Post by eb204 on Sept 21, 2008 10:30:37 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/sports/1176026,6_2_NA21_GOW_S2.article
September 21, 2008
By PAUL LATOUR platour@scn1.com
Ask Bryan Wells almost anything about Tyler Mellecker, his freshman kicker for Neuqua Valley.
Ask how concerned he was having a player that young on the varsity team. Ask what he saw in Mellecker during the summer to give him a jersey.
But, if you don't mind, don't ask him about where Mellecker lives. That's a question he'd rather not know the answer to.
"I wish you wouldn't have asked me that," Wells said last Friday night. "Now I have to find out."
What Wells learned was exactly what he feared - Mellecker lives in the Tall Grass subdivision in south Naperville. That means Mellecker, the first freshman varsity player in Neuqua's 11-season history, will not be a Wildcat for long.
Despite Tall Grass's location just across Route 59 from Neuqua, Mellecker will be heading to Waubonsie Valley next year as District 204 expands to include Metea Valley, which opens for freshmen and sophomores next fall.
"Here and there we've asked a freshman or two where they lived," Wells said. "But it didn't really cross my mind with him."
He's not alone in the mindset. The coaching staffs at Neuqua and Waubonsie have made concerted efforts to remain in the dark about where their freshmen are headed as sophomores.
"We made a point from Day 1 that we're all Warriors this year," Waubonsie freshman coach Tom Baumgartner said. "All I care about is that we play as one team."
Baumgartner played for the Warriors back when District 204 split for the first time. The season before Neuqua opened, freshman players were separated into teams based on where they would attend the following season. That created a divided atmosphere among the program, which led to animosity once Neuqua began playing varsity football in 1998.
This time around they opted for an unofficial don't-ask-don't-tell policy.
"I told the parents at the beginning of the year we were committed to putting the best 11 players on the field," Neuqua freshman coach David Perry said. "For our community and our parents that have players that are going to be going to Waubonsie, I didn't want them to feel like their sons would be somehow slighted."
All Wells knew is that he liked what he saw from Mellecker during tryouts. The player he had slotted for kicker ended up switching to soccer, leaving the Wildcats with a void.
Mellecker ended up filling it, thanks in part to Chris Nendick, the former Northern Illinois and Naperville Central kicker. Nendick not only trained with Mellecker during the summer, he called Wells to have him come out and take a look before tryouts.
"I was pretty nervous because I did not know how big the guys were," Mellecker said of tryouts. "I had to get a little more height on the ball than I was used to. But it's all been working out."
It worked out especially well for the Wildcats freshman team Thursday night. A late comeback tied the game at 22 and the Wildcats were driving in the waning seconds.
Along the sidelines, assistant coach Dave Ricca told Mellecker, "Warm that leg up, buddy."
And with fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Mellecker bounced out to the field for a 29-yard attempt. He booted it high and true - right through the uprights and a 25-22 victory. His teammates carried him off the field, all the while chanting, "Mell-e-cker! Mell-e-cker!"
Adding a humorous touch to the events was that Mellecker was asked earlier in the week about what he would do if just such a situation presented itself. Would he try to help his current program, or try to get in good with his future teammates?
"I just focus on what's in front of me, not what's way in front of me," said Mellecker, "I want to give these guys as good of field position and as many points as I can put on the board. And then I'll try my best at Waubonsie next year."
No more need to ask questions.
September 21, 2008
By PAUL LATOUR platour@scn1.com
Ask Bryan Wells almost anything about Tyler Mellecker, his freshman kicker for Neuqua Valley.
Ask how concerned he was having a player that young on the varsity team. Ask what he saw in Mellecker during the summer to give him a jersey.
But, if you don't mind, don't ask him about where Mellecker lives. That's a question he'd rather not know the answer to.
"I wish you wouldn't have asked me that," Wells said last Friday night. "Now I have to find out."
What Wells learned was exactly what he feared - Mellecker lives in the Tall Grass subdivision in south Naperville. That means Mellecker, the first freshman varsity player in Neuqua's 11-season history, will not be a Wildcat for long.
Despite Tall Grass's location just across Route 59 from Neuqua, Mellecker will be heading to Waubonsie Valley next year as District 204 expands to include Metea Valley, which opens for freshmen and sophomores next fall.
"Here and there we've asked a freshman or two where they lived," Wells said. "But it didn't really cross my mind with him."
He's not alone in the mindset. The coaching staffs at Neuqua and Waubonsie have made concerted efforts to remain in the dark about where their freshmen are headed as sophomores.
"We made a point from Day 1 that we're all Warriors this year," Waubonsie freshman coach Tom Baumgartner said. "All I care about is that we play as one team."
Baumgartner played for the Warriors back when District 204 split for the first time. The season before Neuqua opened, freshman players were separated into teams based on where they would attend the following season. That created a divided atmosphere among the program, which led to animosity once Neuqua began playing varsity football in 1998.
This time around they opted for an unofficial don't-ask-don't-tell policy.
"I told the parents at the beginning of the year we were committed to putting the best 11 players on the field," Neuqua freshman coach David Perry said. "For our community and our parents that have players that are going to be going to Waubonsie, I didn't want them to feel like their sons would be somehow slighted."
All Wells knew is that he liked what he saw from Mellecker during tryouts. The player he had slotted for kicker ended up switching to soccer, leaving the Wildcats with a void.
Mellecker ended up filling it, thanks in part to Chris Nendick, the former Northern Illinois and Naperville Central kicker. Nendick not only trained with Mellecker during the summer, he called Wells to have him come out and take a look before tryouts.
"I was pretty nervous because I did not know how big the guys were," Mellecker said of tryouts. "I had to get a little more height on the ball than I was used to. But it's all been working out."
It worked out especially well for the Wildcats freshman team Thursday night. A late comeback tied the game at 22 and the Wildcats were driving in the waning seconds.
Along the sidelines, assistant coach Dave Ricca told Mellecker, "Warm that leg up, buddy."
And with fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Mellecker bounced out to the field for a 29-yard attempt. He booted it high and true - right through the uprights and a 25-22 victory. His teammates carried him off the field, all the while chanting, "Mell-e-cker! Mell-e-cker!"
Adding a humorous touch to the events was that Mellecker was asked earlier in the week about what he would do if just such a situation presented itself. Would he try to help his current program, or try to get in good with his future teammates?
"I just focus on what's in front of me, not what's way in front of me," said Mellecker, "I want to give these guys as good of field position and as many points as I can put on the board. And then I'll try my best at Waubonsie next year."
No more need to ask questions.
I am not surprised at all by his approach to remain unified as a freshman team of "Warriors" this year. The kids will be lucky to have him next year.