Northwestern, Louisville Rosters Boast Oswego Area Talent
There are a lot of athletes from Chicago suburbs—including Oswego —on some of the best teams in college football this season.
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The BCS bowl season has begun, but two area schools will wait until after the new year to play in some of the most prestigious bowl games—and their rosters feature lots of area talent from Chicago suburbs and Patch towns.
Oswego has two athletes participating in two seperate bowls.
Alex Witcpalek, a graduate of Oswego High School and junior at Louisville will be competing in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 as a safety.
Tom Riley, a graduate of Oswego High School and junior at Northwestern will be competing in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 as a slot back.
Notre Dame, the No. 1 team in the country, plays Alabama in the BCS National Championship game Jan. 7. And No. 15 Northern Illinois, a surprise BCS team, heads to the Orange Bowl to play No. 12 Florida State on New Year's Day.
A number of athletes from Patch towns are on the rosters of these teams, as well as others playing in bowl games over the next few weeks. Many are underclassmen probably yet to see game action, but their names are among some of the most powerful rosters in college football.
If we've missed out on any of the local connections, tell us about it in the comment section. (All times CST.)
BCS National Championship Game, Notre Dame vs. Alabama, Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Notre Dame
| Athlete | Hometown | High School | Position | Year |
| Connor Cavalaris | Lake Forest | Lake Forest | Safety | So. |
| Scott Daly | Downers Grove | DG South | Long snapper | Fr. |
| DaVaris Daniels | Vernon Hills | Vernon Hills | Wide receiver | So. |
| Christian Lombard | Inverness | Fremd | Offensive lineman | Jr. |
| Tyler Plantz | Frankfort | Providence Catholic | Running back | Jr. |
| Tommy Rees | Lake Forest | Lake Forest | Quarterback | Jr. |
| Joe Romano | River Forest | Fenwick | Cornerback | Jr. |
| Chris Salvi | Lake Forest | Carmel Catholic | Safety | Sr. |
| Will Salvi | Lake Forest | Carmel Catholic | Cornerback | Sr. |
| Chris Watt | Glen Ellyn | Glenbard West | Offensive guard | Sr. |
Discover Orange Bowl — Florida State vs. Northern Illinois. Jan. 1, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Northern Illinois
| Athlete | Hometown | High School | Position | Year |
| Sal Arceo | Chicago | Mount Carmel | Offensive lineman | Fr. |
| Matt Battaglia | Chicago | Marist | Offensive lineman | Sr. |
| Alan Baxter | Buffalo Grove | Buffalo Grove | Defensive end | Sr. |
| Giorgio Bowers | Olympia Fields | Rich Central | Running back | RS So. |
| Jacob Brinlee | Lake Zurich | Lake Zurich | Wide receiver | Fr. |
| Ryan Brown | Elburn | St. Charles N. | Offensive lineman | RS So. |
| Aidan Conlon | Flossmoor | Homewood-Flossmoor | Offensive lineman | RS Fr. |
| Perez Ford | Romeoville | Romeoville | Running back | Fr. |
| Daniel Green | Oak Park | OPRF | Defensive end | RS Sr. |
| David Green | Oak Park | OPRF | Defensive lineman | RS So. |
| Patrick Husain | Evanston | Evanston | Offensive lineman | Jr. |
| Michael Ippolito | Naperville | Neuqua Valley | Defensive end | Fr. |
| Nabal Jefferson | Chicago | Marist | Defensive tackle | Sr. |
| Jordan Lynch | Chicago | Mount Carmel | Quarterback | RS Jr. |
| Desroy Maxwell | Evanston | Amundsen | Tight end | Fr. |
| Brian Mayer | Orland Park | Sandburg | Defensive specialist | RS So. |
| Wes Ott | Western Springs | Lyons Township | Offensive lineman | RS So. |
| Michael Santacaterina | Geneva | Geneva | Linebacker | RS So. |
| Cameron Stingily | Romeoville | Romeoville | Running back | RS So. |
| Jess Striedl | St. Charles | St. Charles East | Tight end | RS So. |
| Kevin Tennenbaum | Buffalo Grove | Buffalo Grove | Tight end | RS Fr. |
| Dominique Ware | Bolingbrook | Plainfield North | Corner back | RS Jr. |
| Matt Williams | Geneva | Geneva | Quarterback | Fr. |
| Bobby Winkel | Batavia | Marmion | Linebacker | RS So. |
GoDaddy.com Bowl — Arkansas State vs. Kent State. Jan. 6, 8 p.m., ESPN
