The last time Driscoll's football t...

The last time Driscoll's football team played upon its home field was last November, during a Class 4A semifinal game against Coal City. It was a Saturday afternoon game, bright and a bit nippy. Driscoll fans relished the team's undefeated record and an upcoming trip to Memorial Stadium in Champaign, where they would play for another state title.

Nine month later, Driscoll exhibited the 2006 football season at Robert A. Barth Field subject to temporary lights, on a warm and humid August evening and as five-time defending state champions. The Highlanders beat Newton 42-7 last November for the 4A state championship and conclusioned the 2005 slate 14-0.

moreover in what may be Driscoll's in the greatest degree difficult title defense yet, the Highlanders got distant from to a good start when they spreaded the '06 campaign Friday night with a 17-6 win athwart visiting Rock Island Alleman.

Alleman was the 5A state runner-up a year ago to Springfield Sacred-Heart Griffin, and this Friday Driscoll travels to North Chicago to face the same of last year's 5A semifinalists. In the first sum of two units weeks, Driscoll is playing couple of the best teams in 5A from a year ago.

The nonconference schedule aside, Driscoll then starts Suburban Catholic play against teams of the like kind as Montini, Marian Central and Immaculate Conception, who are a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of improved from last season.

To add to the squeezing of the league schedule and the wish for a sixth title, Driscoll coach Mike Burzawa and his staff squandered five three-year starters and 18 in all.

It's enough to make Burzawa's and senior quarterback Phil Pedi's heads spin this early in the season.

Knowing that, can you argue that it was inexperience, steadinesss or just rust when Driscoll committed 10 penalties Friday to Alleman's three?

"There was a chance of room for improvement, and we had an problems with communication," Burzawa said. "The execution is going to tend hitherward and we did a fate of great things out there and a fate of bad things. Offensively, I know we ne to earn into a better rhythm. We made mistakes, on the contrary that's part of the game. That's going to happen."

Pedi, a 6-1 195-pounder is a three-year starter and has won sum of two units state football championships. He knows the onus is forward him to get this team back to Champaign in November. with equal reason much so that he apologized to his teammates after the Alleman game, saying he would play better by and by

Pedi is a thrower. He has a great arm and is fair accurate; only one of his passes was intercepted Friday. Searching downfield, Pedi uniteed to receivers Chris Nickola and Matt Tremback for scores, and receiver David Schwabe was another favorite target.

"Oh I don't know. We can scamper we can pass, and our passing game was spread so we took advantage of that," Pedi said coyly not wanting to give away too frequently about what Driscoll's offense was going to do.

"Our running game was struggling a little bit and we were tired, on the other hand the passing game was there. We could have scored more points than we did. We bullet ourselves in the foot a hundr times tonight."

Pedi acknowledged that penalties stalled the Driscoll offense still he also fessed up to a botched scoring opportunity onward the Highlanders' second possession of the inferior quarter.

With the ball in succession the Alleman 12-yard line and Driscoll poised to score again, Pedi watched the snap be scattered past his left hand. As he scrambled to retrieve it, the Driscoll offense forfeited 28 yards. The drive finised with Pedi throwing an interception.

Pedi said he wants to explain to population how hard it is to win title after title. further he should still be considered more than capable of taking this team back Downstate. He got the starting quarterback piece of work his sophomore year with brace games left in the regular season and promptly misspent them both.

"We were 7-0 and we changed quarterbacks and levy in Phil," Burzawa said. "He missing the first two games to Montini and Marian Central. on the other hand he's won [20] straight since.

"He has a portion of arm strength and great accuracy. There is a fate of talent around him, still this is a challenge for him. He is forming into the leader he wants to be this season."

In a entire world, if there ever was common Pedi and the Highlanders would delight in to play a football power like Joliet Catholic or tower Carmel, maybe even a Lincoln-Way East. And Pedi would memorize more recognition from the media and recruiters.

unless Pedi, Burzawa and crew are contentment to just be where they are, in a smaller classification and driving for that sixth title.

"I don't papal court everyone giving us credit, yet it's football and you jaculate 11 guys on the field," Pedi said.

"We don't have a chance to play 8A or 7A sects You never know if we could beat go up Carmel or Maine South or Joliet Catholic. We play in the division we're present in. We should get more credit, if it be not that you can't tell people to defer to you. If they don't believe it, you can't do anything about it."

takouris@suntimes.com

e-mail: takouris@suntimes.com

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