35 pounds lighter, Bees' Fillipp still a terror on D-line

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By Steve Batterson | Friday, October 3, 2008 6:39 PM CDT | () comments

For three seasons, Vince Fillipp has anchored the defense of the St. Ambrose football team.

The anchor is a little lighter this season — the Fighting Bees’ 5-foot-10, 275-pound nose tackle shed more than 35 pounds during the offseason — but the results have been the same.

As a senior, Fillipp continues to create havoc for opposing offenses as he works with ends Mike Walter and Jake Jakaitis.

“He’s always had fairly quick feet and moved around well for his size, but he’s moving even better this season,” St. Ambrose coach Mike Magistrelli said. “Ever since he first started to get into games as a freshman, he’s made his presence known.”

An all-conference selection last season as a junior, Fillipp takes pride in the Fighting Bees’ physical approach to defense.

“We play the game with an attitude. We’re out there to force turnovers, get safeties, shut down the run and pass and make plays,” Fillipp said.

It’s an attitude that has allowed 16th-ranked St. Ambrose to build a 17-game conference winning streak heading into today’s 1 p.m. Mid-States Football Association Midwest League opener.

A loss to fourth-ranked St. Francis (Ind.) last week leaves the Fighting Bees at 2-2 as they prepare to host 18th-ranked St. Francis (Ill.), which takes the field at Brady Street Stadium with a 4-0 record.

“After last week, our backs are already against the wall, and the way we’re approaching things, we can’t afford another loss,” Fillipp said. “We have to be committed to our assignments, filling our roles and not try to do too much. If we do that, we’ll be able to do in the conference what we’ve done the past couple of years. We’re better than we’ve showed.”

Fillipp’s commitment extends beyond the confines of the season.

The senior from Cary, Ill., took the field weighing 310 pounds a year ago but found success with a weight room regiment that allowed him to keep his strength up and his weight down.

“It was a matter of being committed to the offseason program that the coaches put together for me,” Fillipp said. “The pounds came off pretty easily, and I’m still able to bench and squat the way I was when I was heavier.”

That led to a lot of long, and often lonely hours, in the weight room, time he considers well spent.

“The thing I notice is that it is a lot easier to move around, that I am able to play at a higher level for longer stretches, and that’s been a good thing for me. I’m still able to use my strength, but the quickness is allowing me to be more consistent with my technique.”

Fillipp has 3 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss in addition to recovering a fumble through St. Ambrose’s first four games.

“Vince and Mike up front, our two returning starters, have played with the consistency that we need and no question, they’re giving us everything they’ve got,” Magistrelli said. “Vince is pretty active. He’s a good pass rusher, too, and he’s helping lead our defense in a lot of ways.”

From Fillipp’s perspective, that leadership is a byproduct of past Bees’ teams he has been part of.

“My first couple of years here, the older guys taught the younger guys what it took to play and win here. We’ve got a lot of young guys playing now, and the older guys, we’re trying to do the same,” Fillipp said. “We want the tradition to continue.”

Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.