Fourth in a series

Illinois teen has sports, college goals set

Mark Council

Freshman Mark Council wants to be a starting defensive tackle for Edwardsville High School when the team wins the Illinois football title in 2007. As a middle-schooler, he was in the stands when the team finished as state runner-up both of the last two years.

Those trips to the state finals also have given him an idea where he'd like to go to college. The games were held at University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. .

"I went to both high school championship games there and I thought it would be nice to go there for college," Mark said.

Of course, those goals are in the future. The 15-year-old is now a freshman at Edwardsville High. But, he already has an impressive background that should help him have success.

Mark's accomplishments earned him a 2003 Young Achiever of the Year award. Those awards are given annually to four elementary, four middle and four high school kids in the metro St. Louis area.

(Young Saint Louis.com announced the 2003 Achiever winners in May. In June, we began running individual profiles of elementary and middle school award winners.

(You can read the May announcement story by clicking here. For the June profile of Kristen Delia, click here. For the July profile of Meghan Biotnott, click here. And for the August profile of Alexander Ecklund, click here.

(If you'd like to know more about getting involved in the Achiever program, visit www.iln-gateway.org.)

Going into high school, Mark carries a 4.0 GPA. "I've had a 4.0 for as long as I can remember," he said.

In 7th and 8th grades, he was on Edwardsville Middle School's math team. In a regional meet at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, his team finished first and he was 7th overall.

The team also finished second in a regional tournament at Florissant Valley Community College; Mark was 11th in that competition.

He also won the school's Geography Bee and won a local Daughters of the Revolution (DAR) history award. He was the male recipient of the American Legion's God and Country award. That award goes to the outstanding boy and girl students in the 8th grade.

He's been playing one type of sports or another most of his life.

Mark began playing baseball before kindergarten. He started with T-ball. Last summer, he played third base on a team in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Little League Assn.

His basketball playing started in elementary school. But, lately he's shifted more toward wrestling. He had a 17-2 record in 8th grade when he wrestled at 215 pounds. His team finished unbeaten in dual meets.

Football came later but is a main focus now. "I started in 7th grade. I hadn't played anywhere on an organized team before that," he said. After this fall's football season, he is planning to do football conditioning in both the winter and next spring.

Last season, he started at both offensive and defensive tackle on the 8th grade team. He said he was the smallest defensive tackle.

Freshman football practice started in July. He's hoping to play on the defensive line. "I'd rather play defense because there are fewer set rules. Play is more instinctive on defense," Mark said.

Then, there's his music. Practice already has started for the high school's marching band. He's played the tuba for five years. He doesn't have private lessons but does have regular sectional music classes in school. He practices with other "low brass" instruments, such as trombones.

Recently he joined his church choir as a bass singer.

Although he doesn't plan a musical career, he said, "I'd like to play in a community band."

Despite all those activities, Mark also likes to read. "I've got 50 to 60 Star Wars books. I like science fiction," he said. He's also read all five of the Harry Potter books.

His career plans are aimed at dentistry. He'd like to be an orthodontist. That career would put him in the medical field but allow him more control over his work hours. That will mean more time in the evenings and weekends for his family.

But, before that, he's got his eye on Champaign-Urbana. First, he'd like to be in the state football finals and then for his college work.