By the nature of the position he plays, IC Catholic sophomore Kevin Cooke is forced to be a leader.
While his role has changed over the course of the year from leading by example to being more vocal, there is one thing that has not wavered. Cooke, the Knights’ middle linebacker, is almost always around the ball.
Cooke, who lives in Addison, is the leading tackler for the Knights, who repeated as Class 3A state champions with a dominating 35-0 victory over Pleasant Plains on Friday at Northern Illinois’ Huskie Stadium.
Cooke made 10 tackles in the state final and finished this season with 161. He said his production was a result of the teammates he played behind and next to in the Knights’ 4-3 defensive scheme.
“I did not anticipate that (being the leading tackler). I just wanted to do my job as a linebacker,” Cooke said. “The defensive line has really played well all year, and allowed me to make a lot of tackles.
“I have to credit my other two linebackers, (juniors) Khali Saunders and Kemon Reese, because they are always cutting the ball off and forcing the runner back into me, which leads me to make tackles.”
Cooke credited his linemen — senior Jack Enright, junior Ricky Mysliwiec, junior Michael Johnson and senior Dylan Packer — with occupying opposing offensive linemen, which allows him to find the ball carrier.
Cooke transferred from Glenbard South, where he played football as a freshman, to IC Catholic (13-1) after his mom moved. It did not take very long for him to make an impression on his teammates and coaches.
“He was pretty humble to start off. He had a couple of big hits playing scout team,” defensive coordinator Roger Kelley said. “He really earned the respect of his teammates. They embraced it right away, that he was here to play. The kids loved it, he fit in perfect.
“From the first time he took reps with the first team, he was in on every tackle. He was always around the ball.”
Enright, who plays defensive end, was impressed by how quickly Cooke was able to progress after not being at IC Catholic last season.
“He is awesome. We have never seen a player grow like he has in such a short period of time,” said Enright, who lives in Elmhurst.
The Knights led Pleasant Plains just 6-0 at halftime, so it looked like the IC Catholic defense might need come up big again. However, the offense reeled off 29 points in the second half.
The championship game was the second straight shutout for IC Catholic, which blanked Byron 7-0 on Saturday to earn the trip to DeKalb. Pleasant Plains was coming off a 41-2 win in the state semifinals over Anna-Jonesboro.
On the season, the Knights recorded four shutouts and held opponents to single digits eight times.
“Our mentality is not to give up any points,” Cooke said. “We do not want to give up any points. We want to be as perfect as we can on defense. We do not want to give up any first downs. Our goal every game is to get a shutout.”
Cooke will cherish the role he played on a team that won its final 12 games.
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“I just cannot even put it into words. It is amazing,” Cooke said. “We just have a brotherhood here, and everybody supports each other. To win it with them is just so great.”
Note
Enright, who played on last season’s championship team, knew which championship was sweeter for him.
“It is a lot better (this year),” Enright said. “Just to know that you are going out with this (as a senior).”
Patrick Kelly is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press