Kane County football notes: RB Nathan Whitwell continues to be forefront of Batavia’s evolving offense

Dennis Piron knew about the skepticism people had about Batavia heading into the season.

After losing a majority of his offensive core and some key players on defense from the 2023 team, there were some questions if the Bulldogs had what it took to keep up with the high-level of play they’ve shown over the past few seasons – or if it was going to be a year of rebuilding.

Four weeks into the 2024 season, most of that doubt has been thrown out the window. And it’s mainly thanks to running back Nathan Whitwell.

Through four games, the senior has rushed for 803 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a season-high 264 yards on the ground and five TDs in a 45-21 victory over St. Charles North.

“He’s just so physically tough, and if he gets that extra yard, he’s just gone,” Piron said. “He’s not just a speed back. He’s a power back, too. He can get the hard yards and he can just pop out of a tussle because he just keeps grinding. He doesn’t want to go down and linemen absolutely love that.”

Whitwell attributes part of his success to new volunteer coach Chuck Whelpley, who’s son, Charlie, was the Bulldogs’ top back a year ago. Whitwell said that the introduction of a new coach, along with some great practices, have really helped him to get prepared each week.

“He’s a very tough coach, but he coaches the running back unit very well, and I appreciate him very much,” Whitwell said. “He’s created our running back unit to be very powerful. He’s just a great coach.”

That combination of power and speed has helped their running backs accumulate 1,003 yards of offense so far. It also proves to be a reliable option, especially with junior quarterback Bodi Anderson still trying to find his footing.

But Piron knows that when everyone gets their bearings together, the Bulldogs will be a team that will make it far in the playoffs.

“When it all gets clicking, and it will, we’ve got deep threats, we’ve got speed backs, we’ve got fullbacks and nice tight ends. We’ve just got to find our way,” Piron said. “We’re growing up quickly, and each week we’re getting better. We’re going to be really good by the end of the year.”

Anthony Chahino keeps Geneva’s offense flying high

Just five miles up Randall Road, another first year starter has been putting up some eye-popping numbers for a Geneva offense that has averaged 53 points a game to start the season.

Quarterback Anthony Chahino has been on a roll for the Vikings, posting a 69% completion rating with 1,012 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, while also throwing only one interception.

But probably the craziest stat of all is how many completions he needed to get those numbers: 36. The senior is averaging over 28 yards a completion, and none of the receivers who have caught a pass this season is averaging less than 22 yards a catch.

That big-play mentality has helped the Vikings find the scoreboard early and often. Geneva has managed to put up six touchdowns in the first quarter in two of their four games, including in their 63-14 win over Lake Park. In that game, Chahino was 7-of-10 passing for 262 yards and five TDs. He was pulled from the game after his fifth score early in the second quarter.

While he’s found a lot of his success from throwing to talented wide receivers like Georgia commit Talyn Taylor (14 receptions, 390 yards, nine TDs) and Finnegan Weppner (11 receptions, 302 yards, five TDs), he’s also been spreading the wealth to other players like Bennett Konkey (seven receptions, 157 yards, three TDs).

While the streak has been impressive, it’ll be interesting to see if he can keep the pace up as the season reaches the second half, especially with Batavia, Wheaton North and St. Charles North taking up three of the Vikings’ final four games.

Burlington Central keeps quest for first playoff berth since 2014 alive

While a 27-3 loss to Cary-Grove may not have been the best start to the 2024 season, Burlington Central has certainly changed its fortune over the past three weeks.

The Rockets have rattled off three straight wins, including a 49-0 over Crystal Lake Central in Week 4, which is their largest margin of victory since a 55-3 win over Marengo in Week 9 of 2011, to give them their best start to a season since 2012.

Their three-game win streak is their longest such streak since 2014, when they rattled off five straight wins. That year also happens to be the last time the Rockets made the playoffs with a 5-4 record. They also posted a similar record in 2017, but were left out of the postseason.

Leading the way on offense and defense has been wide receiver and defensive back LJ Kerr, who’s been a top threat for quarterback Jackson Alcorn. The three-year starter had four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding an interception against the Tigers.

“He is a special and dynamic player,” Rockets coach Brian Iossi said. “I don’t like to play kids both ways, but I like him on the field as much as possible. He is a great kid.”

Central will have a chance to extend the streak to four on Friday when it goes to McHenry, a team the Rockets have not beaten on the road in two attempts. The road won’t get any easier either, with Jacobs and Prairie Ridge awaiting them after that.

Kaneland stays perfect ahead of big Interstate 8 slate

While most people expected teams like Batavia and Geneva to enter Week 5 with a 4-0 record, it’s hard to say the same about Kaneland, especially after losing a four-year starting quarterback.

But nonetheless, what they’ve done through the first four weeks of play have been more than impressive – especially on offense over the past two weeks.

The Knights struck early and often for the second straight week, this time to open Interstate 8 play with a commanding 49-20 victory over Ottawa.

Leading the way for the Knights was junior running back/defensive back Carter Grabowski, who had two touchdowns on the ground while also recording his second interception in two games.

Their 4-0 record is their best start to a season since 2013, where they won their first seven games before losing to Sycamore, which ended a streak of 35 straight wins in the regular season dating back to 2009.

The road won’t get much easier for the Knights though, especially with a matchup against defending conference champion Morris on deck. The Knights will follow that up with a home game against Sycamore, which has won each of the past five matchups, and an away game against conference newcomer Rochelle.