While Maine South quarterback Nick Leongas has been a revelation for his ability to make plays with his arm and his feet this season, and Fotis Kokosioulis is one of the area’s most exciting runners, the Hawks’ wide receivers have been instrumental in the team’s offensive success.
Often lining up five wide, the receivers help spread the defense and create space for Leongas, a senior and first-year starter, and Kokosioulis, a junior, to operate.
The group of wide receivers includes seniors Matt Holbrook and Luke Hinkamp, juniors Cam Stacy and Rory Hayes and Kokosioulis, who often lines up wide.
“I wouldn’t say they are the absolute fastest group, but they know how to run the routes and they have great hands,” Maine South coach Dave Inserra said.
Maine South has been using the pass to set up the run this season. Although for much of the first half of their 56-14 Central Suburban South win over Niles North, the Hawks were a pass-centric offense.
Leongas ran the ball once and Kokosioulis carried just four times in a first half that ended with Maine South leading 42-7 on Friday, Sept. 23, in Park Ridge. Leongas, who only played in the first half, completed 10-of-15 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns.
Stacy (3 catches, 68 yards) caught a 51-yard touchdown, the 6-foot-6 Hinkamp had a 40-yard touchdown catch, Holbrook (3 catches, 91 yards) had a shoestring catch to set up a score and a leaping grab along the sidelines, Kokosioulis caught a 19-yard touchdown and Hayes induced an early pass-interference call, but did not catch a pass.
“We all bring a little something different, which helps Nick (Leongas) out,” Holbrook said. “Nick can throw the ball up to Luke (Hinkamp) or (the 6-3) Rory (Hayes) or underneath to me and Cam (Stacy) and let us make a play with our feet.”
Holbrook and Stacy also use those feet to stretch the defense.
A playmaker with a flair for the dramatic, Holbrook also scored a running touchdown as the Hawks (3-2, 1-0) extended their conference winning streak to 76 games.
“He likes to be flashy,” said Hinkamp, a fellow Park Ridge resident. “Other than (running back) Fotis (Kokosioulis) and (quarterback) Nick (Leongas), Holbrook is the No. 3 playmaker on the field at all times. He’s probably one of the best (in) game players I’ve ever played with, one of the best athletes I’ve ever played with and one of the fastest kids I know.”
Hinkamp continued: “It’s nice having a target like (Holbrook), who can burn someone on a fly route, or catch it underneath and juke someone out.”
Holbrook also is the team’s DJ, bringing a speaker to practices to blast out electronic dance music.
While Holbrook may be the character of the bunch, Inserra describes Hinkamp as the steady senior of the group, and he praised Hinkamp for the work he puts in at practice.
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“(Hinkamp) is a little bit quieter (than Holbrook). But credit to him, he never comes off the field in practice. He runs just about every play with the first-team offense and then just about every play with the scout team,” Inserra said. “That’s why he’s shown the improvement he has from last year and even during this year. He’s a steady go-to guy.”
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @danshalin