Luke Cegles let it rip, and Ryan Laurenzo laid out for it.
When the 43-yard touchdown throw from the senior quarterback landed last Friday, Naperville North’s new-look offense made a loud arrival.
“That deep throw was one as a defensive coach you tell your guys to stop covering him,” North coach Sean Drendel said. “But that’s Luke’s arm strength. He’s the strongest-armed quarterback we’ve had in a long time.”
Right quarterback, it appears, at the right time.
The maestro to North’s spread offense, Cegles went 15-for-18 for 254 yards and five TDs in the season-opening 42-14 win at Sandburg.
It was the type of game that makes quarterback-efficiency experts drool.
Cegles missed on his first two passes. On the third incompletion, the ball slipped out of his hands. Otherwise, a clean sheet.
“Realistically, there was a span where he was 15-for-15,” Drendel said. “He has great poise. There were two times where he wanted to put it in and he couldn’t. He waited and threw nice balls.”
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Not a bad start for a team itching to put back-to-back 2-7 seasons in the rearview mirrort.
Huskies senior receiver Mitch Lewis, who caught two TDs Friday, knows a thing or two about Cegles’ cannon of an arm. The two hooked up for nearly 10 TDs as sophomores, and reestablished the connection late last year after Lewis returned from a leg injury.
“He’s tall and his arm is unbelievable,” Lewis said. “I’ve trained with other quarterbacks and they are good, but Luke can sling it.”
Important, too, that Cegles chucks it to the correct jersey. Cegles threw nine interceptions in 120 attempts last year, a stat that’s stuck with him.
“Definitely a lot of mental mistakes that I wanted to get out of my system,” Cegles said.
Cegles, indeed, has come a long way in a year’s time.
Part of a three-player quarterback derby at the start of last season, Cegles took a backseat the first few weeks. By the end of the season, though, he was the starter.
Cegles threw three TDs in a Week 8 upset of Waubonsie Valley, and led North to wins in its last two weeks.
Cegles is the first returning starting quarterback Drendel’s had in seven years, and it’s at an opportune time.
A drop-back passer, he’s well-suited for the spread new offensive coordinator Mike Fitzgerald brought with him from St. Francis this spring.
“Any time you can return your starting quarterback you’re in a good spot,” Drendel said. “The system has to fit the kid. With our system and what we do, Luke does a great job reading defenses.”
That knowledge, and the composure running a no-huddle offense, doesn’t go unnoticed.
“The one thing about Luke is he never gets flustered,” Lewis said. “No matter what happens, he shows no emotion and never gets down on himself. He is very vocal and always positive. He’s always complimenting receivers.”
And apparently, always working with them.
As much as his Week 1 success, the sight of Cegles throwing to three backup receivers long after practice this week spoke volumes to his coach.
“That’s the type of kid Luke is,” Drendel said. “He wants his guys to be better. He loves to be around the game and he loves throwing the ball.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.
WEEK 2 GAMES TO WATCH
Naperville Central at Neuqua Valley
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
What to watch: Central (0-1, 0-1) and quarterback Pat Ryan must forget blowout loss to Glenbard North. Easier said than done against Neuqua (1-0, 1-0), with a defense led by Tommy Ciesla, fresh off an eight-tackle, three-sack effort.
Waubonsie Valley at Glenbard North
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
What to watch: Warriors (1-0, 1-0) want to play keep-away from dynamic Glenbard North (1-0, 1-0). Expect a heavy dose of Nate Ashford, who ran for 153 yards in Week 1.
Metea Valley at Naperville North
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When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
What to watch: North (1-0) features running backs Cross Robinson and Eric Wright, both of whom topped 100 yards in Week 1. They will be a chore for the Mustangs (0-1, 0-1), whose run defense struggled to slow Neuqua.
Notre Dame at Benet
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
What to watch: Jack Sznajder and Benet (0-1) need to limit mistakes on offense and hit more big plays. Miles George, who had two TDs in win over Thornton, leads a deep backfield for Notre Dame (0-1).