The 2012 Lift-A-Thon will mark the fourth consecutive year the Chargers have held the event. The Lift-A-Thon, taking place in the ACC Weight Room, is free and open to any family, friends, alumni, students, and supporters of ACC Football. The Lift-A-Thon also serves as a fundraiser for the football program, with all money raised going to continued development of the ACC weight room, and the strength and conditioning program.

The weight room opening at 4:30 for all players to begin stretching and warm-ups. Testing will begin promptly at 5:00pm. If anyone has any questions about the 4th Annual Lift-A-Thon, or would like to sponsor a player, you can contact Coach Casey.

“I am really excited about it, I think going to Valpo will be a great experience,” Anger said. “The fact that they have a full engineering program, which provides a great chance of landing a job right out of college, along with the opportunity to play football at a high level made Valpo great choice.”

 Anger finished his defensive career at ACC with 57 tackles, including 6 stops for a loss and 2 sacks. Most notably, the 6’5″, 285 pound defensive tackle also notched a pair of

Anger (#52), will be just the 7th former ACC Charger to play football at the D-1 level.

interceptions, including one on his first varsity defensive snap as a junior against Marengo in 2010. Offensively, Anger helped the Charger offense set a school record 2,217 rushing yards last season.

“Joe is exactly what you look for in a young man,” ACC Head Coach Brian Casey said. “He is a hard worker, and someone who listens to coaches, and will try to improve with every chance he is given. His enthusiasm and passion for the game of football has helped him accomplish his goal of playing at the college level.”

Valparaiso Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Bob Muckian recruited Anger, who will play offensive tackle for the Crusaders beginning in 2012.  

“I think there was a sense of familiarity at Valpo,” Anger said. “In talking with Coach (Bob) Muckian, other coaches, and some of the players, it really felt like it was a family atmosphere, it felt like home.”

The signing with Valparaiso caps off a high school career that seemed in jeopardy just one year ago. While competing in the wrestling in February of his junior year, Anger suffered a dislocation and seperation of his left shoulder. After a successful surgery performed by members of the Northern Illinois University Football medical staff, Joe completed rehab and was cleared for participation one week prior to the start of fall camp.

“Joe battled through that injury all of last off-season,” Casey said. “Throughout the summer, everyday he was taking mental reps and doing what he could do on the chalkboard and on the field to become a better football player. He took a negative situation and fought through the adversity, he is very mature young man.”

Following the 2011 season, Anger’s teammates and coaches voted him the “Charger Award” winner, which goes to an individual who displays an unwavering amount of energy and excitement, and brings a positive attitude every day.

“I am very thankful for my teammates and the coaches at ACC,” Anger said. “They really helped me improve and become a better football player. They helped give me the

Anger celebrates a 42-0 ACC win over Wheaton Academy in 2011

tools to succeed in high school and to become a college football player.”

Anger is the 73rd player in ACC Football history to play college football, and just the 7th to play at the Division-1 level. The last such player to do so was Joe Curry from the class of 1999, who committed to Indiana State.

“It is great for Joe, and great for our program,” Casey said. “We have a lot of hard working, talented young men like Joe. Our staff really tries to get our guys as much exposure as possible, and help them have the opportunity to play at the next level. I think this shows that along with developing team success on the field, our kids have the same opportunities as those at every other school.”

 Anger will begin his college football career on Thursday, August 30th, when Valparaiso hosts St. Joseph (Ind) to kick off the 2012 season at Valpo’s Brown Field.

 ”It feels really special, real nice,” Anger said. “Playing college football has always been a dream of mine, and now it is a reality. I am ready to go, I am ready to get started.”

Contact Coach Casey with any questions.

Any players and parents who are available on the 31st, your help would be greatly appreciated. Participation is encouraged, even if you can not commit the full three hours. In addition, if anyone has access to a rototiller, it would greatly reduce the time needed to re-seed.

Volunteers are asked to meet at the South Entrance to the Barn on Saturday the 31st at 9:00am.

If you have access to a rototiller, or any questions regarding the ‘field day’ please contact Coach Casey at (630) 907-0095 or via email at bcasey@auroracentral.com

The Chargers will return to the practice field on June 12th in preparation for the 2012 season. Returning players will camp at 7:00am – 9:00am Tuesday-Thursday thru June. Incoming freshman will also camp those same days, with their camp beginning at 9:00am. In July, the entire program (Freshman-Varsity) will practice the 9th-2oth from 7:00am – 9:00am. Finally, each level will conduct their own practice and summer scrimmage during the week of July 23rd.

All three levels will participate in summer competition against some of the areas finer programs. Along with the aforementioned University of Illinois Passing Shootout, and the ACC Passing Tournament, the Chargers will once again compete in the Bolingbrook Passing Jamboree at Bolingbrook High School.

