Aug. 20--No. 13 looked a bit strange on Ben Klett.
The Lake Zurich running back/linebacker -- a four-year starter who played every game in the 2013 7A state runner-up season -- has the Bears' faithful well-adjusted to No. 30. Yet at Tuesday's practice, his signature number was nowhere to be seen.
Asked if he'd switched to No. 13 for any particular reason, Klett shot it down with a laugh.
"Oh no, I'm still No. 30," he said. "Somebody accidentally threw out my practice jersey. Guess it had too many rips."
Klett's reps lend themselves to rips. The undoubted core of Lake Zurich scored 17 touchdowns as a sophomore, then followed it with 1,032 yards and 13 touchdowns from scrimmage last season, all while playing outside linebacker on the other side of the ball.
"I don't really like looking at it that way," Klett said of being the core. "But knowing guys are going to key on me, because it was that way last year, the guys around here this year are going to help me a lot. Sometimes I can be a decoy."
While Klett may be used as a decoy on occasion -- he mentioned junior tailback Kyle Roth as someone who's "going to do a lot of damage" -- a larger issue may be which Bears mindset shows up. Last year, occasional preseason infighting and in-season underperforming dropped Lake Zurich from the Tribune's preseason No. 12 team to unranked, 5-5 and bounced in the first game of the playoffs.
Since that squad was coming off a state runner-up finish, fourth-year coach David Proffitt doesn't mince words when discounting last season's relevance.
"Something we spend a lot of time with our kids talking about, is what's happened in the past is in the past," he said. "We don't deal in the past, we deal in the present. And right now, the present is we're undefeated and haven't won a game.
"What happened a year ago, to us, really doesn't have any bearing. We as coaches, myself as a coach, we don't talk about that. We talk about the present."
Proffitt points toward the present team's chemistry as a huge plus, a common thread between this group and the four Lake Zurich teams that have reached the state final since 2006.
While many upperclassmen on this edition played on the scout team for the 2013 runner-up, depth remains the primary area of concern for Proffitt. The majority of backups are unproven and untested, and if injuries were to befall a few regulars, the coach acknowledges "that could really hurt us." Proffitt did, however, express confidence in the team-wide progression this summer. Four starters return on both offense and defense, so new contributors will be counted on regardless.
Road contests at Fremd, Cary-Grove and defending 8A champion Stevenson loom in the first three weeks. The Bears' recent success is undeniable, but after a down season, expectations have been slightly recalibrated.
"Right now, because last year we were one-and-done, I'd definitely say we want to make it farther in the playoffs," Klett said. "We have goals every year, and most of the time it's either 'Make the state championship' or 'Win the conference championship.' We decided not to do that this year."
No. 18 Lake Zurich Bears
2014: 5-5 (3-3, 5th in North Suburban Lake), lost to Addison Trail 7-3 in 7A first round.
Coach: David Proffitt (27-10 in 4th year at Lake Zurich).
Playoff history: 18 appearances, 1 state title.
He's back: Joey Lindstrom, Sr., 6-3, 210, QB; Jacob Carlson, Sr., 5-11, 225, OL; Jeremy Brown, Sr., 5-11, 160, CB; John Strojny, Sr., 6-0, 195, DE.
He's new: Kyle Roth, Jr., 5-10, 170, RB
Big name: Ben Klett, Sr., 6-1, 205, RB/LB, 1,032 total yards, 13 TDs.
Big game: Sept. 11 vs. Stevenson. Knocking off the defending 8A champion would do wonders for this group's confidence.
Big question: If a frontline player gets hurt, can they recover?
Breakdown: Important to have Klett and a senior quarterback, two-year starter Joey Lindstrom, in the fold. Who else will step up? Expect the Bears to reach the playoffs for the 14th straight season.
Fast fact: Lake Zurich plays its first three games on the road. When the Bears return home on Sept. 18, a new set of bleachers will seat an estimated 2,470 fans. The old bleachers seated 1,200.
