Preston comes up big for Maine South

Updated: July 15, 2011 2:18PM

Like other 7-on-7 events, Wednesday’s Red Grange Classic at Wheaton Warrnville South didn’t have linemen, running plays, helmets or pads.

Two things it didn’t lack, however, were star power and intensity. The eight-team field featured three defending state champs (8A Maine South, 7A WW South and 5A Montini) along with Division I prospects such as Montini’s Jordan Westerkamp, Maine South’s Matt Alviti and WW South’s Dan Vitale.

Maine South won the title, beating Montini 20-19 when the Broncos’ two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds came up short.

Alviti threw three touchdown passes in the final, including a pair to Maine South’s pint-sized dynamo, senior Paul Preston.

Preston ran for 21 touchdowns and more than 1,100 yards for the Hawks last season. But he doesn’t have any scholarship offers yet because the only stat a lot of college coaches saw was his height: 5-foot-4.

“Yeah, it’s kind of frustrating,” said Preston, who has gone to camps at Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois. “But it definitely motivates me to keep working hard.”

And to become more of a multi-tasker.

“I think I’m definitely going to be catching a lot more balls out of the backfield this year,” Preston said. “We’ve been working on it a lot this offseason.”

Westerkamp, a Nebraska recruit, also caught a pair of touchdown passes in the final despite being double-teamed by linebacker Luke Lenti and rotating defensive backs.

Those TD throws were from quarterback John Rhode, a transfer from Marian Catholic.

“That kid has picked it up so fast,” Montini coach Chris Andriano said. “I’m really proud of him, the extra time he’s put in learning our offense. He looks really good. It makes our offense even more dangerous.”

Maine South beat Glenbard West 25-6 and Montini downed WW South 25-13 in the semifinals, with Glenbard West beating the host Tigers 26-13 for third place. Like Montini, WW South has a transfer at quarterback with Thaddeus Armstrong moving in from Ottawa.

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