Mark Mennecke isn’t afraid to take risks in order to make a spectacular play.
Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus accepts that, even though the senior quarterback has been sidelined since he suffered several fractures and a partially torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot on a touchdown run on Sept. 2.
“He’s a fierce competitor, and he’s going to do whatever it takes,” Ellinghaus said. “You can’t fault him for that. That’s who Mark is.
“You live with that scrambler/slinger mentality, and he’s been really good at it for a couple years, and this year it kind of bit him a little bit.”
For the past month, Mennecke has been limited to helping his replacement, junior Ryan Mohler, keep the Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) on track. They’ve won four games in a row since Mennecke’s injury in a 10-7 overtime loss to Wheaton Warrenville South and are in control at the top of the DuPage Valley Conference.
“From my perspective, it’s obviously way different,” he said. “My job is keeping Mohler up and helping from the sideline. Whatever I see, I communicate that to him, and then he goes back out there and hopefully takes my advice. I’m just helping him out with reads at practice, preparing for games.”
Mohler isn’t a risk-taker like Mennecke, but he’s undefeated as the starter.
“Mohler is a very smart quarterback,” Mennecke said. “I feel he knows what he’s doing out there. We all trust him.”
More Top Picks Best Reading Lamps With Adjustable Brightness
But Mennecke said he hopes doctors will clear him to play before the end of the season.
“My foot is definitely feeling a lot better,” he said. “I’m walking in a shoe now, which is good.”
Mennecke, a 6-foot lefty who can both run and pass, is not only the Wildcats’ most dynamic offensive player but also one of the best high school athletes in the area. He is a standout pitcher and outfielder for Neuqua Valley’s baseball team and is a starting guard for Neuqua Valley’s boys basketball team.
“What people don’t realize about Mark is what a great athlete he really is,” Ellinghaus said. “He can pretty much do any sport, and he’s going to excel at it.
“He can kick and punt for us. He can kick a 50-yarder at practice every now and then, and he kicks off into the end zone.”
Mennecke’s great-uncle Gary Goforth played football at Augustana and coached at Benet, where he was the athletic director for 30 years. Since retiring in 2021, Goforth has attended many of Mennecke’s games.
“He’s got a great arm,” Goforth said. “I’ve seen him throw over 50 yards on the run on the money. He’s fun to watch. He just makes things happen.”
Goforth sees shades of himself in Mennecke.
“I was the same way in high school and college,” Goforth said. “‘You’re in my way. I’m not taking prisoners.’
“That’s the way I was taught to play the game. Mark’s the same way. You don’t want to put the reins on someone like that. You can just try to slow him down.”
The injury has slowed Mennecke’s recruiting, but he is taking a visit to Dayton. Goforth and Ellinghaus are confident Mennecke will make a good college quarterback.
“The hard thing about college sports is it’s hard to get that first school to commit to you,” Ellinghaus said. “I’ve always been a big fan of three-sport athletes. But everything now is more specialized, so he’s having a hard time getting that first Division I offer.
“He’s getting a lot of interest, but he may have to go somewhere smaller at first and then maybe transfer.”
For now, Mennecke is focused on getting back on the field. The Wildcats advanced to the Class 8A state quarterfinals last year and have designs on going even further this season. The playoffs begin Oct. 28.
“Our team wants it more, so all of us are going to fight for those extra yards or that tackle for loss,” Mennecke said. “Our ultimate goal is to win state.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.