| Brandt Pfeifer | Lake Forest | Lake Forest | Kent St. | Linebacker | Fr. |
Allstate Sugar Bowl — Florida vs. Louisville. Jan. 2, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
| Antonio Morrison | Bolingbrook | Bolingbrook | Florida | Linebacker | Fr. |
| Alex Witcpalek | Oswego | Oswego | Louisville | Safety | Jr. |
| Jarel McGriff-Culver | Downers Grove | DG North | Louisville | Running back | RS So. |
AT&T Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M, Jan. 4, 7 p.m., FOX
| David Smith | Midlothian | Bremen | Oklahoma | Running back | Fr. |
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio, Stanford vs. Wisconsin, Jan. 1, 4 p.m., ESPN
| Johnny Caspers | Glen Ellyn | Glenbard West | Stanford | Offensive guard | Fr. |
| Stephen Salata | Buffalo Grove | Buffalo Grove | Wisconsin | Kicker | RS Fr. |
Outback Bowl, Michigan vs. South Carolina, Jan. 1, 12 p.m., ABC
| Bo Dever | Lake Forest | Lake Forest | Michigan | Wide receiver | Fr. |
| Brad Anlauf | Hinsdale | Hinsdale C. | Michigan | Wide receiver | Fr. |
| Michael Schofield | Orland Park | Sandburg | Michigan | Offensive lineman | RS Jr. |
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl — Northwestern vs. Mississippi State. Jan. 1, 11 a.m., ESPN2
|
Michael Rouse III |
Flossmoor |
Homewood-Flossmoor |
Northwestern |
Defensive tackle |
RS Fr. |
|
Tommie Thomas |
Robbins |
Richards |
Northwestern |
Wide receiver |
Sr. |
|
Anthony Battle |
Dolton |
Mount Carmel |
Northwestern |
Defensive lineman |
Jr. |
|
Neal Deiters |
Elmhurst |
York |
Northwestern |
Offensive lineman |
Sr. |
|
PJ Carollo |
Lake Bluff |
Lake Forest |
Northwestern |
Quarterback |
RS Fr. |
|
Chance Carter |
Evanston |
Loyola |
Northwestern |
Defensive lineman |
So. |
|
Doug Diedrick |
Woodridge |
Montini |
Northwestern |
Slot back |
RS Fr. |
|
Malin Jones |
Naperville |
Joliet Catholic |
Northwestern |
Running back |
Fr. |
|
Tim Hanrahan |
Frankfort |
Providence Catholic |
Northwestern |
Running back |
So. |
|
Matt Micucci |
Lake Zurich |
Stevenson |
Northwestern |
Punter |
Fr. |
|
Brian Mulroe |
Glenview |
Loyola |
Northwestern |
Offensive lineman |
Sr. |
|
Michael Odom |
Naperville |
Benet |
Northwestern |
Running back |
Fr. |
|
Mike Panico |
Libertyville |
Carmel Catholic |
Northwestern |
Running back |
Fr. |
|
Alex Pietrzak |
Burr Ridge |
Brother Rice |
Northwestern |
Offensive lineman |
RS Fr. |
|
Troy Sheppard |
Joliet |
Providence Catholic |
Northwestern |
Defensive back |
Fr. |
|
Tim Riley |
Oswego |
Oswego |
Northwestern |
Slot back |
Jr. |
|
Mark Szott |
Naperville |
Waubonsie Valley |
Northwestern |
Slot back |
RS Fr. |
|
Mike Trumpy |
Wheaton |
Wheaton N. |
Northwestern |
Running back |
Jr. |
|
Dan Vitale |
Wheaton |
Wheaton-Warrenville S. |
Northwestern |
Slot back |
Fr. |
|
Patrick Ward |
Homer Glen |
Providence Catholic |
Northwestern |
Offensive lineman |
Sr. |
|
Jarrell Williams |
Robbins |
Richards |
Northwestern |
Defensive back |
RS Fr. |
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl — Vanderbilt vs. North Carolina State. Dec. 31, 11 a.m., ESPN
| Jake Bernstein | Crystal Lake | Crystal Lake S. | Vanderbilt | Offensive lineman | RS Fr. |
| Hasan Clayton | Arlington Heights | Loyola | Vanderbilt | Defensive back | Jr. |
| Josh Jelesky | Naperville | Naperville C. | Vanderbilt | Offensive guard | RS Sr. |
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl — TCU vs. Michigan State. Dec. 29, 9:15 p.m., ESPN
| Cale Patterson | Kenilworth | New Trier | TCU | Punter | Sr. |
| Jack Allen | Hinsdale | Hinsdale C. | Michigan St. | Offensive lineman | RS Fr. |
| Jeff Bobek | Palatine | Fremd | Michigan St. | Fullback | Sr. |
| Dan Conroy | Wheaton | Wheaton-Warrenville S. | Michigan St. | Kicker | Sr. |
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl — Navy vs. Arizona State. Dec. 29, 3 p.m., ESPN2
| Collin Watkins | Hinsdale | Hinsdale C. | Navy | Offensive tackle | Jr. |
| Keegan Wetzel | Palos Heights | St. Laurence | Navy | Linebacker | Sr. |
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl — Rice vs. Air Force. Dec. 29, 10:45 a.m., ESPN
