Three Division I recruits from Oak Park-River Forest’s baseball team are also new to other sports this fall for the Huskies.
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Outfielder Evan Bell (Memphis) and second baseman Jeremy Gaines (Missouri) have joined OPRF’s undefeated football team, while right-handed pitcher Hank Christie (Northwestern) returned to the boys golf team after taking a year off.
Bell has been the most successful of the three this season as a starting middle linebacker for a Huskies defense that is allowing an average of 10 points per game. Bell had two sacks Friday, Oct. 2, in OPRF’s 21-6 West Suburban Silver victory at York. The Huskies (6-0, 3-0) limited York (2-4, 0-3) to only eight total yards in the first half.
Bell said he has always played both sports and the 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior enjoys different things about each.
“I love the atmosphere of a football game,” Bell said. “It’s an experience that is second to none. You do so much work during the week and it comes down to one game.”
Gaines, who last played football as a freshman, came out for football his senior year to join his friends. However, the wide receiver and defensive back will be watching from the sideline the rest of the season after straining a ligament in his left knee Tuesday, Sept. 29, during practice. The highlight of his season came when he caught two passes for 31 yards in OPRF’s 14-13 season-opening victory Aug. 28 against Lincoln-Way East.
Standouts from other sports are regular additions to the Huskies football team.
In the win over York, basketball player Breshawn Wilkerson blocked a punt that was returned 36 yards for a touchdown by wrestler Allen Stallings in the second quarter.
“Maybe I have mentioned this before — I love multiple sports athletes,” head football coach John Hoerster said. “They compete. Whether the kids play basketball, baseball or football, they compete. They have that mentality you get when you compete in more than one sport.”
Christie shot an 84 at the conference golf meet Sept. 29 at Prairie Bluff and was fifth-place OPRF’s third scorer. He last played for the Huskies as a sophomore, but came out this year. Christie pitched in a fall baseball league last year with Top Tier, but came to realize that pitching from March to October put too much of a strain for his arm.
“I missed golf,” said Christie, who started the Class 4A semifinal game last spring against Providence and allowed two hits while being tagged with the 1-0 loss. “It’s a lot of fun and I wanted to go out (for the team) with my friends.”
Hunt helped off field
Oak Park-River Forest junior quarterback Jeremy Hunt suffered an injury to his right ankle in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the field.
“It’s tough to see a young man get injured,” Hoerster said. “It’s hard to see that. He’s been doing a great job for us.”
Hunt completed 8-of-18 passes for 78 yards with an interception. He injured his ankle on a running play when he gained seven yards on a keeper with 6 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Hunt scored OPRF’s third TD on an 11-yard run with 4:55 left in the third quarter.
Hunt’s backup, senior Keegan Smith, finished the game and attempted just one pass, which York intercepted.
Twitter @geomwilcox