Team at a glance
NICKNAME Sabres
COLORS Black/Gold
STADIUM Millennium Field, 701 W. Schaumburg Road, Streamwood
ENROLLMENT 2,383
CLASS 7A
COACH Cal Cummins (2nd year, 2-16)
2007 RECORD 1-8
CONFERENCE 1-7, 9th

Top returners   
Noel Rivera    sr.    QB
Tim Esikiel    sr.    WR,/DB
Derrick King    jr.    WR
Patrick Gindon    sr.    OL
Luke McArther    sr.    OL
Brian Wacht    sr.    OL
Edwin Rosario    jr.    OL
Fenton Brislen    sr.    TE/LB
Jimmy Blasco    sr.    DL
Jimmy Kaltinger    sr.    DL

Promising newcomers
Joey Hanover    jr.    DB
Dan Rasinski    jr.    DL
Vince Recinto    jr.    LB

2008 schedule
Aug. 29    at Crystal Lake Central 7:45 p.m.
Sept. 6    Dundee-Crown noon
Sept. 12    at St. Charles North 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19    St. Charles East 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 26    East Aurora 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3    at Larkin 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10    Lake Park 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18    Neuqua Valley noon
Oct. 24    at South Elgin 7:30 p.m.

Games to watch
Sept. 6 vs. Dundee-Crown Sabres need momentum for UEC with home opener
Sept. 26 vs. East Aurora Sabres lone win the past two seasons
Oct. 24 at South Elgin Streamwood needs to sweep its two intra-district games

five-year record
    overall    conference    playoffs
‘07    1-8    1-7   
‘06    1-8    1-7
‘05    0-9    0-7
‘04    1-8    1-7
‘03    4-5    2-4

Unforgiving game
Cummins had grand designs to turn the fortunes of the Streamwood football program around last fall.
The Sabres had struggled mightily the previous three seasons, earning a pair of victories during the span.
But the second-year coach was optimistic the Sabres’ two non-conference games — Crystal Lake South and Dundee-Crown — would provide ample opportunities to prepare the squad for the rigors of the UEC.
But disaster struck in the first two games.
Rivera, the Sabres’ junior quarterback, and King, a promising wideout with vast potential, were lost for the season with broken bones.
It was particularly bittersweet for King.
The sophomore hauled in what proved to be his only catch of the year in the season opener for a touchdown.
“He got hit crossing the goal line,” Cummins said. “He was 1-for-1 in touches.”
Streamwood dropped their opening two non-league games and finished 1-8 overall for a second straight year.

All better
Rivera returns after missing the entire conference season last year, and the senior quarterback has King as well as Esikiel to revive the Sabres’ passing attack this fall.
“We return a quarterback from last year, even though he was injured, who shows a lot of promise,” Cummins said. “(Esikiel) is a very talented young man as far as athleticism is concerned.”
Streamwood also returns four interior lineman — Gindon, McArther, Wacht and Rosario — to solidify its offensive stability.
“That gives us something to build off of,” Cummins said of his returning linemen. “That gives us a little depth.”
The Sabres best all-around player may be Brislen, a two-way starter at tight end and linebacker.
Brislen gives Rivera yet another target in the Sabres’ passing attack as Cummins concedes the rushing game is a question mark.
“We’ll probably being rotating kids in the backfield,” Cummins said. “I can’t say any of them have earned (a starting position) yet.”

Rebuilding plan
Cummins is nothing if not honest.
“Obviously our program has struggled in recent years,” he said. “A lot of improvement has to come in the offseason. One of the big factors (in our record) last year was that we weren’t as strong or quick as a lot of teams last year were. The key for us is execution and preventing big plays. Big plays hurt us at times last year.”

SEASON SCHEDULE
Aug. 29 at Crystal Lake Central 7:45 p.m.
Sept. 6 DUNDEE-CROWN noon
Sept. 12 at St. Charles North 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19 ST. CHARLES EAST 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 26 EAST AURORA 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Larkin 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10 LAKE PARK 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 NEUQUA VALLEY noon
Oct. 24 at South Elgin 7:30 p.m.

GAMES TO WATCH
Sept. 6 vs. Dundee-Crown Sabres need momentum for UEC with home opener
Sept. 26 vs. East Aurora Sabres lone win the past two seasons
Oct. 24 at South Elgin Streamwood needs to sweep its two intra-district games.

Five-year trend
         Overall                 Conference                  Playoffs
‘07      1-8                          1-7                            n/a
‘06       1-8                         1-7                            n/a
‘05        0-9                         0-7                           n/a
‘04       1-8                          1-7                           n/a
‘03        4-5                           ?                             n/a


SENIOR SAYS
Fenton Brislen
What is the most difficult adjustment to playing both ways?
“You just have to be conditioned. It’s nice to have a little break, but you have to do what you have to do. There were games last year when I didn’t come out for a single play, not punt return or anything.”

What is it going to take to turn the corner as a program?
“This year we had a lot of leaders really step up. We were there all summer. Twenty people on the team were pretty much there consistently in the weight room and summer drills.”

Who do you consider your biggest rivals in the Upstate Eight?
“I would say that Larkin is our main rival. You have to come out ready for all of them. We’re going to come out ready for South Elgin. You have to treat each team like they’re your rival. South Elgin shares our field. We’re going to be the away team playing them on our home field. That’s going to be weird. We’ll see how that goes.”


BY THE NUMBERS
2 Numbers of times Sabres have qualified for the playoffs since 1990, both first-round exits in 1997 and 2002

1987 Year Streamwood won its only playoff game, going 10-1 under former coach Dave Smiley

3 Total number of wins the Sabres have in the past four seasons