Not to say Boone Grove senior Khaled Alzeer hasn’t improved dramatically during the course of his career.
Far from it. The 6-foot, 225-pound middle linebacker has made significant strides, both mentally and physically.
But Alzeer was ready to go from the outset.
“He’s a man-child,” Boone Grove coach Dan Kukulski said. “He came in with a full beard as a freshman. He’s not someone anyone wants to mess with.
“We’ve actually had kids in practice duck, and we’ve said, ‘What was that all about?’ And they said, ‘Khaled was coming.’ And we said, ‘Oh, OK, that makes sense.’”
Alzeer has 86 tackles — among the top totals in the state this season, according to MaxPreps — with 17 for loss and six sacks. He’s on the verge of surpassing his output from last season, when he had 87 tackles, with 19 for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.
Alzeer even had 72 tackles, with 14 for loss and three sacks, when he was a freshman. He followed that up with 85 tackles, including 15 for loss and a sack, as a sophomore.
Alzeer, who also plays left guard on offense, was quick to credit teammates for his success.
“My D-linemen are opening it up for me,” Alzeer said. “Jason Riechers is big, 330 pounds. He’s destroying the O-line. He’s leaving it free for me. Without him, I wouldn’t have as many tackles.
“We have the young buck next to me, Bradley Aguayo, a sophomore, benches almost 300 pounds. He’s just a sophomore. Right next to me, he pushes me, and I push him. We push each other. Without guys like that, I wouldn’t be where I am.”
Still, Alzeer believes he’s putting together his best season yet. He praised the coaches for expecting and demanding a certain level of performance from him.
“Coach (Tom) Trapana, the way he schemes the defense, he’s in there for hours and hours and hours,” Alzeer said. “Coach (Seth) Miller in the weight room, he puts you through a workout in there. And coach Dan, he gets me there mentally. He gets me going, gets me fired up.”
Alzeer, one of the team’s captains and an unquestioned leader, has a similar impact on the Wolves.
“He’s a great player,” Boone Grove senior quarterback Mark Rowland said. “He brings great energy toward us. For the defense, every time he lays a big hit, it gets everyone hyped up. He sets the tone, and it happens every game.”
Alzeer had 12 tackles during the Wolves’ 32-31 Greater South Shore Conference North Division win against River Forest last week. That victory was a key step as Boone Grove (3-3, 1-0) tries to win back-to-back conference titles for the first time.
The Wolves, who debuted a new stadium last year, will also be seeking their first sectional title as they return to Class 2A in a highly competitive field.
“We have all this new stuff,” Alzeer said. “Everyone’s pumped about it — weight room, the field, the track, the stands. Everyone’s loved it. It’s made a big difference. We’re much stronger and way faster. We don’t have many guys, so we have to go both ways. But with the facilities and everything, we’re going twice as hard.”
Boone Grove increased its total victories from two to three to eight in Alzeer’s first three seasons. He noted the team didn’t score a point during his freshman season until Week 5.
“When we first got here, they told us, ‘You’re going to lose by a lot, then you’re going to lose by a little, then you’re going to win by a little, then you’re going to win by a lot,’ and that’s what we’re trying to do this year,” Alzeer said.
“I feel we have the best quarterback in the Region. He’s tearing it up, killing it. Samir Del Rio, I feel like he’s the best receiver in the Region. He’s tearing it up. The defense just works together in unison. Everyone’s going at it together, going after the ball. I’m excited for this team, even after I graduate.”
Alzeer, whose brother Abdul graduated in the spring after playing on the offensive and defensive lines for the Wolves, intends to study energy technology or electrical engineering in college.
“My dream is to play at the next level at linebacker,” he said. “I’m blessed. I’m honored with anything. Whatever comes my way, I’ll take it.”
Kukulski believes Alzeer, who also wrestles and was the conference champion at 215 pounds last winter, can make it happen.
“Khaled is well-respected in the Region, certainly in the GSSC,” Kukulski said. “Everybody knows who he is, and they scheme against him. He’s one guy who’s not going to give up on anything. He’s as strong as an ox. He definitely would fit in at any division, but of course I’m biased. But he has a great mindset, and he’s a great worker.”
