Borgini to retire following 2014-2015 school year

The high school football team run through their plays before the home opener this week.
UPDATE: Initially, we had reported this season would be the last football season for head coach Don Borgini. The publication was an editor’s mistake and should have read Borgini will retire following the 2014-2015 school year. Borgini’s retirement from CUSD #7 was approved in January of 2013 by the board of education.
After practicing all summer long, managing to get workouts in without being able to enter the weight room, and running through a new playbook countless times, the Gillespie Miner football season is finally here. Coach Don Borgini will enter his 6th year as head coach for the Miners, but has a total of 32 years of coaching experience under his belt. The team is expected to pose a viable threat in the South Central Conference and could possibly make a postseason run to conclude the 2013 season.
Although the team did not make it to the post season last season, Borgini said it is one of the goals for this season’s team. As all experienced coaches do, Borgini has the teams goals laid out. First the team wants to win their first game, then win the South Central Conference, then playoffs and then off to a state title. “Those have always been our goals each season,” he added.
This year’s team will miss three key players instrumental to last season. Jason Whitlock and Brendan Engelke, who both played on the defensive side of the ball, and Aaron Semplowsi, who kicked for the team. The team is still having a bit of trouble filing the kicker position Semplowski excelled so well at.
This year’s team has great “depth and size” along with a “great deal of experience”. Seventeen key players are returning to this year’s Miner team, sixteen of which are seniors. The seventeenth player is junior Brady Anderson. The 17 players make up a great deal of experience for the team on both sides of the ball.
Joe Janssen, Nate Dickenson, and Dee Tiburzi are the senior linebackers and should be able to stop any running back trying to break free into the open playing field. Logan Redman and Kirklund Davis will also be displaying their talent in the linebacker position. Between those five, any strong offensive team will struggle.
Defensive tackles will include seniors Hunter Vesper, Dustin Byrd, Blake Luketich, Jeremy Moore, and Jerry Crites. Corey Turner, Jacob Kirklund, and Kody Page will also add talent to this year’s team as newcomers who are planned to contribute to the line as well. Nate Henrichs, another contributing senior, will play defensive end, taking over Brenden Engelke’s position.

The Miners focus a lot of attention on linemen techniques.
On the offensive end, seniors Blake Peterson, Chris Halpin, Eric Lancaster, Brandon Provost, and Keith Tucker will be the hot hands for team as all five will be wide receivers this season. Freshman Bryce McKinney and junior Derick Engelke will also be vital factors to the Miner’s air game as the two lower classmen have the speed and agility to run circles around any defense.
Mike Henderson will be the returning quarter back for the Miners this season after proving his strategic attacking style in the 2012 season. Henderson has a fast-paced scheme behind the center that proved to be both effective and destructive last season. Seniors Drew Crook and Ian Wilder will return with the 2013 team after both are returning from injuries last season.
Wilder will play on the line for the Miners on both the offensive and defensive squads. Crook on the other hand, will be taking some handoffs in the running back position and will be the eyes and ears in the linebacker position at times.
Every team in the SCC conference this year will be a competition for the Miners while Borgini says, “Each game is of equal meaning to us.” Although the boys haven’t exactly shown what they are capable of the past couple seasons, you should expect to see the explosiveness throughout the 2013 season as over 20 seniors comprise the team this year.
If you take a look at all the weapons the team has this year, the Miners can attack on offense through the air or on the ground without any problem. On the defensive end, the line and linebackers will play a tough defense protecting the Miner side of the scoreboard.
The boys will take the field for the first time this Friday evening kicking off the 2013 season in Gillespie. The Miners will take on a tough Vandalia team with kickoff scheduled for 7pm. Download the 2013 schedule right here and don’t miss a game as these boys have all the threats to be a top contender this season!
Here are the only football schedules you need for this season, just click on the team and download or print off the schedule:
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
There are plenty of ways to keep up on BenGil news:
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter
Check out all of our pictures on our sister site, we are your personal photographer
Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take
Follow us on Twitter for the fastest score updates and breaking news updates
Share this story
Comments
comments