“Our kids realize that to get better we have to compete against some great competition,” ACC Head Coach Brian Casey said. “Between ‘U of I’, Bolingbrook, and our jamboree, we will have a chance to compete against some great programs who have had a lot of success. Seeing those types of teams in the summer, will only help us as a football team.”

Wheaton North, Geneva, Crystal Lake Central, Burlington Central, St. Francis, and Evergreen Park are just some of the teams that will compete in the first ACC Passing Tournament on July 14th.

“It will be great to finally be able to host a 7 on 7 of our own this summer,” Casey said. “We have traveled all over the place for some of these, it will be great exposure for our school, and a chance for our kids to have some fun at their school.”

The varsity lineman finally have their chance to have some fun of their own on July 19th, as the will compete in the annual West Aurora “Battle of the Big Butts”. The competition features many activities ranging from Tug-of-War, Relay Races, to Watermelon Eating.

Finally, both the freshman and sophomores will compete in a local 7 on 7 at West Aurora High School on Friday, July 20th.

A complete calendar is available on the “Calendar” portion of this website. Summer camp flyers are also available under the “Forms” tab on the homepage.

The Chargers will officially kickoff the 2012 season on August 8th with ‘Midnight Madness’, as the IHSA Football season gets underway. With everything in preparation for the season opener on Friday, August 24th against Pontiac at Bob Stewart Field.

Kirsten Bohr, a little six year old girl in Kindergarten at nearby St. Mary’s in Plano, was diagnosed in October with Embryonal Rabdomyosarcoma, a cancerous tumor on the muscle of one of her eyes. Kirsten has been undergoing chemotherapy at the University of Illinois-Chicago Medical Center and proton therapy at Central DuPage Hospitals Proton Center in Warrenville.

Kirsten and her family are apart of the Aurora Central Catholic community and Football family in a few different ways.

ACC Football Players (L-R) Drake Reidy, Steve Belovich, Joe Cisneros, and Beau Grzanich show off their "Kirsten's Kickin' Cancer" bracelets at school on Thursday.

Her father, Andy, was a 1995 graduate of Aurora Central Catholic, and was a member of the 1994 Charger football team that advanced to the IHSA State Semi-Finals. Andy Bohr, a defensive back, still ranks 25th in school history in tackles, and is in the ACC Hall of Fame as a member of the ’94 squad. Junior Steve Belovich (Hinckley), and Sophomore Brian Bohr (Aurora), both current students, and members of the ACC Varsity Football team are cousins of Kirsten.

“She is a fighter,” Sophomore Brian Bohr said. “She has gone through a lot, all the treatments and hospital visits. Our family is so big, we don’t get to see each other all that often, but just to know what she is going through proves how tough she is.”

Kirsten’s Great Aunt, Christine Goodson, told ACC Head Coach Brian Casey about Kirsten, the diagnosis and the different treatments needed the week following the St. Jude’s event. Casey, who was active in getting the St. Jude’s event at ACC off the ground, was interested in helping.

“In all honesty, I have never met Kirsten,” ACC Head Coach Brian Casey said. “But hearing her story from different members of her extended family, I wanted our program to help in any way. The fact that this little girl is fighting this horrible disease is just gut wrenching. Our kids not only need to support their teammates and a former ACC player, but to do anything we could to help support this little girl.”

Her family made ‘Live Strong’ style bracelets to support Kirsten, and to help raise funds towards the medical bills that will be a result of her treatment. As of Wednesday, every member of the ACC Football program are wearing sky blue bracelets that are inscribed “Kirsten’s Kickin’ Cancer”.

“It was actually very neat,” Casey said. “Many of the kids were running into my office getting a wristband, and making a donation. But to see everyone in the weight room after school, every kid in the weight room had theirs on. Our kids understand the significance of what we are doing and why we are doing it, and I am very proud of our kids for seeing a bigger picture and doing something special for others.”

Just last weekend, Kirsten was recognized for her courageous fight at ACC, serving as an honorary Charger cheerleader for the Aurora Central Catholic basketball game against Aurora Christian.

Kirsten’s doctors and nurses at both facilities have said she is responding well to treatments, and are very optimistic about her progress.

Anyone who would like a bracelet to help support Kirsten, her family, and her fight against cancer are encouraged to contact Coach Casey at ACC. A donation of $2 per bracelet is being asked to assist with medical bills. To read more about Kirsten and her journey you can log on to www.caringbridge.org/visit/kirstenbohr.

Attendees had the opportunity to sit in on presentations from some of the area’s top high school coaches on a variety of fundamental topics intended on making youth football coaches more prepared to teach their players this fall.

