No. 1 St. Rita has title, tradition to build on

St. Rita’s 10 returning starters from last year’s state championship team gather around coach Todd Kuska. 
(Matt Marton/Daily Southtown)

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

Regarded as a football power for decades, the only surprising thing about St. Rita winning the Class 7A state title last year was that it ended a drought dating to 1978.

But it's no wonder that St. Rita enters the 2007 season at the top of the Sun-Times Super 25.

The Mustangs return 10 starters, including Notre Dame-bound defensive lineman Darius Fleming, offensive linemen Kevin Galeher, Dan Smith and Luke Knibbs and kicker Steve Flaherty. Also back are Drew McGowan, Sean Leslie, Kenny Stoklosa, Brian Popek and Jason Kafka, who moves from wide receiver to quarterback.

Said Internet recruiting expert Tim O'Halloran: ''If you saw St. Rita play and win the title last year, you had to be impressed with the coaching and the players. They bring back quality kids on both sides of the line and had very strong lower levels the last two years. Now they have to prove it in the toughest conference in the state.''

Challenging St. Rita in the Catholic League Blue: Loyola, Mount Carmel, Providence, Brother Rice.

Before the state playoffs began in 1974, St. Rita won Prep Bowls in 1970 and 1971. In 1963 the Mustangs were mythical national champions after smashing Vocational 42-7 before 81,270 at Soldier Field,

Last year's team had one bump in the road, a Week 3 loss to Fenwick.

''That game changed everything,'' Knibbs said. ''That was a feeling we didn't want to have again.''

Coach Todd Kuska called the 19-17 loss to Fenwick the biggest game of the regular season -- bigger than come-from-behind wins at Providence, where the Mustangs hadn't won, and against Mount Carmel.

''We knew we didn't play to the level we were capable of,'' Kuska said. ''From that point on, the seniors took over the team and made sure that didn't happen again.''

If last year's success was a surprise, this season's expectations aren't. The senior class at St. Rita has won or shared a conference title every year.

''The thing about these kids is that they came to me last year and said that winning was great and they were proud of the seniors,'' Kuska said. ''But this group said they wanted to leave on their own note and with their own legacy.''