L-W East Football Coach Rob Zvonar Honored by U.S. Marine Corps

Lincoln-Way East football coach Rob Zvonar picked up the Semper Fi Coach of the Year award during a ceremony on Feb. 8 in Oak Brook.

Rob Zvonar led Lincoln-Way East to the Southwest Suburban Blue football championship, a second-place finish in the Class 7A playoffs and a 13-1 record. He recently was honored for his work by the U.S. Marine Corps. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 officials put out a press release to announce the achievement on Thursday. Zvonar was named Semper Fi Coach of the Year by the corps. The award is presented each year to a coach who models the Marine Corps' leadership values of honor, courage and commitment. "Thank you to the United States Marine Corps and all of our Armed Forces," Zvonar said during an awards ceremony on Feb. 8 in Oak Brook. "I know I speak on behalf of all the men here today when I say we are forever grateful for …

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Football: L-W East Defense Shows No Mercy for Knight Quarterbacks

Lincoln-Way East moves to 7-0, while holding onto the Dave McKay Gridiron Grail trophy for the twelfth consecutive year in its 36-6 rout of Lincoln-Way Central.

Breaking It Down: A good portion of Lincoln-Way East fans were able to leave the frigid, metal bleachers at halftime of Friday night's contest feeling confident about how the rest of the game would go, as Tom Fuessel was able to help build a comfortable 24-0 lead over Lincoln-Way Central. Fuessel frustrated the Lincoln-Way Central defense gaining over 300 yards combined through the air and ground, until he and the majority of the Griffin starters were pulled mid-way through the third quarter. Lincoln-Way Central's defensive line was able to sack Fuessel four times, yet was worn down quickly by trying to chase the quarterback down on his scrambling attempts. If not for Lincoln-Way East having over double the amount of penalties that the …

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The Sports Report

L-W East Football Little Guy Langenderfer Making All the Big Hits

Lincoln-Way East senior Kyle Langenderfer is an undersized football linebacker and state champion wrestler. He is also a leader of a Griffin team that is 4-0 heading into Friday night's showdown at Sandburg.

At one point in the fourth quarter of Lincoln-Way East’s 35-20 football victory over Homewood-Flossmoor, Griffin linebacker Kyle Langenderfer cut down Viking back Taje Smith just before he squirted loose in the middle of the field. Smith picked himself up and patted Langenderfer on the top of his helmet, then returned to the H-F huddle. One little guy was showing another a bit of respect. Smith, a 5-foot-7, 160-pound speedster, scored two second-half touchdowns for the Vikings. Langenderfer enjoyed the last laugh, though. He is a 5-8, 150-pound package of what making the most of  the least is all about, a football hitting machine and IHSA state champion wrestler. Langenderfer, a senior linebacker and football co-captain for East, was in on…

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Football: Fuessel, L-W East Pass Test in Win Over Homewood-Flossmoor

Lincoln-Way East 35, Homewood-Flossmoor 20: Senior quarterback Tom Fuessel showed he can get the job done with his arm as well as his legs in the Griffins' big victory Friday night in Frankfort.

Breaking It Down: Senior quarterback Tom Fuessel played on sore legs and ankles in the second half of Lincoln-Way East’s 35-20 football victory over Homewood-Flossmoor in a Southwest Suburban Blue showdown on Friday night in Frankfort. His arm was fine. Fuessel threw a 38-yard pass to Justin Corbett to highlight a six-play, 64-yard knockout scoring drive. The Griffins (4-0, 2-0) punched the ball in on a 1-yard run by Brian Casey and extended their lead to 28-14. The Fuessel-to-Corbett connection came on a third-and-12 play from the East 34. H-F (3-1, 1-1) closed to within 28-20 on 4-yard TD pass from Ronald Johnson to Taje Smith. But the Vikings’ point-after kick was blocked. And East closed the scoring on a 10-yard TD run by Casey with 35…

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Michael Hrymak

5:06 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012

Shut the hell up. Coach Buzea has turned that program into one of the strongest in the area and is one of the classiest coaches in the south suburbs. I annoucned this game live and saw nothing like this. Shut up idiot   more ›

H.S. Football 2012: Griffins Taking Nothing for Granted This Season

What Lincoln-Way East players are ready for a breakout year? Does the have sights set on a state championship? Find out what head coach Rob Zvonar has to say.

