Roaming the Sidelines: 9 Trevs earn all-CSL South

Clay Czyzynski. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER

Winning has its rewards.

New Trier, which was one of three teams to beat Class 8A state champion and fellow Central Suburban League South Division foe Maine South during the 2016 regular season, placed nine players on the all-league squad: Daniel Anderson, Marcel Bauby, Clay Czyzynski, Francis Fay, Blake Field, Liam Hirsch, Grant Higgins, Brian Kaiser and Max Rosenthal.

Special honors went to seniors Czyzynski and Rosenthal.

Czyzynski, a three-year starter, was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. The dual-threat quarterback finished the fall campaign with eye-popping numbers. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder rushed for 1,216 yards with 12 touchdowns and threw for 1,939 yards with 21 TDs.

Rosenthal (6-3, 235) was named as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. The three-year starter amassed 49 solo tackles and added 20 assists. He also had two quarterback sacks and three TFLs.

Fay, one of the top two-way players in the league (running back/defensive back), had a stellar senior season. The three-year starter just missed rushing for 1,000 yards (129-904). He had three 100-plus rushing games, including 155 yards in a Week Eight win over Glenbrook South. As a receiver, the 5-10, 165-pound Fay made 27 catches for 296 yards.

On the defensive side, Fay ended up 38 tackles. He also had four TFLs and three pass break-ups.

Kaiser, the lone NT junior to be honored, was the team’s top receiver: 20 catches, 432 yards. The 6-7, 210-pound talent, is getting a lot of Division I attention, including a scholarship offer from Iowa State.

Higgins (5-9, 200), a senior linebacker, was one of those players who kept getting better each game. He ended up with 55 tackles (37 unassisted) with three TFLs and one interception.

Anderson (6-0, 160), a senior defensive back, wound up being the team’s second-leader tackler (61 solos, 27 assists) behind senior outside linebacker Chris Notari (64 solos, 33 assists).

Field was another valuable two-way player for the Trevians. As a defensive lineman, the 5-10, 195-pound senior recorded 32 tackles, including three TFLs.

Field also lined up on the offensive line and teamed with senior mainstays Bauby (6-0, 285) and Hirsch (6-1, 260). Thanks to their stout blocking, the Trevians averaged 31.3 points per game.

Other defensive stat leaders for the Trevians, who went 5-0 in the CSL South and 8-3 overall, included senior linebacker Max Bryla (67 tackles, 2 TFLs), senior defensive back Eric Nicholas (34 tackles, 2 interceptions), junior defensive back Matt Mosher (22 tackles), senior linebacker Jake Lowell (25 tackles), senior defensive back Ben Higgins (37 tackles, 3 pass break-ups) and Hirsch (14 tackles).

The team’s other offensive stat leaders were Eric Nicholas (15 catches, 223 yards, 2 TDs), junior wideout Anthony Nicholas (17 catches, 339 yards, 3 TDs), junior running back Peter Murray (66 rushes, 319 yards, 4 TDs) and junior running back Cameron Rosin (17 rushes, 136 yards).