Harper faces tough early tests this season
Harper College won't be able to ease into this football season.
The Hawks are rated 22nd in the NJCAA/JCFootball.com preseason top 25 poll. But their Midwest Football Conference home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday is against 14th-ranked Joliet.
And Week 2 has Harper traveling to Michigan to face sixth-ranked Grand Rapids.
"We're going to know right away," said Harper head coach Dragan Teonic.
But Teonic already feels it's "like night and day" now that he's been through the first-year transition of taking over the program.
It will also help to have sophomore Trevor Bupp back at quarterback to run the Hawks' old-fashioned run-and-shoot offense. The Johnsburg High School product threw for 1,106 yards, 10 touchdowns and 4 interceptions last year.
Bupp is also in better shape after losing 30 pounds of baby fat and adding 10 pounds of muscle.
"He should lead the conference in everything if he stays healthy," Teonic said. "He's good, he's smart and he really worked hard in the offseason. These guys believe in him."
Teonic also likes what he's seen out of freshman backups Garrett Barnas and Matt Brandt. Returning at receiver are sophomores Brian Mitz (11 catches, 113 yards, 3 TDs) and Ian Shelton (15 for 170, 1 TD).
"Those two are set to have a breakout year," Teonic said.
Redshirt freshman Billy Buehring (Schaumburg) will be at running back. Matt Royer and Deontae Coleman have looked good on an offensive line that averages 6-feet-3, 300 pounds but has no college experience.
It's a different story for Harper on the defensive line with captain Eric Fossen moving from linebacker to end and Kyle Jenkins at the other end. Freshmen Fred Malawski (Lake Park) and Kevin Pacholski have also had a solid preseason.
"We'll be remarkably better on the defensive line," Teonic said of a unit that allowed 313 yards a game last year.
Sophomore captain Aaron Miller (8 tackles for loss) is back at middle linebacker with Eastern Illinois transfer Anthony Morrison in reserve.
Sophomore Matt Frutiger is back at inside linebacker and outside linebacker Aaron Diggs (Rolling Meadows) is 20 pounds stronger and is poised for a big season.
Sophomores Donny Walker and Lionel Lamarre return at cornerback for second-year defensive coordinator Todd Koehler.
"We should be remarkably improved on defense," Teonic said. "Last year we weren't bad … but if we stay healthy we'll be very good defensively."
Joliet will be a good test led by NJCAA second team preseason all-America running back Anthony Stewart (700 yards). Mitch Watkins, the offensive MVP in a Graphic Edge Bowl loss, and Jason Schroeder, who played in 2005 and redshirted last year, are in a three-way battle at quarterback.
Iowa State-bound receiver Christian Graham (6-2, 195) is one of the top targets in the Wolves' spread offense. Offensive lineman Byron Stingily (6-6, 295) has also received Division I offers.