A change in positions has turned out pretty well for Joliet Catholic’s Mikey Brow.
The senior cornerback has transformed his first chance to start on the varsity into a turnover gold mine during the playoffs, surpassing his season total for takeaways in the first half Saturday.
And it’s all by design.
“I’ve always played safety, but they needed me at cornerback this year,” Brow said, talking about his progression. “I had big shoes to fill. I’m a zone corner, which means I play on the back side.
“I always cover the other team’s best players one-on-one.”
Brow came up with one to remember with two interceptions at Memorial Stadium in Joliet, leading the Hilltoppers to a convincing 42-7 win over archrival Morris in a Class 5A state semifinal game.
Senior running back Larry Stringham rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns to lead Joliet Catholic (10-3), which will play at 10 a.m. Saturday for the state title against Nazareth (11-2).
Senior running backs Vince Bremner, Keegan Farnaus and Nate Magrini added TD runs for the Hilltoppers, who lost 38-20 to the Roadrunners in last year’s state championship game and then suffered a 16-13 setback on Sept. 27 during the regular season.
Brow, meanwhile, returned his first interception to the 1-yard line to set up Magrini’s TD plunge. His second interception stymied the best scoring chance in the first half for Morris.
His 99-yard return for a TD, however, was nullified by a penalty.
“The first one was an out route, where they ran a vertical route into my flat,” said Brown, who entered the game with only one interception. “I was right there and ready for it.
“The second one came out of their Wildcat formation. I saw him turn out, so I bolted right to him and I got to the ball before the receiver.”
Joliet Catholic, which has 15 state championships, forced four turnovers. It included another interception by senior safety Anthony Brown. A big key, according to Brown, was Brow.
“Mikey’s the most energetic person ever,” Brown said. “He worked very hard in practice to get to this point. No matter how he plays, he is always happy. If we get a win, that’s also a win for him.
“As a whole, the secondary works really well together. We work hard together in practice.”
Senior safety Zachary Beitler called Brow the ideal teammate and competitor.
“Once he got those two picks, we just started rolling from there, and we never stopped,” Beitler said. “He brings a lot of speed and energy to the position and has really adapted well.”
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Brow, who qualified for the Class 2A state meet last spring as a junior in the 100 meters, has an explosive first step and excellent instincts in coverage.
“I’m really good in sprints, or covering short distances,” he said. “And what that means is that I’m able to be in a certain area and take out half of the field.
“That’s my favorite part, taking care of my guys and making sure that nothing deep happens.”
He’s also not shy about meting out punishment.
“When you play this position, it’s all about the defense,” Brow said. “We like to hit and we have the ability to take the ball away. We’re close and we pick each other up.
“We just wanted to take the ball away and give the offense as many opportunities as possible.”
After seeing just situational playing time a year ago, Brow made vital, urgent improvement to his game. Now, he never leaves the field, making his final home game a deeply memorable one.
“It was very emotional being on the field with my guys,” he said. “I just love playing with them.
“My whole attitude was to just finish strong and leave nothing out there. It’s just one week and just one game left. I’m ready for that.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
