Football: Injured Aurora Christian players embrace new role as ‘assistant coaches’

Updated: November 22, 2011 6:52PM

One of Aurora Christian’s strong suits this season was the leadership — and the talent — of five seniors who had state championship game experience. Mitch Holtz, Grayson Roberts and Kenny McCracken went with the Eagles to Champaign in 2008, R.J. Morris and Anthony Maddie with Joliet Catholic Academy in 2009.

All five experienced the sting of defeat there, and following a quarterfinal loss to Stillman Valley as teammates last year, they were bound and determined to never feel that way again.

Together, they won the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division at 8-1, securing a No. 1 overall seed in the Class 3A bracket.

But in the first round against Kewanee, the 6-foot-3, 291-pound Morris wrenched his knee on a pass block, his upper body twisting while his leg remained firmly planted in the turf.

His season was over, suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and some damage to his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus.

A week later, on the road at Oregon, Holtz (6-1, 208) was making a tackle when he began to be bent over awkwardly by the pile. As he fell, his cleats remained stationary in the grass. He, too, suffered an ACL tear and damage to his MCL.

Suddenly, the Eagles were without two of their best players and emotional leaders.

Suddenly, these two seniors’ high school playing careers were over.

They would have to spectate as their teammates earned a trip to the ultimate destination — the 3A championship game Friday at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.

“It was extremely weird,” Holtz said of not suiting up in the quarterfinal against Winnebago. “I was sitting next to (Ryan) Suttle by my locker and saying this is the first varsity game I haven’t played at least a down in. Freshman year I was a special teams guy, but to not dress and be on the sidelines was so weird.

“I was getting so into it, but I had no control over the outcome, which was stressful honestly.”

Similarity of injury is not the only thing that bound the two together. Now, they act as assistant coaches by continuing to break down film and their teammates’ own technique.

Holtz finds himself picking out specific matchups that might prove vital to an Eagles victory.

“I still feel I can help them,” he said. “I’ve really embraced it. I was watching film, running through their plays, watching their offense. It’s definitely different than being in it with them.”

Morris is learning more about the offensive line in general, and how each individual piece is part of a larger picture.

“I’m looking at the whole line play for the other team now, and it’s just been really fun to break them down even more,” he said. “I tell my friends about that and they seem excited to learn those little hidden tricks.”

Another more fortunate side effect for the pair has been a burgeoning friendship. Despite the small numbers on the Eagles’ roster, offensive and defensive players still meet and practice separately — especially those in completely different groups like linebacker and offensive line.

The shared time on the sideline has helped the two foster a stronger relationship rooted in unfortunate circumstance.

“There’s no doubt that we’ve spent way more time together,” Holtz said. “We’ve really come together and have been talking about his (college) options, what’s best for him, how his therapy is coming along. There’s that encouragement of, ‘We’re in this together.’ We’re just pushing each other to see who can get healthier first.”

The two have also been able to relate to one another about their post-high school careers. Holtz will play baseball at the University of Pennsylvania, a Division I program in the Ivy League.

Morris’ recruiting is just now beginning to heat up, as he is communicating with Arkansas, Texas Christian University (TCU) and Indiana, among others.

Despite knowing they cannot participate Friday in the way they envisioned, both are looking forward to making their second trip to Champaign and expect nothing less than a title.

“I’m just looking forward to the whole thing, with this whole group of guys,” Morris said. “They work great in unison and it’s going to be great to watch them just playing hard and doing what they do best. As a team, they feel readier than they’ve ever been for any game. They just bleed for this.”

Holtz says he most looks forward to walking into the locker room, dressing and walking out on the field with the guys he’s worked so hard with for four years. And, he’s looking forward to seeing all that effort pay off.

“I’m excited to see what they’re going to be able to do,” he said. ”I have all the confidence in the world in them that they’re going to bring home a state championship for us.”

The pair dressed in full uniform in the semifinal against Tolono Unity and the initial plan was to get them on the field for a final knee, so there should be no surprise if you see No. 4 and No. 64 jerseys on the sidelines. And who knows, if the Eagles find themselves in a victory formation at the end of the game, they might see the field after all.

“It’ll be that much sweeter when we get to do it in Champaign,” Holtz said.

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