Team Cerasani leading football revival at Leyden

Tom Cerasani Jr. laughed about the chance to be the boss of his dad, Tom Sr., the last three years.

When Tom Jr. took over the Leyden football program three years ago, he brought his dad on as an assistant after he from a successful 21-year run in charge at Schaumburg.

But Tom Sr. didn't come along just for a longer ride from his Schaumburg home.

"Everyone doesn't like him all the time because he's always pushing everybody," Tom Jr. said of his head coach as a Daily Herald All-Area quarterback for the Saxons in 1990. "But he's definitely made me a better coach and made the other coaches on the staff better."

And the Cerasanis have helped bring back better days to the once-proud Leyden program.

A win last week at Addison Trail gave the Eagles their fifth win and enough playoff points to end a nine-year postseason drought.

Now they have a chance to play for a share of the West Suburban Gold title when they host undefeated perennial division power Downers Grove South tonight.

"It's been a tremendous feeling," said Tom Sr.

Especially since it's deeper than a father and son coming in and just turning around a struggling program.

This isn't just any program to the Cerasanis. Tom Sr. graduated from East Leyden in 1965. The entire family and other friends went to school there.

And this is a nice farewell present for Tom Sr., who plans to step aside from 30-plus years of coaching after this season.

"It's special to be there where football started for the family," Tom Jr. said. "Dad's last game -- it's a nice way for him to go out with a shot at the playoffs.

"It's a special thing. A great thing."

Especially for senior two-way standout Josh Serrano, who is aware of the tradition that includes a 1977 state title under legendary coach Jack Leese.

With 1,217 yards rushing, Serrano has a chance to become one of the top performers in program history.

Serrano is third in single-season rushing behind Jermaine Shaw (1,252) of the 1998 team that narrowly lost in the second round to eventual 6A runner up Barrington and Jim Benedetto (1,359) of the '77 champs.

But Serrano's drive has been to change the way football is viewed at a school that was 2-7 last year.

"It's huge for Leyden to be part of a good team finally," Serrano said. "Last year every time we lost everyone was like, 'Oh, yeah, that's Leyden.'

"This year everyone is huge about football now."

That was Tom Cerasani Jr.'s goal when he stepped up from assistant to head coach.

And that's why he wasn't afraid to bring in his dad, who won 112 games in 23 years at Palatine and Schaumburg and led the Saxons to seven playoff appearances and a 6A runner-up finish in 1999. Tom Sr. was the defensive coordinator the last two years before switching to offense this year.

Tom Jr. and assistant Joe Gagliardi are the only ones on the staff with more than 10 years of coaching experience.

"Him being there has given us a lot of guidance on things," Tom Jr. said. "He has experience that we don't.

"When I first got the job we thought four years would be enough to get this thing turned around. But after last year we thought this could be the year."

Tom Sr. was instrumental in getting players to buy into the off-season need to get stronger since almost everyone the Eagles play is bigger. Tom Jr. looked at the schedule and saw a 4-2 start as realistic toward the goal of making the playoffs.

But a season-opening win over Niles North was tempered by a 41-0 loss to Glenbard West. Would it be the same old Leyden?

"Last year we would have gone in the tank," Serrano said. "This year we worked 10 times harder."

The Eagles rebounded with three straight wins -- including a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback over a Willowbrook team a week removed from being ranked in the state's Class 7A top 10.

Quarterback Tim O'Connell has been solid and Sam Cochiaro's 534 receiving yards are second in single-season school history to Brian Hantosh's 651 in 1994.

Mike Uychoco, Jorge Arellano, Sergio Villaba and Adam Schammert lead the defense with Serrano. And Serrano's numbers speak volumes of the play up front of Jerry Larsen, Ivan Ortega, Kevin Lindahl, Rob Carli, Mike Aguilar and Dan Kiebler.

All of them will need to be at their best tonight.

"It's perfect facing Downers South," Serrano said. "You couldn't write it any better."

And the Cerasanis couldn't have scripted how it has worked out at Leyden much better. Tom Sr. feels good about ending on a high note and Tom Jr. sees this as just a starting point for better days ahead.

"Us getting to the playoffs kind of brings everything full circle," Tom Jr. said. "I love Leyden, I love the people I work with and the kids are great.

"I'll stay as long as they'll have me."