Owen DePauw. Last year, the Spartans bowed out of the postseason in the second round, matching their shortest run since 2018. They haven’t been one-and-done in the postseason since 2015, although they missed the postseason in 2017 altogether. Their last two regular-season losses were to Morris last year and in 2021, and their last regular-season loss to someone other than Morris was Week 1 of the 2021 season, a 23-16 overtime loss to DeKalb.

Schedule: Aug. 30 at DeKalb; Sept. 6 Oswego East; Sept 13 at Mahomet-Seymour; Sept. 20 at Rochelle; Sept. 27 Ottawa; Oct. 4 at Kaneland; Oct. 11 at La Salle-Peru; Oct. 18 Morris; Oct. 25 Cahokia.

Five Players to Watch

Burke Gautcher, sr., QB/S, Sycamore – For the first time in his high school career, Gautcher will play the same offensive and defensive positions for consecutive seasons. He was quarterback on the freshman team before shifting to wide receiver and playing safety for the first time as a sophomore on varsity. Last year he shifted back to quarterback. Now a senior, he’ll be at quarterback and safety for the second straight year. He’s locked up his commitment to Iowa, where he figures to move again to linebacker. But for now, he’s an experienced cornerstone on an experienced Sycamore team.

Grant Gensler, sr., RB/FS, Rochelle – Gensler was dominant on both sides of the ball last fall as he helped the Hubs qualify for the playoffs. He ran for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns and made 39 tackles with one interception. Gensler was voted Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 5A All-State honorable mention.

Andy Medina, sr., LB/TE, La Salle-Peru – Medina will be one of the Cavaliers’ top defensive players as he enters his third season as a starter at linebacker. Offensively, Medina transitions from guard to tight end. His father, L-P coach Jose Medina, said he’ll give the Cavs a good blocker at the position who is athletic enough to catch the ball, as well. He was an all-conference pick last season.

Dylan Sanagustin, sr., WR, Kaneland – Sanagustin managed 14 catches for 210 yards last year despite being buried on the depth chart behind Aric Johnson and Dom DeBlasio. With a new quarterback still to be determined, Sanagustin has the chance to elevate those numbers from last season and be a key part in the Knights’ offense.

Griffin Zweeres, sr., RB/LB, Morris – Zweeres handled backup running back duties for Morris last season and finished with 190 yards and four touchdowns on 41 carries. He also caught a TD pass and had 35 tackles on defense. Those numbers should increase this season as he assumes a larger role.

5 Can’t-Miss Matchups

Week 4 – Sycamore at Rochelle: Welcome back, Hubs! After being placed on the small side of the now-defunct Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 and away from the rest of the current Interstate 8 aside from a stray crossover each of the past three seasons, Rochelle resumes its I-8 rivalry slate. It starts off with a bang against the powerhouse Spartans in a matchup of programs that have lived at or near the top of their respective KR/I-8 divisional standings.

Week 5 – Kaneland at Morris: Morris trailed 33-28 in the fourth quarter last year before rallying for a 43-33 win in Maple Park in Week 3. It was the only regular-season loss of more than six points for the Knights and still one of their closest games. With a lot of talent having graduated, Kaneland will be looking for a big midseason statement.

Week 6 – La Salle-Peru at Ottawa: Ottawa has dropped the past nine meetings with La Salle-Peru, including last season’s 24-19 contest, in a rivalry that started in 1898. The squads also will meet in a nonconference Week 3 game at Howard Fellows Stadium, but this one – the 126th in the series – will count in the Interstate 8 Conference standings. The Cavaliers lead the all-time series 69-50-5.

Week 7 – Kaneland at Rochelle: The Knights have been knocking at the door the past two seasons to join Sycamore and Morris in the elite tier of the conference. After playing Morris and then the Spartans in back-to-back weeks, Kaneland finishes up a litmus test of a three-game stretch with a visit to a returning contender to join the I-8′s top tier, the perennially powerful Hubs.

Week 8 – Morris at Sycamore: As a Week 9 game the past few years, it’s gone a long way to deciding the winner of the Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 White, with Morris winning 22-14 last year to finish a perfect regular season. This year with the Interstate 8 on its own, conference games end Week 8 with nonconference games in Week 9. Don’t be surprised, however, if this one again has major conference title and playoff implications.

STEVE SOUCIE’S PREDICTED FINISH

(* - Projected playoff qualifier)

1. Sycamore*
2. Morris*
3. Rochelle*
4. Kaneland*
5. La Salle-Peru
6. Ottawa