Junior quarterback Jonathan Liesen gave a gesture that senior running back Jorden Brown immediately recognized. And Brown knew exactly what needed to be done for Reavis.
With the Rams trailing Eisenhower late in the fourth quarter, the all-purpose talent went to work.
“Johnny gave me what we call the hand, and I just thought to myself, ‘It doesn’t have to be a perfect throw,’” Brown said Saturday afternoon. “It just has to be there low and where I can get it.
“I got down for the ball, and I made the catch.”
That play was key for Reavis as Brown scored his third touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Liesen with 5:32 left, securing a 23-20 South Suburban Red victory over Eisenhower in Burbank.
Brown, who finished with 76 yards rushing on 15 carries, also scored on TD runs of 1 and 6 yards for the Rams (3-1, 1-1). He caught two passes for 27 yards and made four tackles playing safety.
On top of that, Brown set up the go-ahead TD with a 36-yard kickoff return.
Illinois recruit Andre Lovett matched Brown with three TDs for Eisenhower (1-3, 0-2). He scored on a 45-yard run and a 27-yard interception return, giving the Cardinals a 13-10 halftime lead.
But the bigger influencer on the outcome was the 6-foot, 170-pound Brown, who revealed multiple facets of his game. He fits the system, and the Rams want to optimize his impact and touches.
“It’s the Reavis way,” coach Tim Zasada said. “Jorden started it when he was a sophomore. It’s demanding, but he knows he is never coming off the field. I just think he’s a lot more explosive and way more mature, so he accepts all the roles that we give him.
“He never has said he doesn’t want to be a part of anything. When it’s money time, we know who we’re going to with the ball.”
Two years ago as a sophomore, Brown showed his promise primarily as a ball-hawking safety and cornerback. He emerged offensively last season and became a dominant ball carrier.
He has learned to live up to the moment and take on all challenges.
“You have to stay level-headed,” Brown said. “I’m playing multiple skill level positions. I’m playing safety, and then I go over to wide receiver and the running backs.
“I’m letting the other players know I’m an athlete, but I rely on everybody and I need them just as much as they need me.”
That natural byplay is best illustrated by his exceptionally close rapport with Liesen.
“We’ve had two long summers together now, and we’ve always had that connection,” Liesen said. “There’s something between us where I always know where he is going to be at all times.
“I’m going to get him the ball. He’s a great player. He’ll run and catch everything. When he gets the ball in space, I have no doubt he is going to run it downfield and make people miss him.”
Brown, a natural athlete, has played football and basketball. He also has wrestled and been a sprinter in track, but his original love was baseball.
“Growing up, I didn’t really have the same training as all of my peers, with all the travel,” he said. “I couldn’t necessarily afford that, but I played at Evergreen Park.
“I made it work in baseball, and I built off that talent, and I took it over to football.”
And Brown, a player who is always on the field, is never going to use fatigue as an excuse.
“Football is a very physical sport and you have to be the hammer,” Brown said. “It’s a mental game and a very physical game. For me, the game is always about today.
“I don’t want to look back 10 years from now and say I was tired. I’m ready to give it my all.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
