Lyons senior Chase Nacker has played alongside his older brother, Blaze, for as long as he can remember.
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Even in middle school, the brothers from Countryside played together at St. Cletus Parish in La Grange. The brothers were separated on the field during only one season — when Chase Nacker was a freshman and Blaze Nacker was on the sophomore team at Lyons.
But on Friday, Aug. 28, Chase Nacker will play without his big brother when Lyons hosts Warren to open the season.
Chase Nacker said the first time it really hit him that his big brother would not be joining him on the field was the first day of summer workouts in June.
“There was no one to call ‘Break’ in the huddle for practices,” Chase Nacker said. “Then I realized that’s my job now.”
After watching his older brother as a captain for Lyons last season, Chase Nacker is one of five captains for this year’s team. Chase Nacker was the starting left guard for Lyons’ offensive line last season, which featured Blaze Nacker at right guard.
Blaze Nacker is a freshman at Miami (Ohio). As a pre-med student, Blaze Nacker no longer plays football but is considering walking on next season as a long snapper.
This season, Chase Nacker is bigger than Blaze Nacker was during his senior year. Chase Nacker is 6-foot-1 and 280 pounds, while Blaze Nacker’s playing size was 5-10 inches and 235 pounds.
Chase Nacker returns as No. 61 but will likely move to right tackle opposite senior and returning lineman Taylor Curlin, who is 6-5 inches and 265 pounds.
“Chase has been good [this summer],” Lyons coach Kurt Weinberg said. “He is a key, important part of what we do. He’s a big, strong kid.”
Both Chase Nacker and Curlin have new assignments this season. For the first time, they are expected to play on both the offensive and defensive line after Lyons lost all 11 of its defensive starters from last season.
“We’ve done so much work this summer,” Curlin said. “With Chase and my leadership, we should help the offensive line progress. It will be fun coming together as one unit.”
Curlin said the two weeks in late July the team spent together at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., helped develop chemistry. Lyons played scrimmages against Maine West during the players’ time there.
Chase Nacker is still getting used to his new role as a team leader. After Lyons’ intrasquad scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 21, a younger teammate approached Chase Nacker with a handful of yardage markers and asked the veteran where the markers go now that the game ended. Chase Nacker knew the markers are put away in a storage shed near the concession stand.
“It’s different, but I love it; being part of the leadership on our team,” Chase Nacker said.
Chase Nacker spent much of the offseason working on his strength and conditioning at Get Fast Inc., a fitness center in Willowbrook that he’s belonged to for at least three years. Chase Nacker flipped tractor tires for strength and worked out on the inclined treadmills to develop speed.
“I don’t think I follow my brother,” Chase Nacker said. “We just played together. I always wanted a name for myself, not just being Blaze Nacker’s younger brother. Now I’m my own player.”
Twitter: @geomwilcox
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