Suburban Life football notes: Lemont QB Payton Salomon holds big expectations behind big, experienced O-line

Lemont quarterback Payton Salomon can pick from an array of weapons on offense.

The senior helped lead Lemont to the Class 6A quarterfinals last season, passing for 1,441 yards and 25 touchdowns while displaying uncanny accuracy by throwing just one interception.

This season, Salomon won’t have the luxury of do-it-all running back Albert Kunickis, now at Northwestern, but he has a number of talented wide receivers back in the fold.

Almost as important, Salomon will have the benefit of a big and experienced offensive line to protect him. Lemont (11-1 last season) hosts Libertyville on Friday for its season opener.

“We expect our offense to produce like we did last year with nine of our 11 starters being seniors this year,” Salomon said. “We have the weapons to both throw and run the ball with Dylan Swanstrom, Luke Wallace and Ryan Koehler. Our running back, Nate Wrublik, is fast and physical and runs down hill. Our tight end, Nick Hawkins, is great in the pass game and run game for us.

“But everything starts with our offensive line. They’re the guys who set the tone starting this game week, just like last year. When they get rolling, the offense starts to fire out on all cylinders and everything is fluent and fast. Our offensive line – Jacek Blaszynski, Jacob Katauskas, Gino Fornero, Jake Sulzberger and Drew Indestad – they all know how to get it done in the trenches and they battle.”

Blaszynski is a player to watch on the O-line. His chemistry and experience with Salomon is essential to the success of the unit. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Blaszynski, an Indiana State recruit, said the offensive line is one of the strengths on the team.

“It’s great having most of our starters from last year back this year,” Blaszynski said. “Last year, we were a very young offensive line and still dominated the run and pass game, so I’m excited to see what we can do this year. Especially with four out of five guys returning as starters.

“Payton has been my quarterback since I started playing football back in seventh grade. As soon as we met at our first practice, we’ve got along. Now it’s been five years and I wouldn’t want to be snapping to anyone else.”

Lemont coach Bret Kooi said Blaszynski is one of the leaders on the offensive line.

“Offensively, we’ve got some pretty special wide receivers and little bit of size up front, which hasn’t been the norm here,” Kooi said. “We’ve got some good size. Jacek has got a little bit of everything. He has good feet, a super strong kid and moves very well. He’s a special one. Jacob, our left tackle, is a big kid and played solid last year. As a whole, our line is pretty solid.”

Blaszynski said he’s finally comfortable with his spot on the offensive line after years of uncertainty.

“I feel that my game has evolved a lot these past couple years,” he said. “At first, I was uncertain where I would play or if I would start but once I was moved to center, it all started to click. I realized I needed to put on some weight. The offseason going into junior year, I added around 15 pounds and this last offseason I added around 25 pounds. I didn’t want to be too heavy because as a center you still want to be quick laterally. I love my place on the team. As a center you are the leader of the group and the man in the middle. I love having that role and being a leader on and off the field.

“We have a very special team this year and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Glenbard South looking to make a splash

Glenbard South football coach Ryan Crissey is looking forward to the end of the season. The Raiders are one of the top teams in the Upstate Eight Conference. The Raiders have all the pieces to be a championship team in Class 5A.

With numerous starters returning on both sides of the ball, Glenbard South is one of the teams to watch, especially with wide receiver Cam Williams, a Notre Dame recruit, leading the way. The Raiders host East Aurora in their opener on Friday. Williams, who caught 37 passes for 671 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, is the No. 1-ranked junior in Illinois, according to the recruiting website 247Sports.

“Our practices have been very competitive, and some kids are still fighting for starting spots and positions and contributors,” Crissey said. “We’ve had some very intense practices. We have pretty high expectations for the season. We’re looking forward to the season, but run into a gauntlet late in the season with our schedule. It always a true test where we are and where we stand.”

Glenbard South senior center Edwin Tchapda is one of the stalwarts on a solid offensive line that’s looking to allow time for junior quarterback Michael Champagne to build off a promising sophomore season.

“Edwin’s been our rock this whole offseason,” Crissey said. “He’s a really intelligent kid with an awesome work ethic and he’s really strong. He gave a great effort in the offseason with our strength training and competing in track. That really set him up for a potentially great senior season. But the best part of Edwin is that he’s very reliable and consistent. He will also play defensive tackle. He knows his job and responsibilities and is very good at them.”

Defensive end Jack Wilharm is another player that Crissey expects to step up this season to provide leadership and consistent production for the Raiders.

“Jack is flying under the radar,” Crissey said. “He’s not one of the bigger names we have, but he’s so consistent and always around the ball. He’s got tremendous length and great speed off the ball. He’s a very caring teammate.”