IHSA football preview: Ottawa hoping last fall’s experience leads to turnaround season

Last season, the Ottawa football team was a relatively young group with many sophomores gaining valuable experience.

This season, those players are back as juniors and hope to combine efforts with a relatively small senior class to improve on last fall’s 3-6 overall and 1-5 Interstate 8 Conference record.

“We have a lot of juniors on the roster this year, but not a ton of seniors. That said, many of the juniors saw time at the varsity level last season, some were two-way starters, and they’ve all worked hard to improve in the offseason,” Ottawa seventh-year head coach Chad Gross said. “We bring back about half our starters on both sides of the ball, but a key will be four of those guys in our offensive line and a couple more that rotated on the defensive line.

“We have a lot of kids back from last year that maybe didn’t start any or just a game or two but saw a lot of playing time. Looking back to Week 9 last year, there are 15 of them who started. Right now, there is still a lot of competition in practice to see who is going to be where.

“I like what I’ve seen this summer and what I’ve seen so far in practices. We are getting there.”

Ottawa — which opens the season Aug. 30 at home against Plano — will have to replace QB Colby Mortenson, who will suit up this fall at Elmhurst University and finished his Ottawa career third on the program’s all-time list with 2,025 passing yards. That spot will, at least early on, be shared by senior Weston Averkamp — a state medal-winner in the 300 hurdles last spring — and junior Mark Munson.

Averkamp was a Times All-Area first-team selection last season after making 16 receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns, adding 213 yards and three TDs rushing while also recording 33 tackles on defense.

“Weston is a dynamic athlete that you want to get the ball to as much as possible,” Gross said, adding Averkamp will also see time at running back and wide receiver. “He is one of those rare kids that puts the time and 100% effort into everything he does. He’s one of the hardest working kids that I’ve had since I’ve been head coach.

“Those two will both take snaps in Week 1 against Plano. Weston will be more of a read-option QB throwing some short passes, where Mark has a pretty good arm, and the playbook will be a little more open for him because of that.”

Gross says juniors Archer Cechowicz (RB/WR, Times All-Area second team), Owen Sanders (WR), Andrew Vercolio (WR) and Jack Pongracz (RB) will more than likely see much of the time in the skill spots. The O-line will feature three-year senior starters Payton Carretto and Miles Fredrickson, along with juniors Jax Carrier, Evan Paris (Times All-Area second team) and Cooper Smith, with all also seeing time on the defensive line.

Also seeing time in the rotation on the defense line will be seniors Cody Green and Hector Valdez, as well as junior Stephon Patrick. The linebacker corps will feature senior Jace Veith, who is playing football for the first time but has made an immediate impression on Gross and may also get some carries on offense, and juniors Ethan Poutre and Charlie Woodyer. The secondary will be made up primarily of Archer and Averkamp on the corner or safety and senior Corwin Diaz and Bryson Valdez, who had a half dozen interceptions for the junior varsity team last season.

Junior Lucas Farabaugh will take over the kicking duties from Times All-Area second-team pick Cam Loomis, now at North Central College.

Gross says there are many things he and his team are focused on, but one tops the list.

“You want to win every game, and the opening game is obviously one of those,” Gross said. “As a team if you can come out in that first game, play well and get a win, it can really set the tone in a way for the rest of the season. That’s our goal right now a couple days into practice – be ready and play solid against Plano.

“We know we have the rivalry games against Streator and La Salle-Peru, then the rest of our conference after Week 1, but we are concentrating on Plano. We want to play mistake-free and make plays right from the start.”