Sometimes, it pays to think outside the box. It’s working for Kaneland quarterback Brody Guthrie.
Now a junior, Guthrie was promoted to the varsity last season as a sophomore prospect to fill the backup role behind center. Still, the move gave Knights coach Mike Thorgesen pause.
Was this being wise?
“We kind of went against our norm,” Thorgesen said of green-lighting the decision. “We usually bring kids up only if they’re gonna play. Now that we have so many JV games, we brought Brody up last year to sit behind Jalen Carter.
“Brody still played in the JV games, so he got some experience. I think it’s turned out. He knows the offense well and has been groomed to take this over.”
It’s too early to draw a conclusion, but one game into this fall — Kaneland rolled to a 49-7 victory Friday night over visiting Rock Island in the season opener — that move looks pretty good.
The 6-foot-3, 192-pound Guthrie made his first varsity start and completed 9 of 11 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
Three completions went to senior wide receiver Colton VanDyke for 73 yards and two TDs. Senior wideout Cooper Stombres caught two passes for 19 yards and a TD.
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“I felt amazing about it,” Guthrie said of the promotion that allowed him to see brief mop-up action late in games and play almost the whole Morris game when Carter was injured on the third play.
“Coach Thorgesen brought me up to learn the offense, understand the offense and learn from our seniors. They helped me so much. Along with the coaching staff, it makes me feel prepared.”
Carter is now a freshman defensive back at Northern Illinois.
“He took me under his wing,” Guthrie said. “Jalen was like, ‘Come here, kid. I’ll help you.’ He helped me understand the reads and when it was my turn to throw in 7-on-7s.
“He was there next to me helping with it. He’s been a great role model. I really appreciate that. This past Friday night, he was even there on the sidelines with us.”
Guthrie, who wasn’t always a quarterback, completed passes to six receivers in the opener. He started the sport in fourth grade as a safety and receiver in the Kaneland Youth Football League.
“From sixth to seventh grade, I played offensive line,” Guthrie said. “Before you know it, in eighth grade, I grew like 4 1/2 inches, going from 5-4 to 5-9. I felt I needed to find a new position.”
Guthrie lives in unincorporated Elburn with his parents Tyson and Michelle and younger brother Blake, a freshman center at Kaneland. He always enjoyed throwing the ball around.
That’s why he thought he would try quarterback. Several players had a chance when the team’s starter went down with a broken foot and Guthrie’s arm impressed.
“First game I throw like a 45-yard touchdown on my first play,” Guthrie said. “It really made me love this sport. It was awesome and has kept building.”
Fast forward to this season.
Guthrie plays basketball and does the high jump in track but is committed to football. He takes private lessons from former Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Hohensee while playing with a Rockford-based 7-on-7 team.
“We call it ‘The Breakfast Club,’” Guthrie said of the Hohensee-directed 6:30 a.m. Sunday throwing sessions with many of his receivers at Go For It Sports Dome in Yorkville.
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“He’s a student of it and does all the offseason stuff,” Thorgesen said. “Brody is always working at it and wants to get better. You have to like kids like that.”
His teammates do, electing him one of Kaneland’s captains.
Thorgesen hopes his veteran defense continues to set the tone as the offense finds its rhythm, having to replace nearly all its skill-position starters from a year ago.
“We have skill at every position and determined players who want to win and we are going to win,” Guthrie said. “I’m very confident of that.”