IHSA Team Preview: Fenwick Friars

Season overview: The Fenwick Friars come into their third season now under head coach Matt Battaglia. Since he took over in 2019, the program has had a record of 6-5 and 3-2 respectively. Looking into this year’s season starting in a week, the Friars have to feel good. They come into this season with a very talented team that has loads of veteran players on both sides of the ball. The seniors who were sophomores when coach Battaglia took over, now have embodied the culture that the staff has brought to Fenwick. Also, on the offensive side of the ball, there are multiple players with Division 1 offers and commitments that had the benefit of playing together in the spring. After finishing 3-2 with Ball state QB commit [player_tooltip player_id="20859" first="Kaden" last="Cobb"] going down early in the season, it’s fair to assume that the Friars are hungry and excited to see their full potential in their first full season since the fall of 2019. 2021 Spring Season (3-2) 3/26 vs Joliet Catholic Academy (7-42) 4/2 @ Marmion HS (19-20) 4/9 @ St. Patrick HS (31-13) 4/16 vs Leo HS (43-0) 4/23 vs St. Ignatius College Prep (10-0) <hr /> Impact Players: [player_tooltip player_id="20859" first="Kaden" last="Cobb"] (QB- 2022- 6’3” 180lb) The lefty quarterback who has recently committed to play division 1 football at Ball State University, is sure to have a breakout year. He has a strong arm with a quick release and exhibits patience in his decision-making. He’s a true pro-style quarterback that likes to stay in the pocket and sling it, but also has the athleticism to run/play outside of the pocket. WIth his Jr. season being cut short this spring due to injury, it will be nice to see [player_tooltip player_id="20859" first="Kaden" last="Cobb"] back on the field to finish out his senior season for the Friars.   [player_tooltip player_id="151181" first="Suleiman" last="Abuaqel"] (EDGE- 2022- 6’2” 215lb) Suleiman lives in the backfield. He’s an edge rusher who plays a lot of snaps with his hand in the dirt, but also can line up in a 2 point stance or linebacker stance and play football. He has a quick get-off on the ball and does great with hand placement when getting to the point of attack with an offensive tackle. He racked up double-digit pressures and a couple of sacks in the 4 games this spring. He can be a game wrecker as a pass rusher this fall for sure.   [player_tooltip player_id="20890" first="Max" last="Reese"] (WR- 2022- 6’3” 200lb) Max will be a player that every defense needs to circle on their calendar. He’s a big-bodied receiver who’s physical in every aspect of his game. Playing most of his snaps in the slot, he does well punishing nickels off of the line, and high-pointing passes. What impressed me most from his spring season, and from the camps that he attended this summer, was that he goes 100% on every play and has ridiculously strong hands. His recent commitment to Eastern Michigan last week comes with no surprise.   [player_tooltip player_id="20901" first="Jimmy" last="Liston"] (OC-2022- 6’4” 295lb) [player_tooltip player_id="20901" first="Jimmy" last="Liston"] really started making a name for himself this past year. He’s the heart of the offensive line and sets the tempo with his overall aggressiveness when he blocks. During the spring he illustrated: strong footwork, the ability to get to blocks on the next level, and knowledge of the game with very few missed assignments. He currently has a wealth of offers right now, and after this season, he’s sure to have more on the table. Other Players to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="20887" first="Eian" last="Pugh"] - WR - 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="155516" first="Denium" last="Juette"] - DB - 2022 Ian Ramage - K - 2022 Danny Kent - WR/RB - 2022 Jacque Wells- S - 2022 Rasheed Anderson - OL/DL - 2022 Marty Paris - DB - 2022 Cam Coppage - ATH - 2022 <hr /> 2021 Fall Schedule 8/27 vs Morgan Park HS 9/3 vs Niles Notre Dame HS 9/10 vs Providence Catholic HS 9/17 @ De La Salle 9/24 vs Loyola Academy 10/1 vs Marmion HS 10/8 vs St. Patrick HS 10/15 @ Marian Central Catholic 10/22 @ St. Ignatius College Prep   Games to Watch: During the regular season, you can expect a great game in week 1 against Morgan Park HS (8/27) and Marmion HS (10/1). Week one will be a great game to watch, because it will be the first home game with full fans in Oak Park, and they will be matching up against one of the top teams in the Chicago Public School district. The Friars are littered with D1 talent along their offense, and they will be going against a defense that did not allow a point in the spring! I look forward to it being an energized atmosphere and game that may be decided in the 4th quarter. The second game against Marmion will be a game that I believe sets the tempo going into the second half of the season. Since coach Battaglia has taken over, the inter-conference game record is 1-1. The games have been decided by one possession, and the team who plays at home has won. This year, the game will be played in the Friar’s backyard to start the month of October. We’ll see who makes the statement. <hr /> For more IHSA team previews, you can follow @prepredzone or prepredzoneIL! 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