Football Preview: Maine South

2012 record: 11-1 overall, 5-0 CSL South

2012 playoffs: Lost in quarterfinals of Class 8A to Glenbard North

Head coach: Dave Inserra, entering 13th season

Game to watch: Maine South at Montini, 7:30 p.m. Friday

Although Maine South hasn’t won a state title since 2010, the Hawks remain one of the teams to beat every season. Meanwhile, Montini is the four-time defending state champ in Class 5A.

Who made the most of the offseason?

Senior lineman Brendan Brosnan weighed 230 pounds at the start of his junior year. Through work in the weight room and a supervised nutrition plan, Brosnan, who is 6-foot-6, has bulked up to 275 pounds and has verbally committed to Vanderbilt. “He was a total what-if guy last year, but he made himself into a big-time recruit,” Maine South coach Dave Inserra said.

What adjustments did the program make during the offseason?

Senior Luke Durbin, who starts on the defensive line and plays fullback, said the Hawks increased their intensity in the weight room, due in part to the earlier-than-usual exits from the playoffs the last two seasons. Another reason is the team’s opener against Montini. “There’s a lot of pressure on us in that first game,” Durbin said. “We’ve got to come out ready to play right away and prove ourselves.”

Who will be a difference maker this season?

Senior Tony Buenrostro and junior Vinny Labus both will be big targets for whoever emerges as the starting quarterback between senior Alec Basso and sophomore Brian Collis. Labus is 6-2 and Buenrostro is 6-1. Labus, a starter as a sophomore, also will play linebacker. “His knowledge of the game is tremendous,” Inserra said.

Who took the best trip during summer vacation?

Senior lineman Marty Balow enjoyed himself in paradise, taking a trip to the Bahamas with his family.

— Matt Harness

What I did over my summer vacation … Andrew Ingraham

Earlier this month, me and my dad went to Alaska to ride bikes. We flew to Anchorage and stayed one night there. Then we met up with a group of people we had never met before and rode bikes. We would ride so many miles to a hotel and spend the night. We rode nearly 400 miles in four days. We rode 107 miles in one day. Ten of the miles were uphill into the rain and wind. A lot of people on the trip did the Ironman or were triathletes. My dad got the trip as a present for Christmas from my mom, and he wanted me to go. It was great — a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

— Ingraham is a Maine South senior linebacker