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Matt Alviti, Maine South heading to Hoover, Ala., with receivers in tow
Maine South quarterback Matt Alviti looks for an open receiver against Elk Grove during the Red Grange 7-on-7 tournament at Wheaton Warrenville South. | Stacia Timonere~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: August 20, 2012 11:18AM
HOOVER, Ala. —The last time Maine South’s football team traveled to Alabama in the summer, the Hawks won a state championship in the fall.
Coach Dave Inserra is a big believer in being challenged, and Hoover’s National Select 7-on-7 Championship is one of the best tests a team can take during the offseason.
“The main thing is the competition,” he said. “We are going down there to compete against some very good football teams. There’s a lot of speed and lot of football knowledge down there. Hopefully, the game slows down for us when we get back to Illinois.
“It’s also a great bonding trip.”
Maine South is bringing 22 skill players, from quarterback and Northwestern recruit Matt Alviti, to safety Clay Burdelik.
A couple players Inserra is excited to see perform are Mike Bosco, John Solari and Zach Hinkamp. Not surprising for a team searching for receivers, all of them can catch the ball.
“Mike’s really stepped up over the summer and established himself as one of our top receivers,” the coach said. “John catches the ball so well and uses his body so well. Zach continues to play well.
“Now we are going to see how they do against these high-caliber teams from around the country.”
The National Select has been around since 2001 and has grown into a countrywide tournament, although most of the teams are from the South. Daphne (Ala.) won the tournament for the second time last year. Hoover owns three tournament titles.
Maine South is one of three teams from Illinois. Wheaton Warrenville South and Elk Grove also are among the 32-team field.
Early commitments had 15 states represented among the 30 teams.
