Just imagine what Wade Weyer might do this week.
After being held back in practices for almost three weeks while recovering from a hamstring injury, Weyer ran wild last week with a school-record 342 yards and five touchdowns in 31 carries during St. Rita’s 52-28 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor. Two of his TDs were for 45 and 51 yards.
On Friday night Lincoln-Way East will encounter the 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound All-State running back after his first full week of full-contact practices.
“I wasn’t planning on using him the whole game–maybe 20 carries, tops,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said of the opener. “I’m not worried about him anymore.”
Weyer felt like one of those quarterbacks wearing an orange no-contact vest in practices leading up to the season opener.
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“It felt funny,” said Weyer, who can cover 40 yards in 4.48 seconds. “Everyone else was getting knocked around, and all they could do to me was wrap me up. Coach said anyone taking me down would be doing extra running after practice.
“That first hit during the H-F game kind of woke me up. But I have a lot of trust in my offensive linemen, who are a lot bigger than last year’s linemen.”
The Mustangs’ offensive front consists of second-team All-Stater Jack Byrne (6-3, 295), Jim O’Connor (6-3, 285), Greg Urdal (6-2, 285), Neal Burnett (6-0, 280) and Mike Penn (6-0, 265). Another punishing blocker is junior fullback Mike Lally (6-0, 210).
“It’s great to look up from your block and see Wade running 80 yards for a touchdown,” Byrne said. “All he needs is a little opening, and he’s gone.”
H-F brought its linebackers and safeties close to the line and deployed run blitzes–to no avail.
“I thought to myself, `That’s a great running back on the other side of the field,”‘ said Vikings quarterback Freddie Barnes, who piled up 301 total yards and three touchdowns. “We were ahead 28-17, but we couldn’t stop him. Weyer just made plays and made people miss him. That’s the best running back and offensive line I’ve seen.”
After rushing for 2,195 yards and 26 TDs as a junior, Weyer is being recruited by Northern Illinois, Ball State and the Air Force Academy. What happens if Lincoln-Way East drastically overplays the run against No. 5 St. Rita?
“I’ll just let [quarterback] Mike Kafka take over,” Weyer said, referring to the 6-3, 195-pound senior who has scholarship offers from Stanford and Northwestern. “We’ve got two great receivers in Dave Ladd and Andy Hall. I’ll take my chances with Kafka and those guys all day.
“That would give me a little bit of a breather. I’m sure Mike would love to throw the ball 30 times.”