Mike Kraft was rocking kind of a Mohawk look on Wednesday before practice at Naperville Central. One side hinted at it, while the other appeared like more of a buzz.
The haircut didn't go exactly as planned, but the senior nose tackle said with a laugh: "In a couple of weeks it should grow out a little more."
That description could fit Central's reconstructed defense, moving on without Josh Jelesky and several other linebackers. Kraft (5-11, 215 pounds), Jordan Poll (6-0, 215) and Clint Woods (6-0, 230) will anchor the defensive line, and even if they aren't huge, they did combine for 246 tackles last season.
Kraft expects Central to use more zone blitzing in 2008, knows that Waubonsie Valley graduated its entire offensive line and senses an early advantage, because he went through it last August.
He basically shook his head at the speed of his introduction to varsity football - quarterback Tyler Castro threw three first-half touchdowns, and Central couldn't recover in what became a 28-21 loss.
"I remember from last year, my first game against Waubonsie," Kraft said, "it was a whole new ballgame."
Actual game situations can only be simulated so much before Friday's opener in Aurora. When asked for a player or position group that surprised him during camp, Central coach Mike Stine didn't identify any. He's familiar with his personnel - up to a certain point.
"You go all summer long, you go through doubles, you go through (practice), you know most everything pretty well," Stine said. "We just gotta find out how we can handle game pressure."
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