Initially, Aurora Central Catholic quarterback Kevin Stanislo admitted, the prospect of moving to the Catholic League left him feeling “pretty excited.”
And why not?
He knew well about the reputation the Catholic League has as one of the top football conferences in the state. Playing in it would be desirable to a competitor like Stanislo.
Realistically, however, he also realized there was a lot for ACC officials to consider, especially for football.
“It’s a pretty big transition from where we’re at as a program and our record,” Stanislo said.
The program continued to struggle with numbers last season, topping out at 25 players in coach Christian Rago’s first year at the school.
The Chargers (2-7) played in the Blue Division of the Metro Suburban Conference, which is breaking up. ACC is headed to the Catholic League for all other sports in the fall.
But in March, ACC athletic director Scott Fitzgerald announced football won’t be making the move. The team will play an independent schedule for three seasons, then will be evaluated to see if the football program is ready.
Safety is the main concern.
“The program is currently not at a point where it could safely complete a conference schedule based on overall program participation, experience and talent,” said Fitzgerald, who is also in his first year at the school.
“Our student-athletes’ safety comes first, and the independent schedule allows us to play a full varsity season against opponents that are similar from a competitive standpoint.”
A 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior, Stanislo is a three-year varsity player who has started at quarterback the past two seasons. He aspires to play at the next level.
Stanislo, who passed for 1,523 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, is drawing considerable recruiting interest, with junior day invites from schools ranging from Division I through NCAA Division III and the NAIA in St. Thomas, Bemidjii State, Wheaton, Illinois Wesleyan and St. Francis.
He couldn’t argue with Fitzgerald’s decision, though.
“I think it’s good to go independent because our team is very young,” Stanislo said. “We had freshmen starting on varsity this past season. This move gives us more opportunity to grow the program.”
Stanislo saw his varsity action as a freshman at free safety.
“I didn’t start but went in that first game and got my ‘welcome to varsity football’ hit,” he said. “It was the COVID year, too. It was just a weird season with only six games.”
Rago, who came to ACC after three years assisting at St. Patrick of the Catholic League, was able to offer valuable input to Fitzgerald.
“Every team in that league is competitive,” Rago said. “There were games last year, we were down to 18 players.”
He would like to get the numbers up to offer a lower level team to get ready for the Catholic League.
“It’s almost a disservice to the teams we are playing,” Rago said. “You want your kids to have a fighting chance.”
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Rago would rather not send 14-year-old freshmen out against experienced 18-year-old seniors, either.
“They need to grow and develop and spend some time in the weight room,” Rago said.
He looks for experienced players like Stanislo, who will visit Bemidjii State this weekend, to help grow his program.
“I think it helped me a lot working with coach Rago this season,” Stanislo said. “We run what I call an air raid offense, throwing the ball a lot. He’s helped me learn to read and dissect defenses.
“Last season, I discovered I can run the ball, too — not just sit back and throw.”
Stanislo and his ACC teammates have put together a 7-on-7 team, coached by several dads, that started play last weekend in the Westmont Yard League.
“Kevin’s been great since I’ve been here,” Rago said. “He’s gung-ho and a leader by example who never stops working. He always has a passion for it.”
