The decision for Marmion’s Kamron Tolliver did not come easy.
The senior quarterback wanted a better opportunity to showcase his skills but struggled before choosing to transfer from West Aurora for the final year of his high school football career.
Tolliver had fallen short the previous summer in a three-way battle for the starting spot behind center and then saw only limited action on defense for the Blackhawks as a junior.
“Going into my senior year, I wanted to enjoy it with my friends,” Tolliver said. “It was hard coming to a completely different school where I only knew one or two kids. I also run track, but it’s less serious. Football, I take 100% seriously. Track is something I chill on.
“I wasn’t mad about last season. Making the playoffs was fun, but I wanted to prove I could still produce at a high level.”
Tolliver is off to a pretty good start this fall for the Cadets, even considering a 34-7 setback Friday night against St. Viator in a CCL/ESCC crossover game at Regole Stadium in Aurora.
“I feel good about it, even though the scoreboard says what it says,” Tolliver said afterward. “I think it was just a couple mistakes, and momentum carries it for the other team.
“They had a lot of short fields and got easy points off that.”
Senior quarterback Cooper Kmet, younger brother of Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet, led St. Viator to a slight 347-346 edge in total offense, but the Lions scored big in the field position game.
The averaging starting point on seven drives for St. Viator (3-0) was its 48-yard line. Meanwhile, Marmion (2-1) had an average start of its 21.
Senior running back Sean Dahlman led the Cadets with 82 yards on 16 carries. Tolliver passed for 140 yards, hitting senior receiver Jack Young four times for 87 yards and a 54-yard touchdown.
“I broke my route when I saw Kamron scrambling, so I went to the sideline he was coming toward,” Young said. “I was just in an open pocket, he threw it to me, and I got the touchdown.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Tolliver credited his offensive line for freeing him up to find Young.
“Our guys pancaked their D-ends and I had a wide open look,” said Tolliver, who threw a strike on the run. “When I scramble, I don’t scramble to run. I scramble to pass.”
Tolliver now has four TD passes, delivering the other three during a come-from-behind 21-15 nonconference victory over Oak Forest in the season opener. He threw an interception Friday.
“Their defensive backs stayed pretty much sound the whole way,” Tolliver said. “They kept us underneath and limited our deep plays, made us go 12 plays down the field to get in the red zone.”
The 6-0, 180-pound Dahlman also caught a pair of screen passes that resulted in 25 yards and a pair of first downs.
“He’s good at breaking that first tackle and spinning off people,” Tolliver said of Dahlman. “He uses his spin move a lot to get extra yards. He’s a solid dude, and he’s really fast.”
There’s a lot of new at Marmion with coach Adam Guerra succeeding the retired Dan Thorpe.
“It’s a new offense for everybody, and I think that’s the hardest for a quarterback,” Guerra said. “Kamron’s a great kid and Marmion’s a special place. I think he enjoys that.”
Young confirmed that Tolliver fit in right from the start.
“He came in, and it just felt natural,” Young said. “He was one of our boys immediately. The brotherhood here is top notch. We’re always supporting each other.”
The early 6 a.m. practices, though, caught Tolliver’s attention.
“That’s the dedication I like to see,” he said. “It’s nice to think all my teammates are dedicated to it. We don’t have a big roster but I trust every single one.”