The Lincoln-Way East High School football players could not feel much better about the team as they took a 10-0 record into the second round of the playoffs last season. But the team's fairytale story came to a screeching halt as it was shutout by Wheaton Warrenville South. That hasn't stopped the Griffins, though, from setting their sights on a state championship this season. If anything, that loss has fueled their drive. "These kids have fought back hard," said head coach Rob Zvonar of the work the team has put in since its playoff defeat. "I think the biggest thing we learned from that experience is that we certainly got to cherish every moment, and you can’t take anything for granted, because it can come to an end at any time as an …

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L-W East Grad Gettis Picked by Redskins in NFL Draft

Former Lincoln-Way East football standout Adam Gettis was picked in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday by the Washington Redskins.

His old high school football coach said it best. “I think RG3 just got a new personal body guard,” Lincoln-Way East’s Rob Zvonar said after the Washington Redskins picked Adam Gettis in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon. Gettis, 6 feet 2 and 293 pounds, is an offensive guard who played three years at Lincoln-Way East (2004-2006) and then went on to win the Hayden Fry “Extra Heartbeat” Award as a senior at the Iowa. Gettis earned second-team All-Big Ten honors while helping the Hawkeyes post a 7-6 record. His college career ended with a thud: Iowa dropped a 31-14 decision to Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl. His pro career began with the phone ringing and his closest friends and family hooting and hollering in the …

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L-W East Alumni Football Families Share Success Stories

Show of continued support: Group raises funds to put on dinner for Lincoln-Way East football team.

Team dinners for the varsity football team at Lincoln-Way East have been a time-honored tradition for a decade. Football families believed it was an important part of team building, especially after Lincoln-Way split into (then) two schools, Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East. Parents would collect money from football families and donations from dinner sponsors and host a dinner for the team, coaches and the coaches families the night before a game. There would be a time of reflection, thanks for the volunteers and their donations, and then the team would be off to the buffet line to fill their plates with a meal and homemade desserts brought by football families. On Thursday, Nov. 3, alumni football families came together to …

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Class 7A Football Playoffs: L-W East Season Stopped Cold by Two-Time Defending Champ

Wheaton Warrenville South 7, Lincoln-Way East 0: Griffins get the ball into the red zone but not the end zone, as they lose for the first time this season and exit the postseason.

Breaking It Down: Lincoln-Way East’s mission of running the table and winning a Class 7A state football championship were halted Friday night by the team that has won back-to-back state titles. Eighth-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South traveled to Frankfort and upset the top-seeded Griffins by a 7-0 score. Lincoln-Way East’s William Will missed field-goal attempts of 38 and 46 yards in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Wheaton Warrenville South's Nick Campos hammered a 56-yard punt down to the Lincoln-Way East 3-yard line. The Tigers forced the Griffins into a three-and-out, and after a short punt by East, the Tigers took possession at the Lincoln-Way East 24-yard line. On third-and-3 from the 17-yard line, Wheaton Warrenville …

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L-W East Football Coach Winning the Bigger Game

As playoffs approach Rob Zvonar sets his own rules, builds long-lasting relationships with his players and keeps his perspective on coaching, football and life.

On a dark day in mid-October, the man standing in the center of Lincoln-Way East’s defensive huddle looks like an ordinary football coach. Rob Zvonar is dressed for the part, wearing royal blue and black athletic gear, the colors true to his school. The layers are designed to keep rain and chill out. What he lets in is most important here. The questions from his players in a brief wrap-up session on the south end of East’s TurfField are evidence of a commonplace dialogue in Zvonar’s classroom. He is an extraordinary individual, one who teaches life lessons along with football skills, not in a classroom room with desks lined neatly in rows, rather his is canvas and easel that stretches 53 1/3 yards across and 120 yards in length, sideline-…

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L-W East's Zvonar to Appear on IHSA Playoff Pairings Announcement Show

Lincoln-Way East's Rob Zvonar is one of many coaches scheduled to appear on the IHSA's Playoff Pairings Show. The show airs from 8-10 p.m. on Saturday.

Lincoln-Way East football coach Rob Zvonar is one of many coaches scheduled to appear when the Illinois High School Association broadcasts its 2011 Football Playoff Pairings Release Show on Comcast SportsNet Chicago Plus (CSN+) live from Comcast SportsNet’s downtown Chicago studio on Saturday. The show will air from 8 to 10 p.m. In Chicagoland, the show will air on CLTV for Comcast Cable and RCN subscribers. Satellite subscribers (i.e. DirecTV, Dish Network, etc.) in Chicagoland, throughout Illinois, and in surrounding states will access to the show via CSN+ (Click here to view CSN’s channel finder to find out where you can see CSN+ in your area). The show also will be available via live interactive stream on the internet at www.IHSA.tv …

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