Senior safety Zachary Beitler was determined not to suffer the same fate twice for Joliet Catholic.
The bittersweet sensation of his longest punt return ever stuck with him Friday night.
“We played Morris in a state quarterfinal last year, and I ended up getting tackled at the 1-yard line,” Beitler said. “I told myself there was no way I was going to get tackled like that again.”
And this time, nobody did tackle him.
Beitler’s 54-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the first half sparked the visiting Hilltoppers to a 21-18 CCL/ESCC victory over archrival Providence in New Lenox.
Senior running back Larry Stringham finished with 110 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 4-yard TD run for Joliet Catholic (6-3, 3-0). His 39-yard run in the first quarter also set up a 1-yard TD dive by senior running back Vince Bremner.
Needing to win to secure a playoff berth, Providence (4-5, 1-2) took a 10-7 lead at the start of the second quarter following a 2-yard TD run by senior running back Mikal Dilworth.
Senior receiver Jayden Mikulski added a 16-yard TD catch and grabbed a 2-point conversion pass from sophomore quarterback AJ Rayford, pulling the Celtics within three points with 4:53 left.
The Celtics never got the ball back, however, as the Hilltoppers ran out the clock.
But before that, it was the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Beitler who turned the tables. The two-year starter had seven tackles, saving his best, though, for the TD return with 2:39 left in the second quarter.
A hard-hitting defensive back, Beitler appears to be a counterintuitive choice as a return specialist.
“I just wanted to make plays for my team and do whatever I could to have a chance to shine,” he said. “When the coaches put me back there last year, they believed in me. I have size and speed.”
Fortuitously, the ball took a nice bounce, enabling Beitler to get a running start and catch the ball in stride as he broke free down the sideline.
“I’m a three-year varsity baseball player, so I’m used to getting short hops,” he said. “I just picked it up and moved as fast as I could. I think it changed the whole momentum of the game.”
Beitler also is healthy after an injury-marred junior season that saw him dealing with collarbone surgery and an emergency appendectomy. He showcased the full range of his game Friday.
Senior defensive Zach Pomatto raved about Beitler.
”He’s a very motivated teammate who is also a big playmaker,” Pomatto said. “It’s great having him back healthy. It really hurt us last year when he was dealing with all of those injuries.
“He’s a leader who always gets the job done.”
That Beitler scored a TD on the return was far from the mind of JCA coach Jake Jaworski.
“To be honest, the punt return was the least of my worries,” he said. “I just wanted to secure the ball on offense and get us the ball. Making that play was probably the turning point of the game.”
Beitler, who has generated offers from Butler, Drake, Valparaiso and Michigan Tech for football, is a catcher, outfielder and DH in baseball. He began playing both sports simultaneously at age 6.
“My sister played volleyball, my dad was a wrestler and my mom was a tennis player,” Beitler said. “Ever since I was born, I loved competing. That’s my favorite thing to do.”
And while Beitler has the size to play closer to the line of scrimmage, he has the speed and quickness to cover in the secondary.
“I just love the versatility of the position, being the hybrid,” he said. “Mostly, I love laying the boom. I read the QB’s eyes, watch him and look at the receivers. That brings me joy every time I do it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