“I think our clinic is very different than what a lot of the other clinics have to offer,” Casey said. “I want our speakers to talk on fundamentals, and techniques. To many other clinics for youth coaches want to talk about schemes and plays, I want coaches to be more versed in the basics to make their kids safer and more fundamentally sound.”

Casey spoke about “Practice Planning and Organization” during the first breakout session of the morning. Bryan Beerman, Assistant Coach at Fort Zumwalt East High School in St. Charles, Missouri, shared the “Pass Receiving Fundamentals”. The second breakout session featured Jeff Reents of Wilmington and Joe Wardynski of Wheaton North, presenting on “RB Skills and Drills” and “Fundamental Pass Defense” respectively. Arguably the most important topic, “Techniques of Form Tackling”, was presented by Sycamore Head Coach Joe Ryan.

“Each year we have had a great speaker talking about tackling,” Casey said. “Tackling is so important because you are dealing first and foremost with kids safety. We make sure that when youth coaches leave our clinic, they know the safe and proper way to teach it, and have some great fundamental drills to develop it.”

All clinic presenters served on a question and answer panel over lunch. Montini Catholic Head Coach Chris Andriano capped off the event serving as the keynote speaker for the day,  speaking about “Developing as a Coach”.

“I look forward to this clinic each year,” Casey said. “It is fun to get everything lined up, but it is great to see all the youth coaches who are committed to waking up on a Saturday in February to improve themselves as coaches. If we can make 100 people better football coaches, we can help make the game of football better.”

Oostburg High School, located in the town of Oostburg, Wisconsin lies just south of Sheboygan, 45 miles north of Milwaukee. The Flyin’ Dutchman, members of the Central Lakeshore Conference, finished the 2011 regular season 7-2, before falling in the first round of the WIAA Playoffs. Oostburghas an enrollment of roughly 350 kids.

Javier Liz returns in the secondary for the Chargers in 2012. Liz had 22 tackles, and an interception last season.

“Oostburg is a solid football program,” ACC Head Coach Brian Casey said. “It will be a challenge, but great opportunity for our program, and a neat experience for our varsity kids. We have been able to done some research on them, and I think we are very similar programs, so that should make for some excitement.”

The journey to this point was a wild, and at times frusterating one for Casey and ACC Athletic Director Jeff Johnson. TheChargers were contracted to once again play at Marengo High School for fourth consecutive season. However, Marengo school officials broke that contract due to the expansion of the Big Northern Conference. One week following the conclusion of the 2011 regular season, ACC reached a tentative agreement with Escanaba High School from the upper peninsula in Michigan, only to have the Michigan High School Athletic Association reject the proposal. Senn Achievement Academy from Chicago was then slated to be the opponent, however after having the agreement and contract for over three weeks, Senn Administration would not sign off on a road-trip to Aurora. Bringing us to the two-year, home and home contract that was signed with Oostburg.

“I think the best part is knowing we have a game to play that weekend,” Casey said. “We were sorta scrambling around trying to find someone that made sense, we did not want a bye-week.  We were getting to point where we were checking open dates in Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Dakota’s. Fortunately, Oostburg was in a similar position as we were (opponent broke contract), and we are very similar in enrollment so it was a great match.”

The two-year contract, which runs through the 2013 football season, is a varsity contest only. The Aurora Central Catholic sophomore will have their open date filled in the near future.

“We are going to try to find a way to get our Freshman and Sophomores to play on the Friday night of that weekend (8/31),” Casey said. “There are a few schools that have their varsity teams playing either out-of-state or in a ‘showcase’ event, so we will continue to look to make sure both levels have an opponent.”

The Chicago Rush “Tug of Pride” Tournament allows 24 local high school teams to compete against each other in tug of war matches prior to the 2012 home games. The tournament culminates with the “Tug of Pride” Championship Round at the final regular season home game on Sunday, July 8th at 3 p.m. as the Rush take on the San Antonio Talons at the Allstate Arena.

The Aurora Central Catholic participants in the 2012 “Tug of Pride” will be selected soon. Over the next few weeks, those individuals not involved in a spring sport will compete in various weight room activities within the Winter Strength & Conditioning program. Those who finish in the top 10, will be chosen to compete in the event on March 10th.

Tickets to the game, which include admission to the “Tug of Pride”, and the Chicago Rush season opener, are available now. All family, friends, students, alumni, and fans are encouraged to purchase discounted tickets. Ticket prices range from $5 -$30, with a portion of the sales benefiting the ACC Football program. To order tickets for the March 10th game, please contact Coach Casey, or you can download an order form from the “forms” tab on the homepage. All ticket orders must be received by March 1st. Please contact Coach Casey at (630) 907-0095 or via email at bcasey@auroracentral.com for any questions regarding the event and ticket information.