Senior defensive lineman Caden O’Rourke scored the second touchdown of his high school football career for Lincoln-Way East. And just like the first one, it was on an odd play.
The second came Friday night against Lockport.
“Against Batavia, the ball bounced off someone’s head and I ran it in,” O’Rourke said of his first TD that he scored as a sophomore on the varsity. “It was one of those crazy plays.”
The ball shot out of a scrum like a cannon Friday and O’Rourke caught up with it in the end zone during the third quarter of a 47-14 Southwest Valley Blue victory for the host Griffins in Frankfort.
O’Rourke, a Northwestern recruit, also had three sacks and a tackle for a loss to lead Lincoln-Way East (7-0, 4-0). Colton Zvonar added a safety as the defense accounted for eight points.
Offensively, Oregon-bound junior quarterback Jonas Williams threw for 288 yards and four TDs. Western Illinois commit Zion Gist, a senior running back playing in his second game returning from a thumb injury in the season opener, chipped in with 47 yards rushing and a TD.
Gist, who said his thumb was fine, also caught three passes for 71 yards and another TD.
Rayden Cherco had on a 1-yard TD run and Adam Kozak returned a kickoff for a 94-yard TD to pace Lockport (3-4, 1-2).
O’Rourke, meanwhile, was living a lineman’s dream Friday night with the TD.
“It’s always an amazing experience,” he said. “To be able to do it on senior night was unbelievable.”
“Some linemen can play football their whole lives and never touch the football,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “It’s funny that he has two touchdowns. It was a great play.”
Even without that noticeable play, O’Rourke delivered big tackles and huge sacks.
“Caden is not just an all-state type of player, he’s an All-American,” Zvonar said. “He could be the best lineman in the state. He’s nominated for All-American games.
“He’s an amazing player, and I’m lucky to be around him.”
Gist marveled at his 6-foot-5, 230-pound teammate.
“We’ve been playing with him for a long time now, and he’s been an absolute freak since day one,” Gist said. “He faster than everybody and is unstoppable.
“I had to battle with him in summer camp, and it was hell.”
The Griffins have had an interesting wrinkle to their scoring this season.
Throwing out a forfeit win, they have scored 49 points against Maine South, Stagg and Naperville North, 48 against Homewood-Flossmoor and Naperville North, and 47 against the Porters.
“That is a weird coincidence,” Gist said. “A lot of the time, it’s because we come out early and beat teams like we’re supposed to. It’s a little weird and we definitely talk about it.”
While Lincoln-Way East is comfortably in the Class 8A playoffs, the Porters need two more wins to be playoff eligible, playing host to Lincoln-Way West and then visiting Homewood-Flossmoor.
The last time the Porters failed to make the playoffs was 2019 in the first season under coach George Czart. Two years later, the Porters won the Class 8A state championship.
For O’Rourke, his decision to go to Northwestern was made partially because he enjoyed the Evanston campus when his brother, Devin, played there.
He picked the Wildcats because he likes the coaching staff, including head coach David Braun.
“Honestly, it’s not the same program my brother played at,” he said. “I’m not dissing on the coaches who were there, but with the new coaches, it’s a completely different team.
“It’s an amazing program. They work hard. They don’t cut corners. And it’s a great school to go to.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
