Lake Zurich tight end Gavin Shondy is the rare player who welcomes fewer snaps.
Shondy is getting more out of less in his senior season, and the Bears are better for it.
“I’ve been bouncing around a lot between starting both ways and being the top backup,” he said. “At the beginning of the year, we didn’t have as much depth. But as that developed, roles changed.
“Wherever the team needs a guy, I’m happy to fill that role. As long as we win, I’m happy.”
There’s no doubt that the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Shondy’s team-first approach is part of the winning formula for fourth-seeded Lake Zurich (9-2), which has won nine of its past 10 games and will play top-seeded Nazareth (10-1) on the road in the Class 6A state quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Shondy has been highly effective as a starting tight end throughout the season. No longer starting at linebacker, he has been the top reserve at multiple linebacker spots since sophomore Tyler Bonelli-Schultz proved he was ready for an every-down role.
“Some people look at it as a disadvantage not starting both ways, but it allows me to put all of my work into one position,” Shondy said. “I took it as an opportunity to maximize my output on offense.
“Don’t get me wrong. I love playing. But to have an advantage in my overall play, I’ll take it.”
Shondy still practices at linebacker, however.
“Sometimes it can be a challenge to learn everything,” he said. “Our inside backers are more of a box player, and on the outside you’re more in space. Overall, I enjoy the game so much that it doesn’t feel like work to learn everything.”
Playing for a winning team is fun, after all, and Shondy knows what’s it like to not play and not win. He suffered a major knee injury in Week 4 of the 2023 season — his ACL, lateral meniscus and medial meniscus were torn, and his MCL, PCL and LCL were sprained — and he didn’t play for a year.
Shondy returned for Week 5 last season, but the Bears didn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2015. His short season was a valuable test drive for his knee, however.
“My mom joked to me that I never seem to do anything halfway, but it definitely was not a lot of fun,” Shondy said of his injury. “It’s sort of on the back burner now. When I came back, it almost felt like a new knee. I’ve felt good this year, but I feel it, mostly after games. The doctor said it’ll never completely feel the same.”
People in the program who watched Shondy work his way back have an immense amount of respect for what he endured. Senior safety Bryce Erkman said Shondy’s injury has made him better appreciate his opportunity to play.
“Knowing what happened to him makes you realize it can happen to any of us,” Erkman said. “It shows what you have at stake.
“And having him back this year has been huge. He’s a hard runner when he gets the ball, and he’s always beating up the guy who’s across from him.”
Shondy’s statistics are modest. He has caught six passes from senior quarterback Reid Pfeifer
More Top Picks Xerox Duplex Combo
for 68 yards and a touchdown. But what Shondy brings to the offense on a weekly basis is significant.“Besides the quarterback, the tight end in our system is the player we ask to do the most in terms of assignments and responsibilities,” Lake Zurich coach Ron Planz said. “He’s been invaluable. We’re not anywhere near as successful as we’ve been without his ability and willingness to do whatever we ask of him. It’s selflessness.”
The Bears have multiple versions of their highly successful inside-zone running game. The responsibilities remain the same for the offensive linemen, but they’re different for the tight end, so Shondy has a matter of seconds from huddle to snap to recognize what is being asked of him.
“There are a lot of different formations, and I’m just as much of an offensive lineman as they are and just as much of a receiver as they are,” Shondy said. “Doing double duty is fun, though.”
If forced to pick one of those duties, Shondy probably wouldn’t make the seemingly obvious choice.
“I do like catching the ball, and getting out into space one-on-one with a defensive back, linebacker or safety, that always leads to good things,” he said. “But I love getting down with the line. There’s something about doing the dirty work that’s really rewarding. Establishing your dominance on the football field is a feeling I love.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.