Team at a glance
NICKNAME Fighting Saints
COLORS Orange and black
STADIUM Norris Stadium 1020 Dunham Road, St. Charles
ENROLLMENT 2,122
CLASS 7A
COACH Ted Monken
2007 RECORD 8-3
CONFERENCE 5-1, 1st

TOP RETURNERS  
Wes Allen    sr.        RB
Pat Friel    sr.    LB
Eian O’Brien    sr.    DB
Brennan Walls    sr.    OL
Tim Russell    sr.    QB
Blake Griffiths    sr.    OL
Paul DeBord    sr.    RB
Peter Chacon    sr.    DB
Jack Leopardo    sr.    DB

PROMISING NEWCOMER
John Voytilla    jr.        DE

2008 schedule
Aug. 29    Batavia    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5    at Geneva    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 12    Waubonsie Valley    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19    at Streamwood    7:30 p.m.
Sept. 26    Lake Park    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3    at Neuqua Valley    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10    South Elgin    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17    at St. Charles N.    7:30 p.m.
Oct. 25    Thornridge    7:30 p.m.

Games to watch
Sept. 5 at Geneva Tri-Cities rivals hadn’t met in 30 years when Vikings ousted Saints from playoffs last year
Oct. 3 at Neuqua Valley Wildcats won previous three UEC titles and were rival before last year’s 17-14 Saints win
Oct. 17 at St. Charles North Last year came down to denied two-point try late to preserve North’s 28-26 win

five-year record
    overall    conference    playoffs
07    8-3       5-1             2nd Rd.
‘06    7-3      5-1            1st Rd.
‘05    9-3      5-1            Quarter
‘04    4-5      3-4
‘03    1-8      1-6

Two may be better than one
Last year, St. Charles East was fortunate to have a set starter at quarterback from Day 1. Though 2008 begins with two candidates for the opening, Coach Monken feels good about the situation.
“Tim Russell was Sam’s (Gunther) backup last year and is a tall (6-foot-3) QB with a great arm,” Monken said. “Dan White was a wide receiver last year, has a little more athletic ability and is a bit better runner.”
Those may be the differences but Monken said both will get the chance to show what they can do in game situations.
“We haven’t quite decided yet as to how much each will play but both young men are doing a great job,” Monken said. “As of right now, we’re treating it as we have two starting quarterbacks.”

Line may be finer this year
Aside from the return of Allen, the Saints were hit hard by graduation at the offensive skill positions.
But one area in which the team should be among the best, in the Upstate Eight Conference or anywhere else, is the offensive line.
Seniors Walls (6-3, 270), Griffiths (6-3, 275) and Kevin Fredericks (5-11, 275) are all back as is junior Eric Olstad (6-1, 230), who filled in admirably during the postseason when Walls suffered a knee injury.
“All of those guys did a great job of putting in the work during the summer,” Monken said. “We’ve got a very strong group of young men there.”

Bigger, faster but not louder
Friel was an easy choice for all-Upstate Eight Conference honors in 2007. His amazingly quick first step and ability to knife through blockers to stop the ballcarrier even left Saints coaches amazed.
That kind of athletic ability enabled him to average 11 tackles per game (121 total) and rack up 6-1/2 quarterback sacks.
Though he’ll be a bigger focus of opponents and be relied upon more, on and off the field, one thing won’t change.
“I’m not the most vocal guy,” said Friel, who estimates he added 20-25 pounds through offseason work.
“Pat has the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff,” Monken added. “But he’s more of a leader by example, not a loud in-your-face kind of player.”

What more for an encore?
After showing flashes as a sophomore, Allen had a very impressive junior season, racking up nearly 1,400 yards on the ground, scoring 17 touchdowns and showing an ability to run over or run by tacklers.
The latter was enhanced by another spring as a sprinter on the track team.
So with the QB and WR corps having graduated, what’s in store in 2008?
“We always put an emphasis on the running game but you have to be able to throw the ball too,” Monken said. “We got a lot work done in the offseason.”
The Saints’ balance will be tested by an early-season schedule of Tri-Cities rivals Batavia and Geneva (Class 7A quarterfinalist) and Waubonsie Valley.

Senior Says
Pat Friel
How long did it take to get over the loss to St. Charles North?
“I still dwell on it a bit because we should’ve won but we didn’t take care of business.”
What game are you looking forward to most this season?
“Batavia because it’s the first game of the season and you always want to get off to a good start.”
What are your thoughts on the team’s tough schedule?
“It’s no fun playing cupcakes every week. We’ll do well because we should be just as good this year and I believe we have one of the best coaching staffs in the state.”

By the numbers
30  Estimated number of years since the Fighting Saints have faced Geneva in the regular season. That streak ends Sept. 5

1,380 Total rushing yards for senior Wes Allen in 2007. He also averaged 6.2 yards per carry and ran for 17 touchdowns, including an 81-yarder against Lake Park

121 Total number of tackles last season for senior linebacker Pat Friel, who also racked up seven tackles for loss and 6-1/2 sacks