ST. CHARLES TOYOTA/KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE Athlete of the Month: Batavia football's Scaccia voted for September

Batavia football junior running back Anthony Scaccia has been voted Athlete of the Month for September. Scaccia was presented with a $500 check for Batavia High School by St. Charles Toyota general manager Michael Alf before Friday’s Bulldogs home game against St. Charles North.

The Athlete of the Month program is a partnership
between St. Charles Toyota and the Kane County Chronicle. Athletic directors at
participating schools are asked to nominate an athlete from their school each month, and a two-week, online voting period takes place both at KCChronicle.com and at stcharlestoyota.net.

The winning athlete earns his or her school $500, courtesy of St. Charles Toyota.

Scaccia is the first winner of the 2012-13 school year.
He rushed for 415 yards with an average of 7.8 yards a carry in the season’s first three games to earn Batavia athletic director Dave Andrews’ nomination. In addition, he has remained a focal point of the offense for the Bulldogs, who are 7-0 on the season entering this week’s Upstate Eight Conference River showdown at St. Charles East.

Also a talented wrestler and track athlete, Scaccia’s explosiveness and low center of gravity have proven a difficult combination for would-be tacklers this season.

“He’s always been quick, but now he’s fast and explosive and has special speed,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron told the Chronicle earlier this season. ... “He ended up being a 400-meter runner [during track season] and a 200-guy primarily. We thought he’d be a great 55-yard dash guy.

“Early on he was kind of figuring it out but by the end of the season we thought, if he can carry this over to football, my God, who will ever stop this guy when he busts through a hole? His upside is unbelievable. Sky’s the limit.”

On the season, Scaccia leads the Bulldogs with 840 rushing yards and is second on the team with 222 receiving yards. He also has eight touchdowns, seven coming on the ground.

Voting is underway at KCChronicle.com and stcharlestoyota.net for the October Athlete of the Month
contest.