Excellent size and team connectedness could carry the Rochelle Hubs to another successful season

ROCHELLE, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — All football teams emphasize “Team” and “Family”. The Rochelle Hubs certainly do, and they’ll rally around those two things again this season to carry them.

This Hubs teams feels that sense of team and family more than most do.

“I think that’s the thing that separates us this year is the connectedness of the group, and so it’s something that I get excited about,” said head coach Kyle Kissack during a recent practice.

Kissack said that the other things that the Hubs are big on are attention to detail and effort.

“For us, it’s always about energy and effort. How hard can we play? How long can we play that hard, and we’ve got to be tough.”

In Rochelle once again, it’ll be the “Wing T vs. Everybody”. That hard-nosed ground-and-pound offensive style. That all starts with the ‘Bigs’ up front.

“I feel like we’re really huge up front which is going to be a big thing for us, help move and run the ball more,” said tight end/defensive end Warren Schweitzer.

“We’ve got both tackles coming back, me and Cobos, and then Harley, that’s just, he’s just a big guy,” said two-way lineman Grant Daugherty.

Harley is junior Brayden Harley, 6’4 and 270 pounds if not more. For more size there’s the Sweitzer brothers 6’7 Warren and 6’5 Eli. They both play at the same time much of the time at both tight end and defensive end.

“It’s not often you get a big kid but get two from the same family,” said Kissack. “It’s something we’re really excited about.”

The Hubs wishbone attack did lose the point of its spear from last year. Fullback Roman Villalobos graduated. He was First Team All-State in Class 4A, and he rushed for nearly 1200 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“When those kinds of kids come through your program, they’re irreplaceable,” admitted Kissack.

However, the Hubs do have a good player to plug in at fullback who they’re high on, junior Andrew Eyster. Kissack has a simple message for Eyster.
“We just want the best version of you. We don’t want you to be somebody that you’re not.”

At wingback, the Hubs will have a running back by committee approach that will include Tyler Gensler, Jonathan Andrist, and Luke Chadwick. Junor Cohen Haedt returns as the starting quarterback

Gensler will be one of the leaders on defense at linebacker. Andrist and Aiden Carmichael also will play linebacker. Harley, Caiden Harris, Adam Cobos and Grant Daugherty will be on the defensive front.

For coverage of the Hubs throughout the season and high school football around the 815, watch “Overtime” Friday nights on FOX 39 in Rockford.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO WQRF News, Weather and Sports.