We’re talking special.
More Top Picks Best Rechargeable Book Lights
It’s not necessarily a trending phenomenon, but senior Warren Flatt has joined what has become something of a new tradition for West Aurora’s football program.
Flatt, the Blackhawks’ long snapper for the past two seasons, has verbally committed to West Virginia. As a result, he’s set to become West Aurora’s third Division I long snapper since 2015.
“I’ve never had West Virginia in the building here before for a recruiting visit,” Blackhawks coach Nate Eimer said. “What’s so crazy is all the schools I’ve never seen who wanted to fly in to see Warren work out this spring.
“That’s how good he is. It’s super cool.”
Flatt plans to graduate early to get a head start on pursuing next-level dreams that Eimer believes could have an even higher ceiling.
This fall, however, he will be snapping for a second season for senior punter/kicker Darek Szczeblewski, who has college dreams himself and at least one NCAA Division II offer.
As a sophomore, Flatt snapped for kicker Casey Roney, who is preparing for his redshirt freshman season at Illinois State.
“It’s kind of unreal to think of us as a special teams program,” Eimer said. “Sixteen years ago, I was struggling to find somebody to play those spots. Kids see somebody do it and have success and decide to try it themselves.”
Eimer, who opened summer camp with workouts Monday, didn’t see that coming but has been happy to embrace it.
Hayden Sak got the ball rolling as a long snapper from 2015 to 2018 at Northern Illinois. Sean Weigand, an early mentor for Flatt, spent the past two years at NIU before transferring this spring to Western Illinois, where he will compete for the starting job.
All three have trained with Nolan Owen, the first long snapper on scholarship from 2007 to 2010 for former NIU coach Joe Novak.
“I think I’ve played every single position in football, starting at 5 years old with the Aurora Gators,” Flatt said. “By the end of freshman year, I started focusing just on long snapping after working with Sean. He was the one who got me started with Nolan and said, ‘You need to lock in on this.’”
West Virginia coaches offered to change his planned June visit to the school to an official visit, allowing them to pay for his flight and hotel.
More Top Picks Overlap
“That’s what sealed the deal for me,” Flatt said. “Them showing that they will invest in me as much as I want to invest in them.”
Weigand would often give Flatt rides to Sunday group lessons with Owen before Flatt could even drive. Flatt hopes to offer similar help this season to freshmen in the program.
With encouragement from West Virginia’s coaching staff, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Flatt will also train at tight end and defensive end for West Aurora, the positions he played as a freshman.
He may have an expanded role this fall.
“It feels like a blast from the past, learning all the formations and everything,” Flatt said. “I’m remembering but it’s taking me a second. I love defense and have ever since I was a little kid.”
Flatt has focused on long snapping since freshman year. He works at it five times a week, alone or with Szczeblewski, who was 3-for-3 on field goals and 47-for-48 on extra-point kicks last year.
“There’s usually a gate open here for us so we’ll come in and kick along with some of the guys from earlier years,” Flatt said. “Lucky for me, I only need 15 yards. I don’t need to punt it.
“I use my backyard and have a target set up. I go out there every day, and on my target there’s a punt box and a field goal box with a little circle in it. I don’t need anybody. Just me and my target.”