Naperville North’s Zach Mally didn’t foresee the success he had this season.
But the senior cornerback did understand the opportunity in front of him.
“I just knew this was my last year,” Mally said. “This was my last shot to show people what I can do on the field. So I just kind of put my head down and worked super hard every single day and was hoping for the best outcome.
“The work that I put in in the offseason paid off.”
It sure did. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Mally played an outsized role on an injury-riddled defense. He finished with a team-high 59 tackles for the Huskies (7-3), including five for loss, along with four interceptions, seven pass breakups, a blocked field-goal attempt and a blocked extra-point try, and he was the leading returner on kickoffs and punts too.
“He was a special player for us,” Naperville North coach Sean Drendel said. “He led us in tackles from the corner position, which is crazy.
“Teams tried to throw on us a lot, so he was able to make a lot of plays. He’s just a tough kid who loves to play the game and plays it really, really well.”
Mally became a starter late last season, and the Huskies had high expectations for him. He actually exceeded them.
“We had a lot of faith in him and a lot of confidence that he was going to be a really good player for us, and he definitely was,” Drendel said. “He was what we expected and, believe it or not, a little bit more.”
Senior wide receiver Brock Pettaway, who went against Mally during practices, always knew he was capable of big things.
“He’s a great guy outside of football, and inside the lines he’s just a dog,” Pettaway said. “He does it all. We knew he was a great player coming in here, but he definitely showed that this year.
“I always knew he could do it. With his attitude, his work ethic, anything is possible.”
Mally said he got those qualities from his father, Kevin, who played football and baseball at Hinsdale Central and the latter at Iowa State, and from his older brother, Tanner, who plays baseball at Western Michigan.
“I look up to my dad and my brother,” Mally said. “When my brother was here playing baseball, he was a big leader for their team. I kind of learned from that.”
Indeed, leadership was a strength for Mally, and the Huskies needed it because their defense, particularly in the secondary, was rarely at full strength. Key players like senior defensive linemen Donavan Howard and Jackson Williams, senior linebacker Ben Mittenthal, senior cornerback Kaiser Williams and senior safety Aiden Drendel missed significant time.
“Even though I wasn’t a captain, I knew I had to take control of the secondary and kind of be that guy, that leader that people are going to look up to, come and make big plays, make big tackles, big saves,” Mally said. “When we’re not doing so hot or we need to pick up the offense or we need a big stop, I do whatever I can do to help our team succeed.”
It worked. Mally was impressive even in defeat. He made seven tackles and nearly had two interceptions during Naperville North’s 49-42 loss to Maine South in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs last week.
Mally’s tackle total in that game was third best on the team despite the fact that he didn’t play in the second half after suffering an injury just before halftime.
“It definitely was a little frustrating to not have the pads on,” he said. “All through the year we’ve battled back in the second half. Sadly, things didn’t go our way. We fell just short.”
Mally, who intends to major in business, doesn’t have any college offers yet.
“I’m looking forward to being able to join some college program,” he said. “I’m hoping that I can play football as long as I can, but it’s going to end at some point, and I’ll be in the business world somewhere.”
Drendel hopes Mally gets a shot at the next level too.
“Obviously, college has turned into a dimensional game where size definitely matters,” Drendel said. “He has all the tools except he’s not as tall as they’d like, but I do believe there will be a place for him.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
