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Prairie Ridge isn’t worried about what happened in 2022 during this summer’s camp, especially defensively.
The Wolves rode a hot offense to the Class 6A state-title game last season but also featured a defense that allowed an average of 31.4 points per game. PR coaches aren’t expecting the offense to keep up with its 43.9 points per game pace from last season nor do they think the defense will give up as many points.
They’re just looking for improvement.
“We’re mainly focused on what we can accomplish this season,” senior Dom Creatore said. “We’re going to have a chip on our shoulder as a defensive player of what happened, we’re going to try to do better.”
Creatore will lead a group of returning defensive players who gained experience during a season in which the defense allowed more than 20 points 10 times and more than 30 points six times. He finished his junior season with 95 tackles, eight for a loss, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, which earned him first-team honors on the 2022 Northwest Herald All-Area team.
The key to this defense’s success will be what coach Chris Schremp considers to be one of the better defensive lines he’s coached. John Fallaw, Walter Pollack, Gavin Tinch and Chris McCabe all bring needed experience up front while the secondary figures things out in the opening weeks.
Schremp said he is encouraged because the Wolves’ line has the characteristics to do it all. He said the line is very athletic and all of the linemen are near the top of the weight lifting charts. The line is strong, physical and can get off the ball, all of which are key ingredients for a line that can pressure the quarterback and stop the run.
“I think we’re really strong up the middle, which helps,” Schremp said. “Any kind of D-line push, just freeing up those linebackers to run and make tackles, be aggressive goes a long way.”
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The defensive line is confident in what it can do, too. At 300 pounds, Tinch has worked on his speed to make it more difficult for opposing offensive lineman to slow his pursuit from the middle.
Tinch said he has noticed the confidence not only in returning players but also new members of the defensive line.
“We’re pretty smart on our heads, and we’ve got some nasties in there,” Tinch said. “We get pretty disgusting. Our work ethic is amazing, we’re all hustling toward the ball. We all know what we’re doing, the brotherhood is amazing.”
The Wolves will need the defense to be ready right at the start of the season with an offense that features some new faces, including a new quarterback. PR starts the season against two different styles of offense when it hosts Jacobs on Aug. 25 and then takes on Crystal Lake South in Week 2.
“We’re mainly focused on what we can accomplish this season. We’re going to have a chip on our shoulder as a defensive player of what happened, we’re going to try to do better.”
— Dom Creatore, Prairie Ridge senior
PR shared the Fox Valley Conference crown with Huntley and Jacobs after finishing 8-1 in the regular season. In order to move on from last year and win an outright title, the Wolves’ defense will need to limit what FVC foes can do.
“We’re really going to need a pass rush because there are a lot of good quarterbacks in our conference this year,” Schremp said. “Putting that pressure on those quarterbacks is going to be key.”