If Hollywood decided to make a movie based on what Homewood-Flossmoor’s Zen Cambric experienced last Nov. 8, it could be called “Singing and the Rain.”
His day opened at 5 a.m. and continued with him singing a handful of songs with the school’s chorus — including one in Latin — in the morning and afternoon in a state contest at Elmhurst.
It ended hours later at night on the football field, with Cambric playing under heavy rain for the Vikings in a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to Lockport in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs.
“That was a crazy day,” he said. “It was one of the craziest days that I’ve ever had.”
It has definitely been a wild ride for Cambric. The junior safety returns, hoping to lead the way on a strong defense for H-F, which checks in at No. 7 in the Daily Southtown preseason rankings.
Interestingly, a year ago at this time, Cambric couldn’t imagine having a day like that because he opened the season as a sophomore on the junior varsity.
More Top Picks Best Beginner Sewing Machines For Jeans
“I just thought, ‘You know, I’ll do my due diligence, and next year, I’ll be on varsity,'” Cambric said. “They pulled me up and I got the opportunity, and I felt like I capitalized on my opportunity.”
He made the most of the opportunity, indeed, and suited up for the varsity by the third week. Cambric, who was chosen all-conference, and is already getting Division I offers and looks.
Last season, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Cambric came through with four interceptions and also broke up six passes for the Vikings (6-5).
H-F coach Troy McAllister confirmed the expectations will be “super high” for Cambric.
McAllister not only got a talented football player when he brought up Cambric to the varsity, he was pleasantly surprised that he picked up a young leader as well.
“Zen a well-rounded person,” McAllister said. “He’s highly intelligent, and when you put a person like him on the field, he has an ability to calm things and get things situated.
“Last year as a sophomore, one of the biggest things he did was to make sure we were set and we were aligned correctly. He’s a really good communicator.”
H-F assistant coach Sam Wilkerson prepped at Dunbar, played safety in college at Southern Illinois and attended a Los Angeles Rams training camp as a free agent for a year.
Wilkerson pointed out that he knew Cambric was ready for varsity right away.
Cambric, who has offers from Miami of Ohio and North Dakota, is on the radar of Illinois, Wisconsin, Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Austin Peay. Wilkerson anticipates Cambric receiving even more offers .
“Wherever he ends up I college, he’s going to make that adjustment,” Wilkerson said of Cambric. “You tell him something one time and he gets it. I want to see him get stronger.
“That’s going to be the difference between a D-I school and getting NIL money. He has everything else. If he comes in and puts on 10 pounds of muscle, he can go anywhere.”
Cambric grew up playing soccer but tried out for football in seventh grade. There’s football blood in his family as he said his great uncle is former NFL player Walter Abercrombie, a running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Cambric also runs track in the spring, but he prefers what he does in the fall.
“Football is a great game,” Cambric said. “You get out your emotions playing it. I love the strategy level of it. You try to trick your opponent into doing different things. I love everything about it.”
More Top Picks Ryobi P3240
As for singing? He loves that, too.
“Music will stay in my life,” he said. “But I don’t know if I can make it my job. With football, there is a bright future for me.”
Quick hits
Team: Homewood-Flossmoor.
2025 record: 6-5.
Offensive leaders: Rahsaan Coleman, senior, quarterback; Layden Williams, junior, running back; Braylon Pollard, senior, offensive lineman; Xavier Pratt, junior wide receiver/tight end.
Defensive leaders: David Hill, senior, defensive lineman; Zen Cambric, junior, safety; Quintin Washington, senior, defensive lineman; Will Bundy, senior, cornerback.
X-factor: Martez Harding, sophomore, tight end.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.