MOOSEHEART, IL - These are the unmistakable sounds of late summer - coach's whistles, thundering sprinting feet, hard-breathing athletes and encouragement shouted everywhere. And these are the sights of the opening day of high school football practice - as seen all over Illinois on Wednesday (Aug. 13): sweat-stained T-shirts, strained expressions and high-fives from athletes who have been apart for some or most of the summer.

Mooseheart opened practice Wednesday with the bulk of its squad present and the effort from its early-morning workout eventually pleased Ramblers football coach Gary Urwiler.

"You always look forward to it," Urwiler said. "Today was a good start. We started off a little bit slow. But by the end, it picked up. I'm encouraged by some of the athletes who have come out."

Urwiler said this year's roster probably will number 34 or 35, which is comparable to most recent Mooseheart rosters. There are still students to be admitted to Mooseheart this month who have communicated an interest in football. Typically, the Ramblers football team comprises 50 percent, or more, of the male high school student body.

"We have a pretty decent mix," Urwiler said. "We have six or seven seniors, eight or nine juniors - and probably 12 or 13 freshmen."

The reasons for coming to Mooseheart are varied, with most relating to a difficult or troubled home life. Football is never a consideration -- though once students arrive on campus; they tend to gravitate toward the team.

"Hopefully they'll jump in and feel like they belong at Mooseheart and the team as well," Urwiler said. "The big thing for them is to transition to Mooseheart, and that's a lot of work. We'll welcome them to the football team too."

The Ramblers were 7-3 last year and finished the regular season with three straight wins before they fell in the opening round of the Class 1A playoffs to Milledgeville. That campaign marked the second consecutive season in which Mooseheart finished with a postseason game. Urwiler is 17-12 in three seasons since returning for a second stint to coach his alma mater. The 1987 Mooseheart grad was 23-23 coaching Mooseheart from 1996-2000.

"That's the thing that we wanted to do, is to put the pride back in the program," Urwiler said. "We wanted to restore some of that tradition of winning and of being competitive. Fortunately, the past two years, we were able to compete at a higher level and get a playoff berth."

The Ramblers open the 2008 campaign on Aug. 29 at Milford (7 p.m.) with hopes of doing something unprecedented in school history - secure a third straight playoff appearance. Mooseheart has seven playoff appearances in its history, including back-to-back appearances in 1985-86 and 1996-97. The team's only victory -- with Urwiler as Mooseheart's junior quarterback -- came in 1985, the Ramblers first postseason appearance.

"It's nice to get there," said Urwiler, now 39. "We want have the opportunity to not just knock on the door to the playoffs but to be on the other side of that door."

With three-year starting quarterback Chris Morones graduated, Mooseheart has a hole in the offensive driver's seat. Senior Ethan Grasty and freshman Isaiah Brigman are vying for the role.

"(Brigman's) a good kid," Urwiler said. "He's got an unbelievable amount of talent. He's just young. I'm not going to put any pressure on him. And if things don't work out at quarterback and if he's the backup, we need to find somewhere else on the field for him.

"(Grasty's) going to come in and do a great job. He's got a strong arm. He's got good size and will be solid back there. We have struggled in recent years with our passing game and, right now, the strength of Ethan's arm is pretty impressive."

Of other key returning players, running back Gabe Kendor returns for his senior season. Kendor was a multi-purpose threat last season. In addition to running back, he excelled as a defensive back and as a kick returner.

"(Kendor) had a good offseason," Urwiler said. "He went to two camps and did well at both of them. Gabe will work hard." Graduated senior Floyd Mays helped carry the rushing load in 2007. This year, junior Jonell Crump will be one of the featured backs.

"(Kendor's) probably going to see a little more of the ball offensively," Urwiler said. "From last year, you saw that when he touches the ball, invariably good things happen. (Crump) was young last year and hadn't played too much football. He gained experience last year."

Crump will also likely be the team's middle linebacker, a key position in any defensive unit.

Even with such a solid turnout, a number of Ramblers will play both offense and defense. Many linemen, for example, will play nearly every down on one side or the other in the trenches.

"It's been seven guys in some years, and when one guy goes down, we scramble," Urwiler said. "This year, we are a lot stronger in the line. We have about 14 linemen, and that's definitely new for us. Of those, there are seven or eight who can compete for a starting job. Obviously it's early, but those seven or eight have proved themselves in the past."

Practices for the first week of preseason take place this year at Mooseheart, as opposed to 70 miles west at Mooseheart Camp Ross, where Urwiler has previously taken the team for a secluded camp experience. The IHSA calendar leaves the start of football practice later in August than in 2007, when the first preseason practices took place on Aug. 9. "It's nice to have all day with the kids, whether it's at practice or to talk football or just to talk about life with them," Urwiler said. "We're under a more restricted time schedule here. We're not trying to focus on that and we're going to do the best we can here."

2008 Mooseheart Varsity Football Schedule

Aug. 29 Mooseheart at Milford, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 Mooseheart at Luther South, 1 p.m.
Sept. 12 Mooseheart at Kirkland-Hiawatha, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 Mooseheart home vs. Alden-Hebron, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 Mooseheart at Rockford Christian, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 Mooseheart home vs. Chicago Hope Academy, 2 p.m. (Homecoming)
Oct. 10 Mooseheart at Maranatha Baptist (WI), 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 Mooseheart at North Shore Country Day, 1 p.m.
Oct. 23 Mooseheart home vs. Wayland Academy (WI), 7 p.m.

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.3 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,800 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, religious and vocational training, and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 250 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.Mooseintl.org and www.Mooseheart.org or call 630-966-2229.