One and done? Not a chance.

Aidan Nuno and his linemates on the defense and offense for Burlington Central were anything but satisfied ending a 10-year playoff drought last season.

The Rockets advanced to the second round in Class 6A, losing to eventual state runner-up Geneva, but they are hungry for more. And the 6-foot, 270-pound Nuno is this team’s muscle.

“The strength of this team is our lines,” Burlington Central coach Brian Iossi said, starting out with Nuno. “At the end of the day, our offensive and defensive lines are dominant.”

That all begins with Nuno, a three-year varsity regular. The Wisconsin-Eau Claire commit leads the way on both sides of the ball, playing left guard on offense and tackle/end on defense.

And in that regard, Nuno is anomaly for Burlington Central (4-1).

“We don’t really have any true, two-way players,” Iossi said. “Aidan is about as close as it gets.”

With eight senior offensive linemen capable of rotating in and playing quality minutes, Iossi can give Nuno a break on offense. He plays every snap on defense.

“Last year, we didn’t have that depth, so he didn’t really come off the field,” Iossi said. “This year, he can catch a breather like every other drive. But in big moments, he’s been back on the field.”

And there have been big moments. The Rockets knocked off Cary-Grove 10-7 and nemesis Jacobs 21-12 but lost 28-7 to Prairie Ridge.

Burlington Central’s Aidan Nuno (67) blocks a pass by Geneva’s Anthony Chahino (12) that led to an interception during a Class 6A second-round game in Geneva on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)

“Beating Cary-Grove this year and Prairie Ridge last year are probably my biggest moments on the field,” Nuno said. “Seeing that we could dominate top-ranked teams in our class like that gives you a good feeling and lifts the morale.”

Nuno teams up on offense with 6-5, 280-pound left tackle Zach Hultgren, a Miami of Ohio recruit.

“It’s pretty special,” Nuno said. “Say I mess up a play, Zach’s got my back. He messes up, I’ve got his back. Nothing can really go wrong on the left side, especially with our center being pretty good as well.”

Henry Crumlett, a 6-3, 270-pound center being recruited by Northwest Missouri State, was promoted to varsity as a sophomore just like Nuno and Hultgren.

Burlington Central’s Aidan Nuno (67) and Hampshire’s Mason Stanley (75) battle on the line in the first quarter of a Fox Valley Conference game in Burlington on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)

If Nuno was a couple of inches taller, Iossi believe he would have had 30 scholarship offers.

“The kid’s a freak of nature,” Iossi said. “I’ll take him against a 6-5 tackle all day long. I don’t think it matters at all. He plays with such explosiveness and leverage, it doesn’t matter.”

This offensive line is Iossi’s dream team.

“It’s the best group I’ve ever coached,” said Iossi, who played center in high school and college.

Nuno’s love is on defense, however.

“I just like the tenacity,” he said. “I’ve played it more. I like how much more aggressive it is than offense and waiting for someone to hit you. You’re hitting other people.”

Nuno was recruited for defense by Eau Claire, choosing it over several NCAA Division II offers.

“It’s like a perfect fit for me and then there’s early playing time,” Nuno said.

Burlington Central’s Aidan Nuno, a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines for Burlington Central, takes a break during practice on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (Rick Armstrong / The Beacon-News)

An interesting future matchup? Nuno’s older brother Nick, a 2023 graduate who started at center for three seasons at Burlington Central, is a guard at Wisconsin-Platteville, a future conference rival. A returning starter, Nick is redshirting this year while recovering from surgery for a torn ACL.

So far this season, Aidan Nuno ranks fifth with 20 total tackles and tops the list with 3 1/2 sacks and 13 quarterback pressures for the Rockets, who are one win away from being playoff eligible.

Pundits believe they’re on the bubble between 6A and 5A. Iossi believes the Rockets could be on a collision course with St. Charles North in 6A or could meet Prairie Ridge again if they drop to 5A.

“I think it’d be awesome to get another shot at Prairie Ridge,” Nuno said, “Just to prove it was a bad game and we’re a good football team and can compete with those guys.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/01/aidan-nuno-burlington-central-ihsa-football/