Kickers and punters can be major factors as well, especially when it gets cold. You need to be able to have field goals as an option in close games. As far as punters go, it’s awesome if you can have someone who can boom it but really you just need someone who you know will get every punt more than 15 yards cause that can give away basically free points
State Championship Team Characteristics
- Thread starter Wassup13
- Start date
Ricobene was a good athlete, he was sectional champion as a soph in the 300 hurdles, as a junior finished 3 in sectional 100 after Rowell & 3 in 200
But Rowell was a 4X all state track man, 3 medals as a freshman, 3 as a soph, and 3 as a junior, and one as a senior.
Ricobene may not have been the No.1 horse, but he was a heck of a No. 2...remember Saunders was a soph on that incredible 2016 team, and he went to Purdue...
Big fast O and D lines get it done for me! Without them horses doing their job how do you say sayonara in the playoffs. PR won with Samson Evans who was a terrific athlete and runner, probably the best athlete on the field in any game they played. Not as good passing the ball. The O line of PR at that time was outstanding. As good as Samson was, without the holes to run thru or around, as the O-line tied up the defense line and linebackers they might not have won the State Championship. The D-line was also outstanding. Just my opinion.
Not sure about this year but definitely caught a red shirt last year. Tough kid.
Currently the 2nd string Center at Iowa. Played in a few games this year.
I saw Maddie throw a touchdown, run one, and block a punt in the same game.
That kid was a stud athlete, a little earlier than the beebe, Joel b, and mays era.
Coach Beebe used him masterfully. Great coaching compliments great players.
That kid was a stud athlete, a little earlier than the beebe, Joel b, and mays era.
Coach Beebe used him masterfully. Great coaching compliments great players.
Maddie graduated from AC in 2012
Chad Beebe graduated from AC in 2013
Brandon Mayes also 2013
And unless I’m losing my mind I believe Maddie started at JCA and transferred to AC. Am I remembering that right? If so, Maddie was never at AC without Beebe and Mayes.
Chad Beebe graduated from AC in 2013
Brandon Mayes also 2013
And unless I’m losing my mind I believe Maddie started at JCA and transferred to AC. Am I remembering that right? If so, Maddie was never at AC without Beebe and Mayes.
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You are correct. Maddie started at QB, as a soph, on JCA's 2009 runner up team.
So his junior and senior years at AC he had the other 3 D1 guys I mentioned with him as Sophomores and Juniors and he never would have had a time without them.
You can take all this with a grain of salt as our views are clearly different. I watched Maddie basically beat a really good Wilmington team by himself in 2010. AC got knocked out by Stillman that year. The following year he had Mays and Beebe. Both good players but not nearly as dangerous with the ball. Maddie was a one man wrecking crew through the 3A playoffs in 2011. Bouagnon came the following year after Maddie was gone.
In 2016, Wilmington had a very stacked team. On par with their 2014 title team. They went up to Elmhurst for a quarterfinal game and nearly got clocked. They could have played IC 10 times and lost all 10, but the thing that bit them was Ricobene’s running abilities. Rowell was a true stud and would have gotten his yards. Ricobene was like a magician and would turn a 5 yard loss into a positive play. From Wilmington perspective the threat of him taking off turned that game from a really tough one into an impossible feat.
So for that to be true about Bouagnon to have come the following year after Maddie was gone would mean he was a senior transfer and only attended AC for one year then graduated? It’s possible, I don’t know I’m asking. Beebe was a junior Maddie’s senior year and he certainly was at AC all 4 years and Mayes would have been there as a junior as well. Those 3 were all 2013 grads and Maddie a 2012 grad. Meaning 2011 was his last season and 2012 was the last season for the other 3.
It is true and verifiable by looking at the history at ihsa.org. 2011 Maddie’s stats are there too. Led team in rushing as well as (obviously) passing.
Bouagnon played only his senior year - transferred in from Kaneland or Burlington. Can’t remember.
More frequently in the smaller classes of competition, you have a collection of the best athletes in the school from a range of sports. Not uncommon to see a mix of ballers, wrestlers, track/field guys and maybe baseball players among the often 2-way starters. Aqua jocks are more of rarity, if the school even competes in that sport.
I always thought In high school football having three great players was the key. Look at each side of the ball. Do you have three All-Area type players? Guys making plays all over the field? Guys who bail you out of tough situations? Some teams have an All-State player and some good All-Conference players helping him. But three studs making plays seems to be the ticket.
As my original post says, if they're one of the best (if not the) best athletes on the team, it will greatly enhance their ability to win state.
If a QB is Dual Threat, its incredibly impactful Especially at the high school level. (And the NCAA and NFL) And its not just option QB's like MC or other, but rather its true about so many others as well. Have you actually seen JJ Mccarthy play? He's a good throwing QB, but what makes him the best QB in IL, is that he makes plays happen with his legs. Last year, I saw him play a great Batavia D, and he ran around until he found open recievers and ran for many yeards. If you've seen Tyler Macon from ESL..he is a decent thrower, but he's a phenomenal athlete and makes plays with his legs. I saw him play vs. Neuqua and Naperville Central. The QB from DGN who I saw last weekend...He Was a below average thrower, but is a great athlete and made their team competitive. The QB from Batavia...Is a below average thrower, but makes things happen with his athleticism and they are a top 10 team. Yes, they all have a few other athletes that make them top 10 teams, but without their athletic QB's, they all have more losses. (Including ESL)
