FREEBURG: Two-way player Fricke stands tall for the Midgets

FREEBURG -- Some teams like to refer to their top offensive weapon as a hammer, but the Freeburg Midgets need a much larger toolbox for their main man.

They have a piledriver in senior quarterback and linebacker Alex Fricke, a 6-foot, 215-pound package of energy, speed and explosiveness.

He was the Midgets' leading passer (118-of-239, 1,628 yards, 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions), rusher (741 yards on 112 carries) and scorer (14 touchdowns) last season.

"If he wasn't so important to us offensively at quarterback, he would be our dominant middle linebacker hands down," Freeburg coach Ronnie Stuart said of Fricke, who attended camps at Iowa and Missouri and is being recruited by several lower-level schools. "I think he would be for anybody in the conference. He runs a 4.9-second 40-yard dash and he's quicker than anybody on our defense."

Picked by many to challenge Central and Columbia for the Cahokia Conference championship, the Midgets --who open with a 7 p.m. road game today against Waterloo --hope to improve on their 6-4 record.

They were never quite the same after a 4-1 start. A 49-7 loss to Columbia helped lead to a 2-3 finish and the Midgets also failed to sustain a 22-6 halftime lead in a 42-34 playoff defeat to Massac County.

"I still think it was a really huge step for our kids," said Stuart, whose team benefited from a new spread offense led by Fricke. "We can coach them so far and after that, our kids have to be able to do it. They did a great job of adapting to our system and a great job of running the offense.

"It was a very good learning experience."

The Midgets had time to mesh by attending a variety of 7-on-7 camps and tournaments this summer. Stuart said Fricke is much further along after a year in the spread offense.

Senior Tyler Adamson (413 yards, five TDs, 7.5 yards per carry) will try to fill the hole vacated by the graduation of Jeremy Pflasterer.

Both were featured in the backfield last season and while Adamson is 5-8 and 180 pounds, he also bench presses 285 pounds and squats 380.

"He's very, very strong for his size and he's going to be good for us," Stuart said of Adamson, who will be joined in the backfield by senior Brandon Gwinn (5-10, 200).

The loss of star receiver Kevin Polson hurts, but senior returnee Matt Hendrick had 23 catches for 418 yards and seven TDs despite missing the final three games with a broken collarbone.

The other receivers are 6-3 junior Reed Davis and 6-5 senior tight end Dustin Kimball (nine catches, 135 yards, one TD).

Despite throwing the ball 239 times last season, Fricke was sacked only three times -- and Stuart said he tripped or fell on two of them. That's why the loss of four of five starting offensive linemen creates a gaping hole.

"Legitimately they gave up one sack, so to replace that it's going to be huge," Stuart said.

Senior left guard Robert Brown (6-2, 240) is the lone returning starter. The other guard is junior Andy Koeller (6-0, 205), with senior Andy McCarty (6-4, 205) and junior Scott Jones (5-11, 185) at tackle. Senior Billy Menn (5-10, 205) takes over at center.

"The schemes are the same up front and they're used to it,' Stuart said. "I think it should give them a big advantage and help them be more comfortable with more confidence."

The return of senior all-area defensive lineman Kody Heberer (61 tackles, nine sacks, three fumble recoveries) should help solidify the defense. Heberer (6-0, 200) has superior strength for his size, but it's his speed off the snap that makes him such a force.

Freeburg returns two other experienced defensive linemen in junior Dylan Pajak (6-2, 215) and junior end Jack Brannaker (6-3, 195).

Adamson (54 tackles, one sack) returns at linebacker and will be joined by Gwinn and senior Robert Brown. Stuart also hopes to use Fricke at linebacker "30 to 40 percent of the time."

Hendrick (24 tackles) will play strong safety, while senior Mason Lakatos (22 tackles) returns at cornerback. The free safety is backup quarterback Nick McGraw (6-3, 200), with junior Lucas Wolf at another cornerback slot.