Lake Forest College Sports Information
Contact:  Mike Wajerski, SID

2005 Preview: A New Era
 

2005 will be Brent Becker's first season as head coach of the Foresters.
When the Foresters captured the Midwest Conference title in 2002, many of their fans were content to have ended a stretch of 19 years since their last title. The coaching staff, however, looked at that season as just the start of a long run at or near the top of the league standings. After the team posted a 7-3 record in 2003 and an 8-2 mark last year while he was the defensive coordinator, first-year head coach Brent Becker has every intention of continuing to compete for the conference crown in 2005 and beyond. “The program has come a long way in the last few seasons,” he begins. “We’ve gotten to the point where we expect a win every week and so do our fans. It’s exciting to be a part of that type of atmosphere.”

The Foresters’ 24 victories over the last three seasons are actually more than the total from any four-year span in team history and the 2005 seniors need just five wins to pass the graduates before them as the program’s winningest class.

While the seniors provide the team’s leadership, the junior class includes the most noteworthy returning players on both sides of the ball. On offense, quarterback Matt Mahaney set a school record with 2,436 passing yards on the year and tied another mark with four touchdown passes in a single game. Defensively, linebackers Ryan Gallegos and Louis Bertuca combined for 143 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 11.0 sacks. Gallegos earned First Team All-MWC honors and Bertuca was named to the league’s Second Team.

Other returning players to watch include running backs Andre Washington and Devin Furlong, who combined for more than 600 rushing yards and four touchdowns last season. Wide receiver Jeff Huebner led the 2004 squad with 16.5 yards per reception and five touchdown catches. Returning starters on the offensive line include Joe Meixell, Robbin Park, and Ted Soenksen. In the defensive backfield, cornerback Keith Hanson and safety Ed Kidd combined for more than 100 tackles, three fumble recoveries, and a pair of interceptions. Linebacker Soren Johnson was fifth on the team with 57 tackles and second with 33 solo stops in nine games.