By Erik Jones’ count, he has dropped five possible interceptions this year.
A cast can cramp a cornerback’s style.
Jones, a Benet senior, broke his left hand three days before the season opener. He missed two games, and wore a cast the next four.
“I had to change my stance a little bit, had to play up on receivers, play more open with them,” said Jones, who does have five interceptions. “It was hard to catch with that cast.”
He hasn’t missed many balls thrown his way lately. Neither have his teammates in Benet’s secondary.
Jones had a pick-six the first game minus the cast, and then another in Benet’s first playoff game. Danny O’Malley intercepted two passes last week in a quarterfinal win at Rolling Meadows.
All told, cornerbacks Jones and Ben Cooney and safeties O’Malley and Alec McEachern have 21 of Benet’s 26 interceptions this year.
“As a coach, you usually get scared every time the ball is in the air,” Benet coach Pat New said. “This year, it’s been exciting.”
Benet’s secondary will be in the crosshairs at 2 p.m. Saturday when the Redwings (10-2) host East St. Louis (12-0) in a Class 7A quarterfinal at Benedictine University.
Opposite Jones will be Flyers wide receiver Jeff Thomas, the second-ranked senior prospect in the state who is leaning toward committing to Missouri. Quarterback Reyondous Estes also is a Missouri recruit.
The Flyers, pegged by many the 7A favorite, average 44 points per game.
“It’s the greatest challenge we’ve had since I’ve been head coach,” said New, who’s in his seventh year.
To Jones, it just takes four great quarters to bring them down to size.
“They’re very athletic, it’s no secret,” Jones said. “But on any given day a superstar can be average.”
That confidence is rooted in being part of Benet’s best collective unit.
Jones was one of three returning senior defensive backs this fall. McEachern has an offer from Air Force. O’Malley may be Benet’s biggest hitter. Cooney, a junior with a team-best eight interceptions, could have been the Redwings’ MVP the first half of the season.
“Their skills became apparent the first four weeks,” Benet defensive coordinator Jeff Hembrough said. “As a result we’ve been able to become more diverse in coverage, blitz more. We haven’t had to be just plain vanilla.”
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Jones is the lockdown corner, the man who draws the toughest assignment when Benet’s defense challenges. Switched from safety to cornerback last year, he’s probably Benet’s best athlete.
“We ask him at times to be isolated and it falls back on his technique,” Hembrough said. “You have to be confident and be physical.”
An outfielder in baseball, Jones thinks his superior lateral moment in coverage does translate from sport to sport.
“Playing outfield you have to charge fly balls and go back on them — it’s a lot of the same thing in football trying to cover receivers,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of technique and motions involved.”
The thing that could set Benet’s secondary apart, though, is a pair of intimidating hitters at safety. Hembrough identified O’Malley as the biggest in the bunch.
“I just like hitting people, O’Malley said. “You have to make sure you break down, stay low, hit with your shoulder and chest and just wrap up.”
New, who knows the opportunity in front of Benet, isn’t ready for this season to wrap up. He was a sophomore called up for the playoffs in 1984 when Benet made its only state championship game appearance.
“I told our defense they’re going to get their big plays and we can’t be discouraged,” New said. “We have to stay in the fight and stay as close as we can.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.