Windle adds new dimension to Aurora Christian

Updated: September 13, 2011 2:43PM

Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe was right — there was no way Cory Windle would be able to go through the 2011 season unnoticed.

After all, the junior is the biggest of all the Aurora Christian pass catchers at 6 feet 3 inches tall and 183 pounds.

More than that, however, Windle has emerged as a legitimate threat in the Eagles offense in the absence of injured receivers Chad Beebe and Grayson Roberts.

Friday night was a true breakout for Windle, as he caught six passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a 54-7 win over Chicago Christian.

“Cory is one of those kids who really worked on his craft this offseason,” Don Beebe said. “He’s becoming a better wideout, getting off the line of scrimmage, understanding defenses, understanding how to work a guy if he’s on a go route or a comeback route, just really getting that DBs hips turned. That’s huge. He really became a student of the game.”

Windle’s development is cause for excitement for the Eagles, who now have a legitimate threat on the outside and downfield to compliment the inside route-running of Chad Beebe and Roberts when they return.

“Cory was an unknown coming into the season because he was overshadowed by Chad and Grayson,” Don Beebe said. “We would’ve known about him anyway because he’s that good — we can’t not get him the ball — even if Chad and Grayson were playing. When we get those two back, man, it’s going to be fun.”

Aurora Christian quarterback Anthony Maddie has done a good job spreading the ball around to Ryan Suttle, Noah Roberts, Brandon Mayes and Josh Jungels — which could give the Eagles seven legitimate receivers (if all are healthy) heading into the playoffs.

“Collectively, as a group, they’ve put a lot of time into developing their skill,” Don Beebe said of his receiver group.

Balancing act

Without a doubt, it’s a nice advantage to have a Division I quarterback. But in high school, having a go-to running back can do wonders for an offense.

No one understands that more than Geneva coach Rob Wicinski, who has had his share of big-armed quarterbacks in his tenure, including his current one — Northern Illinois University-bound Matt Williams.

But the emergence of Parker Woodworth as a No. 1 running back this season has helped the Vikings to a 3-0 record. Woodworth ran for 174 yards on Friday to push his season total to 453 yards through the first three weeks.

“Parker worked hard in the offseason with both speed and weights to develop into the back of today,” Wicinski said in an e-mail. “His motor runs as it did last year. He just needed some maturity. Due to injuries and such to other backs, Parker has had to carry more than his fair share of the offense. He has shown good speed, which he had last year, but he has added an element of power to his running game that developed in the weight room.”

Jones gets first start

West Aurora sophomore quarterback Quintez Jones found himself in a difficult spot for his first career varsity start Friday.

Jones had the unenviable task of facing two-time defending Class 7A state champion Wheaton Warrenville South at Red Grange Field and came away with mixed results in a 20-6 loss.

He finished 6-for-18 for 56 yards with two interceptions. He did have four completions of over 10 yards and showed nice arm strength for a sophomore.

“First game starting, he made some mistakes,” West coach Nate Eimer said. “It’s unfortunate that it came in a game like this. He also did a lot of good things. He made a lot of throws that we haven’t seen made yet this year. We just have to continue to get better with him.”

Senior Richie Renner stepped in on occasion and was solid overall. He wound up 6-for-8 for 57 yards and a game-ending interception. That pick came as he was leading a furious rally in the final minute — completing five straight passes, including a 22-yarder to Nathan Zinzer — before his interception.

“He came in and did a great job in the two-minute drill,” Eimer said. “A senior who is nothing but a team player. He’s just been great. We’ll see where we’re going to go with that.”

Tomcats still learning

After a 47-0 loss to Metea Valley Friday night that dropped East Aurora to 0-3, Tomcats coach Bill Bryant pointed out his small 38-man roster — which is already beginning to be decimated by injury — is hungry and trying to get better on each play.

“Every play is valuable for our kids for them to get better,” Bryant said postgame. “Maybe it’s Week 8 where it clicks for them for their blocks or where they’re supposed to be on a play. I love the kids. They have great character, and there’s no quit in them. They’re tough — a lot of them have had a tough upbringing. But I wouldn’t trade them for the world.“

As for overcoming injuries, Bryant said a lot teaching on the fly is going on as there just isn’t much football experience beyond the starters.

“We have a number of kids out here who have never played football before. What am I going to do, turn them away?” he said. “We’ll try to teach them the game and work hard to develop every kid. I know that when I look out on that field, every kid is busting his butt to try to make a play.

“Our wins and losses are not what’s important right now. These guys, when they walk across the stage and get their diploma when they graduate, are they going to go out and be a vital part of the community? Are they going to be good men? That’s what we focus on a lot.”

A leg up

The first three weeks has been a mixed bag for the Marmion Academy Cadets. A plethora of turnovers in Week 1 took them out of the game against Batavia, and then the defense pitched a shutout in a Week 2 win over Fenwick.

The Cadets held powerful Montini Catholic to just 13 points Friday night, but for the third straight week could not score more than seven points.

Despite those frustrations, there is a star in the making for the Cadets — kicker A.J. Friedman.

Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said Friedman has not made a college decision yet, but he is being looked at by Miami (Ohio) and Boston College.

“Kickers really don’t come out until after the season,” Thorpe said.

Friedman scored all six points in the 13-6 loss Friday night. The Cadets have scored just 19 points in three games.

“We just have to work so hard to get touchdowns,” Thorpe said.

Paul Johnson, Christine Bolin and Bob Reynolds contributed to this report.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.