Brent Pearlman could sense his Prospect football team was lacking a certain chemistry.
Sure, the Knights had gone 6-4 last season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1986. Seeded No. 32 in Class 5A, Prospect played three overtimes before falling to top-seeded Bloomington 41-35.
Having finished only his second season as head coach, the 34-year-old Pearlman wanted more. A meeting with 10 key players revealed a lack of unity between the junior and senior class.
Pearlman decided to take his show on the road. When Illinois’ football team decided to stay in Champaign rather than conduct preseason training camp in Rantoul, Prospect assistant coach Mike Sebestyen made arrangements for the Knights to use the Illini training site.
The Knights practiced on fields across the street from an Air Force base and had the use of film rooms, meeting rooms and dining areas. They stayed in a hotel during the July 23-27 session and did a lot of bonding.
“You find out so much about people in a situation like that,” Pearlman said.
“Some of the quiet kids become vocal leaders as they became more comfortable with their teammates. Some kids who were intimidated by the coaching staff became more open as they began joking around with the coaches.
“I had divided the team into six groups, and over the summer they had to put together a 20-minute film clip on topics like playing through pain, finishing strong and Knight pride. We watched at least one film clip every night. The kids had fun with it and took a lot of shots at the coaching staff.
“The was probably the best thing that has happened to our program.”
When Pearlman scheduled perennial playoff powers Downers Grove North and Schaumburg to open the season, many in the Knights’ football community thought he was headed for an 0-2 start.
Instead, Prospect has delivered a pair of stunning upsets and enters the week as the No. 14 team in the Tribune rankings.
The Knights’ defense has forced 13 turnovers in the first two games, led by linebacker Nick Spizzirri and defensive back Nick Ioviono with two interceptions each and linebacker Brian Lett with a pair of fumble recoveries. Offensively, quarterback George Smith has accounted for 350 yards of total offense and five touchdowns.
The Knights’ defense exhibits the feisty characteristics of its coordinator, ex-Palatine coach Joe Petricca. Before stepping down in 1996, Petricca became that school’s most successful coach with a 103-40 record in 13 years and 10 playoff appearances, including a 5A runner-up finish in ’94.
“It’s great to have someone with Joe’s experience, and he is a big reason for our success,” Pearlman said. “He is like the ideal assistant coach.”
Milestones: A couple of familiar names in the Chicago-area coaching ranks won their 200th game over the weekend. Mt. Carmel’s Frank Lenti is now 200-26 in his 18th year after the Caravan knocked off previously top-ranked Joliet Catholic 35-21 on Saturday. Lenti has eight state championships to accompany that eye-popping record. Marshall’s 27-12 victory over Carver on Friday gave Ben Ward his 200th victory.
Sunday’s game: Quarterback Daniel Hillen scored on a 1-yard run to lead Fenwick (2-0) to a 10-8 non-conference victory over Montini (1-1). Running back Kevin Quinn finished with 59 yards in six carries.