| Alex Hansen | Oak Forest | Oak Forest | Air Force | Defensive lineman | Fr. |
Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl — Minnesota vs. Texas Tech. Dec. 28, 8 p.m., ESPN
| CJ Cesario | Arlington Heights | St. Viator | Minnesota | Wide receiver | RS So. |
| Marek Lenkiewicz | Tinley Park | Andrew | Minnesota | Offensive lineman | RS So. |
| Jack Lynn | Lake Zurich | Lake Zuric | Minnesota | Linebacker | Fr. |
| Dan Orseske | Chicago | Brother Rice | Minnesota | Punter | RS Jr. |
Belk Bowl — Duke vs. Cincinnati. Dec. 27, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
| Franklin Bruscianelli | Woodridge | Montini | Cincinnati | Linebacker | Fr. |
| Dan Giordano | Frankfort | Lincoln-Way East | Cincinnati | Defensive lineman | RS Sr. |
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman — San Jose State vs. Bowling Green, Dec. 27, 2 p.m., ESPN
| Jamel Martin | Bolingbrook | Bolingbrook | Bowling Green | Running back | RS So. |
| Fahn Cooper | Crystal Lake | Crystal Lake S. | Bowling Green | Running back | RS Fr. |
| Zach Colvin | Shorewood | Minooka | Bowling Green | Defensive end | So. |
| Anthony Farinella | Woodridge | Downers Grove South | Bowling Green | Kicker | Fr. |
| Greg Hohnstein | Warrenville | Wheaton-Warrenville S. | Bowling Green | Long snapper | Fr. |
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl — Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan. Dec. 26, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
| Nick Adams | Crystal Lake | Crystal Lake S. | Central Michigan | Long snapper | So. |
| Ron Coluzzi | Naperville | Naperville N. | Central Michigan | Kicker | Fr. |
| Titus Davis | Wheaton | Wheaton-Warrenville S. | Central Michigan | Wide receiver | So. |
| Brandon Greer | Dolton | Mount Carmel | Central Michigan | Defensive back | Fr. |
| Cody Lopez | Plainfield | Plainfield N. | Central Michigan | Linebacker | So. |
| Ryan Oruche | Downers Grove | DG South | Central Michigan | Defensive back | RS Fr. |
| Nathan Ollie | Chicago | Mount Carmel | Central Michigan | Defensive tackle | Jr. |
| Martinez Walker | Orland Park | Brother Rice | Central Michigan | Running back | Fr. |
Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl, UCF vs. Ball State, Dec. 21, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
| Scott Secor | New Lenox | Lincoln-Way Central | Ball State | Kicker | So. |
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl — Utah State vs. Toledo
| Danny Farr | Evanston | Evanston | Toledo | Defensive tackle | Sr. |
Gildan New Mexico Bowl — Nevada vs. Arizona
| Jack Nykaza | Wilmette | New Trier | Arizona | Quarterback | Fr. |
Other Bowl Games
The following bowl games don't feature any students from Patch's coverage area in Illinois, according to the team rosters.
- Tostitos Fiesta Bowl — Kansas State vs. Oregon. Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
- Capital One Bowl — Georgia vs. Nebraska. Jan. 1, 12 p.m., ABC
- BBVA Compass Bowl — Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss. Jan. 5, 12 p.m., ESPN.
- Chick-fil-A Bowl — LSU vs. Clemson. Dec. 31 6:30 p.m., ESPN
- Hyundai Sun Bowl — Georgia Tech vs. USC. Dec. 31, 1 p.m., CBS
- New Era Pinstripe Bowl — Syracuse vs. West Virginia. Dec. 29, 2:15 p.m., ESPN
- Russell Athletic Bowl — Virginia Tech vs. Rutgers. Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
- AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl — University of Louisiana-Monroe vs. Ohio University. Dec. 28, 1 p.m., ESPN
- Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl — Baylor vs. UCLA. Dec. 27, 8:45 p.m., ESPN
- Sheraton Hawaii Bowl — SMU vs. Fresno State. Dec. 24, 7 p.m., ESPN.
- MAACO Las Vegas Bowl — Washington vs. Boise State. Dec. 22, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
- R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl — East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. Dec. 22, 11 a.m., ESPN
- S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl — BYU vs. San Diego State. Dec. 20, 7 p.m., ESPN
BigCubsFan
9:47 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
What about A.J. Lindeman? Went to Waubonsie Valley? Started at RT for Toledo?