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Who were the best high school football players in Illinois during the past decade, from 2000 through 2009? How many Sun-Times Players of the Year were good enough to make the team? In hindsight, who was overlooked or overrated or underrated? There is plenty of room for argument and debate.
Here are my selections:
Offense: Tight end--C.J. Fiedorowicz, Johnsburg; Wide receivers--Jason Avant, Carver; Kyle Prater, Proviso West; Linemen--Christian Lombard, Fremd; Jon Asamoah, Rich East; Martin O'Donnell, Downers Grove South; Chris Watt, Glenbard West; Bryan Bulaga, Marian Central; Quarterback--Charlie Goro, Maine South; Running backs--John Dergo, Morris; Rashard Mendenhall, Niles West.
Defense: Linemen--Darius Fleming and Bruce Gaston Jr., St. Rita; Tim Jamison, Thornton; Alex Magee, Oswego; Linebackers--Chris Jeske, Joliet Catholic; Matt Roth, Willowbrook; Corey McKeon, Naperville North; Backs--Tom Zbikowski, Buffalo Grove; Terry Hawthorne, East St. Louis, Greg Turner, Driscoll; Kyle Kleckner, Downers Grove North.
Let the debate begin.
Yes, Goro is my choice at quarterback over Maine South's Sean Price and Naperville North's Jordan Tassio and Hinsdale Central's John Whitelaw and Riverside-Brookfield's Tim Brasic and St. Viator's Brett Basanez. Goro was very athletic and could throw and run. It will be interesting to see if he will be competive while playing for Vanderbilt in the SEC.
Dergo and Mendenhall are my picks at running back. They have an edge, in my view, over Maine South's Matt Perez, Wheaton Warrenville South's Dan Dierking, Hubbard's Robert Hughes, Joliet Catholic's J.R. Zwierzynski, Thornton Fractional South's Pierre Thomas and Holy Cross' Garrett Wolfe.
The most difficult thing about making these kinds of selections is that we all too often tend to rate players on what they accomplished after high school, what they achieved in college or the NFL. I tried very hard to evaluate each player solely on the basis of his high school performance.
For example, Dergo was one of the most sensational running backs in state history. His senior statistics are stuff of legend. But he chose to accept a scholarship to wrestle at Illinois rather than play football in college.
I'll be anxious to see who you believe should earn a spot on the offensive or defensive unit. Remember, look at it this way: Who would you drop from my list to make room for another player? And why?
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Mr. Bell
Had you selected Sean Price, Brett Basanez or another earlier QB for the All-Decade team, I would not have a response because I was not as close an observer in those years, but to pick Goro over Whitelaw poses real problems for me. As I have protested previously, while meaning absolutely no disrespect to Matt Perez or Charlie Goro, it is the strength and success of the MS program overall which greatly assisted both Goro amd Perez to the heights each achieved...unlike the support, or lack thereof, Whitelaw received from his Hinsdale Central program over the last three years. It is this fact which makes his body of work second to none. Remember, in a head-to-head competiton in the 2008 8A state semi-final -- Goro a senior and Whitelaw a junior -- the latter clearly outplayed the former with 400 total yards of offense, 262 passing (2 TDs) and 140 rushing (TD), and was ESPN's player of the game. In nine games his senior season, he averaged 350 total yards of offense per game, and without a defense put up a 7-2 record. His two losses -- WWS and Glenbard W. -- were lost by the defense, and both Chad Hetlet and Ron Muhitch consider Whitelaw to be the best they've seen. Hetlet described him this year as the "most dangerous player in the state...you have to change your whole game plan to account for him," and Muhitch says "when you look at his stats, he's a player who's produced incredible numbers...he brings tremendous talent to that position...a great athlete and a great leader"...lofty praise, considering the sources, I think. When considering the stength of talent around them, over a three year career, there is no comparison. Whitelaw's early commitment to Yale for its obvious advantages should not diminish his stature as the best QB in Illinois over the last decade.
Respectfully submitted,
RB
Michael Ratay holds the Ill HS record for TD's in a season. His career statistics would be swelled even more if he had not broken his foot his sophomore year (he played as a freshman). If I am not mistaken, he had close to 3000 yards his Sr. year, to go along with 2000 his Jr year. He may not be the biggest, fastest, or strongest, but his HS career deserves accolades for his results. Was he forgotten or just written off?
Ted