Thornton uses camps as grid classrooms

Updated: June 24, 2011 11:24AM

A receiver had gotten behind the secondary near the sideline, going unnoticed by Mount Carmel defenders and Thornton quarterback Johwahn Brown.

“Oh, Johwahn!” a Thornton teammate yelled about the overlooked opportunity as he pointed from the sideline.

The missed connection is a good example of why Thornton participated in the 7-on-7 Richards passing camp Saturday with 11 other schools. Brown, a sophomore, and juniors Jason Towns and Eric Harris are trying to learn what it takes to play quarterback before the pressure of the regular season.

“We’re just in the process of looking, giving everybody an equal amount of snaps,” longtime Thornton coach Bill Mosel said of evaluating the position in the summer.

Mosel says there isn’t a front-runner among the three, who faced defenses from Mount Carmel, Lemont and Sandburg at the Richards camp.

“Not really,” Mosel said. “That’s why we’re out here, trying to get reps against different people. Chart what they do, what they’re doing well, what they’re not doing well. Go back to work.”

The regular season starts Aug. 26. Thornton was at the Richards event for the first time. The Wildcats also participate in the St. Xavier passing camp.

“It’s good for the kids,’’ Mosel said. “They get to see other kids and you get to look at them a little bit competitively. It’s low-key, but they’re still competing.

“You get a real good idea of who’s been paying attention, who absorbed what in camp. We’re charting everything, making notes. When you go back, you can specifically tell them, ‘Here’s what you were supposed to do. Here’s what you did.’ ”

Thornton switched to the Richards camp this year from a different site because Mosel said it’s closer to home and “better competition.” True enough. Mount Carmel is a perennial power, Lemont has made the state playoffs seven years in a row and Sandburg is coming off an 8-3 season and its third straight playoff appearance.

Thornton was 7-3 in 2010, losing to Lincoln-Way East in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs. Thornton averaged 38 points per game last season, but the offense was depleted by graduation.

“We lost a lot offensively,” said Mosel, starting his 26th season as coach. “We’ve got kids that were backups last year. We lost our running back. We lost our quarterback. We lost three of the four wideouts.”

Whomever wins the quarterback job will be throwing passes to receivers Jamal Frazier, Davi McDonald and Mike Easter.

Defensively, Thornton is counting on linebackers Dominic Bryant, Willard Cotton, Mike Morris and Jamal Clark, and defensive backs Jalen Banks and T.J. Frazier to lead the team early in the season.

Besides Thornton, the SouthWest Suburban Red also was represented by Lincoln-Way West, Lincoln-Way North, Bradley and Thornridge in the state playoffs. Making the postseason again will be a challenge.

“We’re going to be seasoned on defense and a little bit young on offense,” Mosel said. “The defense is going to have to carry us until we catch up.”

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