Markasovic, St. Xavier excited to be back on the field
Early morning workouts and long, grueling conditioning days have returned for the St. Xavier football team, but junior linebacker Joey Markasovic said he’s approaching them with giddy anticipation.
“When the team gets together, it feels like we’re little kids again,” Markasovic said. “We’re so excited to play. I don’t remember the last time I’ve gone this long without putting the pads on.”
After spring and summer practices were wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic and the NAIA season was postponed to next spring, the opportunity to get back on the field is finally within sight.
St. Xavier has released its nine-game schedule, which kicks off Feb. 5 at St. Francis in Joliet.
The Cougars and Saints are also scheduled to close the regular season with a second game between the local rivals on April 10 at St. Xavier.
“Obviously, it was frustrating at first,” Markasovic said. “The schedule kept changing and we didn’t have a definitive answer, so it was kind of tough. Now we have something to look forward to. That’s good enough for us.
“We’re starting 7-on-7s soon and looking to have fall ball in mid-October. We’re playing football, so we’ve got that going for us.”
When the Cougars can return to competition, Markasovic will be looking to build on a huge sophomore season.
Markasovic, a Providence graduate and New Lenox resident, led St. Xavier with 96 tackles in 2019. He had eight tackles for loss, 3 1/2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He was named the Mid-States Football Association Defensive Player of the Week three times and was second team allconference.
“Joey was a major force on our defense last year,” St. Xavier coach Mike Feminis said. “He made plays for us all season. Even the year before, he’s a guy who came in and made an impact right away as a freshman. We’re really excited to have him for two more years.”
Markasovic saw significant playing time as a freshman in 2018, making35 tackles. He said that experience prepared him for last season’s breakout performance.
“I was able to come in and learn from a lot of great players,” he said. “Guys like Josh H et tiger and Joe Cosenza, I really looked up to them and they helped me out a lot.
“Our coaches are great at helping us understand the plays and our scheme. They all put me in position to have success.”
With St. Xavier expecting to rely on several young players, Markasovic hopes to take on being a mentor.
“This is my first year being an upperclassman,” he said. “I want to grow into more of a leadership role and help the young guys as much as I can. We have some great young talent coming up.
“I’ve focused on getting stronger and faster and put in a little work on the mental
side of thegame. I’m excited to go out there and get to work with the boys. I’m definitely more confident. I’m ready to be a leader for my team.”
Markasovic plans to use the next three-plus months working hard to prepare for the season opener. He said the Cougars will take advantage of the extra time.
“I think if we played in the fall, itwould have been a lot of harder,” he said. “Having this fall to use as what our spring would normally be gives guys a chance to learn the system, learn new positions. It’ll be good forus.
“It’s different, but we’ll be ready to go.”