Senior tight end Mike Rone, an important part of Chesterton’s offense in both the run and pass games, has used his bigger body to have a big senior season

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

A receiver in 2024 until making a late-season transition to tight end, Chesterton’s Mike Rone knew what he had to do in the offseason to better equip himself for his new position. He had to get bigger, so he did.
Even after losing 10 pounds during the season, Rone has 215 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, which he said is 30 pounds more than at this time last season.
The added bulk and strength have enabled him to take on bigger defensive lineman when he’s lined up at tight end and middle linebackers when at fullback.
Rone called, “going against people a lot of people bigger than me,” the toughest part of the transition from receiver. “They outweigh me and are taller than me too.”
As for how he handles those size disadvantages, Rone said, “Sometimes I lean a little more, try to get a little more leverage underneath, but I try to think of everybody as the same and try to run through them.”
Even though Rone was sidelined by injury for two games, he ranks second on the team to Louis Raffin in receptions with 20 and is third with 158 receiving yards behind Raffin and Gus Wisch. Rone is one of five players on the receiving end of a Hunter Boyd touchdown pass this season.
Rone became a trusted target Boyd right from Week 1, when he caught seven passes in a 20-3 loss at Hobart. He has multiple receptions in each of the five games he has played and has averaged four catches a game, a high total for a player who spends most of his time blocking.
Whenever Goveia (704 rushing yards and six touchdowns), the driving force of the Chesterton offense, thanks his blockers, he makes sure to include Rone.
How often Coach Mark Peterson and players bring up Rone’s name in postgame interviews is an indication of how involved he is in Chesterton’s offense when it’s clicking.
Peterson after a 20-19 win vs. Hammond Morton: “Mike Rone had a couple of really fantastic catches, a couple of one-handers, one behind his back, huge contribution.”
Everybody was talking about him after his big play against Portage, and it wasn’t about his 16-yard touchdown catch, rather the 14-yard first down he achieved by breaking five tackles on third and long.
“Huge target,” Boyd said. “It’s been great having him back after he missed those two games. He’s been great.”
Playing tight end as well as Rone has played it requires an understanding of the entire playbook.
“There is a lot to remember,” he said. “At the end of last year, it was stressful, but I feel like I have a good grasp of the plays now.”
The Trojans enter the final two games of the regular season, tonight at home vs. Crown Point, and next Friday at Merrillville with a healthy offensive line and tight end.
“When we’re all healthy, we have a really good offensive line,” Rone said. “We just have to all stay healthy and focus on playing all together and on communication. We’re good at communication. It’s one of our strengths.”
The biggest hurdle awaits Rone, both in terms of the quality and size of the opposition. Crown Point has big, accomplished defensive linemen, and takes a 7-0 overall record into tonight’s game and is striving to achieve its third consecutive 7-0 DAC season.
“I’m excited,” Rone said. “Big challenge ahead.”